Discovering Johann Nepomuk Hummel

[robnewman]

Not that this materially alters your regrets, but you were certainly able to do this.  It isn't any question of ability.

Er, you're wrong. In fact, the search engine facility on the forum was not working for fully 10 minutes before I posted. I tried it repeatedly. And I've already said I am sorry to have posted when there is already a thread running on the subject. A fact which I have acted on in the last 5 minutes with Mendelssohn (as even you can surely see).

Tried civility recently ?

[Opus106]

Just in case, the following is a link to the Composer Index created by Lethe: http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,8566.msg210396/topicseen.html

[karlhenning]

Mr. Fawlty, I can and will speak for myself!

Eek!

[robnewman]

Just in case, the following is a link to the Composer Index created by Lethe: http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,8566.msg210396/topicseen.html

Thanks Op.67 ! That's very useful.

[karlhenning]

Tried civility recently ?

Regularly, as you would know if you read my posts regularly.

In all events, I entertain certain doubts that many in the forum would appeal to you for any ruling on civility.

And, if you are honest, you would suffer much the same doubt.

[Gabriel]

I downloaded some of his music and really can't stand ANY of it.

But as I repeat, that is MY opinion...

The "pompous fillers" you describe in your posts do exist (I think of some of the piano concertos), but I wouldn't agree in my opinion in stating that all the music by Hummel has the same features. But I'm afraid he's quite irregular. As I stated before, in my opinion he composed some of the most beautiful works of the classical era, but you can find as well inconsistent works by him.

[SonicMan46]

Thanks Op.67 ! That's very useful.

Opus - amazing what already is available in this forum on certain composers! 

I even posted a link to the 'old' forum on Hummel in that thread, which also had plenty of information! 

[zamyrabyrd]

The "pompous fillers" you describe in your posts do exist (I think of some of the piano concertos), but I wouldn't agree in my opinion in stating that all the music by Hummel has the same features. But I'm afraid he's quite irregular. As I stated before, in my opinion he composed some of the most beautiful works of the classical era, but you can find as well inconsistent works by him.

I have a recording of one of his piano concertos. While there are some perhaps nice moments, there is really no consistency in joining up and/or relating the material to the rest of the piece. The problem here is form and content. Ideally, the content should define the form. When the forms become worn out as in poetry, new ones are developed. Otherwise, you can have rhyming doggerel ad infinitum.

While some composers in the Romantic period poured new wine into old bottles (those who still used 'sonata' forms), the same ones though wrote intermezzi, ballades, songs without words, fantasies , etc., and some even changed the original molds of sonata and concerto like Liszt. Beethoven himself was moving in different directions with his late piano sonatas and string quartets.

Music, if I may be so bold, is more about the how and less about the what. A two note theme, with the first repeated 3x as in Beethoven's 5th symphony is nothing without development. In fact, the latter is everything. A composer in the beginning of the 19th century who could not rise to the occasion and have the content define the form, instead use the latter for a catch-all for any ideas, failed formally. Here is where form is practically everything. And by the way, a sonata was a living entity in the Classic period, with so many variations by Haydn for instance.

If I hadn't been confronted with lately reviewing so-called modern sonatas, fugues, waltzes, even mazurkas, just because they have a certain rhythm, or two themes and the second modulates before the double bar, etc., the issue would not be so much in my face, that is, the necessity to define what actually makes good or bad music.

In fact, it might be worthwhile to have a discussion on the latter point.

ZB

[robnewman]

Post amended in line with the earlier notification that the topic brought up can only be referred to in the specific designated thread on Mozart Fraud. Such discussion will not be spreading across the board into other threads.

Knight

[Saul]

A much underrated composer, in my opinion he is great.
His 3th piano concerto is astonishing.

Johann Nepomuk Hummel or Jan Nepomuk Hummel (November 14, 1778 – October 17, 1837) was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era.

http://www.youtube.com/v/zboCrptAYIU

[Josquin des Prez]

His piano concertos are very good. His piano sonatas and chamber music i found to be forced and labored, and not really to my taste. Haven't tried his religious music yet.

[Holden]

You've heard his piano trios and found them "forced"? This is some of the most sublime chamber music I've ever heard.

[Josquin des Prez]

You've heard his piano trios and found them "forced"? This is some of the most sublime chamber music I've ever heard.

I heard his piano quintet and some of the piano trios. Maybe i just listened to the wrong ones. Which of the trios would you recommend?

[Holden]

I heard his piano quintet and some of the piano trios. Maybe i just listened to the wrong ones. Which of the trios would you recommend?

This is available from Amazon. It is one of my desert island discs.

[Bulldog]

I heard his piano quintet and some of the piano trios. Maybe i just listened to the wrong ones. Which of the trios would you recommend?

I find his best to be his last four - Op. 65, 83, 93 and 96.  As I posted a couple of years ago on this thread, I'm thrilled with a MDG 2-disc set performed by the Parnassus Trio that includes all the piano trios.

[SonicMan46]

I find his best to be his last four - Op. 65, 83, 93 and 96.  As I posted a couple of years ago on this thread, I'm thrilled with a MDG 2-disc set performed by the Parnassus Trio that includes all the piano trios. Re: Josquin

Well, I've owned the 2-CD set mentioned by Don for a while - if you cannot enjoy these performances, then may be this whole era of music is not to your liking?   

[Josquin des Prez]

I'll look into it. Thanks.

[Que]

Any HIPPI recording availble of the piano trios? 

Because for music from that era, Beaux Arts et al. won't do.  

Q

[Bogey]

Any HIPPI recording availble of the piano trios? 

Because for music from that era, Beaux Arts et al. won't do.  

Q

Look out!

[Josquin des Prez]

Because for music from that era, Beaux Arts et al. won't do.  

In my experience, the HIP movement hasn't been anywhere near as successful with classical music has it has been with the Baroque. Hummel was a contemporary of Beethoven. Modern instruments ought to be as suited to his music as they are for the latter.