Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jenny Soonjin Kim: Kozeluch Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Volume 1

4

Jenny Soonjin Kim: Kozeluch Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Volume 1

By

Sign in to view read count
Jenny Soonjin Kim: Kozeluch Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Volume 1
Let's not hear it for Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Those perennial blowhards get all of the attention. Rather, let's hear it for their lesser-known contemporaries. These are composers who, today, get little light standing in the shadows of the aforementioned classical giants. It is the beauty of digital music and the Naxos brand of musical marketing that we have recorded performances of these less storied composers. Because, let's face it. One can only become so familiar with a given composer's output in however many performances exist for any given work. There is a threshold where a certain "classical tachyphylaxis" is met and the erstwhile listener must seek out less-known music that is similar to a given preference.

Bohemian Composer Leopold Koželuch (26 June 1747—7 May 1818) was a contemporary of the latter two (having been three-years old when Bach died). The composer find himself square in the Classical Music Period and his keyboard music reflects this. As a member of God's second team of keyboard players and composers, Kozluch has only the Italian Muzio Clementi (24 January 1752—10 March 1832) whose professional battle with Mozart rivaled that of Handel's with Scarlatti.

The question is not are these lesser known artists as important or talented as their better known contemporaries. The question is does their music stand firmly on its own. Absolutely. Koželuch composed and performed with a brio that is certainly equal to Mozart or Beethoven. His contribution may very well be considered less than those masters but it is not reason to dismiss the music. What Koželuch and Clementi offer the modern listener is a context in which to listen to all of the music of the period.

The present recording is novel in that it is recorded on the period forte piano, which sounds like an evolution of the harpsichord as it become the Hammerklavier. That is fine. Pianist Jenny Soonjin Kim plays with an almost Baroque flair well-fitting of the music. This is a most fine Volume 1 to compete with the modern piano performances of Kemp English on the Grand Piano Label (2013). The period treatment that Kim brings to the Koželuch sonatas gives them a crisp texture and very nearly tactile character.

There is nothing foreign to this music were one hearing it in the context of the classical period. That will be undeniable. Kim's performance is commanding and authoritative. The sonics are superb, being captured in the chapel of the School of Theology where Kim attends college. This is an inspired and inspiring collection that makes me glad for the "Volume 1" moniker...because that means there will be a "Volume 2."

Track Listing

CD1: Sonata No. 1 in F, Op.1 No.1; Sonata No. 2 in E Flat, Op.1 No.2; Sonata No.3 in D, Op.1 No.3; Sonata No.4 in B flat, Op.2 No.1. CD2: Sonata No.5 in A, Op.2 No.2; Sonata No.6 in C minor, Op.2 No.1.

Personnel

Jenny Soonjin Kim: pianoforte.

Album information

Title: Kozeluch Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Volume 1 | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Brilliant Classics

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.