Kozeluch Complete Sonatas

A native of Bohemia, Leopold Koželuch made his name in Vienna, a thriving musical centre dubbed ‘the land of the Clavier’ by Mozart. The sonatas in this volume all appeared in 1784, meeting the challenge of Mozart’s popularity head-on. Koželuch was singularly adept at producing what was considered the ideal fortepiano sonata of the time, his high reputation making him an influential supporter of a new instrument capable of accommodating ‘the clarity, the delicacy, the light and shade he demanded in music’.

Howard Shelley’s survey of the complete piano sonatas of Clementi was acclaimed not only as a set of benchmark performances, but also as the rediscovery of a composer who was uniquely important in his lifetime, which overlapped the careers of Scarlatti and Chopin. This set of Capriccios and Variations is something of a footnote to the series. The earlier works demonstrate Clementi’s lighter and more whimsical side. Most of this music was written to entertain and amuse, with many fantastical virtuoso flourishes of an improvisatory feel.