Alfor's Rarities

[fleubis]

Lucky are we all that Alfred has found some Dutch music for us to enjoy. This little sonatina is fairly modern without posing extreme technical difficulties. I do not find this piece quite as melodious (if that's the correct word) as Pijper, but lots of interesting harmonies. And it is very nice to encounter another well-written tarantella, a dance form suffering from vast neglect, and Brodersen offers us up a nice one and with rhythms Chopin doesn't offer us, so a very welcome addition.

And what's this I see on the last page? An advert for Niemann's missing "Aus wald und Flur", op.17. Ha! Nice to have more supporting evidence that this piece does exist even if IMSLP doesn't have it.

[Paul]

Lucky are we all that Alfred has found some Dutch music for us to enjoy. This little sonatina is fairly modern without posing extreme technical difficulties. I do not find this piece quite as melodious (if that's the correct word) as Pijper, but lots of interesting harmonies. And it is very nice to encounter another well-written tarantella, a dance form suffering from vast neglect, and Brodersen offers us up a nice one and with rhythms Chopin doesn't offer us, so a very welcome addition.

And what's this I see on the last page? An advert for Niemann's missing "Aus wald und Flur", op.17. Ha! Nice to have more supporting evidence that this piece does exist even if IMSLP doesn't have it.

See the Niemann thread for op.17

Best regards

Paul

[alfor]

Bernhard STAVENHAGEN (German pianist and composer, 1862-1914. One of those many Liszt pupils who claimed or "were claimed" by their biographers to be the most authentic successor of the master.)

Drei Clavierstücke op. 2
No. 3 Caprice (there is also a version for 2 pianos)

Stavenhagen Caprice op.2.pdf

Nice trifle. BTW I prefer to finger the diatonic thirds scales (5-3) 4-1 throughout instead of the usual 4-2.

Drei Stücke für das Pianoforte op. 5
No. 3 Menuetto scherzando

Stavenhagen Menuetto op.5.pdf

Good piece. Longer and more substantial than the former.

[alfor]

Fritz von BOSE (German pianist and composer, 1865-1945.
Highly respected pianist, favourite pupil of Carl Reinecke).
Sonatine op. 7 No. 1

Bose Sonatine op.7 #1.pdf

A masterwork sui generis. Only the last mvt. is a bit too
"soft" and "amiable" for my taste, too much "für die lieben Kleinen".
I posted more von Bose on old pianophilia (see http://www.mediafire.com/alfor)

[fleubis]

Well, Alfred the Staverhagen pieces are interesting, but the Menuetto was over all too soon for me, even though longer than the Caprice (I prefer the 4-2 fingering for my small hands). Now the Bose piece is flawed as you indicate with the last mov't - which is rather ordinary hausmusik, but i do like the pleasant first mov't. We see this kind of problem on a whole lot of music--weak movements flawing what would otherwise be a really great piece and this may be why many of the composers we encounter on Pianophilia have found their niche as a miniaturist.

[alfor]

...We see this kind of problem on a whole lot of music--weak movements flawing what would otherwise be a really great piece...

cf. Paul Juon's Sonatine op. 47 with its masterly first mvt.!! It was posted by Malcolm, but I did not play it until I recently aquired my own paper copy of it. So what do we learn again: If time and skill allows we should try to play what is posted in this forum.

[alfor]

Ivan REZAC (1924-1977; Czech composer)
IIe Sonate (1957)

Rezac Sonata #2.pdf

Handwritten dedication (in German!) to Hungarian composer Bela Tardos.
Well-composed work. Individual late-romantic style with some sutle traits of modernism
(e.g. faint Prokofiev influence in the last mvt.)

[fleubis]

Dear Alfred: Indeed Rezac has written a really good sonata for us to enjoy and as you say there are hints of Prokofiev particularly in the chorded section of the last movement--you are spot on! I really enjoy substantial pieces like this that are well written for the piano.

Glad you are enjoying the Juon! His oeuvre seems to have been pretty well mined here at Pianophilia--and I am grateful we have have so many of his works to play. Juon is another great example of a miniaturist and I find his works of to generally be of very high quality and originality. Since you brought it up, I would like to suggest Juon's Op.30 impromptu's "Intime Harmonieen" - a truly delightful collection.

[alfor]

...Since you brought it up, I would like to suggest Juon's Op.30 impromptu's "Intime Harmonieen" - a truly delightful collection.

...posted by a certain "alfor":
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=68&p=14217&hilit=intime#p14217

[remy]

more
Anton URSPRUCH
Cinq Morceaux op. 19 (ps600)

Urspruch 5 Morceaux op.19.pdf

Alfor, thanks very much for the score of this beautiful and delightful music.


jeremy