Ries: Complete Piano Sonatas and Sonatinas, Vol. 2

Featuring

Susan Kagan
Ferdinand Ries

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Composer Biography

Ries's father, Franz Ries, was a violinist in the Electoral Court orchestra who taught Beethoven the violin and befriended his family.

Compositional Technique

Robert Schumann, a prominent composer and critic, noted Ries's 'remarkable originality' in 1835, highlighting his abundance of lyrical melodic ideas.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at Kaufman Astoria Studios (KAS) in Astoria, New York, with Michael Fine as producer and Joe Castellon as engineer.

Composer Biography

Ferdinand Ries studied piano with Beethoven in Vienna and also undertook composition studies with the noted theorist-composer Johann Albrechtsberger.

Composer Biography

Ferdinand Ries, the composer, is primarily known through his close connection with Beethoven, serving as his family friend, piano student, and early biographer.

Performer Biography

Susan Kagan, the pianist on this recording, is an author and educator who founded the New York Chapter of the American Beethoven Society.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Ries's piano sonatas anticipate the style of early Romantic composers like Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Chopin, incorporating elements such as poignant harmonic language and brilliant figuration.