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Ignaz Moscheles once described Johann Cramer as "exceedingly intellectual and entertaining; he has a sharp satirical vein, and spares neither his own nor his neighbour's foibles.". But to the English of his period he was simply known as "Glorious John", a compliment to his refined nature and flawless musical style (as well as his long-term residency in London). Unlike many of his bravura contemporaries, Cramer felt himself a Mozartian by temperament and intellectually a devotee of J S Bach. Beethoven considered he was the best of all living pianists, and recommended him as a teacher.
Unlike many of his colleagues (including Clementi), Cramer preferred to perform on the more sonorous Broadwood pianofortes rather than the lighter Viennese instruments; his many published sonatas (including this set dedicated to Haydn) bear evidence of the cultivated legato style for which he became famous.
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