Period-instrument buffs will find more than passing interest in Liv Glaser’s Clementi recital in that she employs a replica of a 1799 Longman and Clementi fortepiano. Its sonority is muted and rounded rather than bright and penetrating. Certain high notes resemble what happens when you lightly place your hand across a modern grand’s strings before striking the keys. More to the point, Glaser’s lovingly inflected, tasteful, and well-proportioned interpretations of the four Sonatinas elevate the music beyond mere teaching pieces. The Sonatas have more compositional substance, and Glaser emphasizes their striking harmonic quirks by taking advantage of the blended overtones and spooky textures accessed by her instrument’s sustain pedal. By and large, Glaser’s gentle temperament contrasts to the outward bravura I’ve enjoyed in more vibrantly engineered Clementi fortepiano recitals from Andreas Staier (Teldec) and Gert Hecher (Dorian). Until they resurface in the catalog, Glaser rules the period-Clementi niche by default, and that’s not bad at all. A fine disc, worth hearing.
