Drei Frühe Klaviersonaten (Es-dur / F-moll / D-dur) WoO 47 / Zwei Klaviersonatinen (G-dur / F-dur)

Released by the East German state-owned label ETERNA in 1976, this recording features pianist Klaus Bäßler performing Beethoven's early piano sonatas, specifically the 'Kurfürstensonaten' WoO 47 and the two sonatinas. These works were composed by a young Beethoven in Bonn around 1783 and were dedicated to the Elector Maximilian Friedrich. By presenting these rarely performed juvenilia, the recording serves as a historical document of the composer's foundational development before his move to Vienna.

The ETERNA label, known for its extensive documentation of the German classical tradition, produced this pressing as part of a series intended to provide high-quality, scholarly performances for the socialist market. Klaus Bäßler, a respected pedagogue and pianist associated with the Berlin University of the Arts, approached these works with a focus on stylistic clarity. The cover design adheres to the typical minimalist, functionalist aesthetic favored by ETERNA during the mid-1970s, prioritizing information and archival rigor over commercial gloss.