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.
Details here:
https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8433507--hans-seeling-piano-works (https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8433507--hans-seeling-piano-works)
Potentially exciting. BUT compare Mr Somero's performance of the Op 10/12 Etude here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx7X6YAHbio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx7X6YAHbio) with that by Bogdan Czapiewski here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibs2L7_HaUY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibs2L7_HaUY)
Somero sounds harsh and effortful by comparison. What a pity!
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.
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
Quotethe 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.
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..........
"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...
A double CD release may possibly incorporate his total piano output - unless there are other unpublished works lurking in some library......
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
I had also just noticed this! Another to go on "must have" list!
Quote from: Rob H on Monday 09 April 2018, 12:12(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.
Judging by Kolly's previous recordings of music by Busoni, d'Albert, Blumenfeld and Blanchet, amongst others, this should be a winner!
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.
Chopin and particularly Henselt come to mind when listening through the soundbites at CPO. Lovely music!
I agree - Henselt very much so. It is, indeed, most attractive music.