In 2018, the English pianist Paul Lewis embarked on an exploration of one of the richest bodies of work of the Classical era: the keyboard sonatas of Haydn. For this second volume, Lewis tackles some of the most remarkable pieces in this vast output. He says, “I’ve wanted to explore the piano sonatas of Haydn in detail for some time. It’s unfortunate that his works don’t get played as often as they deserve, as they contain some of the most startlingly original and irresistibly absurd piano writing in the entire repertoire. His outrageous ability to surprise, shock, and poke fun at the listener still feels remarkably fresh in an age when ever-increasing extremes have become the norm.”