W.A.Mozart : Sonata n°8 (NMA) in D Major, KV 311 on Clavichord - Historical Tempo Reconstruction

It has been quite a journey. No, I'm not talking this time on the Hammerklavier Sonata, the Beethoven project, the ongoing recording of Beethoven's symphonies in the absolutely stunning 4-hand transcription by Carl Czerny on our beloved Fritz fortepiano. None of that all. (read further below)
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0:00 Allegro con spirito (Czerny: MM q= 152)
12:29 Andante con Espressione (Czerny 8th=104)
20:51 Rondo Allegro (Czerny dotted q = 96)
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No, I'm talking on that other journey. That of my clavichord. The empress in music of this house. O yes, I know many of you will be thinking: how can he write something like this when we hear week after week the most beautiful forte-piano imaginable? A clavichord? I hear you. But here is the thing. With this recording, the Mozart sonata in D Major, I have the feeling really coming home again. After that long fortepiano journey (that is about to continue, don't worry). A journey that started with the arrival of the 1825 Frenzel in September 2018. A journey that got intenser with the arrival of the Fritz in March 2019, exactly one year ago. A journey that led me to hours and hours playing those two instruments, learning to understand their language, especially that of the Fritz. And every time I went back to the clavichord, I could feel how much of a distance suddenly I had with that magical instrument, how suddenly that what I could even have imagined in my dreams playing on the clavichord became harder. And harder. Since my touch, my technique needed all the freedom to be transformed for what that Viennese piano action required. O, I had so much advantage simply by coming from the clavichord. Playing the fortepiano is different, much different, but wasn't it the same path musicians like Mozart and Beethoven had gone through? They all came from the clavichord - and stuck to that instrument till their last breath, yes also Beethoven- and so I needed to be patient. I could feel that simply by combining the two instruments, the clavichord would win. Easily, hands down. I wasn't there yet to mix both worlds. And so I had to wait, every day passing along that beautiful walnut lid not to open. How many hundreds, no thousands of times I did not even think when time to play or practice was there. The movement of opening the clavichord, I can do it with one hand, without thinking, fast. When you kneel down, you'd see the little scratches left from those thousands of times, opening closing, opening closing.
And so for me there was this one moment that I took as a deadline. The recording of the Beethoven trio opus 38, the reduction of his septet. Still working on the editing of that by the way, it was an unbelievable joyful week to record that, a milestone as much as the recording of the Hammerklavier by Alberto was. But I had set the mark clear in my head: after that week, the clavichord was to be played again, alternatively with the piano. And so I did.
You already heard the Mozart sonata nr 7. That was my first 'come back' on the clav. But this time, for this recording, it was different. Here again I felt to be one on one with this unbeatable "tool" of expression. A kind of expression you can not explain to someone who does not play the clavichord. It simply is impossible to imagine for pianists, or harpsichord players, what a clavichord does with a musician. It sometimes feels as if your fingers can touch the vibrations, beyond the strings, that of the air itself. The clavichord on moments like this, is in control of everything. The environment listens suddenly, there is no projection of sound as with the piano, no, the room listens, the clavichord speaks for itself, it doesn't care about anything else but the essence. It knows you'll listen. And the musician is granted temporarily access to the 'power'. Never think you control it... she does.
And I can tell you, that's addictive. What's more to wish for than having the tension of a room (whatever that is) at your fingertips?
And don't think the clavichord is forgiving. She's not. That might sound really weird, but don't even consider to not playing a week, it simply will feel like playing on stone. But here, in this Mozart, she gave everything again. As in the good old days...
And so the circle is full again. One last step perhaps: some music by Bach. And then, one year after Mr Fritz came to me, both worlds can live together inside me, that of the clavichord and the pianoforte. The empress has accepted the servants. That's how I feel it, and it simply feels right.
Honored to be able to share this with you.
Here is a Playlist of all Mozart sonatas (project ongoing): kzbin.info?list...
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[@AuthenticSound]

There seems to be a little confusion whether the D major sonata (this one) or the famous A Minor sonata is N°8. I've taken the order of the Neue Mozart Ausgabe (NMA) who gives this sonata as n°8 before the A minor (as does Henle). But don't worry n°9 (or 8...) will come soon in a complete new version!

[@classicgameplay10]

Im waiting for that one.

[@cfdbyrne]

This music, stripped of pretentious virtuosity, has an endearing purity. It's like modern pianists, unfortunately, are saying "look at me", drawing attention to themselves instead of the music, but Wim is here telling us a story with music, drawing us into an adventure.

[@kaybrown4010]

Here it is, late in the day, and I stumbled onto this performance, having somehow missed its premiere back almost two months ago. I’m struck anew at the amazing sonority of your clavichord, its sympathetic vibrations, the intimacy of its sound. It seems the perfect instrument for Mozart. Bravo, Wim. And thank you. 🙏🏻

[@EdmundoPFN]

I missed this premiere, but I'm happily listening this after a hard day of work. The tempo is absolutely amazing. Thanks, Wim.

[@Rollinglenn]

This is one I will return to often. I heard it during the premiere and decided it will be up on top of my favorites list. It is now near 11 pm here and it is wonderful as an end of day "go to" piece. Thank you for recording it!

[@susankinney5193]

This has provided the much-needed relaxation to my stressful day today! ❤

[@williamhuband7913]

What I had meant to say, but put in the wrong place! was this:- Bravo Maestro ! - I confess I have sometimes harboured doubts about where your loyalty lay over the last year or so, but now here you are Wim demonstrating your expertise and, dare I say, Love for the most sensitive of keyboard instruments - the clavichord , as superbly and insightfully as ever. You are surely on of the greatest exponents and ambassadors for the Queen of keyboard instruments, and its music, ever ! Thank you, and may you long continue !

[@alvarito45]

Pure, clean and original Mozart!! Great!!

[@marcomarialacasella9941]

Grazie....bravo , riesco a gustare con gioia la BELLEZZA DI MOZART

[@Clavichordist]

Very nice. It's as if you've gone home and Ms. Clavichord has welcomed you with open arms. I worked on this sonata many years ago but at a faster tempo of course now I need to look at revisit it again someday. The Rondo reminds me of a flute concerto.

[@879korn]

That trill at 19 minutes though. Beautiful.

[@KingUnic]

Thanks Master!💯👏👏

[@musicalintentions]

I always enjoy hearing you and your clavichord. 💕🎵💕

[@DavidSdeLis]

Amazing, simply amazing... What manner of expression! The clavichord is, indeed, the Alpha and Omega of the keyboards. An Ouroboros that shines like a golden torc. Sometimes, listening to it, I even get the feeling of the Spanish guitar, so dear to me and so familiar! It's just beauty, naked in its apparent simplicity, but rich in nuances and tones and with so many ways to smile, and frown and pout! Yes, the Fritz has an amazing sound, but I am #TeamClavichord forever! Keep it up, it's unglaublich!

[@mariusvanhandel2876]

The clavichord (I should say, Joris Potvlieghe's clavichord with Wim playing) is an amazing instrument. Its very clean tones and clarity of line give insights into music like no other. It is as if you can see deeper into the music, because the clavichord does not have all kinds of deviations from pure tones, like a pianoforte. At the same time, it supports complete separation of lines, because ten fingers have more degrees of freedom than the four fretting and four plucking fingers of the guitar, which are always limited by their dependencies on each other. Add Wim's tempos that are calculated for maximum musical impact, and voilà: you have a combination that is hard to beat for music from this period (including early Beethoven) and back. [As a guitarist, I am so used to slight sympathetic vibrations from strings that were not played and incomplete damping, that they do not bother me at all].

[@ronkatz507]

Wim, this is so wornderful. Especially the Rondo Alegro which sounds in your performance like I never thought it can be sound. Thank you!

[@jorgeurzuaurzua4011]

I fell in love with clavichord as an adolescent. Three sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti played by Kabi Loretei in Ingmar Bergman movie "The Magician" ("Ansiktet") and my forays in ancient music fixed my enduring love. When I could I bought myself a good Canadian made clavichord that I treasure until today. The dry, austere sound reminds me of the lute and the teorba. Johan Sebastian Bach played the harpsichord, a more complex and flexible instrument. I cannot imagine the preludes and fugues of the WTC on a clavichord, it lacks, chromatic and timbrical complexity. In Mozart time the pianoforte was the prevailing voice, with pedal and more responsive voleume and expression on the hands of the player (sometimes the executioner). I apologize for my limitless ignorance but I feel that Mozart and Haydn had already left behind the harpsichord, no to mentipn the clavichord that I love precisely because its limitations. Thanks for posting.

[@VRnamek]

yet here is Mozart sounding great on clavichord

[@jorgeurzuaurzua4011]

@@VRnamek Please do not imply that I did not appreciate and like your interpretation of Mozart in a clavichord. It is a tour de force that sounds beautiful. I admire your effort and your enthusiasm. Thanks for letting us share this music.

[@MrBatraaf]

Beautiful performance. Just the fact of using the clavichord as a reference already seems to point in the direction of another range of tempi, because the notes need space to breathe; almost like with a stringed instrument. And since modern pianos still did not exist when the piece was written, it' s a credible interpretation. It gives the piece a different character from what I'm used to, but I like it. The sound is much more like earlier classical music. Hope you keep posting more works from Mozart.

[@fuegouno5789]

Marvelous! Thank you so much

[@CrazyPocky355]

Yessss !!!! 🥰🥰🥰

[@brunocanal592]

Fantastico! Bravo!

[@anthonymccarthy4164]

Is there an index of the Czerny MM numbers for these sonatas anywhere? If we can't find the editions it would be nice to at least have the MM numbers so we can try them with other editions. Maybe something someone could do at their leisure and publish online? I agree that this one takes on greater depth at these tempos. I've never been the hugest fan of Mozart played as a speed playing stunt, though I was guilty of that once, myself.

[@AuthenticSound]

I'll share the numbers on patreon, Czerny is -strange enough- not very much available online

[@879korn]

So glad to have another mozart sonata recorded on the clavichord. Now that the channel has many pianoforte videos i find myself wondering if there will ever be an authentic sounds harpsichord? It seems like there was a harpsichord or two in the development of Bach to Beethoven! Also, I hope you and your family are doing well Wim.

[@blake8625]

This should be a fun recording

[@lshin80]

Nice, don't lose your touch on this instrument! 👍

[@Sharlice87]

Wim and Alberto, will we be able to listen to a peace written by you on this channel? :)

[@AuthenticSound]

not by me in any case...

[@redaouzizi8215]

It's the ninth sonata in d major The 8th one is a sonata in a minor

[@tarikeld11]

20:51 this is where Beethoven got a melody in Sonata no. 3 4th movement from 🤔

[@corry7461]

Wim where do you find those metronome marks? I’m a patron would you upload them pls 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@AuthenticSound]

I'll share them on Patreon Corry, those Czerny scores (as with almost every Czerny edition...) are hard to find

[@EdmundoPFN]

@@AuthenticSound that will be awesome Wim! I've been trying with no luck to find these scores as well.

[@corry7461]

AuthenticSound wim im pretty sure this is sonata no. 9, no.8 (my favourite) is the a minor one, or is this another numeration?

[@AuthenticSound]

@@corry7461 There is certain confusion here it appears in several editions, but NMA and Henle give this as n°8, so before the A minor, dme.mozarteum.at/DME/nma/nmapub_srch.php?l=1

[@thomashughes4859]

First - post-performance!!! :D

[@petertyrrell3391]

Wim, in the Rondeau, bar 33 onwards, you seemed to be playing the LH legato, and also the Alberti bass bar 56 onwards. Was there a convention to always play these types of accompaniment legato?

[@AuthenticSound]

convention is a big word, but holding notes longer for melodic, harmonic reasons etc was indeed a very normal practice.

[@petertyrrell3391]

@@AuthenticSound I have seen Alberti basses and other broken cord accompaniments with and without slurs. Is it just as valid to play some non-legato?

[@clivegoodman16]

It appears that kv311 is Mozart Sonata No 9 and Sonata No 8 is kv310 in A minor.

[@AuthenticSound]

There is certain confusion here Clive in several editions, but NMA and Henle give this as n°8, so before the A minor, dme.mozarteum.at/DME/nma/nmapub_srch.php?l=1

[@korbilicious]

Wim, can you or Alberto play Piano Sonata No. 30 or 31, the late piano sonatas by Beethoven? I would love to listen to the original tempo, if they have one. Thanks and I hope you see this. :)

[@AuthenticSound]

101, 109, 110 and 111 are coming soon! I will take care of them (Alberto)

[@korbilicious]

@@AuthenticSound Thanks for letting me know.

[@Garrett_Rowland]

@@AuthenticSound Op.110 cannot come soon enough. Looking forward to it~

[@Gustavofeanor]

Honey-like switness, thanks WIM.

[@williamhuband7913]

See my comment erroneously posted on your KV282 performance from 2017, which was intended to be attached to this masterly performance.

[@123Joack]

the andante.... i first came into contact to this piece through the wonderful animation by stephen malinowksi, a great inspiration: /watch?v=CApgL9Plbc8&list=ULPCWCsEa4_eo&index=160 You play so heartfelt and honest, thank you!

[@derby2510]

I know you're doing it intentionally to add drama to the cadence, but it's kind of funny that the metronome pops up in the beginning of the piece just as you're pushing the tempo ahead a little bit.

[@AuthenticSound]

the metronome is simply there as a reference. No drama, facts! But if you try to say I don't play like a metronome... you're absolutely right

[@derby2510]

@@AuthenticSound A better word would maybe be "tension". I don't mean that displaying the metronome is dramatic, just the modest but noticeable little push towards the cadence. And no, you don't play like a metronome at all! :)