for the Piano
Anselm Hüttenbrenner, a friend and fellow student of Franz Schubert and a respected pianist himself, left an impressive œuvre of piano music. Picking up initially on the style of Viennese Classicism and of Schubert, he developed an independent musical language of extraordinary quality and of great diversity of style.
This volume brings together four musically very different, and in part highly virtuoso fantasias. Each of these effective concert pieces represents a certain phase of Hüttenbrenner’s creative activity, therefore together they are an illustrative reflection of his journey as a composer. An early work, classical in character, from his student days as a member of Schubert’s circle in Vienna, is followed by his impressive Fantaisie tragique, dedicated to the distinguished pianist Caroline Perthaler, which he composed during his time as artistic director of the Styrian Musical Society. The fantasia Die Sehnsucht nach dem Ideale (Yearning for the Ideal), which continues the style of his Ghostly Scenes forms the grandiose climax of this group of works, before Die Erinnerung an die Besteigung des Bacher(n) (Reminiscence of the Ascending of Pohorje) reveals Hüttenbrenner’s move into a late style which, precisely because of its subtle simplicity, points the way into the future.
This present first edition fulfils all the requirements of musicology and musical practice. It provides a clear musical text, along with a comprehensive preface and detailed critical remarks, both in German and English.
The audio sample is taken from Marlies Nussbaumer’s book Hände zum Malen schön. Die Klaviervirtuosin Caroline Perthaler 1810–1873. A CD with interpretations of piano works dedicated to Perthaler by Nussbaumer is enclosed to her book which can be ordered directly from Marlies Nussbaumer: marlies.nussbaumer [at] aon.at