Markus Becker - Hindemith: Piano Sonatas Nos. 1, 2 & 3 (2013) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Piano Sonata No. 1 in A Major: I. Ruhig bewegte Viertel
02. Piano Sonata No. 1 in A Major: II. Im Zeitmass eines sehr langsamen Marsches
03. Piano Sonata No. 1 in A Major: III. Lebhaft
04. Piano Sonata No. 1 in A Major: IV. Ruhig bewegte Viertel, wie im ersten Teil
05. Piano Sonata No. 1 in A Major: V. Lebhaft
06. Piano Sonata No. 2 in G Major: I. Mäßig schnell
07. Piano Sonata No. 2 in G Major: II. Lebhaft
08. Piano Sonata No. 2 in G Major: III. Sehr langsam – Ruhig –
09. Piano Sonata No. 2 in G Major: IV. Rondo. Bewegt – Langsam
10. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-Flat Major: I. Ruhig bewegt
11. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-Flat Major: II. Sehr lebhaft
12. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-Flat Major: III. Mäßig schnell
13. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-Flat Major: IV. Fuge. Lebhaft
14. Variations

Composed in 1936, the three piano sonatas of Paul Hindemith may be regarded as a balanced set, in much the same way as his three organ sonatas of 1937-1940, because they share intellectual and stylistic bases, and complement each other through their expressive differences. The melodic Piano Sonata No. 1 in A major is the most substantial in its five-movement structure and 25-minute length, which is more than twice the duration of the delicate and neo-classical Piano Sonata No. 2 in G major, while the energy of the Piano Sonata No. 3 in B flat major makes it the most direct and extroverted of the three. Characteristic of Hindemith's music, the sonatas are grounded in rigorous counterpoint and waywardly shifting tonality, both of which create stylistic unity. Markus Becker has recorded many albums for Hyperion, and he has garnered praise for the clarity and consistency of his playing in late Romantic and early modern piano music. His approach to Hindemith's sonatas and the rather austere Variations (a discarded movement from the Sonata No. 1) is clear-headed and serious, though he makes every effort to bring out the subtle moods, which at times can seem obscured by the music's cerebral qualities. Hyperion's recording is clean and focused, and every note is plainly audible.

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