Strauss, Eisler and Casadesus
Works for Piano
Carol Colburn, piano

Here are some very early works by Richard Strauss: a sonata he wrote when he was only sixteen years old (Sonata in B minor, Op. 5) along with some mood pieces for the piano. The sonata is dramatic, playful, and in the Scherzo, light and lyrical.

Hans Eisler, who was born in Leipzig in 1898, composed the four Klavierstücke Op. 3 in the 1920s, one of the few peaceful times in his life, while he was studying composition with Schoenberg. He was later forced to flee the Nazis, leaving Vienna for the United States. There, he was labeled the "Karl Marx of the musical world" by the House Committee on Un-American Activities, and was forced to leave the country; he returned to Vienna. This early work by Eisler clearly shows the influence of Schoenberg and yet, at the same time, demonstrates an independence and originality, with a playful dissonance.

Robert Casadesus's reputation as an internationally acclaimed pianist has somewhat overshadowed his accomplishments as a composer. The Second Sonata, composed during the summers of 1941 and 1942, is very much in the style of neo-classicism, with a few touches of French impressionism. The New Records described the sonata as "delightful, airy and a pleasure to hear".

Catalog: MAR 3118

Track Listing

Richard Strauss: Sonata in B Minor, Op. 5 1. Allegro molto appassionato 2. Adagio cantibile (Listen) 3. Scherzo: Presto 4. Finale: Allegretto vivo Richard Strauss: Stimmungsbilder (Evocations), Op. 9 5. F Major 6. A Flat Major 7. A Major 8. B Major 9. G Minor Hans Eisler: Klavierstueke, Op. 3 10. I Andante con moto 11. II Allegro molto 12. III Andante 13. IV Allegretto Robert Casadesus: Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 31 14. Allegro con fuoco 15. Adagietto grazioso (Listen) 16. Non troppo vivo e delicatemente Total Playing Time: 1:05

The Orion Master Recordings: