Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 Leon McCawley

• Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809): Piano Sonata No. 50 in D Major, Op. 30 No. 3, Hob. XVI:37:
• 1 Piano Sonata No. 50 in D Major, Op. 30 No. 3, Hob. XVI:37: I. Allegro con brio 04:22
• 2 Piano Sonata No. 50 in D Major, Op. 30 No. 3, Hob. XVI:37: II. Largo e sostenuto 02:34
• 3 Piano Sonata No. 50 in D Major, Op. 30 No. 3, Hob. XVI:37: III. Finale. Presto ma non troppo 03:31
• Piano Sonata No. 54 in G Major, Op. 37 No. 1, Hob. XVI:40
• 4 Piano Sonata No. 54 in G Major, Op. 37 No. 1, Hob. XVI:40: I. Allegretto innocente 08:42
• 5 Piano Sonata No. 54 in G Major, Op. 37 No. 1, Hob. XVI:40: II. Presto 03:06
• Piano Sonata No. 57 in F Major, Hob. XVI:47:
• 6 Piano Sonata No. 57 in F Major, Hob. XVI:47: I. Adagio 04:29
• 7 Piano Sonata No. 57 in F Major, Hob. XVI:47: II. Allegro 04:41
• 8 Piano Sonata No. 57 in F Major, Hob. XVI:47: III. Finale. Tempo di minuet 03:39
• Piano Sonata No. 47 in B Minor, Hob. XVI:32:
• 9 Piano Sonata No. 47 in B Minor, Hob. XVI:32: I. Allegro moderato 04:37
• 10 Piano Sonata No. 47 in B Minor, Hob. XVI:32: II. Menuet 03:17
• 11 Piano Sonata No. 47 in B Minor, Hob. XVI:32: III. Finale. Presto 03:05
• Piano Sonata No. 58 in C Major, Op. 70, Hob. XVI:48:
• 12 Piano Sonata No. 58 in C Major, Op. 70, Hob. XVI:48: I. Andante con espressione 07:02
• 13 Piano Sonata No. 58 in C Major, Op. 70, Hob. XVI:48: II. Rondo. Presto 04:16
• Piano Sonata No. 59 in E-Flat Major, Op. 69, Hob. XVI:49:
• 14 Piano Sonata No. 59 in E-Flat Major, Op. 69, Hob. XVI:49: I. Allegro 06:53
• 15 Piano Sonata No. 59 in E-Flat Major, Op. 69, Hob. XVI:49: II. Adagio e cantabile 08:28
• 16 Piano Sonata No. 59 in E-Flat Major, Op. 69, Hob. XVI:49: III. Finale. Tempo di minuet 04:13
• Total Runtime 01:16:55

Info for Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2

McCawley’s admired first volume, pairing Haydn’s Sonatas and Variations (SOMMCD 0162), received a coveted Diapason d’Or for playing of “great intelligibility and sensitivity”. Sonata No.60 from Volume I has been selected by Diapason to appear on its next CD, Les indispensables de Diapason, featuring six Haydn sonatas played on different keyboards.

In his authoritative booklet notes, Bryce Morrison makes a persuasive argument for the Piano Sonatas in “celebrating Haydn’s endless innovation, richness and variety and, most importantly, his humanity”. Those qualities are brilliantly realised by McCawley in six sonatas spanning 25 years.

Caught on the cusp of youth and maturity, Sonata No.19 is a work of lyrical and dramatic contrasts with a unique structure and surprising innovation. At odds with the inherited image of Haydn as a prankster, Sonata No.47 inhabits a dark, even menacing world that concludes in abrupt savagery. The Bach-accented Sonata No.50 is a work characterised by scintillating writing, Sonata No.54, in Morrison’s memorable phrase, “falls like balm on the ear”.

Ushering in new approaches and radical thinking, two late Sonatas – Nos. 58 and 59 – show Haydn anticipating Beethoven with prescient command of tone and combustible technique.

Leon McCawley’s previous recordings for SOMM have received wide critical praise. Gramophone hailed his complete Rachmaninov Preludes (SOMMCD 0143) as “a distinguished issue”, and the “superb collection” of Samuel Barber’s piano music (SOMMCD 0108) was an Editor’s Choice.

Fanfare described his playing of Brahms (SOMMCD 0116) as “music-making of a very high order” with International Record Review adding: “When all is said and done, it is difficult to know whether McCawley’s refined piano playing, his natural yet cultivated musicality or his boundless imagination warrants the greater praise. You must hear the recording”.

Leon McCawley, piano

Leon McCawley
one of Britain's foremost pianists, has forged a highly successful career since winning 1st Prize in the 1993 International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna and 2nd Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition, building on his earlier success as Winner of the Piano Section of BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1990. Since then, McCawley’s impressive discography has established him as a pianist of great integrity and variety, bringing freshness and vitality to classical, romantic and 20th century repertoire. His 2015 CD of Rachmaninov’s Complete Preludes for Somm Recordings is no exception: ’a distinguished issue’ (Gramophone May 2015) and ’Leon McCawley is a real poet of the keyboard in these performances that are alive to Rachmaninov’s wonderful melodic invention’ (The Classical Reviewer March 2015).

McCawley has been praised for the purity of his lyrical and heartfelt playing. In April 2011 he performed the complete Mozart Piano Sonatas over one weekend at King’s Place, London in winning performances: ’There's absolutely no vanity in his playing, which is bright, clean and unfailingly communicative. In his hands the Mozartian oeuvre emerged with striking vividness’ (International Piano). Other notable recitals in past seasons include: London Piano Series at the Wigmore Hall (where he returns for two recitals in 2016), International Piano Series at London’s Southbank Centre, Philharmonie and Konzerthaus in Berlin, Frick Collection and Lincoln Center New York, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Prague Rudolfinum and the Phillips Collection Washington DC. He can be frequently heard on BBC Radio 3 both in performance and interview with most recent broadcasts including In Tune, Wigmore Hall Lunchtime Series and Performance on 3.

As a concerto soloist, McCawley performs with many of the leading British orchestras including the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony and Royal Northern Sinfonia. He has performed several times at BBC Proms. Further afield, McCawley has made concerto appearances with, amongst others, Adelaide Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra ( where he was praised as ’a master of tone and articulation’ by the Philadelphia Inquirer), RTÉ Concert and National Symphony Orchestras, St. Petersburg Symphony and Vienna Symphony and worked with conductors such as Mark Elder, Daniele Gatti, Paavo Järvi, Andrew Litton, Kurt Masur, Gianandrea Noseda, Sakari Oramo, Simon Rattle and John Wilson.

McCawley studied at Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester with Heather Slade-Lipkin before continuing his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia with Eleanor Sokoloff. He also received invaluable guidance from Mieczyslaw Horszowski, Nina Milkina and Murray Perahia.

A keen chamber musician, he has enjoyed fruitful collaborations with a range of ensembles and musicians at many prestigious concert venues including BBC Proms Chamber Series, BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Series at the Wigmore Hall and Aldeburgh, Brighton, Cheltenham and Edinburgh festivals.

McCawley’s discography includes: Barber Piano Music (EMI Classics); Schumann Piano Music (Avie Records) selected as Editor's Choice in Gramophone; The Complete Piano Works of Hans Gal (Avie), also a Gramophone Editor's Choice; The Complete Mozart Piano Sonatas (Avie) awarded a Diapason d'Or ; Chopin Piano Music (Somm Recordings) ; a new recording of Barber Piano Music (Somm), awarded Critic's Choice in Gramophone in November 2011; Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with Royal Philharmonic and City of London Choir/Hilary Davan Wetton (Naxos); Brahms Piano Music (Somm), selected as Classic FM CD of the Week in July 2012; Schumann Piano Music (Somm); and Rachmaninov Complete Preludes (Somm). His most recent recording is Vaughan Williams Double Piano Concerto with John Lenehan and Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Martin Yates (Dutton Epoch) , described as ‘not been better served on record before’ and awarded 5 stars by BBC Music Magazine.

Leon McCawley is currently professor of piano at London's Royal College of Music. He is married to the painter Anna Hyunsook Paik.

Booklet for Haydn: Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2