The fortepiano used for this recording was made by Paul McNulty in 2009, after an Anton Walter & Sohn instrument from 1805, and uses unequal temperament.
Interpretation
The autograph manuscript of Mozart's first set of six solo keyboard sonatas, preserved in Kraków, Poland, shows numerous performance indications that ideally require a touch-sensitive instrument like a fortepiano.
Compositional Technique
Mozart's Sonata in C major, K.309, composed after his experience with Stein's fortepiano, features an 'orchestral' sound in its outer movements, inspired by the famous Mannheim orchestra.
Performer Biography
Kristian Bezuidenhout, the performer on this album, won the prestigious first prize and the audience prize at the Bruges Fortepiano Competition at age 21.
Performer Biography
Kristian Bezuidenhout, the fortepiano player, is a guest professor at the Schola Cantorum in Basel and the Eastman School of Music.
Composer Biography
Mozart's encounter with Johann Andreas Stein, a renowned fortepiano manufacturer, in 1777 was a 'watershed' moment that profoundly influenced his keyboard style.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in November 2012 (CD 1) and January 2013 (CD 2) at Air Studios, Lyndhurst Hall, London, England.
