2. The other recording is with Kalkbrenner’s 2 concertos – Nr. 1 and Nr. 4, made in 2006 and played by the renowned pianist Howard Shelley to whom we owe so many wonderful musical discoveries. I think in most cases, when a musician records some (especially unknown) music, it is because he (or she) likes, […]
It exists only one serious biography (in German) about him – by Hans Nautsch „Friedrich Kalkbrenner. Wirkung und Werk“ 1983. Some choice of scores can be found here. And there are two recordings of Kalkbrenner’s works on the market: 1. Kalkbrenner – Romantic piano works, played by Michael Krücker on a fortepiano. Every musician who […]
Then suddenly in 1814 he arrived in London where he was immediately accepted as one of the leading pianists and composers and where he was about to spend the next successful 10 years. He was also the most expensive and sought for teacher. In London in 1823 is composed and performed his first piano concerto […]
Only few will be familiar with this name today, although cited in every Chopin biography. Cited not as a gifted composer or pianist, but as a rather dull teacher in Paris. He dared to offer a three years piano course to just arriving, 21-year old Chopin. Some of the biographers are milder in their judgment; […]
The romanticism came from the East This was the title (rather provocative and controversial, I agree) of one of my concerts in the 90s. After years of playing early romantic music, I am convinced that the piano music of this period was greatly influenced by Slavonic musicians and their folk music. During the 18th century […]