Walewein Witten: Piano Sonatas by Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven Walewein Witten

• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): Sonata in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 ‘The Tempest’:
• 1Sonata in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 ‘The Tempest’: I. Largo - Allegro08:44
• 2Sonata in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 ‘The Tempest’: II. Adagio08:20
• 3Sonata in D Minor, Op. 31 No. 2 ‘The Tempest’: III. Allegretto07:46
• Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809): Sonata in E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI:52:
• 4Sonata in E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI:52: I. Allegro09:59
• 5Sonata in E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI:52: II. Adagio06:08
• 6Sonata in E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI:52: III. Finale06:40
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791): Sonata in F Major, KV 533/494:
• 7Sonata in F Major, KV 533/494: I. Allegro09:05
• 8Sonata in F Major, KV 533/494: II. Andante07:46
• 9Sonata in F Major, KV 533/494: III. Rondo06:58
• Total Runtime01:11:26

Info for Walewein Witten: Piano Sonatas by Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven

Berlin-based Dutch keyboardist Walewein Witten makes his Resonus Classics debut with this programme of piano sonatas from the golden period of the fortepiano in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century.

The last of Joseph Haydn’s piano sonatas, is combined with a late period F major sonata by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Op. 31 Sonata, ‘The Tempest’.

Using a copy of an 1805 Walter fortepiano, Witten brings new energy to these outstanding works from the late-classical era.

Walewein Witten, fortepiano

Walewein Witten
started playing the harpsichord at the age of 13. He studied harpsichord at the Royal Conservatory at The Hague (Holland) with Jacques Ogg and Ton Koopman, and obtained his soloist diploma in 1998 with the highest marks and honors. He participated in masterclasses for harpsichord with Gustav Leonhardt (1994) and Lars-Ulrik Mortensen (1997).

Parallel to his studies of Early Music he specialised in contemporary music for harpsichord with Annelie de Man in Amsterdam. This led to many performances and premieres of modern harpsichord pieces, and to his soloist participation in 1994 at the International Harpsichord Week in De IJsbreker in Amsterdam.

Walewein Witten played in many chamber music ensembles and baroque orchestras. He was first harpsichordist of the European Union Baroque Orchestra in 1998, under conductors such as Roy Goodman, Andrew Manze and Ton Koopman. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as prinicipal harpsichordist and organist of the Utrecht Barock Consort with Jos van Veldhoven. Further ensembkles were The London Bach Players, Collegium ad Mosam (Nl) and Ensmble Anima e Corpo (Barcelona).

As a soloist on harpsichord he performed concertos by J.S. Bach and C.P.E. Bach, leading the orchestra from the harpsichord. With symphony orchestra he performed the Concert Champetre by Poulenc several times, last time in 2014 with the Kassel State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marco Comin.

Walewein Witten studied fortepiano at the Royal Conservatory at The Hague (Nl) with Stanley Hoogland and Bart van Oort, and obtained his Master Diploma in 1999. Throughout his studies he was a well appreciated partner for chamber music and song accompanist.

His desire to extend his repertoire and technical possibilities led him to decide to dedicate himself to the modern piano as well. From 1999 to 2001 he studied piano in Barcelona with Carmen Vila, a former student of Paul Badura-Skoda. He continued his studies at the Academy of Arts in Utrecht with Martijn van den Hoek and Alexander Warenberg, finishing his soloist diploma in 2003.

He participated masterclass for piano and fortepiano with Paul Badura-Skoda (1998) and Alexej Lubimov (2000). Song accompaniment and Lied interpretation he learnt in various masterclasses, with Rudolf Jansen and Elly Ameling (2005), as well as with Aafje Heynis, and Irwin Gage.

On fortepiano and modern piano Walewein Witten ist mostly active as a soloist and chamber musician, in combination with violin and cello, flute, and clarinet, and as a song accompanist. With orchestra he performed several solo concertos, amongst others both the Grieg and Schumann a minor concertos, Beethoven 3rd concerto in c minor and various Mozart concertos, also conducting from the keyboard.

From 2005 to 2014 Walewein worked as a repetiteur at the opera theaters of Düsseldorf, Bremerhaven and Kassel. During this period he took part in many ballet productions performing solo piano on the stage to dance choreographies, and played many lied and solo recitals, both on modern and fortepiano.

In the Autumn of 2018 a solo CD on fortepiano is expected, containing works by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, played on a fortepiano after Walter&Son from 1805, built by Gerard Tuinman. A second recording has been planned already for 2019, with works by Beethoven, Schumann and Chopin, played on pianos after Broadwood and Pleyel.

This album contains no booklet.