Soler: Piano Sonatas Nos. 99–111

Antonio Soler enjoyed high regard at the Spanish royal court in the Escorial, where his contributions to keyboard technique, harmonic innovations, and Spanish musical identity helped bridge the stylistic gap between the late Baroque and early Classical periods. Soler’s innovations have often been overlooked, yet the complex modulations and rhythmic vitality of his sonatas are compelling evidence of their importance. Sonatas Nos. 99–111 offer a wealth of fascinating features, including refined ornamentation, a synthesis of contrapuntal and Iberian folkloric traditions, and humorous cadences. The 25-year-old Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko was the winner of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition and received the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal. A few months before this major victory, he was the first Canadian to be awarded the Grand Prix at the Concours musical international de Montréal in the instrumental category in May 2024. This is the twelfth volume of Soler’s keyboard sonatas, which are played by different pianists on each album.