Hindemith: Piano Sonatas

It was in the second half of Hindemith’s career—after the composition of the opera Mathis der Maler (1933–5) and the campaign against it by the Nazis which eventually forced his emigration from Germany—that Hindemith produced his major utterances for solo piano. In his three piano sonatas, all written in 1936, Hindemith presents himself not as the rebel and revolutionary of the 1920s, but rather as an heir to the contrapuntal skill and keyboard dexterity of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Markus Becker has been acclaimed for his persuasive and authoritative recordings of German repertoire of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

CDA67977  64 minutes 27 seconds
‘Becker commands the structure of each work, and … is very impressive in the virtuosity of the Third. The new release also offers a set of Variations, discarded from the First Sonata: along with ...
‘Markus Becker draws out the First Sonata's exuberance and assertive power. The much shorter Second Sonata is also more immediately endearing, the Third confirming Hindemith’s stature as a supreme cra ...
‘Markus Becker has clearly immersed himself in these pieces, instinctively knowing how and when to let Hindemith’s often-complex counterpoint breathe, and how to emphasise the attractive melodies. Wit ...