in E major, Hob XVI:31
in D major, Hob XVI:42
in C major, Hob XVI:35
in E minor, Hob XVI:34
in A major, Hob XVI:26
Fantasia in C major 'Capriccio', Hob XVII:4
Sonata 'Un piccolo divertimento' 'Variations' in F minor, Hob XVII:6;

Marc-André Hamelin’s first set of Haydn Piano Sonatas was Hyperion’s best-selling release of 2007, and had the critics jostling to acclaim his performances in the highest terms, in particular his expression of the ‘physical exhilaration of Haydn’s playful inspiration in a way unmatched by any pianist past or present’. His second volume, released in a year where new Haydn recordings are prominent, should surely match the critical and commercial success of the first.

Some of Haydn’s most alluring and appealing keyboard works are recorded here. The surprising (to some) emotional range of the composer is fully evident in the extraordinarily sensitive and intimate Sonata in E flat major No 49, written for Maria Anna von Genzinger, and the profoundly felt Andante con variazioni in F minor, the composition of which coincided with her death.



SUNDAY TIMES CLASSICAL CD OF THE WEEK

GUARDIAN FIVE TO HEAR

'As always, Haydn's originality astonishes and delights in his piano music as much as in his symphonies and string quartets. Hamelin revels in the tongue-in-cheek high jinks of the finale to the E minor sonata (No 34) … and is especially compelling in the great C major (No 48) … works that rank with the finest creations of the Viennese Classical period. An unmissable bargain at two-discs-for-the-price of one' (The Sunday Times)

'A marvellously polished collection of performances … He is a model of correctness, with enough wit, exuberance and the most exquisite lightness of touches to keep the music buoyant' (The Guardian)

'One of the outstanding releases of the Haydn celebratory year' (International Record Review)

'Hamelin is most associated with virtuoso fireworks for piano, but he can also miniaturise himself exquisitely to suit Haydn's wit and elegance … The spring in his fingers is delightful' (The Times)

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Vol 1: CDA 67554 / Recording details: August 2008; Henry Wood Hall, London, United Kingdom; Produced by Andrew Keener; Engineered by Simon Eadon; Release date: August 2009;