"It is hard to believe that the keyboard music of Leopold Koželuch – Mozart’s esteemed contemporary and rival – has hardly seen the light of day for well over 200 years. With the help of Christopher Hogwood’s new Bärenreiter edition of the complete keyboard sonatas, it has been a fascinating journey bringing all of this marvelous music to life in a recorded format." – Kemp English

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Few composers exemplified the late eighteenth–century Viennese keyboard style better than Mozart’s contemporary, the Czech composer Leopold Koželuch. A leading performer and teacher, he was even offered Mozart’s former post as court organist to the Archbishop of Salzburg. Preferring instead to preserve his independence, he produced over four decades, a series of major sonatas for fortepiano and harpsichord worthy to stand beside those of Haydn, Mozart, Clementi and Dussek, and as a precursor to those of Beethoven. This is the first volume of the complete recording of Koželuch’s 50 keyboard sonatas.

Piano Sonata in F major, Op. 1, No. 1, P. XII:8 (16:46)
1 I. Allegro molto (05:56)
2 II. Cantabile (07:15)
3 III. Rondeau: Presto (03:35)

Piano Sonata in E flat major, Op. 1, No. 2, P. XII:9 (15:49)
4 I. Allegro (06:36)
5 II. Poco adagio (05:26)
6 III. Allegro (03:47)

Piano Sonata in D major, Op. 1, No. 3, P. XII:10 (16:11)
7 I. Allegro con brio (05:36)
8 II. Poco adagio (06:52)
9 III. Rondeau: Prestissimo (03:43)

Piano Sonata in B flat major, Op. 2, No. 1, P. XII:11 (16:02)
10 I. Allegro (07:16)
11 II. Adagio (04:54)
12 III. Allegretto scherzando (03:52)

TOTAL TIME: 64:53

Kemp English is one of New Zealand’s leading concert performers. Much in demand as a solo organist, collaborative pianist, and specialist fortepiano exponent, he relishes the opportunity to work in a diverse array of styles and periods. His solo CDs Schwammerl, Kemp English at the Fortepiano and the Stormin’ Norma trilogy, showcasing the magnificent Dunedin Town Hall organ, have all met with widespread critical acclaim at home and abroad and feature regularly on Radio New Zealand, the ABC, BBC, Classic FM UK and USA radio networks. His collaborative discs with violin duo partner Robin Wilson have been equally well received. He enjoyed a distinguished studentship at the Royal Academy of Music in London and later completed a Master of Arts degree in Music Performance at the University of York. In 2001 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, in recognition of his performing and teaching career. Four years later, after more than a decade as Executant Lecturer in fortepiano, organ and harpsichord performance at the University of Otago, he made the decision to free–lance and concentrate on his increasingly hectic performing and recording career. He continues to tour Australasia and Europe as both a solo and collaborative performer.

"English is a top–notch musician" – The New Zealand Herald

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