Piano Music of Walter Niemann volume 9
Piano Sonata no. 2 “Nordic”, op. 75 • Die Harzreise, op. 77 • Galante Musik, op. 109 • Aus vergangenen Tagen – Ballade, op. 49 (includes first recordings)
John Kersey, piano
RDR CD119
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Total time: 76 minutes 46 seconds
1. Piano Sonata no. 2 in F major, op. 75 “Nordische”
i. Un poco sostenuto – Un poco allegro ii. Adagio mesto – In the dark, heavy tone of a Nordic Ballade iii. Poco allegro agitato
“I caught sight of a picture: a rainbow, less glaring than the sun, shines in subdued light; but it should only sparkle and never serve as a bridge to fate, for this only emerges from the human breast.” – – Friedrich Hebbel
2. The Harz Journey (after Heinrich Heine), op. 77
i. Ilsefälle ii. Goslar iii. Mountain Tale iv. Witches’ Ride v. Evening bells of the herd vi. Procession of the Gnomes vii. The last Sunday
3. Galant Music, six pieces, op. 109
i. Praeludium – Un poco Allegretto, quasi Andantino mosso ii. Sarabande – Tempo lento e solenne della Sarabanda iii. Gavotte – Tempo di Gavotta, molto moderato – Musette I iv. Gigue – Vivo v. Menuet – Tempo di Minuetto (Allegro moderato) – Musette II vi. Rigaudon – Vivo e giocoso
4. From bygone days – Ballade, op. 49
Our thanks go to Nicolo Figowy and Steffen Herrmann for their generous loan of scores.
Walter Niemann was regarded in 1927 as “the most important living piano composer who knows how to make music from the piano in a subtle and colorful way, although he often enters the field of salon music” (H. Abert, Illustrated Music Lexicon). This most sensitive and introverted master of the piano devoted his life to composition and musical scholarship, also performing his music in concerts and radio broadcasts. Niemann’s vast output for the piano is only now starting to become more widely known. Although his style is generally unashamedly conservative, he was one of the very few German composers to explore Impressionism in music, and this also reflected a fascination with the Far East. Elsewhere, Niemann’s imagination takes us from much Baroque recreation to large-scale epic sonatas, Schumannesque miniatures and even the exploration of early jazz styles. His understanding of the capabilities of the piano was complete, and his works include both collections for young pianists and mature works that exploit the full range of pianistic effect and make significant demands on the performer.
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