Pianophilia

..and more quality Salonmusik...

Hermann SCHOLTZ
Fünf Clavierstücke op. 57

...but also excellent "serious" works (which in this case faintly echo
Brahms and Mendelssohn's Variations serieuses)...
...a case for our musical judge Dr. H.?!...

Hermann SCHOLTZ
Variationen über ein Original-Thema (G-Dur)
für das Pianoforte op. 58

Nice to see a substantial piece like the Scholt Variations, Alfor. I would say that it stands in the shadow of the Mendelssohn, but then a great deal of variations do. Substantially easier than the Mendelssohn and fun to play. Thanks for all these interesting Scholtz pieces. It is a great relief to play pieces like this after struggling with Blanchet for a couple of hours!

Alfor, what, if any, is the difference between Salonmusik and Hausmusik? They both bring to my mind the late 19th century with a bunch of prim and proper young ladies sitting around having a musical afternoon performing pieces of that genre. How far off am I?

Dear Alfred,

What a superb batch of music to play through this Sunday morning!! I was only aware of several early pieces by Scholtz (Concert Polonaise, Reverie, etc.) and had no idea he composed such substantial music as this. You know how much I love really good salon music, and I must say these are among some of the best. I would liken his approach to piano writing as similar to Moszkowski...and the fact that these pieces were all published in Dresden leads me to wonder if Scholtz and Moszkowski were aquainted with one another. I would think they must have been, since MM studied with Kullak at Dresden. What beautiful piano music must have resonated through the walls of the Kullak studio in alt-Dresden!! As the publisher is Ferdinand Ries, would I be correct in assuming that these pieces pre-date the formation of his partnership with Erler to form Ries & Erler in Berlin? So much wonderful music was published by Ries & Erler; I do enjoy learning more of the history of these firms.

On the variations I feel as you do and agree with fleubis that they are most definitely influenced by the Mendelssohn, but wonderful fun to play. Scholtz was obviously a composer who really understood the piano and how to most effectually write for the instrument. This set of variations is truly a great piece, full of cleverness and always leaving one anticipating what the next variation will bring! A masterpiece, even in the shadow of Mendelssohn. Thank you dear Alfred for once again bringing our attention to a supremely talented composer whose work has all but been lost to time. I will definitely add Scholtz to my ever-growing list of German composers to search out at the great libraries!

All Best,

Frank (a.k.a. Dr. H.)

Dear Frank,

thank you again for a most interesting and substantial comment!
Please wait with the Scholtz - I am up to borrow and scan some more.

warmest regards

alfor (a.k.a. Alfred)

Ferdinand Heinrich THIERIOT (German composer, 1838-1919; born Hamburg; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Thieriot; Toccata Classics recently released some of his chamber music)
Drei Klavierstücke op. 37 (published in Lübeck!)
No. 1 Toccata
No. 2 Quasi Gavotte
No. 3 Intermezzo
Well-written, good ideas, deeply rooted in the 19th century though.

Posted as an example for the piano style of this little-known Italian composer:
Maria ZAFRED
III.a Sonata per pianoforte
More or less easily accessible - first mvt. dominated by the "querständige" harmony,
last mvt. by unisono melodies. P.S. WANTED:
Brahms: Piano concerto op. 15, edited by Hermann Scholtz (AUGENER)

Thank you Alfred for the interesting Thieriot pieces and the Zafred sonata.

I am glad so see that Frank enjoyed the Scholtz Variations as much as I did. He pinpointed an aspect that I couldn't quite put my finger on--that of the elegant writing in the style of Mozkowski. Scholtz has given us a substantial and gratefully written piece for us to all enjoy.

Much fun playing the Thieriot pieces. It interesting that he started the three pieces with the Toccata (more like gigue) rather than ended with it, but since it's not really a suite, all bets are off . A very pleasant and accessible set.

An nice surprise with the Mario Zafred Sonata which I find harmonically interesting but pianisticlly somewhat awkward but still an interesting piece to read through. Meanwhile, I will continue to search for the meaning of the word "querständige" --Alfred you surprise us not only rare pieces, but interesting terms for some of us here in the West.

fleubis wrote:...Meanwhile, I will continue to search for the meaning of the word "querständige" --Alfred you surprise us not only rare pieces, but interesting terms for some of us here in the West...

Hope you understand what I mean (if so, I would be pleased to know the English term):
http://www.matthies-koehn.de/harmoniele ... stand.html

alfor wrote: Hope you understand what I mean (if so, I would be pleased to know the English term):
http://www.matthies-koehn.de/harmoniele ... stand.html

So far as I known the wonderful German term 'Querstand' is called a 'Cross Relation' in those Anglo-Saxon Dialects.