Helen Luard (Violoncello)
Jean Hamilton (Pianoforte)

Beethoven left five Sonatas for Violoncello and Pianoforte, two belonging to his early period, one in the middle of his career, and two quite late works. This is the middle one, written when he was at the very, height of his powers, and before there had begun to be in his music anything of that sombre and mysterious order which makes such things as his last string quartets a little terrifying.

This Sonata is throughout melodious and good-humoured. The first movement begins with the violoncello playing the first tune alone. The pianoforte takes it up and it is concisely set forth. The second principal theme is a double one, in which the two melodies are interchanged between the instruments; one is a series of scales and the other a slower moving tune, beginning, as many of the world's great tunes do, with the notes of the common chord.

The Scherzo, which comes next, is meant, like many of Beethoven's, to be repeated twice, so that the first part is heard three times, and the alternative section, the Trio, twice. The feature of the first part is the way in which the instruments play the theme one a note behind the other.

There is a very short, slow movement which is really no more than an introduction to the bustling and light-hearted last movement.