One of the first major recording milestones for Beethoven Year came last autumn with the complete piano sonatas recorded for Sony Classical by Igor Levit. We’re delighted to offer an exclusive preview of a new short video, made by Boris Fromageot, to supplement those recordings. It’s of the Adagio cantabile of Piano Sonata No 8 in C minor, Op 13, Pathétique.

Levit had performed the 32 sonatas many times in concert before taking the cycle into the studio to record in its entirety. Reviewing the set in last year's Awards issue, Harriet Smith noted ‘That he is so inside these pieces will come as no surprise, for he has been performing complete cycles around the world for some time now. As you’d predict from an artist who combines acute intelligence and technical panache, it’s utterly absorbing. It’s also a cycle that doesn’t have favourites – Levit feels equally committed to every single piece.’

In 2016 he won Gramophone's Recording of the Year for his Sony Classical album that combined JS Bach's Goldberg Variations, Beethoven's Diabelli Variations and Frederic Rzewski's
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Levit has also been one of the most conspicuous musicians during Lockdown. He launched his daily house concerts from his living room last month, in an act of solidarity during these difficult times. 'Empty concert halls,' he explained. 'The idea of listening to and experiencing music together is gone – for now. It's necessary, yet so sad. But it's ok. Still: I'd like to continue sharing music with you. Listening. Experiencing. Whatever works. So, I'm going to try something: private concerts. You're the audience….It's an experiment. Social-media House Concert until we meet again to do this in real life.'

By invitation from the German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Igor Levit’s House Concert on April 2 was broadcast from the president’s Berlin residence Palace Bellevue. Watch it and Igor's nightly concerts on Twitter, @igorpianist