The Piano Sonatas Vol 2: Middle period sonatas for pianoforte

• This is the second CD with the extremely gifted Paul Komen playing Piano Sonatas by Beethoven on an authentic fortepiano. His first CD was a great success with public and critics alike: GLO 5106 with Beethoven's three last sonatas for pianoforte.

• For this recording we used a slightly "younger" instrument than we did for the recording with the last sonatas, where an original fortepiano by Conrad Graf from around 1830 was played on. The authentic fortepiano by Johann Fritz (another famous Viennese builder from that period) on this CD has in our opinion exactly the right colour for the three famous sonatas recorded here.

• Charles Timbrell's conclusion in his review in Fanfare of GLO 5106 can be applied to this new Beethoven CD as well: ''The competition is formidable in this repertoire, but these first-rate performances belong in the collection of anyone who cares about this music".

Paul Komen made his debut at the age of 13 with a radio recording of works by Bach and Scriabin. He then studied at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam with Jan Wijn. During his studies he took part in several master classes, which resulted in 1978 in his first gramophone recordlng. In 1981 he made his English debut at the Wigmore Hall in London. In 1982 Paul Komen finished his studies at the Sweelinck Conservatory cum laude and received a grant from the German Academic Exchange Services to continue his studies with Professor Hans Leygraf in Hanover. In 1984 he made his debut at the Amsterdam Concert-gebouw as soloist with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sergio Comissiona. In 1985 he finished his studies in Hanover with the Solisten-Diplom, again cum laude. In 1986 he received a grant from the Dutch government to study with György Sandor in New York and with György Szebök in Bloomington, lndiana. In 1988 he was invited to perform at the prestigious International piano festival of La Roque d'Anthéron in France. In 1989 Paul Komen made his American debut at Carnegie Hall in New York and at the National Gallery in Washington.