Muzio Clementi has
much in common with Antonio Salieri,
a composer of piano music who was and
has been overshadowed by Mozart and
Beethoven, whereas Salieri was a composer
of operas who has been overshadowed
by Mozart. What this enterprising recital
tells us is that Clementi remains well
worth hearing today.
This is a full and
imaginatively planned recital, covering
the range of Clementi’s style and offering
the listener a satisfying experience,
whether taken in whole or in part. For
this credit should also be given to
the Warner Classics recording team,
the producer Uwe Walter and the engineer
Tobias Lehmann. For the tricky business
of creating an appropriate acoustic
and balance to give a pleasing sound
to a fortepiano has been handled with
the utmost assurance. This has contributed
significantly to the success of the
venture.
None of this is to
detract from the stylish and skilful
playing of Andreas Staier. Like Clementi,
he seems most at ease when bright, clear
textures and fast tempi are the order
of the day. Accordingly the allegros
fare well, particularly in the fiery
G minor Sonata, where some of the playing
and piano writing is particularly exciting.
Clementi seems less
convincing when it comes to sustaining
the tensions across a longer span in
slow music. Clearly this puts extra
strain on both the player and the instrument,
and while some of the ideas themselves
sound distinctive, even compelling,
the longer-term considerations of tension
and line do come into question.
That point made – and
it is made only as a relative comment
– this disc is well worth acquiring
by anyone interested in exploring interesting
byways of the repertory. It also tells
us much about the nature of piano music
during the Classical Period. Clementi
in his time was a major international
celebrity, and hearing these performances
makes it easy to understand why.
Terry Barfoot
Andreas Saier, fortepiano 