Engelbert Humperdinck - the first biography in English published today!

[brendangcarroll]

Some might regard Humperdinck as not really qualifying for the title 'unsung' because of the enduring popularity of HANSEL UND GRETEL, but he wrote a lot of fine music and hardly any of it is played or known.

Well - at last, American musicologist William Melton has written a fine and proper biography of the man and I thought I would share the link here, in case anyone might be interested....

https://toccataclassics.com/product/humperdinck-a-life-of-the-composer-of-hansel-und-gretel/?fbclid=IwAR356Unwn2hgIV_h45MYxXJpEeftUoy0Qt_g_4pvpGkwi-Mzrtcwbhn35r4

[Alan Howe]

No, he's definitely unsung - and this is a welcome new publication.

Personally speaking, I've never heard anything else by EH that has the 'wow' factor of Hänsel und Gretel. What might you suggest we ought to to listen to, Brendan?

[brendangcarroll]

Part of the problem with Humperdinck is not much is recorded apart from Hansel & Gretel and Koenigskinder.

However, I am very fond of his string quartet and piano quintet, and he also wrote some lovely songs. CPO has the chamber music (the Diogenes Qt)  and the there is a complete songs on the OEHMS label by various singers.

What I would love to hear is the Humoreske for orchestra and the lavish incidental music he composed for THE MIRACLE - an epic mystery play by Karl Volmueller and produced on gargantuan scale by Max Reinhardt in 1912. Reinhardt commissioned Humperdinck to go all out and produce a monumental score on Wagnerian scale - and the composer apparenty obliged!

This new book will reveal much about this fascinating composer and these works - and much else besides!

[Alan Howe]

H's Humoreske can be heard on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83IADXd7lZ4

It's very, er, pleasant.

[Double-A]

I support the recommendation of the string quartet.  I used to have an LP with quartets by opera composers (Zürich Tonhallequartett), one by Donizetti, Gounod's a-minor and Humperdinck.  The disc is no longer in my possession but I remember liking Humperdinck the best of the three.

Obviously I don't know how big a "wow factor" you are expecting but it is a solid composition with nice part writing.

[Alan Howe]

That's the problem, though (for me at least): 'solid' and 'nice' are certainly positive qualities, but I want more than that - and so far I've only found it consistently in Hänsel und Gretel.

[Sharkkb8]

There is also a Marco Polo disc, with Moorish Rhapsody and some other orchestral works.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8010395--humperdinck-moorish-rhapsody

[tpaloj]

You can also find Humperdinck's "Dornröschen" on youtube. The recording was criticized for not including English translation of the spoken text portions in the booklet, so fair warning if you're considering buying it.

[Kevin]

Is Königskinder any good? I've read he thought it his life's achievement, 'written with my life's blood' is the quote I remember.

[Alan Howe]

It's variable, but well worth hearing. Best if well sung, of course, so caution is needed before purchase. Undoubtedly the starriest cast is the on the classic set conducted by Heinz Wallberg:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8123965--humperdinck-konigskinder  (download)
Unfortunately the CDs will be hard to find these days - although, if you're quick, Amazon (UK) has an inexpensive used copy here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B0000583BT/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_used_olp_0?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=1592651014&sr=1-15

[eschiss1]

fwiw IMSLP paid members can access two complete or mostly complete Königskinder (I just know they're about 2.75 hours long, they could be cut for all I know), Luisi's 1996 Calig (reissued by Profil) and Weigle's on Oehms Classics.  Thinking of listening to one or both soon.

[Alan Howe]

Indeed, but neither is as well cast as Wallberg's recording.

[MartinH]

Besides Hansel and Gretel, Humperdinck's biggest contribution to the orchestral literature are his arrangements of the bleeding chunks from Wagner operas to make them playable! Never gets credits on program booklets, but he should.