Ludwig van Beethoven: The Complete Piano Sonatas

Jonathan Biss has deepened his long relationship with Beethoven's piano sonatas over the past nine years with a landmark recording project. His nine-disc survey

of the Complete Piano Sonatas, released by Orchid Classics to mark the composer's 250th anniversary year, documents the evolution of Biss's Beethoven. The

American pianist's personal explorations of these extraordinary works reflects insights gained through countless hours devoted to understanding one of the greatest monuments of western classical music. "Beethoven's sonatas have been a constant presence in my life for nearly as long as I have been playing the piano," Jonathan Biss recalls. "'Presence' is too mild a word, though: 'force' comes a bit closer to conveying the space he occupies in my heart and head." Their allencompassing creative universe, he adds, demands the full attention of performers and listeners alike. The sonatas, in short, open fresh perspectives on human experience through the penetrating lens of Beethoven's imagination.