• The continuation of an exciting new project: the 6th volume of the complete piano sonatas by Dussek!

• Johann Ladislaus Dussek (1760-1812) was born in rural Bohemia. He led a restless life, travelling Europe as a keyboard virtuoso and settling in several European capitals, notably Paris and London, where he became a fashionable pianist and teacher. His close connection to piano manufacturer Broadwood resulted in important innovations, notably the extension of the keyboard to 6 octaves.

• Dussek’s style is rich, harmonically expressive and pianistically challenging, Classicism on the brink of Early Romanticism. • On this CD Viviana Sofronitsky, one of the foremost fortepianists of today (and daughter of the legendary Russian pianist Vladimir Sofronitsky) plays the three early Sonatas Op. 9 and the mature, substantial Sonata Op. 75. She plays a superb copy of a Walter pianoforte, made by Paul McNulty. Walter was considered the best instrument builder of his time, Mozart praised his pianos and owned one, whereas Beethoven thought highly of them.