The Bohemian composer Leopold Kozeluch moved to Vienna in the late 1770's where he enjoyed great success. Not only was he a leading publisher but he forged a highly successful compositional career in the city, lauded for producing the ideal sonata for the fortepiano, an instrument he championed over the harpsichord. In some artistic circles he was considered a finer composer than Mozart, foreshadowing the later works of Beethoven and Schubert. Volume 6 in the series of Leopold Kozeluch's Sonatas charts the years 1785-86 during which he enjoyed huge esteem as the composer of "the ideal of the high-Classic style". The four sonatas in this disc exemplify perfectly this Viennese compound of virtuosity, drama, and elegance with figurations of simplicity and grace that anticipate Mozart's own sonatas.
The Bohemian composer Leopold Kozeluch moved to Vienna in the late 1770's where he enjoyed great success. Not only was he a leading publisher but he forged a highly successful compositional career in the city, lauded for pro...
