A Monument for Beethoven

In August 1845, 75 years after Beethoven’s birth, the composer’s hometown of Bonn unveiled a statue to its famous son. Franz Liszt, who as an 11-year-old had played for Beethoven, raised substantial funds. In this hugely ambitious debut album, the pianist Yoav Levanon—who was just 17 when he recorded it—pays tribute to Liszt and other composers who helped the cause. Liszt’s mighty Sonata in B Minor makes a dramatic opening, played with great technical command and bravado, while his sparkling “La Campanella” makes a delightful close. In between, Schumann’s stormy, Beethovenian Fantaisie in C Major contributes to the drama, again tackled with verve by Levanon. Chopin’s “Prelude in C-Sharp Minor” and Mendelssohn’s "Variations sérieuses in D Minor” make for poetic interludes.