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Bland: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2

Bridge Records

$18.99 Apr 21, 2023

Bridge Records is pleased to issue the second volume of American pianist Kevin Gorman's survey of William Bland's 24 Piano Sonatas. Volume One of this series received high praise for both the originality of Bland's music, and Gorman's stunning performances. Volume 2 presents the premiere recordings of Sonata No. 9 in F Major "Spring", and Sonata No. 10 in e minor. Also included is William Bland's most frequently recorded composition, "Nouveau Rag". "The range of expressive tools is vast. It's grand music, with grand playing too from Gorman. It is fervently to be hoped that this series continues." -Colin Clarke, Fanfare

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Bland: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2
Bridge Records Apr 2023
CD
$18.99

Medtner: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Stewart

Grand Piano

$19.99 Nov 11, 2016

Nikolay Medtner’s 14 piano sonatas are considered the most significant achievement in this genre by any composer since Beethoven. After the success of his First Piano Sonata (GP617) he turned to Goethe for inspiration, and the life and love-affirming Sonata-Triad Op. 11 translates the poet’s words of passion, suffering and redemption into sound. The capricious, mysterious and beautiful Sonata-Skazka is a masterpiece in miniature and was once Medtner’s most performed work. Dating from his years of exile, the eloquent themes of the fourteenth and final Sonata-Idyll linger long in the memory.

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Medtner: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Stewart
Grand Piano Nov 2016
CD
$19.99

Scriabin: The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Vacatello

Stradivarius

$18.99 Feb 16, 2024

A new precious chapter has been added to Mariangela Vacatello's project of complete recording of Alexander Scriabin’s piano sonatas. A record series, to which the second volume is now added, that becomes a virtuosic journey into the world of sonatas where, as Guido Salvetti illustrates in the accompanying notes: "They thus reflect the composer's entire artistic itinerary: from the fiery romantic gestures of Liszt to the dissolution of rationality in the more symbolic esotericism." The sonatas date from 1891, in the last months of study at the Moscow Conservatory, and 1913.
In this new publication, Mariangela Vacatello delves with a personal touch into the creative plots of the sonatas n. 2 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8, revealing its expressive complexities and countless emotional cues. A new record release that reflects the intense and virtuosic exploratory research of the pianist, an opportunity to rediscover the creative and human universe of the Russian composer in its expressive and narrative density".

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Scriabin: The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Vacatello
Stradivarius Feb 2024
CD
$18.99

Ræhs: Flute Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Guldberg Ravn, Paradiso, Olofsson, Nordberg

arcantus Musikproduktion

$16.99 Jan 27, 2023

The second album by the Danish recorder player Clara Guldberg Ravn completes the flute sonatas by Martinus Ræhs in a particularly exciting and colorful way. Together, the two albums represent the first complete recording of his flute sonatas. While a fortepiano was included on the first album (released in 2020), the ensemble decided to employ a completely original Swedish clavichord (Pehr Lindholm, Stockholm 1794) which, in contrast to the harpsichord, can produce crescendi, diminuendi and vibrato called bebung. Ræhs’ sonatas have many different style elements, rhythmical patterns and syncopated motives. He presents himself as a composer well versed in the styles of contemporary Europe.

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Ræhs: Flute Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Guldberg Ravn, Paradiso, Olofsson, Nordberg
arcantus Musikproduktion Jan 2023
CD
$16.99

G. Allen: Complete Piano Sonatas / McLachlan

Metier

$52.99 Mar 10, 2023

“What is really interesting about Geoffrey’s music is that it looks orthodox on the page initially, but is in fact extremely thought-provoking. He has a unique way of combining the familiar with the unfamiliar: Geoffrey’s music is always extremely well crafted and looks deceptively simple on the page, but as soon as you begin to play any phrase from his works you discover that he is always subtly reinventing the wheel! There is subtle originality, extraordinary variety and colourful fascination in his prolific output for the instrument. The recordings...will unquestionably amount to a significant contribution to the development of the 20th/21st century piano sonata.” (Murray McLachlan)

Murray McLachlan’s discography now includes over forty commercial recordings, including the complete sonatas of Beethoven, Myaskovsky and Prokofiev, the six concertos of Alexander Tcherepnin, the 24 Preludes and Fugues of Rodion Shchedrin, Ronald Stevenson’s ‘Passacaglia on DSCH’ the major works of Kabalevsky, Khatchaturian and the complete solo piano music of Erik Chisholm.

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G. Allen: Complete Piano Sonatas / McLachlan
Metier Mar 2023
CD
$52.99

SCHNITTKE: Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2 / Epilogue / Musica no
Profil Sep 2007
CD
$10.99

SONATAS FOR VIOLIN & PIANO
Haenssler Classic Mar 2004
CD
$20.99

Boccherini: Complete Violin Sonatas, Vol. 2

Brilliant Classics

$12.99 Nov 28, 2025

Luigi Boccherini composed just a single set of sonatas, Op.5, specifically for violin and piano. However, his commercial celebrity and his artistic reputation at the time, as a composer considered in the same breath as Mozart and Haydn, encouraged publishers to commission arrangements of other works. Such arrangements include this set of Sonatas published in London in 1780, made by Thomas Billington but admitted to the catalogue of Boccherini's works as G34-39. Igor Ruhadze and Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya have made the first ever complete recording of this set as a sequel to their 5CD set of Boccherini sonatas (96612) issued by Brilliant Classics in 2023. 'Looking forward to the sequel!' concluded the review in Diapason of that set, after praising the stylish spirit of musicianship and authenticity in the playing of both artists. Compared to their rivals on record, remarked the reviewer, 'the seduction is more demonstrative, the contrasts more accentuated, the sensuality and the feeling more showy.' Today, as Rudolf Rasch's booklet note remarks, we may prefer original works over arranged works; in the 18th century, such a preference was unknown. No one looked down on them. In fact, they made a composer's music accessible for those who could not perform them in their original format. There was hardly a format more accessible for music-making among friends than the violin sonata, in which the piano would take the lion's share of the harmony from the original work, with the principal melody line assigned to the violin. As well as these violin sonatas, Thomas Billington arranged Corelli's concerti grossi for solo keyboard, and composed a good deal of his own music. In these sonatas, he drew from Boccherini's Trios Op.4 and Op.6, Quartets Op.8 and Quintets Op.10. He was in any case emulating the example of Boccherini himself, who made several such arrangements. As always with Boccherini, there is no shortage of attractive melodies and upbeat, galant invention to contrast with the lyrical beauty of the slow movements. - Luigi Boccherini was born in the Italian city of Lucca in Tuscany, on 19 February 1743, the son of Leopoldo Boccherini, a cellist and double-bass player. The young Luigi received his first music lessons from his father and at the Seminario di San Giovanni in Lucca. The cello was to become his instrument. At the age of ten, he was apparently already so advanced that his father sent him to Rome for further studies at the end of 1753, where he possibly remained until 1756. Apart from a brief period in Vienna around 1760, he was in Lucca until he set out to Paris (perhaps the major musical centre of the time) in the spring of 1768. Later that year he would go to Spain, where he would remain for the rest of his life until his death on 28 May 1805. - This new recording is the second volume of the complete violin sonatas, works in which the pianoforte plays a significant role next to the solo violin. - Critical praise for violinist Igor Ruhadze and pianist Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya: 'The early-music world needs more performers like Igor Ruhadze... This is some of the most accomplished historically informed violin playing I have heard in a long time.' Fanfare (Geminiani, 96524). 'Nepomnyashchaya provides a lesson in how one may realize such sonata bass lines. Her accompaniment is varied in texture and detail, balancing right-hand countermelodies with arpeggiated chordal washes of sound and heavy block chords at cadences. Like Ruhadze, she is a consummate specialist in Baroque style and practice.' - 'These musicians make a strong case for the violin-keyboard duo as an artistic medium. 'Strongly recommended for the music itself and for the dedicated, exciting performances.' Fanfare (Locatelli, 94376).

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Boccherini: Complete Violin Sonatas, Vol. 2
Brilliant Classics Nov 2025
CD
$12.99

Mix & Match

Boismortier: 6 Sonatas for 2 Pardessus de viole, Op. 63

First Hand Records

$21.99 Jul 04, 2025

This abum contains the premiere recording of 6 Sonatas, Op. 63, originally published in 1737 (edition published by Atelier Philidor in 2021). The compositions are exquisite and expressive and have not been heard since the mid- 18th century since the engraved score has only recently been discovered. They are quintessentially French in their general musical style, making extensive use of prescribed ornamentation. The pardessus de viole enjoyed a considerable vogue in France towards the middle of the 18th century. For too long the pardessus de viole, which has an almost indentical range to the violin, has been commonly regarded - even without being heard - as a kind of toy instrument. Now we know otherwise after experiencing how similar, except for it's different register, the pardessus instrument is to all the other members of it's family, including the familiar bass viol. The recent discovery of Boismortier's Op. 63 for two 6-string pardessus de viole is an exciting and important find and FHR are very happy to publish the first recording.

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Boismortier: 6 Sonatas for 2 Pardessus de viole, Op. 63
First Hand Records Jul 2025
CD
$21.99

Galuppi: Keyboard Sonatas Vol. 2 / Matteo Napoli

Naxos

$19.99 Oct 25, 2011

GALUPPI Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 2: in B?, Illy 14 ; in d, Illy 2 ; in c, Illy 34 ; in C, Illy 27 ; in E?, Illy 24 ; in d, Illy 56 ; in D, Illy 1 • Matteo Napoli (pn) • NAXOS 8.572490 (68: 12)

Most people know Baldassare Galuppi (1706–85) as mainly a composer of opera, probably because he was certainly the major figure in Venice during the development of the opera buffa in the 1730s. He was, however, also well regarded as a keyboard player, and his music, mainly sonatas, was widely distributed throughout Europe even during his lifetime. Musicologist Hedda Illy catalogued more than 100 of them, but one and a half times as many other works for keyboard, including divertimentos, toccatas, and smaller pieces, have since turned up, making him one of the principal composers alongside predecessor Domenico Scarlatti.

This disc represents the second volume of what will eventually be a complete cycle of Galuppi’s sonatas, performed here on a modern Steinway piano, if the picture of Matteo Napoli on the back of the cover is accurate. Originally, the designations were probably far more generic, as in perform them on whatever keyboard instrument you might happen to have at hand. These are intimate chamber works, meant to provide entertainment in small private settings, and the publication of two sets of these in London between 1756 and 1759 was clearly aimed at the discerning amateur. That is not to say that the sonatas were simple or technically manageable by the intended performers. Rather, they explore a wide variety of styles and abilities that Galuppi no doubt absorbed during his long lifetime. In this particular set, arranged according to no real sequence or pattern, this variety is quite evident. Two of the works are in two movements, a sort of halfway house between the traditional Classical-period sonata and Scarlatti’s single-movement pieces. The first of these on the disc, in D Minor, opens with a lively set of motivic sequences that are spun out in Baroque fashion, making it clearly an early work. The second, also in D Minor, is more of a da chiesa form, with a lament first movement that has distinctive Neapolitan operatic roots in its emotional unfolding. The first seems made for harpsichord with its figuration, while the second might require a more nuanced instrument, such as a clavichord. The remainder are the usual three-movement format, all of which begin with a slow movement, followed by a lively Allegro, and concluding with some sort of stylized dance. In the sonatas in B? and C, Galuppi opens with a long lyrical theme above a flowing Alberti bass, simple and eloquent. In the turgid C-Minor sonata, the first movement is a cascade of scales and harmonic twists worthy of C. P. E. Bach. In the E?-sonata, he opens with a nocturne of Mozartean purity, lyrical and sinuous. The fast movements are usually highly virtuosic in their technical displays. In the D-Major sonata, the ever-changing figuration and chromatic lines are like a perpetual motion machine, shifting by phases (or phrases) in a Baroque manner using Classical era harmonies. The final movement of this sonata contains a theme and variations based upon a nice tune that Mozart probably would have killed to have. In the C-Minor sonata, this final movement is turned into a demented minuet, with the melody scurrying through scalar passages in between the block triple meter dance. All in all, these works show that Galuppi was cognizant of the evolution of style during his life and used it to best advantage.

Pianist Matteo Napoli is to be congratulated for persevering in this series, the first volume of which (Naxos 8.52263) I found quite stimulating. His playing is always finely nuanced, with expressive details emerging even during the most mechanical sequential passages. The works, most of which do not have much in the way of dynamic markings apparently, seem to fit quite well on the modern piano, though of course it would be great to have them also on instruments of that period. The piano, though, eliminates the need to determine just which keyboard instrument fits each sonata, perhaps a daunting task. But no matter; this disc is a must-have for those interested in 18th-century keyboard music, and I for one wait with anticipation for the next volume in the series.

FANFARE: Bertil van Boer

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Galuppi: Keyboard Sonatas Vol. 2 / Matteo Napoli
Naxos Oct 2011
CD
$19.99

Corelli: Opus 2 & 4 - Chamber Sonatas / Beznasiuk, The Avison Ensemble

Linn Records

$29.99 Jul 12, 2019

Opus 2 & 4: Chamber Sonatas is the third in The Avison Ensemble’s celebration of Corelli’s chamber music and the fifth album in their critically acclaimed series of recordings with Linn. Released to mark the 300th anniversary of the death of the composer, the ensemble’s greatly anticipated series explores the six opera of the eminent Italian’s chamber music: the concerti grossi, violin sonatas, chamber sonatas and church sonatas. Popular since their publication, Corelli’s two sets of chamber sonatas are a pinnacle of Baroque Italian instrumental music. They demonstrate a superior level of craftsmanship; they are of the highest quality, exquisitely refined and a good example of perfection in music. Corelli’s contribution to the history of violin performance was immense: all six of his published collections of instrumental music demonstrate his exceptional skill as a violinist and composer, but it was in his chamber sonatas that he first used what was to be known as the ‘Corelli clash’.

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REVIEWS:

These performances occupy fresh ground. Beznosiuk and the Avison Ensemble have clearly given much thought and attention to their performances: beautifully understated, and allowing the music to speak for itself.

– Gramophone

The Avison Ensemble captures their essence in graceful, finely controlled performances - by turns lyrical, fleet, playful, imbued with an effortless style that eschews mannerisms and fireworks but rather lets the music speak for itself. The string sound is silky and clean; the ensemble neat and subtly articulated.

– BBC Music Magazine

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Corelli: Opus 2 & 4 - Chamber Sonatas / Beznasiuk, The Avison Ensemble
Linn Records Jul 2019
CD
$29.99

Sale

Bach: Violin Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3 - Violin Partita No. 2
Gramola Records Jul 2011
CD
~~$20.99~~ $15.99

Tartini Sonatas, Vol. 2: 5 Sonatas for Violin and B.C. / Siskovic, Ferrini

Dynamic

$18.99 Dec 09, 2016

A perpetuator of Corelli’s style, but endowed with a more passionate nature and a more refined technique, Tartini fully embodies the musical taste of the 18th century, according to which “music ought to be expressive and not merely ornamented, insignificant and artificial”, thus truly earning the title of “master of the nations”. The works of the present release embrace an arc of almost thirty years, spanning from the 1730s (Sonata No. 45) to the 1760s (Sonata No. 40). All of them have initial themes that are easily remembered because of some peculiar traits and of the incisiveness of their motives, the apex of expressiveness being in the slow movement. The Allegros that follow, often passionately vigorous, are dominated by vivid colours and very interesting rhythmic and harmonic variety, and permeated by refined technique.

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Tartini Sonatas, Vol. 2: 5 Sonatas for Violin and B.C. / Siskovic, Ferrini
Dynamic Dec 2016
CD
$18.99

Shostakovich: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2 / Suite, Op. 6
Capriccio Jan 2006
CD
$14.99

Haydn: The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Bavouzet

Chandos

$21.99 Apr 26, 2011

"Bavouzet’s Haydn is unmatched in its zest and its wit. But it is also substantial, informed and deeply rewarding."

--The New York Times on Bavouzet's Haydn Sonatas cycle, 2022

The multi-award winning and ever-popular Jean-Efflam Bavouzet is back with Volume 2 of Chandos' highly acclaimed Haydn Sonata series. This new release follows Bavouzet's complete Debussy cycle and a number of recent concerto recordings - all of which have been extraordinarily well received by critics and audiences alike, picking up numerous awards along the way.

Many leading pianists have tackled these at times technically challenging classical sonatas by Haydn, but in Bavouzet's own words, this is a composer who always left the door open for new interpretations: 'One often forgets how little information Haydn left in the text of his keyboard works: few instructions on nuance and phrasing, and very minimal tempo indications. Playing them is all the more fascinating for that, but it is also arduous and even risky for the performer, who must, even more than usual, create his or her own world and internal logic, only hoping - in the absence of tangible proof - that he or she is not straying too far from the composer's intentions, forever out of reach.'

For the recording Bavouzet brought in a specially selected Yamaha piano which he feels gives the sort of tonal quality he is looking for, and it shows in the programme for Volume 2 which includes the elegantly virtuosic Sonata in E minor, No. 19; Sonata in B flat major, No. 20; Sonata in G minor, No. 32; Sonata in C major, No. 48, and Sonata in D major, No. 50.

REVIEWS

Though better known in French repertory, Mr Bavouzet has begun an exploration of Haydn’s long-underrated sonatas. The first installment was dazzling, and the second is too: crisp and detailed. Mr Bavouzet’s slow movements are particularly memorable; he shows instinctive feeling for the way this music breathes.

--New York Times (Zachary Woolfe)

This second volume in Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s Haydn sonata is every bit as outstanding as the first…the sonics are as brilliant and natural as the playing. A wonderful recital, from first note to last.

--ClassicsToday.com (David Hurwitz)

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Haydn: The Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Bavouzet
Chandos Apr 2011
CD
$21.99

BEETHOVEN: VIOLIN SONATAS 2

RUBICON

$20.17 Apr 20, 2018

Violinist Chloe Hanslip and pianist Danny Driver have received critical acclaim for their musical partnership both on stage and in the studio. Gramophone described Volume 1 of their Beethoven sonatas cycle as 'engaging and accomplished... they create a world in which you want to spend time.' On Volume 2 they perform the Violin Sonata No.4 and it's sister work the 'Spring' Sonata alongside the stormy and dramatic Sonata No.7

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BEETHOVEN: VIOLIN SONATAS 2
RUBICON Apr 2018
CD
$20.17

Scriabin: The Complete Piano Sonatas Vol 2 / Boris Berman

Music and Arts Programs of America

$19.99 Aug 19, 2013

When the first volume of sonatas turned up (Music and Arts CD-605, Fanfare 13:5), Richard Taruskin wrote of Berman that, “Born and raised in the one country where Scriabin is as securely ensconced in the Pantheon as Bach or Beethoven, he believes in the music the way Sofronitsky did, the way Horowitz did, the way you will after you've heard him. ...“ Indeed, in the complete traversal sweeps—Ponti, Laredo, Taub—Berman's most consistent competition comes from Ashkenazy (London 425 579-2, two silver discs), who, needless to say, shares Berman's distinctions. In fact, heard after other pianists, Berman and Ashkenazy seem remarkably at one in their view of Scriabin and in their effortless projection of it—even their timings are often identical ! Within this basic similarity, however, one may say that Berman favors a voluptuously febrile approach, couched in veiled, bass-rich, pedal-held sound (abetted by a lushly resonant acoustic), while Ashkenazy opts for an almost crystalline (though seldom dry) clarity, crisper articulation, and brighter color. In the later sonatas, with their incantatory repetitions flaring into great washes of sonority, Ashkenazy's larger, more pointed climaxes bring these hallucinatory soundscapes into sharper focus, though Berman s accarezzevole touch and cumulative power awaken the music's daimonic eroticism with an hypnotic sureness scanted in Ashkenazy's patrician brilliance.

Both are high-voltage players, though neither quite matches Horowitz for sheer nervous energy, sinister intimations, trembling-on-the-verge spellbinding, eruptive grandeur, or overall éclat— though we are close: if Horowitz overwhelms, Ashkenazy compels, while Berman seduces. It is only fair to add that Ashkenazy recorded his cycle over a period of years, going back to 1975, where Berman committed his to the microphone in a matter of days—a staggering achievement. As noted, Music and Arts's aural perspective, while immediate and detailed, favors the bass. James E. Baker's extensive notes are a decided bonus, though his placement of Scriabin in the cultural history of his time and place will probably amount to obscurum per obscurius for most readers, to whom the likes of Solovyov, Balmont, lvanov, Baltrushaitis, Gippius, et al., are unlikely to be even superficially as familiar as the also named Nietzsche, Rudolf Steiner, and Madame Blavatsky. Hearing the sonatas together is one of music's great adventures, and Berman, aside from being an astounding pianist, is also gifted with that touch of the psychopomp which enables him to convey us unerringly to the heart of Scriabin's mystery. Enthusiastically recommended.

-- Adrian Corleonis, FANFARE [9/1991]

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Scriabin: The Complete Piano Sonatas Vol 2 / Boris Berman
Music and Arts Programs of America Aug 2013
CD
$19.99

Beethoven: Sonatas, Op. 49 Nos.1 & 2, Op. 14 No. 2, Op. 110 / Trudelies Leonhardt

Musica Omnia

$11.99 ~~$14.99~~ Save 20% Jun 09, 2015

Collectors familiar with Trudelies Leonhardt’s previous Beethoven releases on the Globe and Meridian labels will know what to expect here. As before, she uses a Viennese Benignus Seidner model fortepiano dating from 1815. Its low notes have a warm, slightly nasal timbre, with an attractive singing quality to the middle and high registers that contrasts to the jangly sonorities we sometimes hear from other instruments from that period, such as the Graf fortepiano. Leonhardt’s genial performing style evokes the intimacy and spontaneous inflections typical of Wilhelm Kempff and Wilhelm Backhaus in their later years.

She takes the two Op. 49 sonatas’ modest dimensions on their own terms, projecting the melodies in natural, conversational arcs. Leonhardt’s tempo for the G major Op. 14 No. 1 first movement is more of a Moderato than the Allegro that Beethoven specifies, and we might wish for more rhythmic backbone in the development section, or a brusquer attack to the Andante’s soft staccato chords. By contrast, Leonhardt brings out the Allegro assai finale’s sense of surprise in her sophisticated timing of the ascending scales and rests.

Also note the uncommonly clear left-hand passagework in Leonhardt’s expansive and well-proportioned Op. 110 sonata opening movement. Her little luftpauses at phrase ends disrupt the rhythmic flow of the Allegro molto movement’s main theme. The expressive eloquence informing the third movement’s ”Klagender Gesang” best illustrates Leonhardt’s seasoned musicianship, although she doesn’t match Peter Serkin and Ronald Brautigam for virtuosic momentum in the fugue’s climax. The booklet includes an extensive essay about the Seidner fortepiano and excellent musical annotations.

-- Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

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Beethoven: Sonatas, Op. 49 Nos.1 & 2, Op. 14 No. 2, Op. 110 / Trudelies Leonhardt
Musica Omnia Jun 2015
CD
~~$14.99~~ $11.99

GRAND SONATA IN G MAJOR & CHILDREN'S ALBUM

ALTO

$11.01 May 30, 2017

Tchaikovsky wrote the Children's Album and the Op.37 Sonata at the same time, and they're so different. It amazes me that these are so little known in UK. The Children's Album is fantastic - a masterpiece. He wrote three volumes of piano music, and what of it is known here?... The trouble is, Tchaikovsky is almost always played badly! There are two wrong ways: the Russian wrong way and the Western wrong way. Most Russians make a rough sound, full of violent emotions, heart on the sleeve. Westerners often have a refinement that the Russians lack, and which is an important part of Tchaikovsky too, but it has no power. (Mikhail Pletnev).

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GRAND SONATA IN G MAJOR & CHILDREN'S ALBUM
ALTO May 2017
CD
$11.01

Domenico Scarlatti: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 11

TACET Musikproduktion

$23.99 Jul 08, 2014

A discographical note: Volume 11 is actually the second installment issued in Christoph Ullrich’s projected complete Scarlatti sonata cycle. The pianist has sequenced each volume by sonata in numerical order. His initial release, Volume 1, contains sonatas 1 through 42; sonatas 358 through 387 are here on Volume 11; and Nos. 43 through 357 presumably will follow on Volumes 2 through 10.

The admirable qualities of Ullrich’s earlier Mozart and Schubert releases often inform his Scarlatti, starting with the rhythmic kick and well-turned ornaments in the two opening D major sonatas. Ullrich’s firm and deliberate F minor K. 365 proves equally rewarding alongside faster, lighter piano versions from Serge Babyan and Yevgeny Sudbin. However, Konstantin Scherbakov bests Ullrich’s K. 360 for linear independence.

Ullrich takes the E-flat K. 371 Allegro directive with a grain of salt, and employs changes of color and pace to illuminate the music’s unpredictable harmonic shifts, whereas Maurizio Baglini is fast, harder hitting, and just a few feet short of reckless. The adjacent B minor K. 376/377 pair are sensitively phrased, although Ullrich’s F major K. 378 seems a trifle prosaic next to Fou Ts’ong’s brighter, more unpredictably accented reading, while his relatively flat and generic K. 380 pales in comparison with individually gripping interpreters of this popular sonata such as Horowitz, Lipatti, and the unusually slow yet mesmerizing David Greilsammer.

Ullrich’s clear and shapely delineation of the F minor K. 386’s busy, toccata-like writing is perfectly fine on its own terms, but Christian Zacharias’ suppler touch elevates this approach to a higher level, albeit a few notches below Clara Haskil’s breathtakingly fast yet perfectly controlled 1950 Westminster recording. Though less striking on the surface than Mikhail Pletnev’s spiky, aggressive K. 387, Ullrich’s suaver, faster, and more graceful performance is easier to digest. In a nutshell, Ullrich’s Scarlatti is never less than good, if not so consistently outstanding as Carlo Grante’s ongoing Scarlatti cycle on Music & Arts.

-- Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com

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Domenico Scarlatti: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 11
TACET Musikproduktion Jul 2014
CD
$23.99

Suonate per violino e violone o cimbalo, Op. 7, Vol. 2

Challenge Classics

$16.99 Jul 03, 2026

Ensemble Castor continues it's acclaimed journey into the sound world of Johannes Schenck with the second volume of Suonate per violino e violone o cimbalo, Op. 7 presented here as a complete world premiere recording. Published in 1699, Opus 7 stands as a dazzling compendium of Schenck's compositional imagination, blending Italian sonata form, French dance suites, and the expressive freedom of the Stylus phantasticus into a richly varied musical tapestry. Far from the modest claim that these works were written "quickly for beginners," the collection reveals profound artistry, virtuosic interplay, and an almost inexhaustible delight in experimentation from inventive Capriccios to the radiant Aria XVIII with it's six variations crowning the cycle. With their deep commitment to historical performance practice and their refined chamber music dialogue, the Austrian musicians of Ensemble Castor bring this extraordinary repertoire vividly to life. Following the international success of the first volume, praised worldwide for it's brilliance and stylistic authority, this new release further illuminates Schenck's genius a composer-virtuoso whose music transcends borders and fashions. In the hands of Petra Samhaber-Eckhardt, Philipp Comploi, and Erich Traxler, Opus 7 unfolds as a living conversation across centuries: bold, elegant, and irresistibly expressive.

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Suonate per violino e violone o cimbalo, Op. 7, Vol. 2
Challenge Classics Jul 2026
CD
$16.99

Mix & Match

Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas Nos. 1 and 2 / Schumann, C. / Schum
Avie Records Jul 2005
CD
$19.99

V 14: COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS

TACET Musikproduktion

$23.99 May 12, 2015

Tacet's ongoing survey of all 555 sonatas written by the great Italian Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti as recorded by the prolific and acclaimed pianist Christoph Ullrich reaches, with these 30 works, K.454-83, available on 2 CD's, it's fourteenth volume. "Unlike Horowitz, who brought out the inner eccentricity of the pieces, or Christian Zacharias, who liberated them from the smell of mere glamour, Ullrich waits for the moment in which the music begins to float." - Die Zeit.

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V 14: COMPLETE PIANO SONATAS
TACET Musikproduktion May 2015
CD
$23.99

Dussek: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Kuijken

Brilliant Classics

$13.99 Jun 22, 2018

These sonatas date from a high-point in the career of the Czech-born Jan Ladislaus Dussek (1760-1812), at a time when he was established in London as a sought-after performer and fashionable piano teacher. His partnership with the instrument-maker John Broadwood resulted in significant technical developments to the fortepiano which would be imitated abroad and capitalized upon in Vienna by Beethoven, notably the extra power and larger range. The Sonata Op.25 No.2 in D has become famous under the name ‘La Matinée’: a subtitle work that conveys the lively spirit of the sonata and its irresistible sense of good cheer even in the lyric simplicity of the third-movement Larghetto. The three Op.39 sonatas are more elaborate in conception and design without forsaking the earlier work’s transparency and grace. The first movements of Op.39 abound in brilliant figuration, which evidently played to the composer’s strengths as a performer, but they are strongly rooted in a sonata-form structure which contrasts a pressing and vivacious first theme with the more tripping, light-hearted character of the second. The concluding Rondos tend to be the highlight, alternating some surprisingly passionate and even stormy episodes with the kind of unpretentious folk-like theme that Schubert would go on to perfect. This is the second in a projected eight-album series to be published by Brilliant Classics, surveying the complete keyboard sonatas of Dussek. The series was launched in fine style by the Dutch fortepianist Bart van Oort, and it is attracting much critical attention which this addition to the series is sure to share. Born in 1972, Piet Kuijken has been professor of piano and fortepiano at the Royal Conservatoire in Brussels since 2002 and is a guest professor for the fortepiano at the Royal Conservatoire in Antwerp.

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Dussek: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 / Kuijken
Brilliant Classics Jun 2018
CD
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Shostakovich, D.: Sonatas 1 & 2 / Prelude & Fugue in D minor
Athene Apr 1999
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