Martin Jones (piano) Nimbus 5872/73 (2 CDs) ***

Martin Jones here completes his survey of the 11 piano sonatas of Carl Czerny (1791- 1857), pupil of Beethoven, teacher of Liszt, and prolific purveyor of piano studies. Czerny was on the workaholic side of industrious, working 12 hours a day as a teacher, and composing – 861 opus numbers and more besides – in his “spare” time.

Jones's performances of Sonatas 3, 4 and 10 (the consistently challenging Grande Sonate d'Étude) are eminently serviceable and usefully coupled with half a dozen shorter pieces to broaden the perspective of a composer whose name is as well known to musicians as his serious compositions are not. Jones's approach is virtuosically aware but also studious, and lacking in light and shade. Austro- Canadian pianist Anton Kuerti's recordings of Sonatas 1 and 3 manage to make an altogether more winning case for Czerny as a composer of stature. See url.ie/6c45