Romantic Discoveries Recordings

Friedrich Burgmüller (1806-74)
Original piano works and fantasies
John Kersey, piano
RDR CD34

Total time: 77 mins 18 secs

1) Les Patineurs – Valse brillante from Le Prophète by Meyerbeer (8’02”)
2) Memoria speranza, valse expressive (6’27”)
3) Rondo for pianoforte or harp, op 1 (5’39”)
4) Chanson de Fortunio – valse de salon (5’05”)
5) Valse sentimentale du ballet Lady Henriette (1’40”)
6) Les Parisiennes, 3 Nouvelles Polkas no 1 -L’Enjouée (2’22”)
7) Les Parisiennes, 3 Nouvelles Polkas no 2 – La Coquette (2’45”)
8) Les Parisiennes, 3 Nouvelles Polkas no 3 – La Gracieuse (2’39”)
9) Rondino sur une Tyrolienne de Ch.M. de Weber, op 48 no 2 (3’51”)
10) Pharsalia, valse brillante, op 89 (3’17”)
11) Valse pastorale en forme de rondeau, op 24 (7’55”)
12) 6 Morceaux caracteristiques no 1 – On the Spanish Girls (2’03”)
13) 6 Morceaux caracteristiques no 2 –  Sea Picture (1’45”)
14) 6 Morceaux caracteristiques no 3 – Ave Maria(1’07”)
15) 6 Morceaux caracteristiques no 4 – Having Oranges (1’32”)
16) 6 Morceaux caracteristiques no 5 – Morning Sea (1’54”)
17) 6 Morceaux caracteristiques no 6 – By the beach (1’28”)
18) La Peri, ballet pantomime in 2 acts – valse favorite (4’45”)
19) La Peri, ballet pantomime in 2 acts – Le Rêve (4’32”)
20) Fantaisie sur le Père Gaillard d’Henri Reber, op 103 (7’06”)

This CD has been made possible by the kind support of Dr. Klaus Tischendorf of the Norbert Burgmüller-Society, Dusseldorf, to whom we are grateful for providing copies of the extremely rare scores used in this recording. Programme notes on the works included in the recording (in German) by Dr. Tischendorf are enclosed. Information on the Society and on Norbert and Friedrich Burgmüller may be accessed at www.burgmueller.de.

Friedrich Burgmüller was born in Regensburg, the elder brother of the highly original composer Norbert Burgmüller. He attempted unsuccessfully to succeed his father as music director in Dusseldorf and around 1826 moved to Basel and Mühlhausen, where he taught piano and cello. At this stage his compositions were ambitious in scale, including a lost cello concerto. However, around 1830, his style changed in response to the influence of Franz Hünten, and he began to write many simple piano pieces intended for children and amateurs. This recital concentrates on his more elaborate and virtuosic works intended for public performance.

From around 1834, Burgmüller settled in Paris where he acquired considerable fame and apparently was piano teacher to the children of King Louis-Philippe. Despite his success as a pedagogue, Burgmüller was extremely shy and retiring; the cover photograph (dating from c.1845) is the only one known of him.