Romantic Discoveries Recordings

Piano Music of Walter Niemann volume 19
Music for an old castle, op. 147 • To be sung on the gondola – Barcarole, op. 64 • Amoretten, op. 15 • From Forest and Field, op. 17 • Fairy Tales from the Forest, op. 29 • La Cascade, Etude-Poésie, op. 14 • Suite composed to words by Friedrich Hebbel, op. 23 • Fountains, op. 69 • Waltzer-Kaprice, op. 79 (includes first recordings)
John Kersey, piano
RDR CD129

Total time: 73 minutes 51 seconds

1. Musik für ein altes Schlösschen, op. 147 (9:13)
i. Giocoso animato ii. Poco Andante, quasi Andantino iii. Alla Giga. Presto assai e giocoso

2. Auf der Gondel zu singen – Barcarole, op. 64 (4:46)

3. Amoretten, three little recital pieces, op. 15 (9:16)
i. Valse-Rêverie ii. Gavotte à la Reine iii. Roses from the South – Waltz-Arabeske

4. Aus Wald und Flur, three rondinos for little pianists, op. 17 (4:41)
i. On the way to the forest ii. The young shepherd (Pastorale) iii. In the village inn

5. Waldmärchen, five miniatures for the piano, op. 29 (9:17)
i. The King of the Elves a-Hunting is Gone ii. In the Twilight iii. What the Brooklet Murmurs iv. The Princess of the Forest v. The Sun is Rising

6. La Cascade, Etude-Poésie, op. 14 (2:34)

7. Suite composed to words by Friedrich Hebbel, op. 23 (20:25)
i. Prelude – ‘Mid rain and tempest ii. Idyl – Genevieve of the brook iii. Ballad – On the heath iv. Romance – In the spring v. Nocturne – Evening thoughts

8. Wasserspiele, op. 69 (8:53)

9. Waltzer-Kaprice, op. 79 (4:25)

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.