Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann (1805-1900)
Piano Works Volume 6
Thomas Trondhjem (piano)
rec. 2024, Concert Hall, Holstebro, Denmark
Danacord DACOCD 978 [74]
This is the sixth volume of piano music by the Danish composer Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann. For details of his life and achievements, see my review of Volume 1 of the cycle. Here are my reviews of the other instalments: Volume 2 ~ Volume 3 ~ Volume 4 ~ Volume 5. This disc presents a cornucopia of smaller works and the rewarding Sonata in A minor, op.80.
As musical signposts, the listener will be aware of the influence of Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, and other romantic composers.
I suggest that this collection be approached slowly. Some of the miniatures last less than a minute: there is a danger of their merging one into another. I began with the Two Rondeaux Brilliants, Hartmann’s first published score. The liner notes suggest that these exuberant numbers are in the style of fellow Dane, Friedrich Kuhlau.
There follow the Six Pieces in Song Form which certainly owe much to Felix Mendelssohn’s Songs without Words. Hartmann does not have titles, so the imagery is left entirely to the listener. They “can visualise pictures […] associated with his or her state of mind”. These appealing pieces deserve attention.
The Sonata in A minor was begun many years before it was published. According to the booklet, it occupied Hartmann’s imagination for “most of the time”. The composer has indicated the mood of each movement in pencil on the score. They do not form a programme but he probably had them for his own benefit. The first movement is characterised by “Despondency and Passion”. The second slow movement is marked “Rumination”. Not surprisingly, the scherzo is regarded as a “Diversion”. The last section presents “Feelings about a breakthrough”. I felt that the annotations give the listener a helping hand to enjoy this pleasing sonata.
I found that some of the miniatures were more appealing than the larger works! There is the tiny but charming Impromptu Waltz for Clara and Emma Hartmann. The concluding track is the evocative Evening Mood. The wistful, ephemeral “Album Leaves” were written for family and friends to play, yet they are well-wrought, not trivial. Finally, there is the Theme with 14 Variations for Hartmann and the Piano Pieces for Hartmann, devised as studies for the composer’s grandchild, Johan Peter.
Danish pianist Thomas Trondhjem specialises in classical and romantic repertoire. He has performed as a soloist with various orchestras in Denmark and abroad, in concertos by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Saint-Saëns and Rachmaninov. He has sundry CDs to his credit, including recitals of music by Fini Henriques, Friedrich Kuhlau and C E F Weyse.
Claus Byrith’s liner notes in Danish and English introduce Hartmann and his music. There are good programme notes for the larger works, but little information about the miniatures. The booklet is well-illustrated with images of piano scores, the composer, his family and his house in Copenhagen.
This absorbing programme is enthusiastically and sympathetically performed. The sound reproduction is excellent. Danacord may not have more volumes in this series planned, but this disc is an attractive addition to a worthy series of recordings.
John France
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Contents
Two Rondeaux Brilliants, op.6 (1826)
Six Pieces in Song Form, op.37 (1843)
Two Impressions in A flat major and F minor (1844)
March in F major (?)
Remembrance from Hauser Square 1844, in F major (1865)
Album Leaf in F minor (1878)
Album Leaf in G major (1879)
In an Album Leaf in D minor (1885)
Album Leaf in A minor (1862)
Sonata in A minor, op.80 (1883)
Piano Piece in B flat major (1837)
Piano Piece in C minor (1849)
Slow Minuet in C minor (1849)
Theme with 14 Variations for Hartmann in C major (1881)
Piano Pieces for Hartmann in C major (1881)
Impromptu Waltz for Clara and Emma Hartmann in F major (1865)
Evening Mood in B major (1869)
