Ferdinand Ries, Beethoven’s friend and pupil, was an exceptionally gifted composer whose prophetic piano sonatas foreshadow Schubert’s poignant harmonic language, Mendelssohn’s expressively sweet melodies and Chopin’s brilliant figuration. While the sonatas and sonatinas on this disc inevitably show the influence of his teacher, Ries also explored the piano’s sonorities and expressive capacities in a uniquely personal fashion and with striking originality. Volume 1, also featuring Susan Kagan, is available on Naxos 8.570796.