Francesca dePasquale and Peter Takács had me from the first bars of the A major Sonata, Op 30 No 1. Relaxed, lyrical and surprisingly confidential, their reading is like a gracious invitation. The ornamental filigree in the Adagio molto espressivo is rendered with suppleness and tender expression, while the theme-and-variations finale veers between exuberance and, in the minor variation (at 4'19"), determined studiousness. Keeping in mind that Beethoven composed this trio of sonatas around the same time as his anguished Heiligenstadt Testament, I found the interpretation especially poignant.

The C minor Sonata is, of course, a tougher and far more restless work…I appreciate that dePasquale isn’t afraid to rough up her tone in the crunching triple-stop chords. I also love how wonderfully weird she makes those birdlike calls at 4'25" in the Adagio cantabile.

The central Tempo di minuetto in the G major Sonata is taken at a leisurely pace but with delectably pointed rhythms that keep the phrasing buoyant…dePasquale and Takács play the sonata’s outer movements with verve and fizzy articulation. I certainly hope to hear more from this promising duo.

by Andrew Farach-Colton, Gramophone