MUZIO CLEMENTI (1752–1832)

 

The Complete Piano Sonatas

 

Volume 5

 

Howard Shelley – piano

 

COMPACT DISC 1

Sonata in C major Op 34 No 1 [18'31]

1 Allegro con spirito [8'32]

2 Un poco andante, quasi allegretto [5'43]

3 Finale: Allegro [4'16]

 

Sonata in G minor Op 34 No 2 [21'57]

4 Largo e sostenuto – Allegro con fuoco [8'48]

5 Un poco adagio [7'01]

6 Finale: Molto allegro [6'08]

 

Six Progressive Sonatinas

Sonatina in C major Op 36 No 1 [4'49]

7 Allegro [1'25]

8 Andante [2'26]

9 Vivace [0'48]

Sonatina in G major Op 36 No 2 [4'17]

10 Allegretto [1'55]

11 Allegretto [1'05]

12 Allegro [1'17]

Sonatina in C major Op 36 No 3 [5'44]

13 Spiritoso [3'17]

14 Un poco adagio [1'16]

15 Allegro [1'11]

Sonatina in F major Op 36 No 4 [7'09]

16 Con spirito [3'17]

17 Andante con espressione [2'17]

18 Rondeau: Allegro vivace [1'35]

Sonatina in G major Op 36 No 5 [7'24]

19 Presto [3'26]

20 Allegretto moderato (‘Original Swiss Air’) [1'36]

21 Rondo: Allegro di molto [2'22]

Sonatina in D major Op 36 No 6 [7'09]

22 Allegro con spirito [5'09]

23 Rondo: Allegretto spiritoso [2'00]

 

COMPACT DISC 2

Sonata in C major Op 37 No 1 [15'27]

1 Allegro di molto [7'03]

2 Adagio sostenuto [3'40]

3 Finale: Vivace [4'44]

Sonata in G major Op 37 No 2 [13'10]

4 Allegro [5'29]

5 Adagio (In the Solemn Style) [3'29]

6 Allegro con spirito [4'12]

Sonata in D major Op 37 No 3 [14'29]

7 Allegro [9'09]

8 Allegretto vivace [1'35]

9 Finale: Presto [3'45]

Sonata in B flat major Op 46 [23'43]

10 Introduzione: Larghetto cantabile – Allegro con brio [9'18]

11 Adagio cantabile e sostenuto [8'08]

12 Finale: Allegro con fuoco [6'17]

 

Howard Shelley’s acclaimed series of the complete Piano Sonatas of Clementi reaches its penultimate volume. In the latter half of the 1790s, when all the sonatas and sonatinas heard in this recording (with the exception of the Sonata Op 46) were published, Clementi apparently devoted his energies mainly to teaching. His pupils included members of wellplaced families in London who were able to meet his reported fee of one guinea per lesson. He also had among his students aspiring professionals, including J B Cramer, Theresa Jansen, Benoit-August Bertini, and John Field.

 

The sonatas heard here, owing to their technical difficulty, appear for the most part to be addressed to such students and other accomplished pianists—and perhaps for Clementi’s own performance in private circles. The sonatinas are clearly intended for less advanced pupils; today they are Clementi’s most well-known works as countless young pianists are still given them for instruction. Therefore this set should be of particular interest to many of those pupils and their teachers.

 

Hyperion 2cds CDA67814