May I use the word “revelatory?” It most accurately describes my reaction to this release of Anton Brucker’s piano music. Bruckner’s reputation (rightly) rests on his symphonies. But those were far in the future of the young student who wrote these piano pieces. All of the works recorded were composed as student pieces and composition […]
Classical piano
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Friedrich Gernsheim Piano Series Begins at Beginning
Friedrich Gernsheim was a talented pianist and composer with two strikes against him. He was a contemporary of Johannes Brahms, who overshadowed him during his lifetime. And he was a German Jew, so his legacy was (temporarily) erased by the Nazis. The 21st Century seems to be kinder to Gernsheim, given the number of recent […]
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Pianist Jinghu Zhao Launches Carl Czerny Series
Now, this is an ambitious recording project. Carl Czerny wrote over 1,000 works — a substantial portion for solo piano. If you still collect CDs, you might want to clear a shelf for this series. Volume one features five works, only one an entirely original Czerny composition. Variations, fantasies, and impromptus based on existing melodies […]
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Early Muzio Clementi keyboard sonatas have their appeal
This release is part of Naxos’ leisurely traversal through Muzio Clementi’s keyboard sonatas. This installment features sonatas from the early part of his career. The Op. 2 sonatas were published in 1779, the Op. 1784. This was the time when Antonio Salieri was still a major composer. Mozart was up to 15 piano concertos; Haydn […]
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Jan Ladislav Dussek Sonatas, Vol. 7 – simple vs. complex
Volume Seven of Brilliant Classics’ on-going series has a nice balance. Jan Ladislav Dussek’s massive sonata “Retour à Paris” is offset by the featherweight the Op. 47 “Sonata facile.” Sonata faciles were just that — easy sonatas. Designed for the amateur, these works were simple in structure, and simple to perform. Mozart and Beethoven both wrote sonata […]
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Jan Ladislav Dussek – Complete Piano Concertos, Vol. 6 features transcriptions
This release features the Opus 9 Piano Sonatas of Jan Ladislav Dussek. Originally, they were written for a melodic instrument + piano, a common practice of the late 1700s. The melodic instrument could either be a violin or flute — performer’s choice. Innovations in pianoforte construction allow for longer sustained notes. Dussek could transcribe these […]
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Jan Ladislav Dussek Complete Piano Sonatas Vol. 5 – Enlightening
Jan Ladislav Dussek was a pioneering piano virtuoso who continually pushed the boundaries of his instrument. And in some cases, he was responsible for some of the improvements made to the fortepiano — especially range. Volume 5 in Brilliant Classics’ series features pianist Wolfgang Brunner. His performances are top-notch. But I found his liner […]
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McDermott Delivers Intimate Performances of Haydn Sonatas
This release is a follow-up to McDermott’s 2014 release of Haydn Piano Concertos and Sonatas. This time, Anne-Marie McDermott presents an entire program of solo sonatas. Haydn’s sonatas have a deceptive simplicity to them. The technical demands are modest (compared to sonatas by Beethoven and later composers). But that doesn’t mean they’re insubstantial. McDermott performs […]
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Clementi Sonatas Span Career
This release presents a snapshot of Clementi’s development as a composer — and the development of his chosen instrument. Sandro De Palma performs at a modern keyboard. but he carefully matches his playing to the works. De Palma gives Clementi’s 1771 Op. 1 Sonata in a delicate, mannered reading. It’s easy to hear a close […]