Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K331 'Alla Turca'

This release was Leon McCawley's personal tribute to Mozart in the composer’s 250th birthday year - a new recording of the complete piano sonatas. Leon’s acute sensitivity and deeply committed interpretations illuminate the precision, beauty, drama and tension of Mozart’s radiant musical language; his inspiration for this recording was Mozart-specialist Nina Milkina, his long-time cherished mentor and muse. Mozart perfected the sonata form with infinite purity and wisdom, and Leon honours the scores in every way possible, allowing Mozart’s many-faceted character to shine through.

Prize-winner of the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna and the Leeds International Competition, Leon’s previous Avie releases – a double disc of works by Schumann (AV 0029) and a three-CD set of the world premiere recording of the complete solo piano works by Hans Gál (AV 2064) – have both been honoured with an Editor’s Choice from The Gramophone. His concertising has taken him around the globe, in recent seasons to the Queen Elizabeth Hall (International Piano Series) and Wigmore Hall in London, the Philharmonie and Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Prinzregententheater in Munich, the Musikverein in Vienna, Tonhalle in Zurich, Prague Rudolfinum and Washington DC’s Kennedy Center.

Leon’s 5-CD Mozart Sonata set is competitively priced and – with the inclusion of the A minor Rondo, Eine Kleine Gigue, Menuett in D, and B minor Adagio – boasts an added value not offered with any other available version.

The revelation of Mozart Year 2006: Friedrich Gulda's sensational recordings of Mozart sonatas now complete in a compact 6 box set at budget price. Additional Bonus CD of rare Mozart tracks dating from 1955 to 1997.

“Propulsive, supple and, in the slower music, serenely unaffected” (Rob Cowan, The Independent)

“Subversive, innovative, full of life and anger” (Alain Lompech, Diapason)

Mozart Sonata recording made in the early 1980s by Karl Engel. Release to follow soon: Complete Mozart Piano Concertos.

Swiss pianist Karl Engel was a student of Paul Baumgartner at the Basel Conservatory from 1942 to 1945. After World War II he studied with Alfred Cortot at the École Normale de Musique in Paris in 1947-1948. He toured internationally as a soloist with orchestras, a recitalist and as a chamber music performer. He became particularly known for his complete cycles of Mozart piano sonatas and concertos, and Beethoven piano sonatas. He also distinguished himself as an accompanist, often appearing in Lieder recitals with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hermann Prey, Peter Schreier and Brigitte Fassbaender.

Among his chamber music partners were Pablo Casals, Yehudi Menuhin as well as the Melos Quartet.

From 1958 to 1986 Karl Engel was Professor of piano at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, Germany. He gave famous master-classes in France, Canada and Portugal.