Markus Becker, the pianist on this recording, is a three-time winner of the German ECHO Klassik award and has received numerous other distinctions for his CD recordings.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Markus Becker views Haydn as the 'composer of potential and possibility', whose music can be tranquil yet dramatic, humorous yet serious, and forward-pressing yet retrospective.
Album & Artwork
The album title, Solitude, reflects the introspective and isolated nature of the selected works, most of which are in minor keys.
Critical Reception
Renowned pianist Alfred Brendel praised Markus Becker's first Haydn sonata recording, stating it was one of the rare cases where he would 'surrender arms' to an interpretation different from his own.
Performer Biography
Markus Becker is also known as a jazz improviser, an unusual skill among classical pianists.
Interpretation
Pianist Markus Becker's approach to Haydn's music on this album was influenced by the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, which sharpened his senses for nuance and introspective listening.
Composer Biography
Joseph Haydn, while composing at the Esterházy court, lived far from Vienna, a solitude that he famously stated 'forced me to become original'.
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