Identify a Haydnesque Piano Sonata by a (South) American Composer?

[Cato]

It was bound to happen eventually! 

Cato's Massive Musical Memory...has failed! 

Recently I heard the Haydn Surprise Symphony on the radio, and I recalled an old record I had.  The cardboard was in two horizontal shades of fairly ugly orange with plain black lettering.

It contained a Piano Sonata by a 20th Century (South American?) composer who (I was positive) was Alberto Ginastera.

The Piano Sonata was composed (as a stunt) completely in the style of Haydn: it sounded like it came directly from the 18th century.  This was no Prokofievan "what if Haydn were still alive" scenario.  Everything sounded powdered-wiggy.   

So when I went to find the Piano Sonatas of Ginastera on the Internet, I was shocked to discover that his sonatas are not the least bit close to anything like this!   

Does anyone have any idea of who the composer might be?  I am fairly positive it is not Villa-Lobos, and I keep thinking his name began with a "G" but nothing comes up.

Many thanks!

[DavidW]

Carlos Chavez perhaps.

I would have guessed V-L had you not said nope.

[The new erato]

Guarneri?

[Cato]

Many thanks to DavidW!

IT IS CARLOS CHAVEZ!  His Piano Sonata #6 !

And I think this CD is the same recording I heard c. 40 years: my memory was not completely off, because a work by Ginastera is on the record!   0:)

From the Amazon reviewer:

Most of us are familiar with the twentieth century Mexican composer, Carlos Chavez (1899-1978), through his popular symphonies, not his chamber works, and certainly not his piano music. I was one of the multitude (who lived in ignorance)--- until I played his VI Sonata for Piano, wherein this modern neo-classicist tries his hand at rendering a piano sonata in a truly "classical" mimicry, succeeds brilliantly--- and on his own technical terms. Had I not known beforehand that this was Chavez, I would have been entirely confounded attempting to determine the actual composer, and I would have been appallingly inept. So perfectly on target is Chavez, so ingenious in his composition, that this three-movement "classical" sonata is a perfect synthesis of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. It's sheer delight, from beginning to end, tickles the musical intellect. So unique is the Sonata No. 6 that despite its running time of twenty-three minutes, it is worth the price of the CD. It's THAT clever!

http://www.amazon.com/Piano-Chavez-Al-Alberto-Ginastera/dp/B000009RMU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1381845720&sr=1-1&keywords=carlos+chavez+sonata

The mystery is solved!  Thanks again!

[DavidW]

Awesome!  I'm surprised to get it right, that's usually Sarge's domain (lesser known 20th century composers that write good music).

[Karl Henning]

Thanks for this . . . checking out samples of that Pf Sonata n^o. 6 even as we speak . . . .

[Cato]

Thanks for this . . . checking out samples of that Pf Sonata n^o. 6 even as we speak . . . .

Here is a performance of the entire work:

http://www.youtube.com/v/9AiRrz3Udks

[Sergeant Rock]

Lovely piece....and with it we might be able to bring Gurn into the 20th century!

Sarge

[Karl Henning]

Hey, Henningmusick has already lured him into the 21^st! 

[DavidW]

Lovely piece....and with it we might be able to bring Gurn into the 20th century!

Sarge

I think you had him at Shostakovich.

[Cato]

Here is a performance of the entire work:

http://www.youtube.com/v/9AiRrz3Udks

Lovely piece....and with it we might be able to bring Gurn into the 20th century!

Sarge

I was wondering if our incredible GURN BLANSTON has given this a chance!   0:)

[springrite]

Now that got me itchy but... I did make that pledge...