Franz Schubert - Piano Sonatas, Vol. 2 (Martin Helmchen)

Information

Composer: Franz Schubert

• Piano Sonata in E-Flat Major, D. 568
• Piano Sonata in A Minor, D. 845
• Piano Sonata in F Minor, D. 625
• Piano Sonata in G Major, D. 894

Martin Helmchen, piano

Date: 2026

Label: Alpha Classics

_____________________

Pianist Martin Helmchen advances his four-volume recording cycle of Schubert’s complete piano sonatas, slated for release through the composer's 2028 bicentenary. Recorded on a Bösendorfer piano at the Kronberg Academy, this installment features the Sonatas D. 568, D. 845, D. 625, and D. 894. For the uncertain movement order of D. 625, Helmchen completes selected passages inspired by Paul Badura-Skoda's scholarship. The album concludes with the luminous G major Sonata, D. 894, originally published in 1827 as "Fantaisie." Together, these interpretations highlight Helmchen's nuanced approach to Schubert's evolving keyboard architecture.

Born in Berlin in 1982, Martin Helmchen is one of today’s leading pianists, acclaimed for his refined tone, depth of interpretation, and technical mastery. A student of Galina Iwanzowa, Arie Vardi, and later mentored by Alfred Brendel, he gained international recognition after winning the 2001 Clara Haskil Competition. He has since performed with top orchestras, including the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, the Concertgebouw, and major American ensembles, under conductors such as Blomstedt, Nelsons, and Jurowski. Deeply devoted to chamber music, he collaborates regularly with his wife, cellist Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, and others. An exclusive Alpha artist, he won a 2020 Gramophone Award for his Beethoven concerto recordings.

High Resolution 24-bit / 96 kHz