Classical Music | Piano Music

Recorded on 07/22/2015, uploaded on 04/17/2016

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Those who have studied piano might associate Clementi solely with early student works. To the contrary, many of Clementi’s some 110 sonatas exceed Mozart’s in difficulty. The brilliant Sonata in F-sharp Minor of 1790 displays much of Clementi’s virtuosic and expressive demands. This is immediately evident in the opening Più tosto allegro con espressione which insists on great speed, a growing intensity of emotional expression, and remarkable virtuosity in the exchange of melody between the right and left hands. In the touching second movement Lento e patetico, the key of F-sharp minor is fully explored by Clementi’s genius for expression, hinting at music well ahead of its time. Any sense of ‘student work' is abandoned in the final Presto with its unabashed brightness offering great contrast to the earlier movements.    Notes by Fei-Fei Dong

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.