MOZART SONATAS FOR FORTEPIANO, a415 music
Debut release: Beyond historically informed – Mozart played on an original 1790s piano
“With this recording Christopher Berensen reimagines Mozart’s sound world in very fresh and daring ways. The tonal scape of his 1790s square piano, itself offers something entirely different to the now familiar sound of the Viennese fortepiano in terms of colour, drama, and texture, a rare opportunity to experience Mozart as many would have in late eighteenth-century domestic and smaller settings. But, what is so remarkable about Berensen’s interpretations is his experimental use of period un-notated expressive practices—manual asynchrony, chordal arpeggiation, rhythm and tempo modifications including agogic accentuations, dynamics, accents, varied articulations and ornamentation—bringing his highly artistic personality to these works. His noticeable changes of tempo, for example, in the first movement of the A minor Sonata vividly draw out Mozart’s musical characters, and his elaborate and stylishly ornamented repeats demonstrate his deep understanding of compositional practice in Mozart’s era. Berensen pushes the boundaries in this recording, revealing an entirely new Mozart and dissolving the score-bound identity that often besets Mozart performances in our time. I recommend it most highly."
Prof. Dr. Neal Peres da Costa.
Prof. Dr. Neal Peres da Costa.
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After years of ensemble collaboration and direction, early-keyboardist Christopher Berensen has given us his debut solo album release. It is an invitation to share his singular and dogged obsession: Combining a colourful and eyebrow-raising palette of historically informed techniques and personal expressiveness.
In fact, Berensen would argue that inbuing works of the classical era with personality is historical: "Composers of that era didn't truly consider their works to be finished until they were performed. There was a whole level of composition which was actually collaborative, which means never ending fun for those of us who have come after them." A Sydneysider by birth, he left Australia in 2010, and was eventually lured to the city of Bamberg in the soft and friendly environs of Upper Franconia, which he uses as a base for his explorations of the sound world of the 18th century and teaching music to primary and secondary aged children at the local Rudolf Steiner school. |
Berensen's choice for a debut programme are three piano sonatas of W.A. Mozart, two of them written when the composer was in his early twenties, and one written when he was over thirty.
Taking a step beyond the use of the now almost ubiquitous Viennese-action fortepiano, an interesting feature of this album is Berensen's employment of an original 1790s square piano for Mozart's earlier works. As Berensen is visibly excited to explain: "Young Mozart loved the Viennese-action fortepianos that he encountered, but he didn't have regular access to them – for a long time he mostly played square pianos much like this one."
Lovers of this repertoire are likely to be delighted, surprised, and challenged by Berensen's first foray into the recorded medium. "I feel a certain amount apprehension about recording Mozart. It's certainly the classical music equivalent of covering the Beatles, it's sacred ground."
Order a physical copy: www.a415music.com.au
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Tidal
Listen on Amazon
Listen on Qobuz
Listen on Youtube
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Deezer
Taking a step beyond the use of the now almost ubiquitous Viennese-action fortepiano, an interesting feature of this album is Berensen's employment of an original 1790s square piano for Mozart's earlier works. As Berensen is visibly excited to explain: "Young Mozart loved the Viennese-action fortepianos that he encountered, but he didn't have regular access to them – for a long time he mostly played square pianos much like this one."
Lovers of this repertoire are likely to be delighted, surprised, and challenged by Berensen's first foray into the recorded medium. "I feel a certain amount apprehension about recording Mozart. It's certainly the classical music equivalent of covering the Beatles, it's sacred ground."
Order a physical copy: www.a415music.com.au
Listen on Apple Music
Listen on Tidal
Listen on Amazon
Listen on Qobuz
Listen on Youtube
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Deezer