Mildred Watson (soprano)
Denise Lassimonne (pianoforte)
Mozart's piano sonatas admittedly do not show him at the height of his powers. (The fine C minor Sonata, K.457, is exceptional.) But, as this delightful example shows, Mozart's astonishing fertility of invention enriches even these comparatively slight works-probably written for the use of his pupils. The Sonata is historically interesting, too, as an illustration of the keyboard technique of the period when the pianoforte had not yet entirely supplanted the harpsichord and clavichord. It is usually attributed to the late 1770's, but internal evidence suggests that it is a more youthful work.
(First broadcast performance)