Moscheles: Piano Sonatina / Piano Sonata / Variations On A Russian Theme / Fantasias

Featuring

Loredana Brigandì
Ignaz Moscheles

Did you know?

1/7

Composer Biography

In 1846, Felix Mendelssohn invited Moscheles to become the piano teacher at the Leipzig Conservatory, which Mendelssohn directed.

Historical Context

The Variations on a Russian theme Op. 23 were composed in 1815, a time when Russian musical themes became popular in Vienna as a tribute to Czar Alexander I after the Congress of Vienna and the Holy Alliance.

Composer Biography

Moscheles was highly esteemed as a pianist by his contemporaries, including Mendelssohn, Clementi, and Cramer, who praised his exceptional memory and elegant interpretation.

Compositional Technique

Moscheles's Sonatas often replace a traditional slow movement with an 'Andantino con variazioni,' reflecting a Biedermeier style that favors salon-like liveliness over dramatic contrasts.

Composer Biography

Ignaz Moscheles, born in Prague in 1794, studied under Bedrich Divis Weber, director of the local conservatory, and later under the renowned contrapuntist Albrechtsberger in Vienna.

Cultural Impact

While much of Moscheles's concert music is now forgotten, his didactic works, particularly the 24 Etudes Op. 70, remain popular among music teachers.

Composition History

Moscheles's musical output includes 135 opuses, almost exclusively for piano, such as eight piano concertos, five solo piano sonatas, and various other solo pieces.