For the first time in more than a century Schirmer Performance Editions has released a complete edition of all Mozart’s piano sonatas. This massive undertaking was led by Professor of Piano Alexandre Dossin, who in addition to the editorial work, recorded the 18 sonatas plus the C minor Fantasy.
“Mozart has been a very important part of my career. I started playing his sonatas very early, growing up in Brazil,” Dossin said. “The first time I performed as a soloist with an orchestra was with a Mozart concerto, and my relationship with his music culminated in the 3rd Prize and Special Prize at the prestigious Mozart International Piano Competition in Salzburg, in 1995. After working on several Schirmer Performance Editions, I accepted this challenge, based on my background and expertise in Mozart’s piano music.”
The multi-year research and performance project culminated in two volumes more than 400 pages in length, and recordings equivalent to six CDs. Dossin not only recorded the works, but also compared several editions, added his fingerings to each sonata, and provided biographical, historical and performance notes. The new edition replaces Austrian pianist Richard Epstein’s (1869-1919) edition.
“This was a long-term project, not only because of the size and scope, but because I was busy with other recording and performance projects at the same time,” Dossin explained. “On and off, I have been busy with it since 2015. It is a wonderful feeling to see this realized and know that countless number of piano students worldwide will have access to the scores and the recordings.”
The Mozart sonatas are a must-learn for piano students, and therefore, Dossin hopes his new edition will prove helpful for pupils seeking to play these works. “My wish is that they will take advantage of all work that went into this publication and will enjoy learning as many Mozart sonatas as they can,” he said.
The recordings are available via online links rather than the usual attached physical CDs.
Dossin has a long-standing relationship with Schirmer, producing seven total editions, each one with the recordings of the works presented, as seen below:
- S. Rachmaninoff – Complete Preludes for Piano, Op. 3, 23, and 32 (Schirmer Performance Editions, 2015)
- S. Rachmaninoff: Preludes, op. 32 (Schirmer Performance Editions, 2013)
- S. Rachmaninoff: Preludes, op. 3/2 and op. 23 (Schirmer Performance Editions, 2012)
- Liszt: Consolations and Liebesträume (Schirmer Performance Editions, 2011)
- Prokofiev: Visions Fugitives. op. 22 (Schirmer Performance Editions, 2011)
- P. Tchaikovsky: Album for the Young, op. 39 (Schirmer Performance Editions, 2009)
- P. Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, op. 37b (Schirmer Performance Editions, 2009)