Mathieu Gaudet - Schubert: The Complete Sonatas and Major Piano Works, Vol. 5 Warmth (2021)

In the nearly 200 years since its composition for voice and piano, many have tackled Schubert’s Winterreise. Steinway artist Hilary Demske, however, transforms the cycle into a series of works for solo piano on JOURNEY FOR ONE on Navona Records, focusing on the instrument’s poignant ability to represent the original composition’s lyricism and complexity. By freely experimenting with prepared elements, melodic fragments, and manipulating the placement and length of gestures—along with translating the meaning of Müller’s poetry to music—Demske adds a fresh, unique perspective to classic repertoire. The result is a refraction, rather than reflection, of Schubert’s masterpiece that produces a series of works that go beyond simple reinterpretation and venture into the realm of complete reimagination.

Track List:
1. Sonata No. 5 in A:flat Major, D. 557: I. Allegro moderato
2. Sonata No. 5 in A:flat Major, D. 557: II. Andante
3. Sonata No. 5 in A:flat Major, D. 557: III. Allegro
4. Four Dances: I. Waltz in A:flat Major, D. 978
5. Four Dances: II. German Dance in F major, D. 841
6. Four Dances: III. German Dance in G major, D. 841
7. Four Dances: IV. Waltz in G Major, D. 844
8. Thirteen Variations on a Theme by Anselm Hüttenbrenner, D. 576
9. Sonata No. 16 in D Major, D. 850: I. Allegro
10. Sonata No. 16 in D Major, D. 850: II. Andante con moto
11. Sonata No. 16 in D Major, D. 850: III. Scherzo & Trio – Allegro vivace
12. Sonata No. 16 in D Major, D. 850: IV. Rondo – Allegretto moderato