Beethoven and Hummel

[Peter]

I've just been listening to a Hummel Piano Concerto and rather enjoyed it - what interested me most was the Romanticism of the piece and in light of our recent discussions on B's influence on the early Romantics it struck me quite forcibly - Mendelsohnn and Chopin were definitely influenced by this music - whole passages sound as though they could have been written by either one of them.




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'Man know thyself'

[PDG]

To which Hummel concerto were you listening? I love Chopin, but have never taken to his concertos - the orchestral writing is just so ordinary.

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Peter (PDG)

[Peter]

Originally posted by PDG:
To which Hummel concerto were you listening? I love Chopin, but have never taken to his concertos - the orchestral writing is just so ordinary.

The B minor Op.89 (paired with the Amin Op.85)- played by Stephen Hough with the ECO on Chandos. Having just read the CD notes , they bare out my comments saying that much of Chopin (including his Piano Concertos) is inconceivable without Hummel. Interesting you mention the Orchestra in Chopin's concertos as the CD notes also mention this and how the Hummel concertos have tuttis that are 'richly and more significantly scored'. Apparently Mendelsohnn was his pupil! - I hadn't read the notes before I listened to the music, yet I heard precisely those 2 composers in it ! I thoroughly recommend this CD, not only for Hough's spectacular virtuosity but also for discovering the missing link that is Hummel.

I wonder why the name of Hummel isn't more widely known today as it had been during his life-time - he certainly seems (along with Weber) one of the most influential on the early Romantics to me. S.Hough said that learning the music was 'like a baptism of fire' as at first sight the teeming difficulties were 'as inviting as a row of shark's teeth', and interestingly noted that the treacherous twists and turns were often increased on a full-toned modern piano.

I know that B and Hummel were for a time great friends (though there is little in the way of correspondence or anecdotes) and they quarelled and were finally reconciled in the last days of B's life, but I wasn't aware that Hummel had also been a pupil of B (as well as Haydn,Clementi and Mozart).

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'Man know thyself'

[This message has been edited by Peter (edited 03-16-2001).]

[PDG]

Snap! I have the same Chandos CD! Fancy having had Beethoven, Mozart AND Haydn as teachers - it would`ve been tough for you to get a share of the pupil market in those days by the sound of it, Peter.

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Peter (PDG)

[Serge]

Such a pedagogical pedigree, and still no one knows him...

[Michael]

Originally posted by Serge:
Such a pedagogical pedigree, and still no one knows him...

Who? Peter or Hummel?

Michael

[Serge]

Hummel, of course! Peter is a rising star, don't you know! He'll sign on with Sony or H-M soon enough.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Serge:
Hummel, of course! Peter is a rising star, don't you know! He'll sign on with Sony or H-M soon enough.

Well I have some teaching pedigree myself - I can trace my teachers back to Clara Schumann and even the great B himself - mind you, I should imagine so can millions of others - us musicians are such an incestuous lot!

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'Man know thyself'

[Serge]

Dear God. I guess musical scholarship and royalty go hand-in-hand.

[Peter]

Originally posted by Serge:
Dear God. I guess musical scholarship and royalty go hand-in-hand.

No - they're incestuous without the scholarship! B was fortunate that in Vienna there were members of the aristocracy not only who were knowledgable and keen musicians, but some such as Archduke Rudolph who could actually play to quite a high standard.

P.S I hope you weren't appealing to Dear God/Rod !

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'Man know thyself'