Dussek convinced the renowned London piano maker John Broadwood to extend the key range of his instruments, from five to five and a half octaves in 1791, and then to six octaves in 1794.
Performer Biography
Concerto Köln, founded in 1985, is an ensemble dedicated to historical performance practice, managing itself without state support.
Interpretation
The soloist, Andreas Staier, added a short introduction to the third movement of the Piano Concerto op. 22 because he found the repetition of the B-flat major key wearying.
Composer Biography
Dussek had to leave the court of Catherine II in St. Petersburg under strange circumstances, reportedly involved in a plot against the ruler.
Composer Biography
Dussek was the first pianist to place the grand piano on stage at a right angle to the audience, allowing them to see the performer's hands and profile.
Composer Biography
Jan Ladislav Dussek, born in 1760, was praised by Joseph Haydn in 1792 as "the most honest, politest and most excellent man among all composers."
Instruments
The fortepiano used for this recording, dating from 1806, is a Broadwood model similar to those made "to please Dussek" and exploited by him for their dramatic possibilities.
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