Charm, harmonic sophistication, and idiomatic keyboard fluency simply ooze from the best of the 40-odd piano sonatas by Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812). Slowly but surely...

Charm, harmonic sophistication, and idiomatic keyboard fluency simply ooze from the best of the 40-odd piano sonatas by Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812). Slowly but surely pianists are rediscovering this delightful repertoire on disc, if not necessarily in concert. Markus Becker's nimble, pellucid fingerwork and cameo-like demeanor prove more convincing in the A-flat and F-sharp minor sonatas than Jan Novotny's overly careful, underplayed interpretations that my colleague Luca Sabbatini rightly critiqued. Still, I contend that less rounded phrasing, greater dynamic contrasts, and more rhythmic snap would enhance the music's profile.

To cite one instance, Becker holds back in the central Agitato section of the F-sharp minor sonata's brooding first movement, keeping its boiling anguish under cover. By contrast, Frederick Marvin's out-of-print recording on Dorian offers a far more passionate and vibrant performance (his three-volume Dussek cycle cries out for reissue). On the other hand, the ambitious five-movement E-flat major sonata Op. 44 inspires more contrasted and characterful playing all around. I especially like how the pianist brings out the fourth-movement minuet's offbeat accents and cross rhythms. Within its small-scaled parameters, Markus Becker's Dussek is a pleasure to behold.

--Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com