Haydn did not use the term 'sonata' for his keyboard works until 1771, often calling them 'Divertimento per il Clavicembalo Solo' before then.
Composer Biography
Franz Joseph Haydn composed sonatas from the mid-1750s until 1794-95, a period that saw the gradual evolution from harpsichord to pianoforte.
Composition History
The first sonatas Haydn published and personally supervised for publication were Sonatas Nos. 36-41 (Hob. XVI: 21-26), composed in late 1773 and dedicated to his patron, Prince Nicolas Esterházy.
Instruments
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet chose a Yamaha model CFX nine-foot Concert Grand Piano for this recording, citing its comfortable action, refined sound, and natural balance.
Recording & Production
This recording was made using 24-bit / 96 kHz technology, which offers a dynamic range up to 48 dB greater and 256 times the resolution of standard 16-bit recordings.
Interpretation
The performer, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, deliberately uses trills, mordents, and mini-cadenzas to enrich repeats and prevent them from being mere rhetorical formalities.
Performer Biography
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, the pianist on this recording, was considered Sir Georg Solti's last discovery and has won multiple Gramophone Awards for his recordings.
