Herbert Henck - Barraqué: Sonate Pour Piano (1999)

Herbert Henck, a committed advocate of 20th century music, has been widely praised for his New Series interpretations of the music of Mosolov and Mompou and now turns his attention to one of the most intriguing composers of the post-war period: Jean Barraqué. Barraqué's monumental Sonata, completed in 1952, has been compared by critics and musicians to the Boulez sonatas and to Beethoven's 'Hammerklavier' sonata op. 106. It is most demanding piece and, to date, very few interpreters have risen to its challenges. It is also highly rewarding music, played with panache by Henck.