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Brilliant Classics

Cramer: 10 Piano Sonatas

$16.99

Details

Composer
Johann Baptist Cramer
Artist
Simone El Oufir Pierini
Format
CD
Label
Brilliant Classics
Released
Feb 07, 2025
Catalog #
BRI96462
UPC
5028421964621

About

The most comprehensive set on record of the sonatas by a pivotal figure in the English Classical piano school, including several first recordings. Johann Baptiste Cramer (1771-1858) was identified by the influential pedagogue Edward Dannreuther as 'one of the fathers of the church of pianoforte playing'. Born in Germany, he moved as a child to London with his family - his father Wilhelm was a violinist and conductor - and took lessons with a notable emigre of a previous generation, Muzio Clementi. Cramer came to follow in his teacher's footsteps, as both a pianist and a publisher. At one stage, his books of studies were scarcely less popular than the examples of Carl Czerny. He spent a good deal of time on the Continent, including in Vienna, where he won the friendship and admiration of Beethoven. In turn, Cramer became the English publisher of the composer's Fifth Piano Concerto, and was probably responsible for it's lasting nickname as the 'Emperor'. Cramer's own music is scantily represented on record by a few albums of studies, a concerto here and a sonata there. But as Simone Pierini demonstrates, Cramer's sonatas exhibit impressive variety, chronicling both his development as a composer and the technical evolution of the piano in the late-Classical and early-Romantic eras. He composed as many as 200 sonatas between 1790 and 1830, and Pierini presents a representative selection. They belong to the world of Clementi and Dussek but also Beethoven and Chopin in their elegant minuets, their minor-mode expressions of pathos and their virtuosic flourishes written to show off the skill but also the musicianship of any executant. Anyone with an interest in early-Romantic piano music will find Cramer's sonatas a delightful discovery. No stranger to the Brilliant Classics catalogue, Simone Pierini plays them on three fortepianos of the period, by Conrad Graf, Joseph Hasselman and Matthias Muller. He also contributes a full and illuminating booklet essay on Cramer's life and work. '[Pierini] plays with tremendous energy and conviction... A major addition to the catalogue.' Fanfare (de Montgeroult, 96247) 'His playing offers crisp clarity of texture and ornament... this is an interesting composer well worth adding to the fellowship of clavecinistes.' Gramophone (Le Bret, 96930).

Tracklist 37 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro con spirito 07:17
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro con spirito
    Duration
    07:17
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  2. 2 II. Rondo: Allegro moderato con espressione 05:33
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Rondo: Allegro moderato con espressione
    Duration
    05:33
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  3. 3 I. Moderato con espressione 08:12
    Track
    3
    Title
    I. Moderato con espressione
    Duration
    08:12
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  4. 4 II. Choral: Grave e sostenuto 03:12
    Track
    4
    Title
    II. Choral: Grave e sostenuto
    Duration
    03:12
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  5. 5 III. Rondo: Moderato assai 06:19
    Track
    5
    Title
    III. Rondo: Moderato assai
    Duration
    06:19
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  6. 6 I. Allegro spiritoso 06:31
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. Allegro spiritoso
    Duration
    06:31
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  7. 7 II. Andantino con moto 04:21
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Andantino con moto
    Duration
    04:21
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  8. 8 III. Rondo quasi presto 03:57
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. Rondo quasi presto
    Duration
    03:57
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  9. 9 I. Moderato con espressione 07:21
    Track
    9
    Title
    I. Moderato con espressione
    Duration
    07:21
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  10. 10 II. Allegretto non troppo 02:36
    Track
    10
    Title
    II. Allegretto non troppo
    Duration
    02:36
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  11. 11 III. Rondo an carillon 04:20
    Track
    11
    Title
    III. Rondo an carillon
    Duration
    04:20
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  12. 12 I. Largo asssai - 01:37
    Track
    12
    Title
    I. Largo asssai -
    Duration
    01:37
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  13. 13 II. Allegro quasi presto 03:00
    Track
    13
    Title
    II. Allegro quasi presto
    Duration
    03:00
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  14. 14 III. Aria con variazioni: Thema: Moderato 02:15
    Track
    14
    Title
    III. Aria con variazioni: Thema: Moderato
    Duration
    02:15
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  15. 15 III. Variation 1 01:38
    Track
    15
    Title
    III. Variation 1
    Duration
    01:38
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  16. 16 III. Variation 2 01:08
    Track
    16
    Title
    III. Variation 2
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  17. 17 III. Variation 3 02:37
    Track
    17
    Title
    III. Variation 3
    Duration
    02:37
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  18. 18 III. Variation 4 01:32
    Track
    18
    Title
    III. Variation 4
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  19. 19 III. Variation 5 01:42
    Track
    19
    Title
    III. Variation 5
    Duration
    01:42
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  20. 20 III. Variation 6 01:18
    Track
    20
    Title
    III. Variation 6
    Duration
    01:18
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  21. 21 III. Variation 7 04:12
    Track
    21
    Title
    III. Variation 7
    Duration
    04:12
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  22. 22 I. Allegro non molto 09:28
    Track
    22
    Title
    I. Allegro non molto
    Duration
    09:28
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  23. 23 II. Adagio - 03:31
    Track
    23
    Title
    II. Adagio -
    Duration
    03:31
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  24. 24 III. Rondo: Allegretto 04:57
    Track
    24
    Title
    III. Rondo: Allegretto
    Duration
    04:57
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  25. 25 I. Largo assai 01:52
    Track
    25
    Title
    I. Largo assai
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  26. 26 II. Allegro agitato 05:39
    Track
    26
    Title
    II. Allegro agitato
    Duration
    05:39
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  27. 27 III. Allegretto 05:16
    Track
    27
    Title
    III. Allegretto
    Duration
    05:16
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  28. 28 I. Allegro moderato 04:06
    Track
    28
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  29. 29 II. Adagio con espressione 04:53
    Track
    29
    Title
    II. Adagio con espressione
    Duration
    04:53
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  30. 30 III. Allegro quasi presto 03:02
    Track
    30
    Title
    III. Allegro quasi presto
    Duration
    03:02
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  31. 31 I. Grave - 02:39
    Track
    31
    Title
    I. Grave -
    Duration
    02:39
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  32. 32 II. Moderato, energico ed espressivo assai 12:09
    Track
    32
    Title
    II. Moderato, energico ed espressivo assai
    Duration
    12:09
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  33. 33 III. Andantino quasi allegretto 04:45
    Track
    33
    Title
    III. Andantino quasi allegretto
    Duration
    04:45
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  34. 34 IV. Rondo più tosto moderato 06:32
    Track
    34
    Title
    IV. Rondo più tosto moderato
    Duration
    06:32
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  35. 35 I. Allegro brillante 11:19
    Track
    35
    Title
    I. Allegro brillante
    Duration
    11:19
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  36. 36 II. Andantino 03:49
    Track
    36
    Title
    II. Andantino
    Duration
    03:49
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini
  37. 37 III. Rondo alla polacca: Allegro non tanto 06:32
    Track
    37
    Title
    III. Rondo alla polacca: Allegro non tanto
    Duration
    06:32
    Composer
    Johann Baptist Cramer
    Performer
    Simone Pierini