Dussek: Sonatas, Op. 9 & Op. 75, Vol. 6

Featuring

Viviana Sofronitsky
Jan Ladislav Dussek

Did you know?

1/7

Performer Biography

Viviana Sofronitsky, the fortepianist on this recording, is a leading performer specializing in Classical and Romantic music, and her father was the distinguished Soviet pianist Vladimir Sofronitsky.

Critical Reception

Dussek was considered by the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung in 1811 to be the 'restorer of the true, more fundamental, more noble, and more expressive piano playing in France'.

Compositional Technique

Dussek's piano sonatas often included optional ad libitum parts for instruments like violin or flute to compensate for the fast-fading sound of English square pianos popular in the 1780s.

Recording & Production

This CD is part of a project to create the first comprehensive recording of Dussek's piano sonatas on period instruments.

Composer Biography

Johann Ladislaus Dussek, the composer, led a restless life, traveling extensively and performing in major cultural centers like Paris, Riga, St. Petersburg, and London.

Instruments

The fortepiano used for this recording was made by Paul McNulty, a highly respected builder whose instruments are modeled after historical fortepianos by makers like A. Walter.

Composer Biography

Dussek was known as 'le beau Dussek' due to his pleasing appearance and was versatile in conversation, which helped him gain entry into important salons.