Hans Seeling piano music

[Rob H]

This little beauty popped up on emusic yesterday without any fanfare

Hans Seeling Piano works played by Jouni Somero

Contents are : Barcarole op.9, Romance op.8/2, Lorely op.2, 12 Concert-Etudes op.10

Don't think this has been recorded before other than the Etude op10/12 which Backhaus made a splendid recording of in 1909.

Other than emusic I imagine it will appear on FC-records (fcrecords.fi) or fuga.fi before too long.

[Alan Howe]

Details here:
https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8433507--hans-seeling-piano-works

[Gareth Vaughan]

Potentially exciting. BUT compare Mr Somero's performance of the Op 10/12 Etude here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx7X6YAHbio with that by Bogdan Czapiewski here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibs2L7_HaUY

Somero sounds harsh and effortful by comparison. What a pity!

[Mark Thomas]

I have a couple of Mr Soumero's other CDs and, sad to say, his playing in them both is as Gareth has characterised it.

[Rob H]

I agree but sometmes just appreciate the fact that he has recorded them. I have some of his Bortkiewicz series and a Blumenfeld CD and have noted that the music often seems at the limit of his technique (and I seem to remember some misreadings as well - will have to revisit and check).
Rob

[Gareth Vaughan]

the music often seems at the limit of his technique

Exactly what I felt. So it is a pity a better pianist has not recorded what are, from the few examples I have heard, really very attractive Concert Studies.

[Martin Eastick]

I have scores for nearly all of Seeling's piano music, and certainly think that with the right pianist, a successful attractive recording project could be undertaken! Perhaps this ought to brought to the attention of those at Hyperion..........

[Ebubu]

"Perhaps this ought to brought to the attention of those at Hyperion.........."

Exactly my 1st thought too.  Imagine these pieces under the hands of a Hamelin or Hough !  This is very interesting music, and I'd never heard even the name of Seeling before.  There seems to be enough material for a complete CD...

[Martin Eastick]

A double CD release may possibly incorporate his total piano output - unless there are other unpublished works lurking in some library......

[Alan Howe]

There's a new CD of Seeling's piano music forthcoming from Karl-Andreas Kolly on MDG:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/hans-seeling-klavierwerke/hnum/11085512

[Martin Eastick]

I had also just noticed this! Another to go on "must have" list!

[John Boyer]

(and I seem to remember some misreadings as well - will have to revisit and check).
Rob

I have Soumero's disc of Rubinstein and noticed the same thing — in one case a misreading so glaringly obvious (and in a relatively easy passage) that I don't understand how it made it to the final print.

So, here's to having these under the hands of a more assured performer. 

[4candles]

Judging by Kolly's previous recordings of music by Busoni, d'Albert, Blumenfeld and Blanchet, amongst others, this should be a winner!

[Gareth Vaughan]

Yes indeed. It is a pity he did not record ALL of the Concert Etudes. But perhaps (he says hopefully) there will be another disk.

[4candles]

Chopin and particularly Henselt come to mind when listening through the soundbites at CPO. Lovely music!