‘She is adventurous, as well as accomplished’ (Fanfare) – Ilia Kim’s second volume of Clementi for Piano Classics juxtaposes a quartet of musical ‘trifles’ with a trio of adventurous mid-period sonatas. In Ilia Kim’s new recital, Clementi comes across in all his remarkable individuality. She opens with the F sharp minor Sonata Op. 25 No. 5: a work stirred by strong passions, far from the polite, elegant and superficial manner with which Clementi is sometimes associated, reaching a powerful climax in its Lento e patetico slow movement. By contrast, the D major Sonata Op. 25 No. 6 is a work of Haydnesque high spirits and uncomplicated good humor, in which the chromatic harmony lending such pathos to Op. 25 No. 5 takes on an air of mischief. The Sonata Op. 37 No. 2 was published in 1798, and belongs to the period of his maturity. The first movement is symphonic in scale and reminiscent of Haydn. The second is clearly inspired by Handel, while the lively finale is a like a dazzling finale to a comic opera. The sonata embodies and reconciles different styles, even within the first movement, where the first theme in the symphonic style alternates with the counterpoint of the second theme and the brilliant piano style of the connections and developments.

Korean born, Italian resident Ilia Kim performs across Europe and Asia, specializing in thematically linked programs of Romantic repertoire. Her experience as a fortepianist also informs her playing of Classical-era repertoire on the piano such as these Clementi recordings for Piano Classics.