Nicolai von Wilm string nonet (1911)

[eschiss1]

The very-little-represented-on-recording (WorldCat turns up I think four different recordings containing works of his - a recent duo-piano disc devoted entirely to his music from 2003, a violin-and-harp CD in which Menuhin and Zabaleta included a piece, and two others) Nicolai von Wilm wrote a nonet for strings published in 1911, the year of his death (instrumentation: 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, and double bass) - A minor (tonality), Romantic, inventive I think. It has received a recording here from Steve's Bedroom Band:
http://imslp.org/wiki/String_Nonet,_Op.150_%28Wilm,_Nicolai_von%29

I recommend it.
Eric

[Glazier]

Thanks for the tip. This was my first listen to a Wilm chamber work

It's certainly a cheerful  and unique work, enthusiastically played. The added double bass blends in very well and prevents that feeling of an overstretched second cello that you get in many octet performances. It would be great to hear a professional recording.

However, in spite of being written in 1911 it sounds closer to Mendelsohn than Brahms to me.

I would classify him as a good but deserved unsung- to put it positively, a minor master.

For a biography and partial work list (chamber music only)  see klassika:

http://www.klassika.info/Komponisten/Wilm_Nikolai/lebenslauf_1.html

[eschiss1]

may want to link that. hope someone will translate it, though Google Chrome does an ok job of it (it's nice having built-in translation in one's browser, though every program has its faults. everything does.) another bio again in German is at http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolai_von_Wilm. I know of none in English at this time on the internet unfortunately for those like me for whom that is the primary or even practically only language...

[Mark Thomas]

It's probably worth expanding the thread slightly to make it clear that that wonderful resource of free PD scores IMSLP now has quite a few PD recordings on Unsungs available for download, of which the delightful von Wilm piece is one. If you go here, you'll be able to browse them all by composer.

[eschiss1]

for individual pieces of music http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Recordings is also useful.

[Glazier]

may want to link that. hope someone will translate it, I know of none in English at this time on the internet unfortunately for those like me for whom that is the primary or even practically only language...

Here you are, with a few embellishments


Born in Riga, (Peter) Nicolai von Wilm (1834-1911)  although only one year younger than Brahms, had the good fortune to live twenty years longer than the Romantic master.

The peaceful situation in north-east Europe of 1848 to 1914 allowed him a varied career: after graduating from the Leipzig Conservatory in 1856 he spent three years as assistant music director back home in Riga, followed by a fifteen-year period (1859-74) as piano and theory teacher at the Nicholas Institute in Saint Petersburg. However the restless composer moved back to Saxony, now part of Bismarck's new German Empire, for a three-year stay in Dresden before finally, at the age of 44, settling in the comfortable spa town of Wiesbaden on the Rhine (in the old duchy of Nassau) near Frankfurt, where he spent the remaining 33 years of his life.

Reflecting his career as pianist and piano teacher it is natural that the bulk of his voluminous output- 200 works in all- consists of easy piano pieces. In addition he wrote many solo songs and both sacred and secular choral music.

In the piano pieces he used many Russian and Baltic melodies, the fruit of his 40-year stay in the region; thus we find that his Little Russian Songs and Dances for piano duet was a great success, reprinted several times. Further examples are Five Sound Poems for piano duet and the piano solos Baltic Shores and 20 Russian Romances.

In addition to these light pieces he composed several chamber works which Riemann described as "significant" and which with the exception of his early String Quartet op. 4 (1875) all date from his mature Wiesbaden period. They include a string sextet, a piano trio and four duo sonata works: a cello sonata, and two suites and a sonata for violin. Unusually he wrote several works for harp, including a concert piece with orchestra and several duos for harp and violin.

Wilm's crowning achievement is his unique string nonet for two string quartets with double bass. To be precise, the only previous nonets were mixed wind and string works by Spohr, Naumann and Rheinberger. This cheerful and inventive work, first performed shortly before the composer's death in 1911, and very well received, can surely be seen as glorious farewell to the golden century of Romantic music.

[eschiss1]

Belated thanks btw, if someone else doesn't make use of that on WP I will soon
Eric

[Glazier]

Glad that its useful

Since there seems to be  a minor Wilm boom on IMSLP, here are a few more biographical facts from various German language corners of the web to be inserted in the suitable places in the above biographical note.
.


Wilm continued his attachment to the Baltic in his later years, and expressed it not only in musical but in a literary form, publishing a slim book of verse entitled Ein Gruss aus der Ferne (A greeting from afar) in Riga in 1881. This text can can be seen at
http://www.utlib.ee/ekollekt/eeva/index.php?lang
a site about Estonian literature run by the University of Tartu in Estonia.

Wiesbaden in the 19th century enjoyed a boom as a spa town, graced with elegant villas and hotels, a veritable German Monte Carlo. It was a favorite retirement spot for army officers, upper civil servants and rentiers. The cultural and business life served both this clientele and the employees of the local administration after Wiesbaden became a Bezirk capital in Prussia in 1866. Consequently the population grew unabated, reaching 100,000 by 1905.

Apart from Wilm the town celebrates three distinguished musicians. In order of current fame they are firstly the pianist, composer and conductor Louis Ehlert (1825-84) who had studied with Schumann and Mendelssohn in Leipzig in the 1840s and whose works included a Requiem for a Child and a Spring Symphony. On 4th January 1884, in the middle of conducting an orchestral concert, he dramaticallly collapsed and died on the rostrum. Secondly there is the the violin virtuoso August Wilhelmj (1845 - 1908) whose family home was there. Finally there is Brahms, who visited the town in 1883 for the first performance of his 3rd symphony, known for a time as the Wiesbaden Symphony.

[Mark Thomas]

... not to mention Raff (1822-1882), who lived there from 1856 to 1877!

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Well spotted!

[Glazier]

Thank you for the detail.

My scanty knowledge of Wiesbaden cultural history is from the very selective list provided by the city website. The list is based on local  newspaper articles written for various anniversaries.

However, I have a personal attachment to the city since I spent six months there in 1984, and - perhaps of interest to unsung fans- by chance sang in the chorus at the first performance in about a century of Spohr's Calvary (with reconstructed German text) with the excellent local Bach Choir. The performance was to mark Spohr's  bicentenary and I still have the LP recording of the event.

Why Spohr? Apart from the bicentenary,  he lived a large part of his life in Kassel, in the north of the Federal state of Hesse, of which W is the capital. Naturally in S's lifetime there was little connection between the two cities since W was in Nassau and Kassel in Kur-Hessen. (strictly top-of-my-head knowlege- please correct me, respected colleagues)

Incidentally the concert hall in Wiesbaden's Kurhaus is a great place for time travel with music- you expect to turn round and see Brahms or R Strauss in the  audience- and I recommend Wiesbaden for a short holiday, especially since the Rhiengau wine region is on the doorstep.

[Mark Thomas]

I know Wiesbaden reasonably well too and agree that it is still a lovely, gracious city - English members should think of Harrogate or Cheltenham.