Tomášek - Klavírní sonáty - CD

This recording presents three piano sonatas by Václav Jan Křtitel Tomášek (1774–1850): E-flat major, Op. 13, C major, Op. 14, and A major, Op. 26, performed by Petra Matějová on a copy of a period instrument. Tomášek stands at the chronological outer limit of the Music of 18th-Century Prague series, yet the edition would be incomplete without him. Soon after arriving in Prague, he established a reputation as an outstanding pianist and later became known as the “music pope.” Alongside his concert and composing activities, he was a sought-after teacher whose pupils included the composer Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek and the influential critic Eduard Hanslick. His music lies between late Classicism and Romanticism, with songs and piano compositions predominating. Of his seven sonatas written between 1799 and 1806, this recording presents three, remarkable for their wealth of ideas and often unusual modulations. Petra Matějová has performed, recorded and taught master classes throughout Europe. Her aim is to bring Tomášek’s piano music back to life and restore it to the concert stage.