Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13, "Pathétique"
Piano Sonata No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 1
Piano Sonata No. 6 in F Major, Op. 10, No. 2
Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3

If there's one thing that sets Beethoven's Piano Sonatas apart from the Sonatas by Mozart or Haydn for example, it is their inner forward moving, impulsive, rhythmical flow. Beethoven loved to experiment with different rhythmical patterns, and this is particularly manifest in his Piano Sonatas. And this is one attribute that pianist Adam Golka brings to the surface in his interpretations. There's a fluid agility to his phrasing by which he captures Beethoven's impetuous persona. His is not a Sturm und Drang, sombre and humourless approach, but rather a nimble and highly musical account. Excessive use of rubato is avoided, and his choice of generally sprightly tempos is not only for the sake of velocity, but rather to enhance the music's impetus.

The booklet notes state: "Since first self-presenting and performing Beethoven's 32 Piano Sonatas at the age of 18, Adam Golka has immersed himself in studying the master's works. He has studied Beethoven under the guidance of masters such as Leon Fleisher, Alfred Brendel, Sir Andras Schiff, Murray Perahia, and Ferenc Rados." His perspective on Beethoven is clearly from a "classical" vantage point, which squarely situates the music as the progressive link from Mozart to Brahms. In this, Beethoven's 250th anniversary year, it's great to see that there are still musicians eager and committed to embark on the arduous journey to master and record a cycle of Beethoven's complete Piano Sonatas, despite the market being saturated. It bodes well for the future of classical music. Looking forward to the rest of Golka's series of recordings.