The Haydn piano sonatas are truly unique compositions. They are poetic gems as odes of a great poet that gently ease the soul into a golden world of dreams and then carry it aloft to the highest realms of the ideal. Admirable in their diversity, they require scrupulous examination of the remarkable workmanship and thought that went into them before they can be properly executed and appreciated. It takes a capable pianistic talent and an exquisite virtuosity to render them properly such that they retain the character of spontaneous improvisations proffered with ease seemingly without the slightest effort. They possess that freedom and charm which characterize works of genius.
I feel Horowitz in 18th Century piano repertoire has been somewhat under appreciated over the years. His Mozart and Haydn is wonderfully articulated and stylistically tasteful, however I daresay one could quibble over his choice of tempi on occasions. The latter of course is purely a question of personal taste.
