Notes and Editorial Reviews
This most enjoyable collection takes us back to the very beginning of the Husum Festival.
Collectors of this exploratory and extensive series will know that official recordings started in 1989. What no one seems to have known though, is that Daniel Berman, a pianist who featured strongly in both 1987 and 1988, took personal cassette recordings of some of these events. The twenty subsequent Danacord recordings have thus, at a stroke, been supplemented by these early examples of the Festival. Sound quality is an issue that should be addressed first of all, given that these are not professional recordings and readers might be justly concerned that they’re going to get the kind of ‘cough, programme turn, chair scrape and
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belch’ tapings that make the rounds. You needn’t be overly concerned. It’s true that the dynamic range is necessarily constricted on some of the earlier 1987 tapes but the audience - a small, connoisseur collection - is very quiet and the sound itself is not at all bad. It does also get better as we hit 1988.
The pianists include names both well known and less so. The programme is typically eclectic and interesting. In fact pianophiles can enjoy these two discs without very many reservations at all. Michael Ponti, hero of many a disc, essays a contrasting programme, his two Henselt Etudes playing off against each other nicely - virtuoso dynamism in the first and lyric urgency in the second. Maybe his Moszkowski
Etincelles doesn’t sparkle with quite the delight of Old School performances, or maybe it’s due to the rather limited sound. Berman himself plays a convincing Andantino and Variations in the Tausig arrangement and two famous song transcriptions, one by Godowsky whose
The Gardens of Buitenzorg he also plays. Rainer M. Klaas explores spookier reaches in Godowsky’s Elegy (for the left hand alone) - very cryptic - whilst Schulhoff’s Tango is bittersweet and tart.
Peter Froundjian conjured two evocative pieces - Chaminade’s
Autrefois and Pierre Sancan’s
Caprice romantique (main gauche seule). Apart from Hamelin, of whom more in a moment, Sancan was the only living composer represented. He died in 2008. There is a delightful four hand expedition from Duo Quatre Mains (Peter Rummerhöller and Manfred Theilen) who play Schmitt’s treasurable little charmers, especially
Le cheval de Ferme-l'æil. Not to be outdone we have a phalanx of pianists - Froundjian/Klaas/Berman - playing Rachmaninoff’s Waltz for six hands. Pure charm suffuses the selection from Nielsen’s Piano music for young and old Op. 53 played by Peter Westenholz.
Nina Tichman gives us a breezy Debussy
Masques whilst Klaas is on hand with some call-to-attention Alkan;
Les diablotins from his
Esquisses Op.63 is a real standout. One should not overlook Liszt’s
Les cloches de G(enève), which we hear in its first version from Peter Froundjian. Philip Fowke extends the roll call of superior pianism with a sensitively filigreed Glinka-Balakirev
The Lark. Marc-André Hamelin plays his own Etude No.12 with jazzy panache and contrasts it with the delicacy of Schumann. And Michael Struck ends proceedings with Joseph Joachim’s
Variationen über ein irisches Elfenlied. To find a piano work by Joachim is very unusual. It was written in 1856 but left incomplete. The homage to Brahms includes a direct quotation from the Op.5 Piano Sonata.
This most enjoyable collection takes us back to the very beginning of the Festival. Are there Husum Completists out there? If so, you know what you have to do.
-- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
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Works on This Recording
1.
Etudes caracteristiques (12) for Piano, Op. 2: no 1 in D minor by Adolf Henselt
Performer:
Michael Ponti (Piano)
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 2 Minutes 26 Secs.
2.
Etudes caracteristiques (12) for Piano, Op. 2: no 2 in D flat major by Adolf Henselt
Performer:
Michael Ponti (Piano)
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 2 Minutes 50 Secs.
3.
Characteristic Pieces (8), Op. 36: no 6, Etincelles by Moritz Moszkowski
Performer:
Michael Ponti (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Germany
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 2 Minutes 27 Secs.
4.
Bolero for Piano in C major/A major, B 81/Op. 19 by Frédéric Chopin
Performer:
Boris Bloch (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1833; Paris, France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 7 Minutes 54 Secs.
5.
Andante & Variations for piano in B minor (after Schubert), by Carl Tausig
Performer:
Daniel Berman (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 8 Minutes 33 Secs.
6.
The Gardens of Buitenzorg, for piano (Java Suite, Book 3) by Leopold Godowsky
Performer:
Daniel Berman (Piano)
Period: Modern
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 3 Minutes 41 Secs.
7.
Lieder (6), Op. 17: no 2, Ständchen by Richard Strauss
Performer:
Daniel Berman (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1885-1887; Germany
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 2 Minutes 43 Secs.
8.
Porgy and Bess: Summertime by George Gershwin
Performer:
Daniel Berman (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1935; USA
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 2 Minutes 55 Secs.
9.
Elegy for piano by Leopold Godowsky
Performer:
Rainer Maria Klaas (Piano)
Period: Modern
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 3 Minutes 3 Secs.
10.
Etudes (5) de Jazz, for piano, WV 81 by Erwin Schulhoff
Performer:
Rainer Maria Klaas (Piano)
Period: Modern
Written: 1926
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 1 Minutes 52 Secs.
11.
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Excerpt(s) by Richard Wagner
Performer:
Eckart Sellheim (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1867; Germany
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 6 Minutes 49 Secs.
12.
Pièces humoristiques, Op. 87: no 4, Autrefois by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:
Peter Froundjian (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1897; France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 4 Minutes 2 Secs.
13.
Caprice romantique, for piano by Pierre Sancan
Performer:
Peter Froundjian (Piano)
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 4 Minutes 29 Secs.
14.
Une semaine du petit elfe ferme-l'oeil, Op. 58 by Florent Schmitt
Performer:
Eckart Sellheim (Piano)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Duo Quatre Mains
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1912; France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 6 Minutes 16 Secs.
15.
Pieces (2) for Piano 6 Hands by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Rainer Maria Klaas (Piano),
Daniel Berman (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Russia
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 1 Minutes 44 Secs.
16.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 1. Allegretto by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 0 Minutes 37 Secs.
17.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 2. Andantino quasi Allegretto by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 0 Minutes 39 Secs.
18.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 3a. Allegro scherzoso by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 0 Minutes 46 Secs.
19.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 3b. Grazioso by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 1 Minutes 1 Secs.
20.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 4. Andantino by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 0 Minutes 26 Secs.
21.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 5. Allegro giocoso by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 0 Minutes 49 Secs.
22.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 6. Poco lamentoso by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 1 Minutes 15 Secs.
23.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 7. Marziale by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 0 Minutes 43 Secs.
24.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 14. Capriccioso by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 0 Minutes 55 Secs.
25.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 15. Adagio espressivo by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 1 Minutes 5 Secs.
26.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 17. Largo con fantasia by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 1 Minutes 27 Secs.
27.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 19. Alla Bach by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 0 Minutes 46 Secs.
28.
Piano music for young and old, Op. 53: 21. Marcia di goffo by Carl Nielsen
Performer:
Peter Westenholz (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1929-1930
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 1 Minutes 14 Secs.
29.
Klavierstück in F sharp major, S 193 by Franz Liszt
Performer:
Nina Tichman (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1860; Weimar, Germany
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 2 Minutes 49 Secs.
30.
Masques by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Nina Tichman (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1904; France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 4 Minutes 34 Secs.
31.
Esquisses (48) for Piano, Op. 63: no 32, Minuettino by Charles Valentin Alkan
Performer:
Rainer Maria Klaas (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1861; France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 2 Minutes 31 Secs.
32.
Esquisses (48) for Piano, Op. 63: no 46, Le Premier Billet Doux by Charles Valentin Alkan
Performer:
Rainer Maria Klaas (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1861; France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 0 Minutes 58 Secs.
33.
Esquisses (48) for Piano, Op. 63: no 45, Les diablotins by Charles Valentin Alkan
Performer:
Rainer Maria Klaas (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1861; France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 2 Minutes 16 Secs.
34.
Années de pèlerinage, première année, S 160 "Suisse": no 9, Les cloches de Genève by Franz Liszt
Performer:
Peter Froundjian (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Weimar, Germany
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 12 Minutes 23 Secs.
35.
Air de ballet by Emmanuel Chabrier
Performer:
Peter Froundjian (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: by 1897; France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 3 Minutes 38 Secs.
36.
Pièces pittoresques (10) for Piano by Emmanuel Chabrier
Performer:
Peter Froundjian (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: by 1881; France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 2 Minutes 18 Secs.
37.
Romantic Waltz by Karol Szymanowski
Performer:
Peter Froundjian (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1925; Poland
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 4 Minutes 34 Secs.
38.
The Lark (Zhavoronok), transcription for piano after Glinka by Mily Balakirev
Performer:
Philip Fowke (Piano)
Period: Post-Romantic
Written: circa 1864; Russia
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 5 Minutes 33 Secs.
39.
Liebesleid by Fritz Kreisler
Performer:
Philip Fowke (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: Austria
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 4 Minutes 29 Secs.
40.
Elegie in E minor/major (Two Gigues, Book I, No. 5) Andante catabile molto expressivo e legato, for by Leopold Godowsky
Performer:
Daniel Berman (Piano)
Period: Modern
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 4 Minutes 4 Secs.
41.
Decorations by John Ireland
Performer:
Daniel Berman (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1912-1913; England
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 3 Minutes 39 Secs.
42.
Songs (12), Op. 14 by Sergei Rachmaninov
Performer:
Earl Wild (Piano),
Daniel Berman (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1894-1896; Russia
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 3 Minutes 54 Secs.
43.
Etudes (12) in All the Minor Keys by Marc-André Hamelin
Performer:
Marc-André Hamelin (Piano)
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 5 Minutes 47 Secs.
44.
Waldszenen, Op. 82: no 9, Abschied by Robert Schumann
Performer:
Marc-André Hamelin (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1848-1849; Germany
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 4 Minutes 0 Secs.
45.
Cirandas (16) for Piano, W 220: no 4, O Cravo brigou com a rosa by Heitor Villa-Lobos
Performer:
Roberto Szidon (Piano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1926; Paris, France
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 1 Minutes 37 Secs.
46.
Variationen über ein irisches Elfenlied, for piano by Joseph Joachim
Performer:
Michael Struck (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1856
Date of Recording: 08/20/1989
Venue: Festival at Schloss vor Husum
Length: 8 Minutes 37 Secs.
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