Romantic Discoveries Recordings

Piano Music of Herrmann Scholtz (1845-1918)
John Kersey, piano
RDR CD98

Total time: 74 minutes 50 seconds

1. Nocturne op 41 no 1 (6’07”)
2. Nocturne op 41 no 2 (4’01”)
3. Variationen über ein norwegisches Volklied, op 27 (13’29”)
Traumbilder, op 22
4. Langsam (2’21”) 5. Im mässigen Tempo (3’03”) 6. Langsam (2’44”) 7. Sehr rasch (2’19”)
8. 14 Variationen über ein Original-Thema, op 31 (14’48”)
Albumblätter, op 20:
9. Ziemlich langsam (2’44”) 10. Mässig bewegt (2’00”) 11. Innig bewegt (2’52”) 12. Ziemlich bewegt (1’44”) 13. Innig bewegt (2’40”) 14. Ziemlich langsam und äusserst zart zu spielen (2’48”) 15. Nicht zu langsam und etwas graziös (2’07”) 16. Ziemlich belebt und sehr gesangvoll zu spielen (1’40”) 17. Still und träumerisch (2’21”) 18. Ziemlich bewegt (1’36”) 19. Ziemlich langsam und mit innigem Ausdruck (1’42”) 20. Freudig bewegt (1’32”)

Our thanks to Peter Cook for supplying scores of these rare works.

Herrmann Scholtz was born in Breslau and studied there with Brosig and subsequently at the Leipzig Conservatoire with Plaidy (1865-67). On the advice of Liszt, he completed his studies at Munich with von Bülow and Rheinberger. He taught at Munich for six years after graduation, before moving to Dresden where he was appointed Sächsischen Kammer-virtuose in 1880 and professor in 1910. Scholtz’s posthumous reputation rests upon his edition of the works of Chopin, but he was also a versatile composer. For piano, he composed a sonata and a piano concerto (unpublished) and a number of shorter works from which this disc presents a selection. There is also a piano trio and several orchestral Suites.

Scholtz’s American pupil Mary Y. Mann wrote in a reminiscence of him, “I wish it lay in my power to teach all here to appreciate and honor him in the same degree that all who know him do…so ever courteous, gentle and friendly, possessed of so great musical intelligence and feeling, yet so modest with all that it humbled one to think of one’s own diminutiveness…in every way Professor Scholtz is a most delightful teacher, and his music room where he always gives his lessons is enough to delight a musician’s heart so full of mementos of the old masters and music of all kinds; and to crown all two grand pianos, at one of which he always sits with a copy of the pupil’s lesson, thus sparing you the nervous feeling of having some-one “look over your shoulders,” and at times playing with you, imbuing you with his spirit and tempo.” Regarding Scholtz as a player, she tells us, “He plays rather seldom as his time is fully occupied and of late has had an affection of the hand aside from an injury to one of his fingers that has debarred him from overuse of them, but he is always a warmly-welcomed and a very sympathetic performer, and so generous to his brother-artists that one appreciates his greatness the more.”