Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer: Kristian Bezuidenhout
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Harmonia Mundi
Catalogue: HMM902273
Release: 2019
Size: 1.19 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Piano Sonata No. 33 in C minor, Hob.XVI:20
01. I. Allegro moderato
02. II. Andante con moto
03. III. Finale. Allegro
04. Variations on ‘Gott erhalte Franz, den Kaiser’ in G major (after Hob.III / 77ii)
Piano Sonata No. 13 in G major, Hob.XVI:6
05. I. Allegro
06. II. Menuet – Trio
07. III. Adagio
08. IV. Finale. Allegro molto
Piano Sonata No. 58 in C major, Hob.XVI:48
09. I. Andante con espressione
10. II. Rondo. Presto
11. Andante & Variations in F minor, Hob.XVII:6 (Sonata – un piccolo divertimento)
After having released his complete recording of Mozart’s Sonatas and collaborated with the singer Mark Padmore (Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann), Kristian Bezuidenhout continues to expand his discography with Joseph Haydn this time. Under the record label Harmonia Mundi, the South-African pianist emphasizes the whimsical and fanciful elements of a selection of Haydn’s works that were influenced by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, a composer from whom he learnt a lot and described with a certain fondness. Here, the Sonata in C major (Hob. XVI:48) is halfway between the Variations on a Theme and a totally unbridled fantasy, whereas the Sonata in C minor (Hob.XVI:20) unlocks the full dramatic potential of keyboard music. The later works on this album are contrasted with earlier ones such as the charming and spirited Sonata in G major (XVI:6) which is followed by two sequences of variations. This repertoire showcases Haydn’s inexhaustible creative energy as well as his ability to reinvent himself with each of his works. The performer relishes the performance here, playing on a Paul McNulty fortepiano modelled on an Anton Walter Viennese piano from 1805.