Completions of unfinished works by Mozart have preoccupied composers and musicologists in recent years, no doubt because we can never have too much of a good thing, mainly because the many fragments he left at his death derive their power of seduction from the saddest words of tongue or pen: ‘it might have been’. Most attention is focused on completing major projects, notably the Requiem and the C minor Mass, but there are also recordings, and publications, of newly finished works for chamber combinations such as the clarinet quintet. We have also a number of revivals of works Mozart completed but which appeared in spurious arrangements made soon after his death – giving us piano ‘sonatinas’ based on basset-horn trios, and a clarinet quartet derived from a violin and piano sonata.

Anthony Goldstone’s 'Unheard Mozart' consists of a wide range of musical genres, and takes its starting-point from various fragments of music, all of them for keyboard, so there is no element of transcription from another medium. Of particular interest on this disc are two “new” sonatas, one in F major and one in G minor.

Described by The New York Times as “a man whose nature was designed with pianos in mind”, Anthony Goldstone is recognised as one of Britain’s most respected pianists. Born in Liverpool he studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music (which later honoured him with a Fellowship) where his piano professor was Derrick Wyndham, and later in London with Maria Curcio, one of Schnabel’s greatest pupils - which incidentally makes him a sixth-generation pupil of Beethoven. Inspired by this wonderful heritage, Goldstone has always regarded the classics and romantics as being at the heart of his repertoire.

Goldstone’s completions and realisations of several works by Schubert and Mozart have been greeted with enthusiasm by musicologists (including Julian Rushton who has kindly written the programme notes for this release) and listeners alike.

Playing Time: 71:53