The Sonata in E flat major Hob. XVI:49 is one of the masterpieces among Joseph Haydns sixty-or-so piano sonatas. It epitomises the Haydn sonata-type par excellence, with inner serenity and clarity, measured sobriety and having regard to its large and richly structured opening movement perfect form. For all that, Haydn did not neglect his feeling for individual special touches, seen here in the last movement, a graceful minuet in rococo style. The distinguished Haydn researcher Georg Feder has edited this Urtext edition; the fingerings by piano pedagogue Hans-Martin Theopold make it particularly valuable.

Joseph Haydn

Georg Feder (Editor)

Evgeny Kissin (Fingering)

Silke Schloen (Preface, Critical Report)

Dated 1 June 1790 in the autograph manuscript, Haydn wrote the Sonata in E-flat major for Marianne von Gennzinger, with whom he was in close personal contact and also played music. She was very taken with it, although apparently, she did not cope well with the hand-crossings in the glorious B-flat-minor middle section of the second movement: because I am unused to such things, it is thus difficult for me. For Evgeny Kissin, who adopted this sonata, such passages of course do not present a problem – G. Henle Publishers is proud to be able to present this Haydn treasure, now with fingerings by piano legend Kissin!