Praised for her 'refined, poised, and singular vision', pianist Susan Ellinger inhabits the worlds of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, conjuring a Vienna of the enlightened age, bringing these late sonatas to life with elegance, wit and charm.
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about
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART, Piano Sonata in D Major, K. 576
- About the Composer
Mozart resigned his post at the ecclesiastical court in Salzburg in 1781 and spent the remaining decade of his life as a successful freelance composer and pianist in the imperial capital of Vienna. A string of public appearances, including a well-publicized "duel" with his rival Muzio Clementi, enhanced his fame as a keyboard virtuoso. Having discovered that the Viennese were willing to pay handsomely for the privilege of attending his subscription concerts, he worked day and night to keep the programs stocked with a fresh supply of music. His boundless energy made a deep impression on his father when the latter visited Vienna in 1785. "It is impossible to describe the trouble and the commotion," Leopold Mozart reported to his daughter in Salzburg. "Since my arrival, your brother's fortepiano has been taken at least a dozen times to the theater or to some other house."
- About the Work
After moving to Vienna, Mozart took a break from writing operas and turned his attention to the more lucrative genre of the piano concerto. During the last decade of his life, he composed no fewer than 17 such works, as well as a wide variety of solo keyboard music, ranging from multi-movement sonatas to rondos, fantasies, fugues, and other standalone pieces. This diverse repertoire illustrates his determination to expand the range of piano technique and expression, even as he breathed new life into forms and genres associated with his 18th-century predecessors. The last of his surviving sonatas, the Piano Sonata in D Major, K. 576, dates from July 1789, shortly after Mozart returned from a concert tour to Germany that resulted in the three great "Prussian" String Quartets.
- A Closer Listen
The simple diatonic melodies that open all three movements of the sonata set up expectations that are summarily dashed. No sooner does the music settle into a comfortable groove than Mozart darts off on a tangent, leading the listener on a tonal odyssey fraught with darkness and drama. The central development section of the Allegro, for example, meanders through a disorienting succession of distantly related keys before returning to the home key of D major. The stately serenity of the A-major Adagio is disturbed by the surprising leap of an augmented fifth (A to E-sharp) in the melodic line, after which further chromatic complications pile on thick and fast. Even the Allegretto's lighthearted eight-bar theme is not what it seems-instead of repeating it rondo-style, with its original chordal accompaniment, Mozart unleashes a blistering barrage of 16th-note triplets that accentuates the sonata's bravura character.
- Harry Haskell
credits
from The Viennese Style: Late Sonatas of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven,
track released December 5, 2017
Recording Producer, Balance Engineer: Phillip Schulz
Producer: Mario Grigorov
Piano Technician: Gerd Finkenstein
Bösendorfer Piano
Recorded at Jesus Christus Kirche
Berlin, Germany
August 21-24, 2017
Cover Art: Andrea Lecos at County Road Productions
Cover Photo: Devon Meyers
Copyright 2017 Susan Ellinger
susanellingerpiano.com
Praised for her“refined, poised and singular” vision, pianist Susan Ellinger has performed extensively as both a soloist and
chamber musician, presenting recitals at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium, Caramoor Music Center, Harvard University, Oberlin Conservatory, Tanglewood Music Festival, the Taos School of Music and many more....more
supported by 4 fans who also own “Mozart: Sonata in D Major, K. 576 II. Adagio”
There are many J.S. Bach pieces I've heard and enjoyed throughout my life, but it was especially Glenn Gould and his box set who made me fall in love and inspired me to take a deep dive and explore Bach's catalogue a few years ago. Then my music focus shifted for a while, but this interpretation just reignited my obsession again. I love this project, the included booklet and score as well! I'm late to join, but look forward to listening to the other and any future releases :) Gerrit
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