Carl CZERNY: Piano Music, Volume One
The Viennese-born Carl Czerny (1791–1857) is best remembered for his countless pedagogical studies, hundreds and hundreds of them. But Czerny’s astonishing fecundity – his opus numbers go up to 861, but there is much more music than that – has served to obscure the fact that he was an important composer in his own right, his works forming a link between Beethoven (his teacher) and Liszt (his student), between the Classical and Romantic eras. The pieces recorded here, all for the first time, reflect the brilliance of his own playing and were intended to impress the salons of Biedermeyer Vienna.
Jingshu Zhao, piano
Listen To This Recording:
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L’Écho des Alpes Suisses, Livre 2 No. 1, Introduction & Variations brillantes sur l’air suisse Alles liebt/Tout aime, Op. 428 (publ. 1838)
- Introduzione: Andante sostenuto
- Thema: Allegretto
- Var. 1: Vivo e brillante
- Var. 2
- Var. 3: Vivo e brillante
- Var. 4: Molto agitato
- Var. 5: Andante sostenuto
- Finale: Allegro vivace
- Impromptu brilliant sur un thème national suisse, Op. 429 (publ. 1838)
- Impromptu sentimental sur le thème O nume benefico’ de lopéra La gazza ladra, de Rossini, Op. 523 (publ. 1839)
- Élégantine ou Rondeau brilliant, Op. 136, No. 2 (publ. 1827)
- Fantaisie sur des mélodies de Beethoven, Op. 752 (publ. 1844)
First Recordings
MusicWeb International :
‘This Viennese composer, whose life straddled the lives of Beethoven (his teacher) and of pupils Liszt and Leschetizky, is represented by the considered light-infused playing of Jingshu Zhao. […]
Toccata provides an unequivocally good, strong and clear sound for Jingshu Zhao.’
—Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International