Liszt: Les préludes & Faust-Symphonie (Version for 2 Pianos)
Possibly the first example of symphonic poem, “Les préludes” (1854) originated from an earlier setting of four poems by Joseph Autran from mixed chorus and piano, completed in 1845. Three years later, Liszt’s new interest in orchestration compelled him to elaborate the four movements into an ...
Composer: Ferencz Liszt (1811-1886)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
In this new album, Russian pianist Galina Chistiakova offers a program that spans Chopin’s entire compositional career, from the early Mazurkas, Opp. 6 and 7 to the pinnacle of extraordinary pianism that is the Barcarolle, Op. 60. Chistiakova chose to alternate each of the three major ...
Composer: Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
Beethoven: Cello Sonatas & Variations
In the early 19th century and earlier, the instrumental sonata for ensemble that included piano was usually called "piano sonata with instrumental accompaniment". Beethoven's first violin sonatas, for instance, were published as "sonatas for piano with violin accompaniment." While most sonatas with cello from the 18th century were written for ...
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Concertos
The first Violin Sonata, in G major, Op. 78, "Regensonate", was composed during the summers of 1878 and 1879, in Pörtschach am Wörthersee. Each of its three movements shares common motivic ideas or thematic materials from the principal motif of Brahms's two songs "Regenlied" and "Nachklang", Op. 59. ...
Composer: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Chamber Music
Beethoven’s Opus 2, published in Wien in March 1796, is the first work in which the composer’s strong personality is declared. Accordingly to Carli Ballola, Piano Sonatas Op. 2 are the manifesto of the style that the composer achieved in the early XVIII century and that will be characterizing ...
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
The Sonáta 'pro klavír' „I. X. 1905, Z ulice“, JW 8/19 (Piano Sonata “1 October 1905, From the Street” in E minor, JW 8/19, 1905) was inspired by the tragic and violent death of a protester during a demonstration calling for the construction of a new Czech university. ...
Composer: Leoš Janáček (1854-1928)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
Bach: French Suites, BWV 812-817
The six French Suites, BWV 812–817 were written for the clavier (harpsichord or clavichord) by Johann Sebastian Bach between 1722 and 1725. They were later given the name "French" by Bach's biographer J.N. Forkel, who wrote that "one usually calls them French Suites because they are written ...
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
Haydn: Late Piano Sonatas, Nos. 59-62
Nowadays most performers overlook Haydn's piano sonatas, mainly because over years these works have been deemed as less-interesting or duller than those by Haydn's fellow composers, namely Mozart and Beethoven. This unrighteous judgement stems definitely from a sloppy ...
Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
The 3 Violin Sonatas by Edvard Grieg are a mixture of German and Austrian traditions with the Nordic folk. The experience at the Leipzig Conservatory, where the strong influence of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Robert Schumann was felt, and the trips to Italy, especially Rome, where ...
Composer: Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Chamber Music
Written over the course of thirty-five years, the Lyric Pieces accompanied Edward Grieg’s (1843-1907) entire career as a composer. The first volume appeared in 1867, when a youthful Grieg compiled some of his early compositions into a set of six pieces. ...
Composer: Edward Grieg (1843-1907)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
It is difficult not to be won over by the rhythm and unmistakable thematic creativity of Scott Joplin's compositions. Born in 1867 or ’68 (the exact date is not known) and gifted with a natural talent, Joplin began to play as a self-taught pianist in the wealthy ...
Composer: Scott Joplin
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 12, 15, 19, 20 & 27
Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Piano Sonata No. 12 in A-flat major, Op. 26, in 1800–1801, around the same time as he completed his First Symphony. The structure of the sonata is unconventional in that the piece opens with a relatively slow movement in the format of theme and variations. ...
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
Debussy: Préludes, Books 1 & 2
Written between 1909 and 1913, Préludes are probably Claude Debussy's most important work for piano. It consists in a series of 24 short pieces, equally subdivided into two books. Unlike Chopin's, Bach's and many other composer's homonymous series, these pieces aren't sorted ...
Composer: Claude Debussy (1862–1918)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
Previous version of music pieces subsequently used by Bach for the "Well-tempered Clavier" and the French Suites. Even in their early stages, these brief compositions exhibit the perfect mastery that characterizes the great works of Bach. ...
Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
Jacquet de La Guerre: Pièces de clavecin, Books 1 & 2
Elisabeth-Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729) was a French musician, harpsichordist and composer. Her first published work was the "Premier livre de pièces de clavessin", which included unmeasured preludes (Paris 1687). It was one of the few collections of harpsichord pieces ...
Composer: Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
The Nannerl Notenbuch was written by Leopold Mozart, in the period from 1759 to ab. 1764, for his daughter, Maria Anna Mozart ("Nannerl"), to learn to play piano. The book was also used by Wolfgang who also wrote his earliest compositions, penned by his father. ...
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Leopold Mozart
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
Beethoven: Diabelli Variations, Op. 120 & 6 Bagatelles, Op. 126
"33 Veränderungen über einen Walzer einen Walzer von Diabelli": this is the original German title chosen by Beethoven for one of his last great bursts of musical inspiration. Even the title is remarkable, indeed, he did not choose the ...
Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
Brahms: String Quintets Nos. 1 & 2
Johannes Brahms' String Quintet No. 1 in F major, op. 88, was composed in 1882. Brahms described the quintet to his friend Clara Schumann as "one of [his] finest works" and told Simrock, "You have never before had such a beautiful work from me.” String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Opus 111 ...
Composer: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Chamber Music
Schubert: Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-Flat Major, Allegretto in C Minor & 6 Moments musicaux
Pianist Marco Tezza recorded Franz Schubert's later works including the great Sonata in B flat major, D 960, and the 6 Moments Musicaux D 870. This stunning double album is the result of 30 years of maturation: the life span of the composer. ...
Composer: Franz Schubert (1797-1828)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
This album contains a number of short pieces, most of which were written by the author during the first years of his career. Debussy’s way of writing for piano at this early stage is less articulated yet it contains a certain degree of complexity ...
Composer: Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Genre: Classical
Subgenre: Instrumental
