Staier: Concertos and Solo Works for Fortepiano (5 CD box set, FLAC)

Composer: Antonio Salieri, Joseph Anton Steffen, Muzio Clementi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Field
Performer: Andreas Staier
Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 5 CD box set
Format: FLAC (tracks+cue)
Label: Teldec
Size: 1.26 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

CD 01
Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)
Concerto for Fortepiano & Orchestra C-Dur
1. Allegro maestoso
2. Larghetto
3. Andantino

Concerto for Fortepiano & Orchestra B-Dur
4. Allegro moderato
5. Adagio
6. Tempo di Menuetto

Joseph Anton Steffan (1726-1797)
Concerto for Fortepiano & Orchestra B-Dur (ca.1780-90)
7. Adagio non molto – Allegro
8. Andante non molto
9. Allegro

CD 02
Muzio Clementi (1752-1832)
1. Preludio, alla Haydn C-Dur (from Op.19, 1787)

Sonata f-moll Op.13 N.6
2. Allegro agitato
3. Largo e sostenuto
4. Presto

5. Capriccio B-Dur Opus 17
Allegro assai – Andantino – Allegro assai – Larghetto – Allegro assai

Sonata g-moll Op.34 N.2
6. Largo e sostenuto – Allegro con fuoco
7. Un poco adagio
8. Finale: Molto allegro

9. Preludio, alla Mozart A-Dur (from Opus 19)

Sonata F-Dur Op.33 N.2
10. Adagio
11. Allegro con fuoco
12. Presto

13. Fantasia c-moll on “Au clair de la lune”, Op.48

CD 03
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Concerto No.9 Es-Dur K271 “Jeunehomme”
1. Allegro
2. Andantino
3. Rondeau: Presto

Piano Concerto No.17 G-Dur K453
4. Allegro
5. Andante
6. Allegretto – Finale: Presto

CD 04
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
Piano Concerto No.18 B-Dur K456
1. Allegro vivace
2. Andante un poco sostenuto
3. Allegro vivace

Piano Concerto No.19 F-Dur K459
4. Allegro vivace
5. Allegretto
6. Allegro assai

CD 05
John Field (1782-1837)
Piano Concerto No.2 As-Dur H31
1. Allegro moderato
2. Poco adagio: molto espressivo
3. Rondo: Moderato innocente

Piano Concerto No.3 Es-Dur H32
4. Allegro moderato
5. Nocturne N.2 c-moll: Moderato e molto espressivo
6. Rondo: Tempo di polacca

Good value Fortepiano compilation

Andreas Staier is one of the most highly-regarded keyboard players around, well-known for his harpsichord and fortepiano expertise. This 5-CD box set was released by Warner Classics in 2007 and brings together 5 seperate Teldec recordings made between 1995 and 2000. All 5 dics are excellent.

The fortepiano sounds quite different from today’s grand pianoforte. It’s rather quieter and a little bit “twangy” to listen to; I have to say I rather like the sound.

CD 1 comes from 1995 and features two concertos by Salieri and one from Steffan. You might have come across Salieri in connection with Mozart – maybe Salieri was the better musician! Steffan I know less about, but his concerto comes from 1780-90. Staier works with the excellent HIP band, Conerto Koln on this CD, as he does with the other concerto selections.

CD 2 features sonatas from Clementi a precursor of Beethoven who, although Italian, spent many years in England at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Staier keeps the attention with this varied programme.

CDs 3 and 4 feature Mozart with his concertos 9, 17, 18, and 19. If you have never heard the fortepiano, these are the selections to start with – wonderful stuff.

CD 5 features two concertos from John Field, who eventually drank himself to death in Russia in 1837. Good, imaginative stuff.

For well-played and recorded “off the beaten track” music, you will do very well here. I should dock ½ a star due to the poor booklet, but the card box the CDs come in is quite attractive.

A great bargain and highly recommended.