UTZON MUSIC 2022
Beethoven: Sonatas for Piano and Cello
with Aura Go and Timo-Veikko Valve
Australian Chamber Orchestra Principal Cello Timo-Veikko Valve and acclaimed pianist Aura Go delve into the mastery of Beethoven's Sonatas for Piano and Cello in the exquisite, intimate Utzon Room.
In the Utzon Room | Classical Music
COVID-safe and event information
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Opera House is our priority. When you return to the Opera House, you will notice some important changes that have been implemented to keep the community safe, which are regularly reviewed and updated in consideration of the Public Health Order prevailing at the time. Please follow our conditions of entry at all times:
- Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask;
- As you move around the Opera House, practise physical distancing (1.5 metres whenever possible) and follow the guidance provided by our staff and signage; and
- Within venues, always take your allocated seat.
Please refer to our updated General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events for detailed information about our ticketing policies. These conditions may change between the time of purchase and the event date. Ticketholders will be contacted directly regarding any changes to their event.
Please check our plan your visit page prior to attending the Opera House for the most up-to-date information.
Pre-sale and on-sale information
Pre-sale timings:
Insider Member Priority – 9am, Tuesday 7 December
Utzon Music subscriber pre-sale – 12pm, Tuesday 7 December
What’s On e-newsletter pre-sale – 9am, Wednesday 8 December
General public on sale 9am, Monday 13 December
Two concerts on Saturday 5 March, 2022
Concert 1, 3pm
Sonatas No. 1, No. 4 and No. 3
Concert 2, 6pm
Sonatas No. 2 and No. 5
Standard tickets $89 or purchase a Sonata Multipack for $130 | $8.50 Booking Fee applies per transaction
| Ticket | Reserved Seating |
|---|---|
| Standard - Concert 1 |
$89 |
| Standard - Concert 2 |
$89 |
| Subscription (Purchase both performances and save) |
$65 each performance |
Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection. Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times.
The authorised ticket agency for this event is Sydney Opera House. For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the FAQ below.
Concert 1 runs for approximately 65 minutes; and Concert 2 runs for approximately 60 minutes Should ticket holders arrive late, they will be let in at an appropriate moment
Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
Suitable for all ages
Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times. Children aged 0-23 months at the time of a performance may be seated on a parent’s lap free of charge. All children occupying a seat or aged 2 year/s of age or older must hold a valid ticket.
“Emerging from the three major creative periods of his lifetime, these works represent a microcosm of Beethoven’s extraordinary trajectory.”
Aura Go and Timo-Veikko Valve
Exceptional chamber musicians showcase Beethoven’s mastery in this complete Cello Sonata Cycle event
In composing these five sonatas, Beethoven pioneered the repertoire for Piano and Cello. In 1796, at 25 years of age, he wrote the first and second sonata in Berlin (four years before writing his mighty Symphony No. 5, and five years before he wrote for string quartet). He composed the fourth and fifth sonata aged 45, ailing and increasingly impacted by deafness. These sonatas reflect the journey of Beethoven's music and life. Performed over two concerts, Timo-Veikko Valve and Aura Go will explore and expertly unpack these incredible works and speak to Beethoven's unmatched creative power and process.
Journey through the complete set of Beethoven's Sonatas for Piano and Cello, performed by this exceptional duo.
Presented by Sydney Opera House
Read more from the musicians about this program Click to expand
Experiencing Beethoven’s cycle of five sonatas for piano and cello in one day places performers and audiences in an especially intimate proximity to Beethoven.
Emerging from the three major creative periods of his lifetime, these works represent a microcosm of Beethoven’s extraordinary trajectory. The two sonatas Op. 5 (1796) effectively create the medium – inspired by the playing of famous French cellist brothers Duport, these substantial works chart new territory for cello and piano. The Sonata in A major Op. 69 (1808) epitomises the classical duo sonata, the cello and piano now fully evolved as equal partners in a delightfully unfolding interplay of radiant beauty. And with the two sonatas Op. 102 (1815) we enter the transcendent world of late Beethoven, a world characterised by a highly concentrated and potent musical language in which vast scope and scale are attained by way of the simplest means. It is significant that in forging these visionary paths, Beethoven looks back to JS Bach: an epic fugue forms the final movement of the Sonata in D major Op. 102 No. 2, bringing the cycle to an ecstatic and decisive conclusion.
Contemplating these works as a cycle, Beethoven’s disposition seems distinctly sunny: the fierce mood of the opening movement the Sonata in C major Op. 102 No. 1 is overcome by the exuberant joy of its last movement; even the Sonata in G minor Op. 5 No. 2 (the only sonata cast in a minor key), turns from tumultuous drama to gleeful humour. Could Beethoven’s creative collaborations with the various cellists that inspired and helped shape these works have contributed to their predominantly positive spirit? Rendering the cycle at this moment in time, through a similarly close collaborative dialogue between cellist and pianist, we cannot help but imagine and reflect on the creative collaborations that may have manifested in tangible and intangible ways in these works. These performances offer us all – performers and audiences alike – an opportunity to enter into a special kind of imaginative dialogue with Beethoven, and to inhabit the remarkable worlds of these creations.
Aura Go and Timo-Veikko Valve
CONCERT 1
Sonata No. 1 in F major Op. 5/1 (21’)
Adagio sostenuto – Allegro
Rondo. Allegro vivace
Sonata No. 4 in C major Op. 102/1 (16’)
Andante – Allegro vivace
Adagio – Tempo d'Andante – Allegro vivace
Sonata No. 3 in A major Op. 69 (28’)
Allegro, ma non tanto
Scherzo. Allegro molto
Adagio cantabile – Allegro vivace
CONCERT 2
Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op. 5/2 (23’)
Adagio sostenuto e espressivo – Allegro molto più tosto presto
Rondo. Allegro
Sonata No. 5 in D major Op. 102/2 (20’)
Allegro con brio
Adagio con molto sentimento d'affetto
Allegro – Allegro fugato
SEE BOTH CONCERTS AND SAVE
Can't choose?
See both concerts and receive your Sonata multipack discount!
$65 per concert plus booking fee
Select the package option when purchasing.
“Rediscovering live chamber music post-lockdown is a soul warming prospect and these essential Beethoven Sonatas will form an integral part of my re-education. We are in the safest hands with my friends Tipi and Aura, who will bring the poise and power of these works to life in the Utzon Room.”
Casey Green, Utzon Music series curator
Meet the Musicians
Timo-Veikko 'Tipi' Valve Cello
Tipi studied at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and at the Edsberg Music Institute in Stockholm. He has appeared as a soloist with all the major orchestras in Finland, and as a chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the US. He has been the Principal Cello of the Australian Chamber Orchestra for 14 years.
Tipi describes the cello as a flexible and adaptive instrument, both in its role in an ensemble or as a soloist across all forms of music.
Aura Go Piano
Aura Go is an Australian pianist whose curiosity and versatility have taken her across the globe. She has been soloist in concertos ranging from Bach to Gubaidulina, has directed concertos and large-scale collaborative works from the keyboard, is a passionate advocate for new and underrepresented music, and brings her imagination and adventurous spirit to older music with a special affinity with the music of Mozart and Beethoven.
In 2018-19 Aura was a Musica Viva FutureMakers Artist. She is lecturer and Coordinator of Piano at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music at Monash University.
Venue Information
Performances are being sold to 100% capacity in line with the NSW Public Health Order. This includes all shows in the Concert Hall, Joan Sutherland Theatre, Studio, Playhouse, Drama Theatre and Utzon Room. Please note that you will be seated directly alongside other ticketholders.
Our foyers will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer consistent with COVID-safe rules.
What safety measures have you implemented?
Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of everyone on site, and we are closely following NSW Health guidelines and advice. The Sydney Opera House is registered as a COVID Safe business with the NSW Government. For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you when visiting, please see our plan your visit page.
What am I required to do as an audience member?
Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask.
As you move around the Opera House, practise physical distancing (1.5 metres whenever possible) and follow the guidance provided by our staff and signage.
Within venues, always take your allocated seat.
For detailed information about our COVID-19 safety measures and what’s required of you, please see our plan your visit page.
Do I need to be vaccinated to visit the Sydney Opera House?
The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Am I required to wear a mask?
Face masks are strongly recommended for all patrons while inside our theatres and foyers, including during the performance. Please bring your own mask.
How are you managing contact tracing?
Contact information is required when making a booking with us and upon arrival at the Opera House, as set out in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events and our Customer Privacy Statement.
As the ticket purchaser, you are responsible for recording the contact details of your guests. Contact information will only be used for the purposes of contact tracing, if required, and will be deleted at least 28 days after your event.
Frequently Asked Questions - Performance and Venue
What time do I need to arrive before the event?
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. It is encouraged that you take your seats as soon as you arrive.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval.
Ticketholders must comply with the directions of Opera House ushers to assist with contact tracing.
Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.
Will there be bag checks, and is cloaking available?
In line with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.
Who are the authorised ticket sellers for this event?
The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.
Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. RESALE RESTRICTION APPLIES. For more details, please refer to our General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.
What if I can't come to my performance?
Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend. If you can no longer attend because you are unwell, or have been in contact with someone displaying COVID-19 symptoms, the Opera House has introduced flexible ticketing options to help you, find out more information here.
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