audite

Beethoven
Late Works for Flute & Piano

Johannes Hustedt – flute
Sontraud Speidel – piano

Ludwig van Beethoven
National Airs with Variations Op. 105 & Op. 107

CD Trailer
Sample I
Sample II
Sample III

Bonus-Track (Video)

CD order

It is precisely in his variations that Ludwig van Beethoven displays his delightfully innovative qualities, particularly in his use of popular songs or dances from various cultures. Beethoven's late, rarely heard National Airs with Variations Op. 105 & Op. 107 for piano with flute accompaniment, closely related to the Hammerklavier Sonata Op. 106 and linked to it by numerous stylistic details, represent these aspects to perfection. The joy and enthusiasm with which Beethoven approached the commission for the Scottish publisher George Thomson and the songs from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Austria, and Ukraine is demonstrated by his humor, irony, and joy of experimentation in the music and the treatment of the instruments, which goes far beyond the piano works with flute accompaniment of the time. This CD is an invitation to rediscover these rarely heard variation cycles.

“Sontraud Speidel – a kind of Clara Schumann of our days”
(Neue Zeitschrift für Musik)

“I must confess, I've never heard these works in concert because they've never been offered. They deserve to be played no less than the Hammerklavier Sonata Op. 106, as Op. 105 and 107. I would assume that people would rush to these works because they are so valuable, because they are so artfully composed. But to my knowledge, that hasn't been the case so far.” (Sontraud Speidel)

“In fact, it feels as if his playing makes the world stand still for a moment.” (Hessische Allgemeine)

Today, we can be grateful that Beethoven did not fulfil the expectations of his commissioner George Thomson, who hoped for nice, easy playable variations of popular songs from the famous composer. Instead, we hold masterpieces in our hands that were unplayable for amateurs of that time –  a disaster for Thomson’s publishing intentions, but a fortunate circumstance for us! (Johannes Hustedt)

SONTRAUD SPEIDEL & JOHANNES HUSTEDT

At the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe, Sontraud Speidel and Johannes Hustedt met and developed a mutual appreciation for each other as colleagues. They enjoy, also international, a high reputation and worked together as jurors at various music competitions and on cultural policy committees before coming together as a duo for the Clara Schumann Year 2019. Their Beethoven interpretations to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth led them to the audite label in 2020, where they are recording a series of several CDs.

Reviews

Perfectly coordinated duo play
Sontraud Speidel and Johannes Hustedt with rare Beethoven works
The folk song arrangements are truly brilliant, as Karlsruhe piano professor Sontraud Speidel and flautist Johannes Hustedt, who also teaches at the University of Music Karlsruhe, underline on the CD with their well-coordinated playing.
Badische Neueste Nachrichten, Thomas Weiss

Pianist Sontraud Speidel and flautist Johannes Hustedt delight with a quality of interplay characterized by harmony, sophistication, and joy of playing.
This new release on the "audite" label is a recording of exceptional appeal. This CD is highly recommended for Beethoven lovers, as it shows an unusual side of the composer Beethoven, who, with much joy, humor, and innovative spirit, lends a special color to songs and dances from different cultures, demonstrating his unique mastery of the art of processing and characterization.

Pianist Sontraud Speidel and flautist Johannes Hustedt captivate with a quality of interplay characterized by harmony, sophistication, and joy. The listener follows the duo with excitement through 16 diverse miniatures, presented with a high degree of characterization. Virtuosity, articulatory finesse, and cantabile lines are paired with expressiveness and sensitivity. The development of diverse moods is based on an inspiring collaboration and a continuous dialogue in the service of a shared creative will.

Sontraud Speidel's playing captivates with virtuosity, refined phrasing, and richness of nuance; her runs and trills sparkle with crystalline clarity, and even in the most energetic forte, the sound remains elastic and nuanced. Her astonishing range of touches is impressive; the piano sounds sparkling in the upper register, rich in resonance and full in the lower register.

Johannes Hustedt refines the piano sound with a warm flute tone, his modulation-rich playing reveals a wide range of tonal and expressive colors, the excellent articulation follows an eloquent gesture, his wide-spanning bows breathe weightlessness and soulful devotion.

The sound quality of the CD leaves nothing to be desired, and the appealing booklet contains detailed contributions by Dr. Jürgen Schaarwächter and Johannes Hustedt.
IOCO - Kultur im Netz, Uschi Reifenberg

Cheeky Beethoven
This album guarantees delicious amusement. … The two performers, flutist Johannes Hustedt and pianist Sontraud Speidel, know how to handle the very cheeky pieces wonderfully and sharpen the humor they contain to our greatest pleasure.
The recording is of optimal naturalness, very balanced and warm in sound.
pizzicato

Spotify Charts
Two tracks from this CD have been included in Spotify's curated playlist "Classical New Releases - Spotify Pics".