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HUMM EL: Piano Concerto in B Minor, Op. 89

HAY DN: Piano Concerto in D Major TV 4073 / TV 340738

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oe HUMME L: Piano Concerto in B Minor, Op. 89 TV 4073 / TV 340738 MARTIN GALLING, Piano with the Innsbruck Symphony Orchestra * Robert Wagner, Conductor

V4 PRODUCTION VOX { FERPAY DIN: Piano Concerto in B Major is fair play...

ALFRED BRENDEL, Piano with the Vienna Chamber TMK(S)® Vex Productions, inc. -Marca(s) Registrada(s) -Prtd. U.S.A. PEA eC Se Ulta EN CLA None een i eee AL Orchestra * Paul Angerer, Conductor

MARTIN GALLING was born at Halle in 1935. From Johann Nepomuk Hummel is one of the contradic- The Piano (Harpsichord) Concerto in D is among the age of seven, he took cello lessons and played the tions of musical history. He is no longer remembered those that Haydn probably wrote for his own keyboard piano. At the age of ten he showed greater interest in other than as a composer of pleasant piano music, performances with the Esterhaz orchestra. It testifies to the piano and began to take lessons in Halle. whereas, at the end of the 18th century, he was con- the fact that Haydn was more concerned with ensemble Later at the Conservatoire in Mainz, Martin Galling sidered one of the most brilliant composers of his time. effects than solo display. He himself was never a became a pupil of the pianist Louise Wandel, studied To be understood, he must be placed in historical virtuoso pianist in-the full sense of the term, though counterpoint with Ginter Raphaél and Chamber context. Living from 1778 to 1837, he was a contem- the harpsichord remained his favorite instrument for Music under Professor Giinter Kehr. He continued his porary of Beethoven. Mozart had such high regard life. It had stood him in good stead from the very first. studies in Mainz from 1954-58 under Professor Schmidt. for him that he lodged him for two years while super- At six he had attained considerable proficiency at the harpsichord, and he continued to perfect his playing In 1956, Martin Galling joined Hans Leygraf’s piano vising his musical education. He later studied with Albrechtsberger and Salieri. A musical journal of the while learning to master winds, strings and tympani classes and continued his studies at Darmstadt, Salz- under a teacher “to whom I will always be grateful, burg and Hanover. period, “Die Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung” wrote of Hummel, that he combined the clarity and the even if he gave me more beatings than food.” His first recital in 1953 was followed by a consider- profound serenity of Mozart with the rich splendors of In Haydn’s most poverty-stricken days as a free boot- able number of concerts in Germany and abroad, the new romanticism. Neumann, his first biographer, ing young musician in Vienna—when he lived in a notably in England, Holland, Italy and Spain. writes of him as a rival to Beethoven, and considers leaky garret without a stove—his most valuable posses- He has made recordings for various German and that in hearing his piano concerti one imagines one is sion was “an old worm-eaten clavier.’”’ When he re- foreign radio stations. hearing the sort of music that Mozart would have turned to that after a hard day’s labor, he recalled written had he lived. But Hummel’s fame did not long later, “I would have scorned to change my state with survive him. The first edition of Grove’s Dictionary, kings.” In his first job, at six ducats a month, he served ALFRED BRENDEL was born in Wiesenberg in 1931. published in 1879, lists him as a composer of respect- alternately as valet and accompanist. Then his early He began his international career with his appearance able mediocrity, though much appreciated in his time piano sonatas began to attract attention and he moved as a prize winner in the Concorso Busoni in 1949. He as an improviser. rapidly up the ladder of success by joining the house- studied with Edwin Fischer, Paul Baumgartner and hold musicians of the Viennese Count Ferdinand The story is told that once in Moscow he visited Morzin. Only once did his pianistic skill fail him— Eduard Stewermann, and today is recognized as one of John Field, an English (Je dois remarquer que John the most outstanding young pianists in the world. He and that, according to one of his favorite stories, under Field était Irlandais!) composer, who lived in Russia, rather unusual circumstances. Accompanying the beau- travels all over the world, making regular annual trips introducing himself as an amateur. He asked Field tiful Countess one day, as she leaned over him to see to the United States, appearing since 1960 at the Salz- to play one of his compositions, which he did, and in better, her gown fell open, revealing her bosom. “It burg Festival, and as a soloist at the Vienna Festival. turn asked the “amateur” to play something of his He has been soloist with all the major symphony was the first time I had beheld such a sight. It confused own. Field commented, “Only Hummel could im- me, I stopped playing, my fingers remained glued to orchestras in Europe, the United States, Australia and provise like that!”. New Zealand, and has performed under the batons of the keys. ‘What’s the matter, Haydn, what are you such distinguished conductors as Karajan, Ormandy, Hearing this little known Piano Concerto for the doing?’ the countess exclaimed. Full of dignity I re- Mehta, Rosbaud, Kempe, Paumgartner, Dohnanyi, first time, if one were to conceal the name of the com- plied, ‘But my gracious lady, who could help losing Kieki and Kellberth. His repertoire is extensive; he poser, one would be tempted to think of very good his composure’?” shows a particular preference for Mozart, and has been Mozart, of Beethoven at that period of the Rasumovsky The D Major Concerto was revived in modern times instrumental in bringing before the public unjustly Quartets, or of a sketch for the Second Piano Concerto through the good offices of Wanda Landowska, who neglected Schubert Sonatas. His performances of works of Chopin. It is surprising to learn that this concerto unearthed an early edition (dating probably from the by Liszt have brought him the honor of being called is a product of Hummel’s very rea] talent. 1780’s) and launched it on its new career at a Paris one of the foremost interpreters of the Hungarian com- In the light of all this, one is forced to conclude concert. The work has much in common with Haydn’s poser, and his recordings for Vox of the complete piano that Hummel, living as he did through a considerable other keyboard concertos in its overall freshness, in the music of Beethoven (VBX 416/SVBX 5416; VBX period in the history of music, and a period of some gentleness of its slow movement, and the exuberance 417/SVBX 5417; VBX 418/SVBX 5418; VBX 419/ confusion, rose above lesser contingencies and had an of its concluding Rondo, the Rondo all ’Ongherese SVBX 5419; VBX 420/SVBX 5420; VBX 421/SVBX entirely original idea of music. As such he is well which is surely one of the happiest inspirations ever to 5421) have won him the Grand Prix du Disque of 1965. worthy of our admiration. come to Papa Haydn’s prolific pen. oderat 04