Mostly remembered today for his C Major sonatina, Muzio Clementi’s piano oevre is far from simple and straightforward. On this recording Liv Glaser interprets his music on a fortepiano built by the Longman & Clementi factory – achieving the sonority and drama so vital to his works.
The English instruments
In comparison with the Viennese fortepianos, the English instruments of this time are bigger and have a darker sound. Also the sustain of the notes produced are longer, taking the music even further away from the harpsichord idiom. When Glaser came across an original Clementi instrument in 2001, the colour of sound and the dynamic possibilities she experienced made new sense of the composer’s scores.
Recorded in Glenn Gould Studios, Toronto
The original Clementi was not in shape for a recording, but in 2003 Chris Maene had built a copy of this instrument. Its owner Malcolm Bilson generously placed this piano at Glaser’s disposal and it was brought to the Glenn Gould Studios, where tuner and technician Rob Loomis made sure it was in top condition for this recording.
Liv Glaser
Liv Glaser belongs to the elite of Norwegian pianists, with countless TV and radio concerts and performances both at home and abroad. She holds master classes and serves on juries in national, Nordic and international competitions. Glaser studied in Oslo with Robert Riefling, at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique in Paris with the legendary Vlado Perlemuter, later with Lev Oborin at the Moscow Music Conservatory and with Ilona Kabos and Wilhelm Kempff. In 1990 she once again became a pupil, taking lessons with Paul Badura-Skoda in Vienna, studying original manuscripts of Mozart at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, along with in-depth studies of the fortepiano (Hammerklavier) with Malcolm Bilson at Cornell University. This resulted in a recording of Mozart’s complete piano sonatas (Simax Classics PSC 1066, 1092, 1125, 1148 and 1149). Since 1994 Glaser is Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
