Czerny The Piano Sonatas Volume 2

"There is some background about the composer in my review of Carl Czerny, Piano Sonatas Volume 1. This second set of two discs continues the exploration of the fine sonatas by Czerny, with the performances and recorded sound maintaining the high standards. The first of the discs contains his first and last sonatas, and they are probably my two personal favourites so far as I continue to listen with great enjoyment to them all. The first has remarkably assured writing for the piano, and the five movements contrast nicely whilst forming a coherent whole as a work. It was acclaimed by Liszt and other contemporaries who then seemed to lose interest in following Czerny's other serious works amongst all the educational studies and exercises. Many of the qualities are maintained throughout the later sonatas. No 11 is in the extraordinarily mellow key of D flat major, and the slow movement is especially beautiful. The whole work has something of an aristocratic feel about it, caught well in the performance. The other disc contains the second sonata, which follows the pattern of the first without perhaps quite reaching the same heights. No 7 is another superb work in the group, the central three movements being somewhat less weighty (apart from a remarkable contrasting section in the middle of the short "allegretto" movt 4). The sonatine would have been named as a sonata by many composers, and quite serious apart from the absolute gem of the little scherzo. Another strong recommendation"- Anonymous

"Czerny's 11th sonata, written late in his life, is a true romantic masterwork - I was stunned by it. Martin Jones has performed a true service in bringing forth this series."-Mark F. Mccarty