Kemp English, the performer, completed the world premiere recording of Koželuch's complete cycle of 50 solo keyboard sonatas, earning a PhD for this pioneering work.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Koželuch was a strong supporter of the fortepiano, believing its expressiveness surpassed the harpsichord, and he refused to teach students who did not embrace the fortepiano.
Composer Biography
Koželuch declined an offer to succeed Mozart as court organist for the Archbishop of Salzburg, citing the Archbishop's treatment of Mozart as a deterrent.
Composer Biography
Leopold Koželuch, born Jan Antonín, changed his name to avoid confusion with his older musician cousin of the same name.
Compositional Technique
Koželuch's sonatas often contain startling foretastes of Beethoven's tragic-pathetic style, with some minor key sonatas featuring slow introductions predating Beethoven's Pathétique sonata by nineteen years.
Composer Biography
In 1792, Koželuch succeeded Mozart as Kammer Kapellmeister and Hofmusik Compositor to Emperor Franz II, a post he held until his death in 1818.
Composition History
Koželuch founded his own publishing firm, Musikalisches Magazin, in 1784, which served as an ideal vehicle for publishing his compositions.
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Koželuch: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 1
Koželuch: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 2
Dussek: Complete Piano Sonatas, Op. 14 Nos. 1-3, Vol. 9
Dussek: Sonatas, Op. 39 & Op.25 No.2
Eberl: Piano Sonatas & Variations
Koželuch: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 10
Koželuch: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 4
Türk: Easy Keyboard Sonatas, Collections I & II (1783)
