Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845 & D. 850 Philippe Cassard

• Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828): Piano Sonata No. 16 in A Minor, D. 845:
• 1 Piano Sonata No. 16 in A Minor, D. 845: I. Moderato 11:21
• 2 Piano Sonata No. 16 in A Minor, D. 845: II. Andante poco moto 11:08
• 3 Piano Sonata No. 16 in A Minor, D. 845: III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Trio. Un poco più lento 07:41
• 4 Piano Sonata No. 16 in A Minor, D. 845: IV. Rondo 05:01
• Franz Schubert:
• 5 Valse Noble No. 8 en La Majeur, D. 969 00:58
• Waltz in F Major, D. 365:
• 6 Waltz in F Major, D. 365 No. 35 00:42
• 7 Waltz in F Major, D. 365 No. 36 01:01
• Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Major, D. 850:
• 8 Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Major, D. 850: I. Allegro 08:57
• 9 Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Major, D. 850: II. Con moto 12:36
• 10 Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Major, D. 850: III. Scherzo. Allegro vivace - Trio 07:38
• 11 Piano Sonata No. 17 in D Major, D. 850: IV. Rondo. Allegro moderato 08:44
• Total Runtime 01:15:47

Info for Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845 & D. 850

For the pianist Philippe Cassard, with Franz Schubert (1797-1828) ‘Music buried a precious treasure, but yet far fairer hopes’, to quote the poet Grillparzer’s epitaph. After his earlier benchmark recordings of the composer, the French pianist flings himself body and soul into this new odyssey and gives us a lesson in lyricism and elegance. Here are two vast and diametrically opposed sonatas composed a few months apart, in 1825. The first, in A minor, is dominated by the anxiety, harshness and vehemence of the discourse, the vigour of the rhythms. It foreshadows the dark ideas of Schumann’s Kreisleriana. And yet, in some of the variations of the slow movement, we seem to be at the heart of a Viennese salon with couples of dancers swirling around. In the summer of 1825, Schubert left Vienna for a hike through the landscape of the Salzkammergut, with its high mountains, alpine pastures, lakes and deep valleys. The Sonata D850 radiates his almost childlike joy, his physical and sensory exultation in the midst of nature. In the four movements, he sublimates the sounds of cowbells, the popular songs and dances of the villages he passes through, and yodelling motifs, and celebrates, in a state close to ecstasy, his arrival at the foot of the imposing Untersberg.

Philippe Cassard, piano

Philippe Cassard
has established an international reputation as concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician since giving a joint recital with Christa Ludwig in Paris in 1985. The same year he was finalist at the Clara Haskil Competition and in 1988 he won the First Prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition.

His concerto appearances include performances with the London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic and BBC Wales, Orchestre National de France... He has worked with many conductors including Sir Neville Marriner, Jeffrey Tate, Vladimir Fedossejev, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Raymond Leppard, Charles Dutoit, Armin Jordan, Marek Janowski, Emmanuel Krivine, Thierry Fischer…

His performance of the complete piano works of Debussy (four recitals in a single day) received extremely enthusiastic press and media coverage. He has presented the cycle in London Wigmore Hall, Dublin, Paris, Lisbon, Sydney, Singapore and Tokyo. His Debussy's recordings published by Decca have been awarded Grand Prix du Disque Français in 1994. He also visits China, Australia, South America and Canada regulary.

Philippe plays also a huge repertoire of chamber music, and he appearead with such artists as Natalie Dessay, Angelika Kirchschlager, Wolfgang Holzmair, Cédric Pescia, Paul Meyer, David Grimal, Anne Gastinel, Matt Haimovitz, Isabelle Faust, the Ebene, Modigliani, Takacs, Auryn, Vanbrugh, Danish and Chilingirian string quartets.

His recording of Schumann’s Humoresque and Fantasiestücke op.12 was awarded Gramophone Editor’s Choice and FM Magazine « Best Buy » (2005). Philippe Cassard's releases (Schubert 8 Impromptus, Brahms op.116 to 119) have been received very warmly.

Philippe joins soprano Natalie Dessay in 2012 for a Debussy Songs programme (Erato) and a Poulenc, Fauré, Duparc and Chausson recital in 2015. His recent release of a Schubert programme (Sonata D959 and four hands piano music with Swiss pianist Cédric Pescia) for La Dolce Volta, has been awarded "Choc 2014" by Classica magazine.

Philippe Cassard has been artistic director of the festival « Nuits Romantiques du Lac du Bourget » (1999-2008), and since 2005, he has presented 430 live weekly programmes on France Musique Radio dedicated to piano interpretation (awarded Prix SCAM in 2007 as "Best radio programme"). He has written an essay on Schubert and a book on cinema and music links.

Booklet for Schubert: Piano Sonatas, D. 845 & D. 850