Jae Cho -Hyuck * Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas Vol. 1 [New CD]

This first volume of Jae-Hyuck Cho's complete Mozart piano sonata cycle reflects the pianist's belief that Mozart's keyboard writing is inseparable from the vocal world of his operas - music that should feel sung, alive, breathing and vividly expressive. Cho approaches these works as dialogues filled with wit, drama and character, seeking not perfection but truth in every phrase. The program begins with the Sonata in C major, K.545, whose apparent simplicity reveals Mozart's precision and elegance. The Fantasia in C minor, K.475, and the Sonata in C minor, K.457, follow as powerful companion works: improvisatory, unpredictable and stormy, yet touched by tenderness. Cho presents them as a single expressive journey, from the Fantasia's restless soliloquy to the Sonata's theatrical sweep, aria-like Adagio and fiercely driven finale. The Sonata in B-flat major, K.333, closes the album with it's lyrical generosity and classical poise - a radiant counterpart to the emotional turbulence of the C-minor pieces. Recorded with Grammy winning producer Michael Fine, this release introduces a cycle shaped by Cho's conviction that Mozart's piano music speaks, laughs and sighs with the freedom and spontaneity of song.