Piano Music of Walter Niemann volume 13
Piano Sonata no. 1 “Romantic” op. 60 • Fantasie-Mazurka, op. 53 • Suite after words by Jens Peter Jacobsen, op. 43 • Meissen Porcelain, op. 6 (includes first recordings)
John Kersey, piano
RDR CD123
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Total time: 66 minutes 56 seconds
1. Piano Sonata no. 1 in A minor, op. 60 “Romantic” (25:17)
i. Allegro moderato – In the spirit of a Romantic Ballade ii. Poco Adagio iii. Non troppo allegro e poco giocoso
2. Fantasie-Mazurka, op. 53 (4:25)
3. Suite after words by Jens Peter Jacobsen, op. 43 (17:49)
i. Präludium – The old fountains ii. Romanze – Rose time iii. Barkarole – In the boat iv. Ballade – Finale – Phantom in the mist
4. Meissner Porzellan; little suite in the old style for the piano, op. 6 (19:17)
i. Praeludium – Allegro risoluto, ma non troppo ii. Sarabande – Andante sostenuto iii. Gavotte – Allegretto tranquillo, ma grazioso e scherzando iv. Air – Adagio cantabile v. Rigaudon – Allegro vivace e giocoso
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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