Schubert : Impromptus
These works are played on a Clementi square piano of 1832 and are therefore a genuine reconstruction of the sort of sound heard in Schubert’s day. The instrument was restored by Andrew Lancaster.
This disc is a direct replacement for Athene ATHCD5.
Track Listing
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Franz Schubert:
- Impromptu D. 899 no. 1 in C minor (9:17)
- Iimpromptu D. 899 no. 2 in E flat major (4:21)
- Impromptu D. 899 no. 3 in G flat major (5:29)
- Impromptu D.899 no. 4 in A flat major (7:24)
- Impromptu D. 935 no. 1 in F minor (11:08)
- Impromptu D.935 no. 2 in A flat major (7:16)
- Impromptu D.935 no. 3 in B flat major (12:07)
- Impromptu D.935 no. 4 in F minor (6:56)
Reviews
“Peter Katin’s disc of Schubert Impromptus is generously and fairly discussed in two reviews on Music Web (set out below). The point is well made that evaluation might have been assisted if at least one of the pieces had been recorded also on a modern piano for comparison (at TT 64:21 there would have been […]
” —Peter Grahame Woolf
“quiet playing that is often carefully nuanced…Katin seems to have command of the works’ structure… tempos are well judged and some of the more personal interpretive decisions… seem convincing. Katin provides some fresh perspective on familiar repertoire
” —Cameron Gardner
“highly articulate, intelligent, observant… and musical playing…[The B flat Impromptu] is a performance I will gladly hear again, not because it’s played on an 1832 Clementi square piano but because it’s played very beautifully
” —Christopher Howell
“In this era of “authentic” performance the description fortepiano is used both widely and loosely. It is a well-intentioned term indicating that it is an early post-harpsichord but pre-modern instrument. Perhaps somewhere between Haydn and Chopin would be a good rule of thumb. The instrument used here however is a six-octave Square Piano of 1832 […]
” —Antony Hodgson
“Clementi has suffered more than his fair share of detractors down the years, including Mozart who claimed: “[Clementi] has not the slightest expression or taste, still less feeling.”. Be that as it may, Beethoven’s early sonatinas and Op.49 sonatas show clearly the influence of Clementi (and Dussek). This seems to be Peter Katin’s starting point. […]
” —Julian Haylock
“This disc is a delight. I will not discuss the square piano as the notes with the CD do this admirably. What I want to do is recommend Clementi as a composer and give further indication, although this is unnecessary, of the unequalled stature of Peter Katin both as a pianist and musician. Muzio Clementi […]
” —David Wright
“There are some whose enjoyment of performances centres on the sonorities chosen by the composer: how things sounded with even temperament, how certain things took on “dark” tones while others — the eternally sunny key of C — have a far brighter tone. Some far prefer performances on modern instruments with stronger, more vivid timbres […]
” —David Blomenberg
“Peter Katin plays a square piano which has subsequently been restored. So the sounds he creates are as authentic as one could find. The work which comes off best in his recital is the G minor Sonata, Op. 7/3, which sounds so effective on the fortepiano. The slow movements of the F sharp minor, Op. […]
”
“Clementi was a prolific composer for the piano, and as with a lot of prolific composers his output is variable. At its best, his work ranks amongst the finest music of his time; at its worst, it is best avoided. Small wonder, then, that there are a handful of sonatas which regularly appear on compilations […]
” —Warwick Cole
“This is a valuable reissue. The delicate sound of the instrument is a decided asset throughout… a good deal to enjoy in Katin’s undemonstrative and unfailingly musical playing. Performance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sound ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
” —Misha Donat
