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Carte Blanche Concerts

Carte Blanche II: Beethoven Sonatas, Gilles Vonsattel

Jul 30 2026

Summary

This summer, pianist Gilles Vonsattel begins his epic musical undertaking of performing all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas at Music@Menlo. Spanning two festivals, this exceptional project explores the evolution of Beethoven’s legendary creativity, from youthful brilliance to bold artistic daring. Each performance is preceded by a full-evening lecture exploring the works performed, offering Gilles’ personal insights into the music and an artist’s perspective from the piano. Purchase both the lecture and performance for the discounted price of $90, and join us as we journey through one of the crowning achievements in classical music.

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Piano Sonata no.19 in G minor, op. 49, no.1 (1795–96)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Piano Sonata no. 7 in D major, op. 10, no. 3 (1798)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Piano Sonata no. 17 in D minor, op. 31, no. 2, The Tempest (1801–02)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Piano Sonata no. 13 in E-flat major, op. 27, no. 1, Quasi una fantasia (1800–01)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Piano Sonata no. 14 in C-sharp minor, op. 27, no. 2, Moonlight (1801)

Artists

Event Details & Booking

Jul 30 20267:00 PM
Venue: Stent Hall
Price: Full Price: $25.00 - $90.00 Under 30: $25.00

“The long preparation to perform the Beethoven sonatas has left me filled with awe. Profoundly original and often eccentric, he is the polar opposite of creativity by imitation and rapid assimilation—and yet, musically, he is always methodical, organized, and extremely knowledgeable and versed in precedent. The fundamental approach of industriously following, bending, and breaking rules from a position of great knowledge and supreme musical talent yielded his incredible output and explains its depth. Tracing the evolution of Beethoven’s creative project is to explore what the human mind can achieve at its highest level, beginning from the humblest elements.”

Gilles Vonsattel

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