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Cherubini: Six Sonatas for Fortepiano / Pierini
Brilliant Classics

Cherubini: Six Sonatas for Fortepiano / Pierini

$13.99

Details

Composer
Luigi Cherubini
Artist
Simone El Oufir Pierini
Format
CD
Label
Brilliant Classics
Released
Feb 03, 2023
Catalog #
BRI96246
UPC
5028421962467

About

In the second half of 18th century, keyboard music in Tuscany was flourishing. Many composers wrote music for both the fortepiano and the harpsichord: the former, which was invented just before the turn of the 18th century in Florence by harpsichord maker Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655–1731), rose to an incredible degree of popularity in the last decades of the century at the expense of the latter, which experienced the last moments of its glorious history. At any rate, it was by no means uncommon that composers published music intended to be played on either instrument, as almost all keyboard pieces written in Tuscany during the 1780s were explicitly addressed per il clavicembalo o fortepiano (for the harpsichord or piano).

The Florence-born composer Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842) published his Sei Sonate per il Cimbalo around 1780; they are currently believed to be the first published work by the composer, although he had written operas and religious music prior to the publication of this work. The style of these sonatas is not too far from the musical fashion of the time: they all consist of two movements, the first in sonata-form, the second a rondò where the second theme is typically characterized by highly virtuosic writing. All six sonatas follow this strict formal code, however, Cherubini manages to create a surprising variety in the themes and their development. Each sonata could, in fact, depict a different stock character from the commedia dell’Arte, with their strict formal codification employed in a theatrical way thanks to the perfect balance of ideas set out each time. Even the bass seems to be adjusted depending on the mood of the theme – Cherubini employs Murky bass, Alberti bass and even counterpoint. The harmonic closeness between the key signatures of each sonata gives further cohesion to the whole set.

After careful consideration, Simone El Oufir Pierini found the fortepiano to be the best instrument to play these works on, although in the printed edition it was explicitly said that they should be played on the harpsichord. The piano, a new instrument, was highly favoured by the new Tuscan court, and the potential of this new instrument was sought out with keen interest by composers. The employment of the fortepiano for these sonatas hopefully sheds new light on these pieces, written by one of the most influential composers of the time.

Tracklist 12 tracks

  1. 1 I. Moderato 06:08
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Moderato
    Duration
    06:08
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  2. 2 II. Rondo 03:58
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Rondo
    Duration
    03:58
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  3. 3 I. Moderato 06:26
    Track
    3
    Title
    I. Moderato
    Duration
    06:26
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  4. 4 II. Rondo 03:59
    Track
    4
    Title
    II. Rondo
    Duration
    03:59
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  5. 5 I. Allegro comodo 07:23
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro comodo
    Duration
    07:23
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  6. 6 II. Rondo: Andantino 04:56
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Rondo: Andantino
    Duration
    04:56
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  7. 7 I. Moderato 04:53
    Track
    7
    Title
    I. Moderato
    Duration
    04:53
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  8. 8 II. Rondo: Andantino 05:13
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Rondo: Andantino
    Duration
    05:13
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  9. 9 I. Allegro con brio 04:42
    Track
    9
    Title
    I. Allegro con brio
    Duration
    04:42
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  10. 10 II. Rondo: Allegretto 05:04
    Track
    10
    Title
    II. Rondo: Allegretto
    Duration
    05:04
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  11. 11 I. Allegro spiritoso 09:36
    Track
    11
    Title
    I. Allegro spiritoso
    Duration
    09:36
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  12. 12 II. Rondo: Andantino con moto 04:35
    Track
    12
    Title
    II. Rondo: Andantino con moto
    Duration
    04:35
    Composer
    Luigi Cherubini
    Performer
    Simone Pierini