Ronald Brautigam, the fortepiano performer on this album, was awarded the Netherlands Music Prize in 1984.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Haydn's unique curiosity, receptivity, and religious nature allowed him to produce musical works of exceptionally wide range.
Compositional Technique
Musicologist Hermann Abert identified two main directions in the development of the classical sonata from Baroque forms: 'North German' (C.P.E. Bach) and 'South German/Austrian' (Wagenseil).
Instruments
Haydn knew all keyboard instruments of his time, from the harpsichord to a relatively modern grand piano, and did not necessarily specify a particular instrument for his works.
Instruments
The fortepiano used for this recording was made by Paul McNulty in Amsterdam in 1992, modeled after an instrument by Anton Gabriel Walter from around 1795.
Composer Biography
Joseph Haydn, the composer, was born when Bach and Handel were in the middle of their careers, and died after Beethoven had already produced his 'Pastoral' Symphony.
Composition History
Haydn's piano sonatas were not primarily influenced by J.S. Bach, but rather by the Viennese composer Georg Christoph Wagenseil, who contributed significantly to sonata form.
