Ferdinand Ries
(1784-1838)
Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 11 #2
Piano Sonata in E Flat Major, Op. 11, #1
Sonatina in A minor, Op. 45
Susan Kagan, piano
Naxos 8.570796 50:02
As a close associate of Beethoven, it's no surprise that Ries' music was strongly influenced by the older composer, not that that's a criticism. For a long time, a solitary piano concerto was about the extent of recordings of his music but in recent years, mainly due to CPO, much more has become available.
Susan Kagan, a name Fanfare readers will recognise, has started a series of his piano music for Naxos. The music is immediately attractive and adds to our knowledge of a most interesting composer. The playing time is hardly generous, but at Naxos price, can be forgiven.
