Search - E.T.A. Hoffmann, Wolfgang Brunner :: E.T.A. Hoffmann: Complete Piano Sonatas

Great writer, decent composer

Timmy | New York, Ny United States | 01/31/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"ETA Hoffman was an excellent writer (see my review of the Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr). As a composer, however, he was slighlty less gifted. While he obviously possessed natural talent, his melodic and dramatic sense fall short of keeping me captivated. Nevertheless, he does have his exciting moments, as well as several homages to Mozart (most notably in the introduction of the first f-minor sonata, an imitation of Mozart's c-minor fantasy, K. 475). Four of his sonatas are filled with fugal portions, which may or may not entice the listener, depending upon his taste (I was not that fond of them). These 5 sonatas are played on a period intrument, giving them a more brilliant, if slighlt strange sound. if one buys this CD, they will hear pretty good music, but one will find amazing literature in his books."