JOSEPH HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50
The Sonata in C Major belongs to a trio of sonatas that Haydn composed
during his second tour of London for pianist Therese Jansen. They are
among his very last efforts in the genre and reveal not only Jansen’s
virtuosic talents as a performer, but also Haydn’s witty eloquence as a
composer.
ROBERT SCHUMANN Humoreske in B-flat Major, Op. 20
Schumann’s Humoreske was the most significant composition to come out of
his early months in Vienna. The work, which can be organized as more
than a dozen miniatures or as a handful of movements, combines light
humor with a dark melancholy strain.
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN Twelve Etudes, Op. 10
Chopin’s Op. 10 etudes reveal the young composer’s new maturity.
Simultaneously, they mark a turning point in the genre itself:
Originally a didactic essay, the etude became a new vehicle for concert
pianists to showcase their technical and musical prowess.