»As if your were listening to the Sonatas for the first time«

»I know of no other series of pieces that captures the human condition, with all its feelings and character, quite like this one.« Fabian Müller will complete his cycle of all 32 of Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano sonatas at Beethovenfest 2025. His interpretation of these piano masterpieces is highly personal and refreshingly original.

In four concerts, Müller will conclude his journey, which he began in 2024. Spread across four concert halls in Bonn, he will play 15 of the 32 sonatas over the course of three weeks. The idea for this concert series came from his mentor, Daniel Barenboim, who also invited Müller to perform his version of the cycle at the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin. Thus, Fabian Müller inevitably follows in the footsteps of the great pianist, who himself became famous through complete cycles of performances. This is an accolade for the up-and-coming star from Bonn, who is becoming a permanent fixture in the world of international concerts. »Barenboim has always been a legend to me. I grew up with his records. If anyone had predicted that I would get to know him, let alone be invited by him, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s a great gift and a great honour«, says Fabian Müller.

Fabian Müller explains how he curated his own cycle: »In each concert, there is something from Beethoven’s early, middle and late periods. So each performance is varied, but there is also an arc.« This year’s series, for example, begins with a clash between the 6th and 31st sonatas, which were composed over 20 years apart, at the concert on 31 August 2025. Sonatas No. 14 (the famous »Moonlight Sonata«) and No. 16 from 1801/02 are added to represent ›middle‹ Beethoven – the beginning of the so-called ›heroic phase‹, during which Beethoven proclaimed, »I am not satisfied with my previous works. From now on, I want to take a different path.«
 

Another unique feature of Fabian Müller’s Beethoven series: »I wanted to give the cycle a personal touch. That’s why I have composed a Bagatelle for each sonata – a short piano piece that I will play before each sonata. It was fun composing them. Each one is extremely different – like an adventure playground where I can experiment with lots of different things. I love the feeling when I go on stage and nobody knows what’s coming next. You can sense the audience’s curiosity. This bleeds over to the way they listen to the Beethoven sonatas: It’s as if you’re hearing them for the first time.«

For Fabian Müller, the 32 sonatas are all very different from each other. »No two pieces are alike. It’s a miracle how Beethoven managed that. That’s why they never get boring – there’s never a moment when you think, ›I've heard this before‹; every moment is new and exciting. I find that incredible.« The spectrum ranges from the sublime to the witty. Take the Sonata Op. 10 No. 2, for example, which he describes as a »mockery of everything ultra-heroic«. At the concert on 12 September 2025 at the Pantheon Theatre, he will perform it alongside the »Pathétique«, a pivotal piece in Beethoven’s heroic style.

What is important when devoting oneself to such a milestone as the Beethoven sonatas? »It’s crucial to emphasise how poetic this music is. It is not classical, regimented music, but incredibly imaginative. It’s like a Shakespeare play: you have to be prepared to be completely honest on stage. Then you are transported into the craziest events and adventures.«