Javor Bračić, the pianist on this album, was born in Zagreb in 1985 and has won first prizes in international competitions in Italy, Croatia, and Belgium.
Instruments
Haydn's Sonata in C major (Hob. XVI:50) was written during his second London visit for pianist Therese Jansen-Bartolozzi, who played an English piano that was stronger and more suitable for public performance than instruments Haydn knew in Austria.
Composition History
Many of the 'Hommage à Haydn' pieces on this album originated from a 1909 commission by Jules Écorcheville, editor of the Revue musicale de la Société international de musique (S.I.M.), for French composers to write piano pieces based on a musical spelling of Haydn's name.
Cultural Impact
Haydn was famous in France during his lifetime, and his music was widely available through printed, often pirated, versions, which helped him become one of the most famous instrumental composers globally.
Album & Artwork
This album is part of Labor Records' 'Music of Tribute' series, which features music by and homages to various composers, with this being the seventh in the collection.
Compositional Technique
The musical spelling of Haydn's name used for these tribute pieces is B-A-D-D-G, with 'H' representing B natural, 'Y' as D, and the final 'N' as G.
