Presents
Hans Huber
Suite for Violoncello and Piano, Op.89
Hans Huber’s Suite for Cello and Piano dates from 1886. It is in five movements. Although three of the movements, the first Praeludium, the second Menuett and the last Gavotte have titles taken from the Baroque, the other two movements, Melodie and Intermezzo are not taken from that era and the suite itself is a kind of updated version of a baroque suite with an admixture of ramantic era melody. The somewhat stormy opening of the Praeludium is in the fashion of a baroque suite, but it quickly drifts into the romantic era with a lovely cantilena melody. The upbeat Menuett which follows cleaves more closely to the baroque. The somber, calm middle movement, Melodie, however, bears no resemblance to anything baroque. The same can be said for the vaguely Mendelssohnian Intermezzo which comes next. But in the playful, dance-like final movement, Gavotte, the music clearly bears a relationship to its baroque ancestor.
Hans Huber (1852-1921) was born in the Swiss town of Eppenberg. Between 1870-74, he studied at the Leipzig Conservatory with Carl Reinecke and Ernst Richter. After graduating he held a number of positions before being appointed a professor at the Basel Conservatory, where he served as director between 1889-1917. Huber’s music was firmly rooted in the Romantic movement inspired at first by Schumann and Brahms and then later by Liszt and Richard Strauss. He was widely considered Switzerland’s leading composer during the last quarter of the 19th and first decade of the 20th century. He composed in virtually every genre and many of his works were for long years part of various repertoires and the only works by a Swiss composer that were regularly performed outside of Switzerland.
This is a fine work which will make a good inpression in the recital hall where it deserves to be heard. Long out of print, we are pleased to make it available once again.
Parts: $24.95
