The keyboard was central to Haydn's creative process; his morning routine involved trying out ideas on the clavichord, harpsichord, or fortepiano.
Composition History
Two sonatas on this album (Nos 23 and 24) were part of the first authorized publication of Haydn's works, dedicated to his employer, Prince Nikolaus Esterházy.
Composer Biography
Haydn, though a competent pianist, admitted he was no 'wizard' on the keyboard and, unlike Mozart and Beethoven, never wrote sonatas for his own performance.
Composition History
Haydn's three great sonatas (Nos 50-52) were inspired by the sonorous Broadwood instruments he encountered during his visits to London.
Performer Biography
Marc-André Hamelin, a French-Canadian pianist, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2003 and a Chevalier de l'Ordre du Québec in 2004.
Compositional Technique
Haydn's Sonata No. 32 in B minor is characterized by a vehement astringency, with fiercely concentrated outer movements remaining grimly in the minor mode.
Critical Reception
Haydn's sixty-odd sonatas are often relegated to teaching material and ignored by most pianists, yet they are crucial in charting the evolution of the Classical sonata.
