The most comprehensive set on record of the sonatas by a pivotal figure in the English Classical piano school, including several first recordings.
Johann Baptiste Cramer (1771-1858) was identified by the influential pedagogue Edward Dannreuther as ‘one of the fathers of the church of pianoforte playing’. Born in Germany, he moved as a child to London with his family – his father Wilhelm was a violinist and conductor – and took lessons with a notable émigré of a previous generation, Muzio Clementi.
Cramer came to follow in his teacher’s footsteps, as both a pianist and a publisher. At one stage, his books of studies were scarcely less popular than the examples of Carl Czerny. He spent a good deal of time on the Continent, including in Vienna, where he won the friendship and admiration of Beethoven. In turn, Cramer became the English publisher of the composer’s Fifth Piano Concerto, and was probably responsible for its lasting nickname as the ‘Emperor’.
Cramer’s own music is scantily represented on record by a few albums of studies, a concerto here and a sonata there. But as Simone Pierini demonstrates, Cramer’s sonatas exhibit impressive variety, chronicling both his development as a composer and the technical evolution of the piano in the late-Classical and early-Romantic eras. He composed as many as 200 sonatas between 1790 and 1830, and Pierini presents a representative selection. They belong to the world of Clementi and Dussek but also Beethoven and Chopin in their elegant minuets, their minor-mode expressions of pathos and their virtuosic flourishes written to show off the skill but also the musicianship of any executant.
Anyone with an interest in early-Romantic piano music will find Cramer’s sonatas a delightful discovery. No stranger to the Brilliant Classics catalogue, Simone Pierini plays them on three fortepianos of the period, by Conrad Graf, Joseph Hasselman and Matthias Müller. He also contributes a full and illuminating booklet essay on Cramer’s life and work.
‘[Pierini] plays with tremendous energy and conviction… A major addition to the catalogue.’ Fanfare (de Montgeroult, 96247)
‘His playing offers crisp clarity of texture and ornament… this is an interesting composer well worth adding to the fellowship of clavecinistes.’ Gramophone (Le Bret, 96930)
Johann Baptiste Cramer was a distinguished pianist and composer of the Classical and early Romantic eras. Born in Mannheim, Germany, and later settling in London, Cramer was a central figure in the European music scene during his time. His reputation as a virtuoso pianist was matched by his contributions as a teacher and composer, particularly in the development of piano technique and pedagogy.
Cramer's piano sonatas, though less frequently performed today, are noteworthy for their elegance and craftsmanship. They exhibit the stylistic characteristics of the Classical period, with clear forms, balanced phrases, and an emphasis on expressive melody. However, his works also anticipate the more emotional and technically challenging aspects of the Romantic era. His sonatas often explore a wide range of dynamics and intricate finger work, requiring a high level of technical proficiency from the performer.
Cramer's sonatas are structured traditionally, usually in three or four movements, and they reflect the influence of his contemporaries, such as Mozart and Beethoven. However, his own voice is evident in the lyrical beauty of his slow movements and the lively, often playful nature of his finales. His works were highly regarded by later composers, including Beethoven, who considered Cramer’s piano technique exemplary.
Played on the fortepiano by Simone Pierini. Born in Rome in 1996, Pierini began studying music at the age of eight. Aged eighteen, he graduated in piano at S. Cecilia Conservatory of Music, Rome, with highest honors. He afterwards grew interest in historically informed piano practice, attending masterclasses led by Alexei Lubimov, Andreas Staier, Tobias Koch, Stefano Fiuzzi. Subsequently, his interest about historical keyboards in general grew further, and he began studying harpsichord and basso continuo with such teachers as Andrea Coen and Giovanni Togni. His recordings with music by Cherubini (BC96246) and the complete piano sonatas by Hélène de Montgeroult (BC96247) were very positively received by the press. Classic FM nominated him as one of the 30 best musicians under 30 in 2024.
