Jan Václav Voříšek - Piano Sonata in B flat minor, Op. 20

Jan Václav Voříšek

(11 May 1791 -- 19 November 1825)

 Piano Sonata in B flat minor, Op. 20

- Performer: Radoslav Kvapil
- Year of recording: 1974-1975

Sonata for piano in B flat minor, Op. 20, written in 1820.

00:00 - I. Allegro con brio
05:38 - II. Scherzo (Allegro) - Trio
11:30 - III. Finale (Allegro con brio)

Voříšek's Sonata in B flat minor was written during the same period as Voříšek's Symphony in D Major and Mass in B flat Major, a time when his output had evolved to large-scale formats. The final movement of the B flat minor Sonata was published in Starck's "Klavierschule 1821", as a separate Rondo, to which Voříšek subsequently added the remaining parts. It was to be named 'Sonata quasi una fantasia', and was to begin on a slow introduction strongly resembling Beethoven's work of the same name - which was also probably why Voříšek eventually deleted it.

The first movement brings an interesting image of a musical "double": namely, two rhythmically identical yet contrasting themes. The work's harmonic layout is indeed bold for its time, the robust character of Scherzo in C sharp major (!) bearing strong connotations with orchestral sound. The final movement was originally destined for re-writing, as evidenced by its heavily crossed-out autograph score. In the end, however, it remained as it was - probably for the better, to be sure - a Scarlattian fast-flying dream, its bizarre leaps assigning it a spectral hue.

The composition was dedicated to Josefine Wawruch, an outstanding pianist and the wife of Voříšek's - and, incidentally, Beethoven's - physician. It was published shortly after the composer's death.