Romantic Discoveries Recordings

Piano Music of Walter Niemann volume 28
 (includes first recordings)
John Kersey, piano
RDR CD147

Total time: 60 minutes 24 seconds

1. Venezia – Barcarole from Zwei Klavierstücke, op. 94 no. 1
2. Stürmische Vorfrühling in der Heide (Stormy early spring morning on the heath) from Heidebilder, op. 12 no. 1

3. Mein Klavierbuch, twenty little pieces from the life of children, op. 114
i. Good Morning! (Praeludium)
ii. Little Clementi in Great Difficulties
iii. March of the Boy Scouts
iv. Chimes
v. What the Giant’s Grave Relates
vi. A Little Tango
vii. The Old Musical-Box
viii. The Cuckoo-Boston
ix. Song on the Water
x. Old Viennese Waltz
xi. Russian Troika Journey
xii. Jackie Coogan Dances the Blues
xiii. Blackbirds in the Garden
xiv. A Little Shimmy
xv. A Ghost
xvi. Circus
xvii. Butterfly
xviii. Teddy is to Sleep
xix. A Gallant Play of Colours
xx. Good Night! (Finale)

4. From Classical Christmas Music
i. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) transc. Walter Niemann: Pastoral Symphony from the Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248
ii. Francesco Manfredini (1684-1762) transc. Walter Niemann: Christmas Symphony
iii. Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1715) transc. Walter Niemann: Pastorale from the Christmas Concerto, op. 6 no. 8

5. Spielt es mal, 12 little pieces for youth, op. 142
i. Teddy Bear is sick
ii. A half penny’s worth on the Merry-go-round
iii. Christmastree nicknacks
iv. We wish you many happy returns of the day
v. The Humming-Top
vi. Granny’s Musical Clock
vii. Oh dear! I am so tired
viii. Have an Orange?
ix. Claudina on her Circuspony
x. Black-cap at his little food-bowl
xi. Micky-Mouse
xii. The Man with the Balloons

John Kersey, piano

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.