Avie Mozart: The Piano Sonatas

Leon McCawley pays a personal tribute to Mozart in the composer's 250th birthday with 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-sided 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 and a three-CD set of the world premiere recording of the complete solo piano works by Hans Gál - 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 includes the A minor Rondo, Eine Kleine Gigue, Menuett in D and B minor Adagio - which are not offered with any other available version. The smart and sumptuous packaging features new photos of Leon by Sheila Rock. Recorded 2006