Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4 Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

• Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809): Piano Sonata No. 38 in F Major, Hob. XVI.23:
• 1 Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 38 in F Major, Hob. XVI.23: I. Moderato 07:15
• 2 Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 38 in F Major, Hob. XVI.23: II. Adagio 07:01
• 3 Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 38 in F Major, Hob. XVI.23: III. Finale. Presto 03:47
• Piano Sonata No. 40 in E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI.25:
• 4 Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 40 in E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI.25: I. Moderato 08:29
• 5 Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 40 in E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI.25: II. Tempo di Menuet 02:40
• Andante & Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVII.6:
• 6 Haydn: Andante & Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVII.6: Andante 10:50
• 7 Haydn: Andante & Variations in F Minor, Hob. XVII.6: Finale 03:35
• Piano Sonata No. 30 in D Major, Hob. XVI.19:
• 8 Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 30 in D Major, Hob. XVI.19: I. Moderato 09:53
• 9 Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 30 in D Major, Hob. XVI.19: II. Andante 09:02
• 10 Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 30 in D Major, Hob. XVI.19: III. Finale. Allegro assai 03:16
• Sonata in F Minor, Hob. XVII.6, "Un piccolo divertimento. Variations":
• 11 Haydn: Sonata in F Minor, Hob. XVII.6, "Un piccolo divertimento. Variations": Finale (Unpublished Version with Short Cadenza) 03:23
• Total Runtime 01:09:11

Info for Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4

This is Volume 4 in Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s project to record the complete piano sonatas of Haydn. The last volume in the series (CHAN 10689) was a Critic’s Choice in Gramophone, an Instrumental Choice in the magazine BBC Music, Editor’s Choice in the magazine Classic FM, and Recording of the Month in MusicWeb International.

In the words of Bavouzet himself: ‘Each volume of this ambitious, extended project will arrive over the years like a postcard, dispatched during my travels with scant respect for chronological considerations, but undertaken with the greatest passion for trying to convey as vividly as possible to twenty-first-century ears the boundless treasures of this sublime music.’

He also notes: ‘We often forget how little information Haydn left us in the scores of his keyboard works: few indications of dynamics or of phrasing, and the briefest guides to tempo. This task is never anything other than absolutely fascinating, but for the performer it is also testing, and even risky. He must, even more than usual, create his own world, his own logic, left only to hope that, in the absence of tangible evidence, he will not distance himself too far from the composer’s intentions, which remain forever unknowable.’

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet received a BBC Music Award in 2012 and a Gramophone Award in 2011 for his recording of works by Debussy and Ravel (with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Yan Pascal Tortelier). His recording of Bartók’s Concertos (with Gianandrea Noseda and the BBC Philharmonic) was short-listed for a Gramophone Award, and he has won multiple awards for his recording of the complete works for solo piano by Debussy, including a BBC Music Magazine Award for Volume 3 and a Gramophone Award for Volume 4.

“...Among the finest accounts on disc: searchingly nuanced. The decorations Bavouzet adds from time to time always sound spontaneous and are often varied in repeats” (Bayan Northcott, BBC Music)

“More Bavouzet – and more delights, as the French pianist continues his admirable survey of the 50-plus Haydn piano sonatas. Quite apart from his stylistic command and sheer delight in the music, Bavouzet’s mixing and matching of different periods in the composer’s awe-inspiring pianistic development ensures there is never a dull moment” (Andrew Clark, The Financial Times)

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano

Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet combines a rare elegance and clarity in his playing with deep and thoughtful musicality, for which he continues to win the highest acclaim from both critics and audiences.

Recent engagements for Bavouzet have included appearances with the London Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland and Philharmonia orchestras, and the New Japan Philharmonic. He also premiered Bruno Mantovani’s Piano Concerto with Orchestre National de Lille.

Highlights of his 2010/11 season include performances with Philharmonia and BBC Symphony orchestras and make debut appearances with the London Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony orchestras, and the Sydney Symphony with Vladimir Ashkenazy. In spring 2011 he will tour the US with the Orchestre National de France and Daniele Gatti.

An exclusive Chandos recording artist, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s discography includes a cycle of Debussy’s complete works for piano, which has been recognised by many international awards, not least of which a Gramophone and a BBC Music Magazine awards in 2009. His most recently released recording of Bartók’s Piano Concertos with the BBC Philharmonic has already received great acclaim.

Booklet for Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4