Friedrich Kiel

[Alan Howe]

Friedrich Kiel is another composer well worth exploring...

Friedrich Kiel (8 October 1821 – 13 September 1885) was a German composer and music teacher.
Writing of the chamber music of Friedrich Kiel, the famous scholar and critic Wilhelm Altmann notes that it was Kiel's extreme modesty which kept him and his exceptional works from receiving the consideration they deserved. After mentioning Brahms and others, Altmann writes, "He produced a number of chamber works, which . . . need fear no comparison."

Kiel was born in Bad Laasphe, Puderbach. He was taught the rudiments of music and received his first piano lessons from his father, but was in large part self-taught. Something of a prodigy, he played the piano almost without instruction at the age of six, and by his thirteenth year he had composed much music. Kiel eventually came to the attention of Prince Albrecht Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, a great music lover. Through the Prince's efforts, Kiel was allowed to study violin with the concertmaster of the Prince's fine orchestra with which he later performed as a soloist. Kiel was also given theory lessons from the renowned flautist Kaspar Kummer. By 1840, the eighteen-year-old Kiel was court conductor and the music teacher to the prince's children. Two years later, Louis Spohr heard him and arranged for a scholarship which allowed Kiel to study in Berlin with the renowned theorist and teacher Siegfried Dehn. In Berlin, Kiel eventually became sought after as an instructor. In 1866, he received a teaching position at the prestigious Stern conservatory, where he taught composition and was elevated to a professorship three years later. In 1870 he joined the faculty of the newly founded Hochschule für Musik which was shortly thereafter considered one of the finest music schools in Germany. Among his many students were Zygmunt Noskowski, Arthur Somervell, Ernst Eduard Taubert, Charles Villiers Stanford, Frederic Hymen Cowen, Emil Sjögren, Waldemar von Baußnern, Julius Buths and Ignacy Jan Paderewski.
Kiel's hobby was mountaineering and at age 60, he climbed Europe's second highest peak, the Monte Rosa, on the Swiss-Italian border. He died in Berlin two years later as the result of a traffic accident.

Piano:

Piano Solo
Bilder aus der Jugendwelt, Op. 1
Capriccietto, Op. 4
Three Romances, Op. 5
Vier zweistimmige Fugen, Op. 10
Große Polonaise, Op. 14
Elf Melodien, Op. 15
Zwei Capricen, Op. 26
Tarantelle, Op. 27
Suite, Op. 28
Reiseerinnerungen (1. Heft), Op. 38
Reiseerinnerungen (2. Heft), Op. 41
Fantasy in Cis Minor, Op. 58/1
Drei Humoresken, Op. 59
Fantasy in As Major, Op. 68
Drei Klavierstücke, Op. 71
Sechs Klavierstücke, Op.
Six Impromptus, Op. 79
Five Etudes
Hongroise
Zwei Nocturnes
Albumblatt
Bolero

Piano, four hands:

Zwei kleine Sonaten for Piano, four hands, Op. 6
Variations on an Original Theme for Piano, four hands, Op. 23
Four Humoresques for Piano, four hands, Op. 42
Waltz for Piano, four hands, Op. 47
Waltz for Piano, four hands, Op. 48

Organ:

Three Fantasien

Chamber music:

Sonata in D major for violin and piano, Op. 16
Variationen über ein schwedisches Volkslied (Variations on a Swedish Folk Song), Op. 37
Two Solopieces for violin and viano, Op. 70
Reisebilder for Cello and Piano, Op. 11
3 Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 12
Cello Sonata in A Minor, Op. 52
Little Suite for Cello and Piano, Op. 77
Cello Sonata in D Major
Piano Trio #1 in D Major, Op. 3
Piano Trio #2 in A Major, Op. 22
Piano Trio #3 in Es Major, Op. 24
Piano Trio #4 in cis Minor, Op. 33
Piano Trio #5 in G Major, Op. 34
Piano Trio #6 in A Major, Op. 65/1
Piano Trio #7 in G Minor, Op. 65/2
Piano Trio in G Major
Piano Quartet #1 in A Minor, Op. 43
Piano Quartet #2 in E Major, Op. 44
Piano Quartet #3 in G Major, Op. 50
String Quartet #1 in A Minor, Op. 53/1
String Quartet #2, Op. 53/2
Waltz for String Quartet, Op. 73
New Waltzes for String Quartet, Op. 78
Piano Quintet #1 in A Major, Op. 75
Piano Quintet #2 in C Minor, Op. 76
Viola Sonata in D Major, Op. 67
Three Romances for viola and Piano, Op. 69
Five Duos for Clarinet and Bassoon

Orchestral:

Piano Concerto in B flat Major, Op. 30
Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra
Overture for Orchestra, Op. 6

Choral Music:

Requiem in F Minor, Op. 20
Missa solemnis, Op. 40
Requiem in A-flat Major, Op. 80
Und ob ich schon wanderte im finstern Thal (Psalm 23:4), Op. 82/1
Siehe, wie fein und lieblich ist es (Psalm 133:1, 3), Op. 82/2
Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (Psalm 84:1, 2), Op. 82/3
Aus der Tiefe rufe ich, Herr, zu dir (Psalm 130), Op. 82/4
Die mit Tranen saen (Psalm 126:5), Op. 82/5
Herr, wie lange willst du meiner so gar vergessen (Psalm 13:2-4), Op. 82/6
The Star of Bethlehem, Op. 83

Lieder:

Liederkreis, Op. 31