Played on Instruments of the Beurmann Collection

Works by Joseph Haydn, W. A. Mozart, J. Chr. Bach, Franz Schubert and Frédéric Chopin

Haydn: Adagio F Major Hob. XVII/9 2:32; Sonate G Major Hob. XVI/G1; Allegretto 3:43; Menuetto 3:07; Finale: Presto 2:01
          Adagio G Major Hob. XV/22,2 5:26; Allegretto G Major Hob. III/41,4 2:21

Bach: Sonate G Major op.5,3: Allegro 5:07; Allegretto 4:15

Mozart: Rondo D Major KV 485 7:03; Adagio C Major KV 356 2:06

Schubert: 8 Valses sentimentales from D 779 6:35

Chopin: Nocturne C Minor BI 108 2:59; Mazurken from op.7: B flat Major, op.7,1 2:26; A Minor, op.7,2 2:33; F Minor, op.7,3 2:28; G Major, op.7,5 0:47; Nocturne C sharp Minor BI 49 3:54

Total time 59:32

Susanne von Laun, Fortepiano

The seventy instruments in the Hamburg „ Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe“ have
been donated by Prof. Andreas Beurmann. They include plucked instruments, clavichords
and fortepianos stretching from the 1540 Italian harpsichord to the 1871
Steinway concert grandpiano. They are mostly maintained in playing order and
provide the possibility of performing music of different styles and periods on the
appropriate instruments.
The fortepiano is the keyboard instrument of the classic and early romantic period.
At that time the ingenious piano makers created a variety of different pianos of a
high standart of craftsmensship: square pianos, fortepianos, pianos as part of furniture.
The sound of many of these can be altered by mechanical devices..
The period instruments have a characteristic sound including a high percentage of
overtones.The smooth-running keys offer piano playing with very little physical effort.
Each of the precious instruments, an important heritage of those tmes, provides
a guide of the taste and feeling for music of the late18th. and ealy 19th. century.
Susanne von Laun plays regularily instruments of this collection in concerts and at
guided tours. The artist who received in 2005 the „Muzio Clementi Award“, selected
five instruments for this recording (a Tafelklavier dated 1777, three Hammerflügel
from 1795 to 1820 and a Broadwood Grand Piano from1841), which are presented
here firstly on CD.