Lessel: Works for Pianoforte

Featuring

Dorota Cybulska-Amsler
Franciszek Lessel

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Instruments

Johann Fritz's pianofortes feature Viennese action with light, leather-covered hammers for a soft sound, and include four pedals: una corda, moderator, forte, and cymbals, plus a knee-controlled bassoon register.

Composer Biography

Franciszek Lessel was a student of Joseph Haydn from 1798, and was so well-liked that Haydn entrusted him with teaching music to his son, Pietro.

Composer Biography

Franciszek Lessel, a Polish composer from the pre-Chopin era, was likely an adopted son of Wincenty Lessel, a music teacher, composer, and conductor at the Czartoryski court in Puławy.

Cultural Impact

Lessel's Historical Songs, a collection for home performance published in 1816, became a bestseller and influenced Fryderyk Chopin, who was raised on them, and even Liszt.

Instruments

The pianoforte used in this recording is a 1981 copy by Christopher Clarke of an original instrument by Johann Fritz, a renowned Viennese builder from 1810-1825.

Historical Context

The Czartoryski court in Puławy, where Franciszek Lessel grew up, was a vibrant cultural center that attracted artists and intellectuals, and was known for its lavish events and modern economy.

Compositional Technique

Lessel's Fantasia Op. 8, dedicated to Muzio Clementi, showcases an improvisational style influenced by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and includes a lyrical episode with a distinctively Polish melody.