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Brilliant Classics

C.S. Binder: Six Harpsichord Sonatas

$12.99

Details

Composer
Christlieb Siegmund Binder
Artist
Paolo Gazzola
Format
CD
Label
Brilliant Classics
Released
Jan 30, 2026
Catalog #
BRI97380
UPC
5063758973809

About

Christlieb Siegmund Binder (1723-1789) was a German composer, organist, and harpsichordist active in Dresden during the mid-18th century. He belonged to the musical circle surrounding the Saxon court, which at the time was a major cultural hub, closely tied to both German and Italian traditions. Though not as widely remembered as his contemporaries Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach or Johann Adolf Hasse, Binder's works reflect the stylistic shift from the late Baroque to the empfindsamer Stil and early Classicism. Among his surviving works, the Six Harpsichord Sonatas stand out as his most notable contribution to the keyboard repertoire. These pieces display a balance between contrapuntal craftsmanship and a more galant, expressive style. Unlike the ornate fugues and suites of the earlier Baroque, Binder's sonatas emphasize clear melodic lines, graceful ornamentation, and a lighter texture, qualities that aligned with the taste of Dresden's aristocratic audiences. Each sonata reveals Binder's sensitivity to expressive nuance. The slow movements often highlight a singing quality, echoing the influence of opera, while the faster movements showcase rhythmic vitality and elegant figurations well suited to the harpsichord's brilliance. Though less technically demanding than some of Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas, they nevertheless require finesse and attention to articulation, as the musical interest lies in subtle contrasts of mood and character. Binder's sonatas also provide a window into the transitional aesthetic of the 1740s and 1750s. They combine traces of learned counterpoint-expected from a Dresden organist trained in the Lutheran tradition-with the charm and immediacy of the galant style. In this sense, his music bridges the world of J.S. Bach with the more modern sensibilities of Haydn and Mozart. Played on a Mascheroni harpsichord by P. Taskin, 1769, by Paolo Gazzola. Born in Piacenza in 1992 he obtained a Master of arts in music performance in Organ at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana with Stefano Molardi.

Tracklist 15 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro 05:48
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    05:48
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  2. 2 II. Rondeau 02:45
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Rondeau
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  3. 3 I. Allegro ma non tanto 07:27
    Track
    3
    Title
    I. Allegro ma non tanto
    Duration
    07:27
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  4. 4 II. Allegro 02:45
    Track
    4
    Title
    II. Allegro
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  5. 5 I. Allegro ma non tanto 04:50
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro ma non tanto
    Duration
    04:50
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  6. 6 II. Tempo di minuetto 03:40
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Tempo di minuetto
    Duration
    03:40
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  7. 7 I. Allegro con spirito 06:41
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Allegro con spirito
    Duration
    06:41
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  8. 8 II. Andante 05:10
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    05:10
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  9. 9 III. Rondeau 02:11
    Track
    9
    Title
    III. Rondeau
    Duration
    02:11
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  10. 10 I. Allegro con spirito 07:15
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. Allegro con spirito
    Duration
    07:15
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  11. 11 II. Allegretto 03:39
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. Allegretto
    Duration
    03:39
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  12. 12 III. Rondeau 02:32
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. Rondeau
    Duration
    02:32
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  13. 13 I. Allegro 06:12
    Track
    13
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    06:12
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  14. 14 II. Andante 03:22
    Track
    14
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    03:22
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola
  15. 15 III. Rondeau 03:07
    Track
    15
    Title
    III. Rondeau
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    Christlieb Siegmund Binder
    Performer
    Paolo Gazzola