Program Notes
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
Sonata in E-flat major, K. 282
Mozart composed his Sonata in E-flat major, K. 282 during a period in history when the harpsichord was finding itself displaced by the fortepiano. The keyboard score is one of his first to make significant use of dynamics. Written when Mozart was nineteen, it was a favorite performance piece as he traveled around the courts of Europe showcasing has talent – as well as the superiority of these new fortepianos.
This sonata embodies the theme pervading this CD more abstractly than does the other compositions. While it has no direct connection to the notion of “singing,” the sonata stands apart from Mozart’s others in that it commences with a slow, lyrical movement. During a time when the emotional weight of a sonata was carried by the first movement, the opening Adagio of this sonata makes a powerful statement regarding the vocal quality of the fortepianos creeping into the musical scene.
The first and third movements of the work are in a terse sonata form, while the middle movement, the Menuetti I & II, follows the structure of the Baroque dance movements typically found in pairs, such as the Gavotte or Bourrée. The Menuetto is a courtly dance that likely satisfied the noble members of his audiences. The youthful Allegro concludes the work in an energetic fashion with playful uses of contrast, chiaroscuro, and runs.
The works on "On Wings of Song"
- Mendelssohn: "On Wings of Song"
- Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit
- Mozart: Sonata in E-flat major, K. 282
- Grieg: "Air" from Holberg Suite
- Liszt: Reminiscences of Norma
- Bach/Anderson: "Erbarme Dich" from St. Matthew Passion
- Encore - Strauss/Godowsky: "Standchen"
