Description
This is the only minor-key work among the set of sonatas dedicated to the Auenbrugger sisters and published in 1780. Written in the unusual key of C-sharp minor, it combines a melancholic character with dramatic tension. Though brief at around four and a half minutes, it packs a considerable amount of musical intensity into its short span. With nearly two thousand notes, advanced players must compress dramatic contrasts tightly within its concise structure.
Sonatas across a range of instrumentations, including piano parts from violin sonatas, spanning Classical to Romantic styles.
About the Composer
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Franz Joseph Haydn was a leading Classical-era composer from Austria who spent much of his career in service to the Esterhazy family. Often called the "father of the symphony" and the "father of the string quartet," he helped establish the Viennese Classical style with clear forms and witty invention. His numerous keyboard sonatas also served as a bridge to Mozart and Beethoven. This site includes 60 of his works, including movements from Sonatas Hob. XVI:27 and 28.
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