– Composer: Jan Václav Hugo Voříšek (11 May 1791 — 19 November 1825)
– 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.
