Friedrich Gernsheim concertos

[eschiss1]

Will download that re-capture soon and give it a good listen, but I'm still wondering (tangentially?) how characteristic (even if fairly good, not as much the question you asked) the work is compared to later works from some of his somewhat later chamber works , 2nd symphony, etc. on... I'm guessing the piano concerto is maybe roughly contemporary (in composition, I mean, not just in publication, though I suppose evidence mostly lacks, except for the symphonies where manuscripts definitely mostly exist and are dated) with his first cello sonata and his first symphony.

[Mark Thomas]

The Piano Concerto is a relatively early work, dating from 1868 when Gernsheim was 29. The First Symphony was written in 1875. I don't have a date for the Cello Sonata No.1, but it's Op.12, whereas the Concerto is Op.16.

[eschiss1]

Ah that's right, the first symphony is opus 32- I was thinking of someone else (and the fragmentary- part of the first movement- 13-page manuscript at SBB isn't dated, one estimates it's from about 1874 though. Premiered 1875, yes.) I wonder if more of his ms. (autograph or otherwise) have survived and where...

[Alan Howe]

Having given the PC a number of listens over the past 10 days or so, I'm more than ever convinced that this is a major contribution to the 19thC PC literature. Why this lyrically generous, melodically rich and utterly memorable work has been neglected is quite beyond me. Gernsheim's stature grows with every piece of his I encounter.

[DennisS]

I have just listened again (30 minutes ago) to Gernsheims piano concerto and I have to echo Alan's comments made in the last post.  Today, I was "blown away" by the music , appreciating the sheer beauty and lyricism of the piece more than ever before. Many thanks to both  Alan and Mark for this wonderful upload.

[Alan Howe]

I'm glad I'm not the only one, Dennis. So many composers in the conservative, post-Mendelssohn/Schumann generation have been overshadowed, if not totally forgotten because of the sheer greatness of Brahms. Gernsheim is now emerging as one of the best of that particular crop. Now the question is: if the PC is this good, what about the two VCs?

[John H White]

I see that MusikproduktionHoflich now offer all 4 of Gernsheim's Symphonies along with the 1st Violin Concerto in their Repertoire Explorer study scores series.
   Cheers,
       John.

[eschiss1]

yep. I hope they might photocopy the Fleisher Collection's copy of the 2nd violin concerto (Zimmermann, 1914) full score (if it's usable, no pages too splotched or anything) and issue that with a new preface, too...