Ries: Piano Sonatas & Sonatinas Vol 5

"Stylistically, Ries's piano music sits somewhere between that of Hummel, Beethoven and Schubert. Between them these four made an immense contribution to the late-Classical/early-Romantic piano sonata, despite the fact that not one of them lived even to see his 60th birthday. Of the four, Ries's name is probably least known - more often than not relegated to a historical footnote as piano pupil, friend, 'agent' and biographer of Beethoven. Yet he is by no means a minor talent, at least as far as piano composition is concerned - he wrote prolifically for his instrument to great acclaim in his time, both by the public and his contemporaries. Nor indeed when it came to piano playing, of which he soon established himself as one of the leading performers in Europe - all the more remarkable an achievement in that he had lost an eye to a childhood illness. Kagan's performance is simply marvellous throughout - she plays with sophistication, expression and humour that Ries himself would certainly have applauded. Kagan is also one of the leading published authorities on Ries's music, and provides the informative liner notes. The recording and general technical quality are once again first-rate." (MusicWeb July 2011)

Susan Kagan, intrigued by Ries's Op. 1 piano sonatas went on to record all 14 of his solo piano sonatas and sonatinas, gaining critical acclaim for her eloquent advocacy of these unfairly neglected yet often substantial works. Bridging the divide between the Classical style of Haydn and Mozart and the Romantic impulses of Schubert, Chopin and Mendelssohn, with a healthy dose of Beethoven often in evidence.