Haydn Keyboard [Sonata] Sonatas – No. 48 in C, HobXVI/35; No. 49 in C sharp minor, HobXVI/36; No. 50 in D, HobXVI/37; No. 51 in E flat, HobXVI/38; No. 52 in G, HobXVI/39. Jeno Jando (pf).

Naxos (Super budget price) (CD) 8 553128 (62 minutes: DDD).

The exquisite, classical balance evident in the six keyboard sonatas Haydn dedicated to the talented Auenbrugger sisters makes them especially rewarding examples of the composer's exploitation of the piano's broad expressive range and rich textural variety. This latest volume in Jeno Jando's complete edition presents these pieces in a compelling, modern-instrument version.

For example, there is brilliance and sparkle in the opening movements of the D major and E flat Sonatas; warmth and dramatic intensity in the slow movements (most notably in the baroque echoes of the Sonatas in C major and D major), and an appealing blend of wit and elegance in finales such as the Innocentamente third movement of the D major Sonata, or the minuets which conclude the C sharp minor and E flat Sonatas. Most remarkable, though, is the G major Sonata, where Jando's customary precision and his sensitive balance of the music's linear and harmonic dimensions powerfully convey the work's concerto character and Haydn's imaginative approach to form. Try Jando's engaging account of the opening Allegro's mixture of rondo and variation form; his deft balance of the slow movement's effective blend of major and minor, and his exuberant virtuosity in the finale.

Sadly, Jando here plays only five of the six Auenbrugger sonatas, but his vividly recorded, idiomatic performances triumphantly confirm Haydn's outstanding contribution to the piano sonata.

NAR