Jérôme Hantaï, the performer on this album, studied viola da gamba but also developed a keen interest in early keyboard instruments, especially period pianos.
Composition History
Haydn's Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:21, is the very first sonata he ever published, part of a group of six dedicated to his patron, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy.
Recording & Production
The fortepiano used for this recording is an anonymous, undated instrument whose careful workmanship aligns with the emerging tradition in southern Germany, and it inspired the program choice.
Instruments
Johann Andreas Stein's fortepianos, admired by Mozart, featured an independent escapement for each note, a significant improvement that led to the 'Viennese' action.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mozart's correspondence reveals that after discovering the fortepianos of Johann Andreas Stein, an instrument maker, their sound became his ideal when composing for the keyboard.
Composition History
Mozart's Sonata in F major K332 is believed to have been written in the summer of 1783, when he visited his father in Salzburg to introduce him to his wife Constanze.
Composer Biography
Mozart's first six keyboard sonatas, including K282, were likely composed around 1774 when he was eighteen years old and writing the opera La finta giardiniera.
