GADE: PIANO MUSIC - Bengt Johnsson, piano (LINER NOTES)

1480

NIELS WILHELM GADE PIANO MUSIC

BENGT JOHNSSON, Piano

NIELS WILHELM GADE (1817-1890) SONATA in E MINOR, Op. 28 Allegro con Fuoco Andante Allegretto - attaca Allegro e appassionato AKVARELLER, Op. 19 Elegi - Scherzo - Kanzonetta - Humoreske -Barkarole Kapriccio - Romanza - Intermezzo - Novellette - Scherzo FORAARSTONER, Op. 2 Allegretto grazioso Andantino con moto Allegretto ARABESKE, Op. 27 Andantino cantabile Allegretto grazioso Allegro molto vivace BENGT JOHNSSON, Piano (Bechstein)

Niels-Wilhelm

Gade,

the

a

symphonism. It aroused the enthusiasm

joiner, who later also became a violin

of Mendelssohn, who gave it its irst per

and

formance

guitar-maker,

son

was

of

born

in

in

1843

at

a

Gewandhaus

Copenhagen on February 22nd, 1817.

concert. Thus began the artistic and

He gave his first public concert as a

human relationship between Gade and

violinist in Copenhagen at the early age

Mendelssohn, which reached its climax

of sixteen.

during the following years, when Gade was called to Leipzig, where he taught

His

Overture

Reminiscences

from

Ossian (his Opus 1) was awarded the

at

the

Conservatory

and

where

he

conducted concerts at the Gewandhaus.

first prize at a competition organized by

the

Copenhagen

Musikforeningen

After Mendelssohn's early death (1847)

(New Music Society) in 1840 and was

he even became first conductor at the

published

Gewandhaus, but the following year he

shortly

there

after

by

Breitkop and Hartel, this launching the

returned

to

Copenhagen,

young composer into notoriety in

settled, taking over the direction of the Musikforeningen

and

where

cofounding

he

the

His First Symphony (Opus 5), quoting

Conservatory. During more than forty

the

Sjulandś

years he was at the head of the Danish

fagre sletter n( on the bewitching plains

musical life. His great model remained

of Zealand) from which it draws its

Mendelssohn,

title,

confirming

Copen hagen into a second Leipzig: this

Gade's unusual talents in the direction

moderate and traditional attitude also

of nationalist and romantic

permeates his voluminous creative

Danish

folk-song

followed

in

Paa

1842,

and

he

tried

to

turn

output,which he pursued right to the

hält uns nicht gefangen, unsere Kunst

end of his life. He died at Copenhagen

heisst

Poesie."

on December 21, 1890.

imprison

("Formulas

us,

our

art's

do

not

name

is

poetry.").

His works include 8 Symphonics (out of respect with

for

the

Beethoven,

writing

the

piano

work, his only Sonata (in E-

popular

minor,

Opus

and

a

quite

chamber

considerable

the

music

amount

also

in

stage, Cantatas (in cluding the everElverskud)),

7

-

exended

for

,

romanticism

most

music

!)

genuine

Gade's

Ballets,

Ninth

This

sense

3

a

dispensed

Schumanian

Overtures,

of

he

28),

characterizes

and

which

ambitious

he

revised

of

extensively in 1854, publishing it with a

piano music, of which this record offers

dedication to Franz Liszt. This work in

a comprehensive selection.

four

movements

schemes Gade is often considered a colourless epigone

of

Mendelssohn,

but

with

treats

a

the

certain

classical

amount

of

freedom.

this

judgment is quite unfair. True, in the

The first movement (Allegro con fuoco)

later part of his creative life, academic

starts with a declamatory gesture filled

and conservative tendencies gradually

with

predominated, but hs early works show

theme in unison, which turns up again

a vigorous personality, a freshness and

in the Finale as a cyclic element. The

spontaneity

are

movement's

main

young

reminiscent

of

Ossian

followed

reflected Composer

in

of

inspiration the

motto

chose

for

whích the

his

Overture, a verse by Uhland: “Formel

pathos,

by

an

a

almost

sym

melody

is

phonic

strongly

Mendelssohn; quiet

and

it

is

songful

secondary theme (un poco lento e s

Ostenuto)

.

There

is

no

development

scction,

but

instead

extended

and

varied

actual an

recapitulation

follows at once.

dance pieces. The Foraarstoner (Spring Flowers), Opus 2a (1841), his earliest published

piano

work,

charming

album

leaves,

which is strikingly The second movement (Andante in G-

contain the

three

first

of

reminiscent of the

Morning piece from Grieg's Peer Gynt.

major), a kind of Song without Words, with an agitated middle-part in E-flat

The ten short pieces of Akvareller (2

major, is as truly Mendelssohnian as

volumes,

the whinsical. syncopated Intermezzo of

wholly under the sign of Mendelssohn's

the third movement (Allegretto in B-

keyboard music. The Arabesque Opus

minor) .

27 (1854), lastly, is a cycle of four short

Opus

19,

1850)

are

placed

lyrical pieces, played without a break, In

the

extended

Rondo

of

the

preceded

concluding

Molto

Allegro

ed

ap

Preludio, and followed by a lively Coda

passionato,

featuring

main

derived from the first piece, in which

theme

two

and

a

and

a

brief

recitative-like

dreamy

Mendelssohn

secundary themes, the opening idea of

background

the first movement plays a conspicuous

This work in particular deserves to be

part,

brought back to life!

eventually

idyllic

stormy

by

dominating

the

withdraws in

favor

brilliant and fiery Coda (Ani mato e con fuoco), which crowns the Sonata in an

effective

remaining

fortimissimo.

piano

Gade's

compositions

are

without cxceptions lyrical miniatures or

HARRY HALBREICH

of

into

the

Schumann.

g e a M t i r u e s H i c 1 R 7 o 9 1 y a l © t ies. & ℗

MHS 101480