Carl Czerny - Sonatina Op.167

[cbreemer]

Today I recorded this delightful Sonatina by Carl Czerny. Comments welcome.

[visitor]

outstanding selection and playing! World needs more Czerny, and you give us a lovely little bonbon to savor!
Well done good sir!

[cbreemer]

Thank you visitor ! I truly love this unpretentious but totally charming piece.

[eldergeek]

Nicely played! I might have to review my opinions on Czerny, having only seen him as a the creator of useful studies which are sometimes quite tuneful. This is definitely a nice sonatina very well interpreted!

[cbreemer]

Thanks eldergeek ! Czerny's sonatas are very much worth checking out (though I've only heard
nos. 1 and 11 so far). YT has them all.

[thalbergmad]

How completely charming.

Top marks from me.

Thal

[cbreemer]

Thank you ! I have a feeling the passagework could have been a bit quieter and more fluid, but otherwise this came out well. May this help a little to dispel the common image of Czerny the dreary drill master. 

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I know only a few Czerny works outside of his studies, but this is a pleasant surprise. To me, it's reminiscent of some mid-period Beethoven and early Schubert (whilst admittedly lacking the latter's melodic gift). Charming and well-presented. I enjoyed hearing this rarity.

[cbreemer]

Thanks Andrew. Yes you certainly hear Beethoven and (especially) Schubert here. The larger
works seem to  give early warning of Schumann and even Chopin. While Czerny's melodic gifts
don't quite rival Schubert's, I find them still considerable, and the melodies in this sonatina being particularly felicitous. This music sticks in one's mind quite tenaciously

[rachfan]

I had not heard this piece before but really enjoyed your performance.  I can certainly hear the Beethoven influence in the articulation, and the piece has a lot of charm too.  Your piano was in very good voice despite the winter.  Thanks for posting your recording.

[j_menz]

Can't believe I (almost) missed this! 

Very nicely done, and top marks for choosing Czerny. 

[cbreemer]

Thanks David and j_menz ! The piano tuning is just about passable still.
If I did not already have a year's worth of other plans I would now start on Czerny's Op.7 Sonata -
a massive and marvellous work.

[j_menz]

Czerny's Op.7 Sonata - a massive and marvellous work.

Indeed, but not to be take lightly. Much admired by Liszt, too, as it happens.

There are at least 5 other Sonatinas, should you feel inclined to indulge in the meantime.

[cbreemer]

Indeed not to be taken lightly. Even this modest Sonatina wasn't, it proved to be far more tricky than at first it seemed. Yes, plenty of good stuff out there. We're spoilt for choice these days.