Two violin sonatas await the lucky listener on today’s CD:

Violin Sonata No. 4 in A Minor Op. 23 (composed 1800-1801; Beethoven was 30-31)

Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Op. 24 “Spring” (composed 1801; Beethoven was 31)

Both are performed eloquently by Kristof Barati on violin and Klara Wurtz on piano.

I should have looked up Klara Wurtz sooner because what I found out about her is interesting:

Klára Würtz (Budapest, 1965) is a Hungarian pianist. She is married to the Dutch label manager Pieter Shop Brilliant Classics, and since 1996 living in Amsterdam. Würtz teaches at the Utrecht Conservatory.

Her career has ups and downs; periods of action are interspersed with silences. After the birth of her daughter (2004), it may not play because of tendinitis in her hands for a year. But according to her is not her ambition to “a toppianiste” to be., As they say themselves,

Her many musical recordings covering mainly the Classical and Romantic period: Mozart , Beethoven , Brahms , Schubert, Schumann, Tchaikovsky.

That was translated using Google translations for the Wikipedia article. So it’s not precise in its wording. But I think we get the gist of it.

What I found most interesting is that she’s married to the man who manages Brilliant Classics, the record label on which this recording resides.

In the Classical music world, two labels used to rule them all: Deutsche Grammophon and the Philips classical labels. Well, perhaps Decca being another top label, creating a triumvirate of labels renowned among Those Who Know.

In recent years, Brilliant Classics has emerged as the most affordable Classical music label in the world. But that doesn’t translate as cheap. The quality of the recordings and the musicianship are exceptional.

So traditionalists may still prefer DG or Philips. But Classical music aficionados on a budget, especially those who want complete recordings, increasingly turn to Brilliant Classics. I love the label. (And, no, I don’t work for them, although I wish I did.)

The violinist is no slouch, either. He, too, is regarded as one of the best in his profession, according to his entry on Wikipedia:

Kristóf Baráti (born 1979) is a Hungarian violinist, and is widely regarded as one of the most talented violinists to emerge in recent years.

So, again, Brilliant Classics spares no expense when it comes to the best musicians. I just don’t know how they make money selling their boxed sets so reasonably priced. They represent the best value in Classical music.