Jan Ladislav Dussek's sonata "Plus ultra" was originally published in Paris as "Le retour à Paris" and was renamed for marketing purposes to challenge Woelfl's "Non plus ultra."
Composer Biography
Jan Ladislav Dussek, a Bohemian composer, played for Queen Marie-Antoinette in Paris and advised the Broadwood company on piano construction in London.
Historical Context
Joseph Woelfl and Ludwig van Beethoven engaged in a piano competition in Vienna around 1799, where they improvised on each other's themes.
Performer Biography
Nataša Veljković, the pianist on this album, is an associate professor of piano at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
Composer Biography
Joseph Woelfl was known for his 'giant hands' that could easily stretch tenths, making his playing more accessible than Beethoven's.
Composition History
Joseph Woelfl titled his Piano Sonata in F Major op. 41 "Non plus ultra" to assert his claim as a top pianist, a marketing strategy that led to its reprinting across Europe.
Composer Biography
Joseph Woelfl, born on Christmas Eve 1773 in Salzburg, was musically educated by Leopold Mozart and Michael Haydn.
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