Day 145: More Riko (Woo-Hoo!)

HaydnCD145Today’s performer is, once again, Riko Fukuda on fortepiano.

From her web site:

RIKO FUKUDA studied piano and oboe at the Toho-Gakuën conservatory in Japan. A grant from the Dutch government enabled her to study with Stanley Hoogland at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where she specialised in fortepiano. Her solo recordings of works by Pinto and Dussek on the Olympia label have met with great acclaim, and in 2001 she released two CDs with piano sonatas of Haydn on Brilliant Classics.

Yes, she did. I’m listening to one of them now. And it’s very good.

Riko’s playing is remarkable for its expressiveness and delicate, yet nimble, touch.

Of course, it’s impossible for me to determine if it’s her style of playing or these particular Haydn piano sonatas that make these CDs so enjoyable. It may, in all likelihood, be both.

All I know is I like these piano sonatas and Riko’s playing of them. And I liked today’s CD from the first 30 seconds. Instant FAVORITE!

Here’s what I listened to today:

Haydn Piano Sonata in E Flat (“Divertimento”) HOB XVI: 28 (Composed 1776)

Haydn Piano Sonata in C Sharp Minor HOB XVI: 36 (Composed 1777 or 1779)

Haydn Piano Sonata in D (“Partita” “Divertimento”) HOB XVI: 14 (Composed before 1766)

Haydn Piano Sonata in G (“Partita” “Divertimento”) HOB XVI: 6 (Composed before 1766)

Haydn Piano Sonata in F (“Divertimento”) HOB XVI: 9 (Composed before 1766)

Haydn Piano Sonata in G (“Partita” “Divertimento”) HOB XVI: 8 (Composed before 1766)

I provided the first piano sonata. If you’re keen to hear what the rest of today’s piano sonatas as performed by Riko Fukuda sound like, I suggest you buy this Haydn Edition from Brilliant Classics, or seek out Riko’s Haydn CDs (which, I think, are available separately), or listen to them – in a much lower quality audio format – on YouTube.

If it were me, I’d buy the Haydn Edition from Brilliant Classics. You can do so here.

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