Presents
Waldemar von Baussnern
Serenade for Clarinet, Violin & Piano
Waldemar von Baussnern (1866-1931) was born in
Berlin. He studied with Friedrich Kiel and Woldemar Bargiel at the Berliner Musikhochschule. Afterwards, he made a career as a conductor and as director of the Musikschule in Weimar and then later of the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt. Baussnern composed in almost every musical genre and wrote a fair amount of chamber music. He drew particular inspiration from poetry especially that of Goethe. Stylistically, Baussnern stands out as a maverick to his contemporaries, remaining a composer who defies classification. Generally, however, his music is rooted in the 19th century, yet exhibits independence of form, ranging from extremes of conventional tonality to frequently polyphonic chromaticism, though never entering the realm of atonality.
His Serenade dates from 1905 and is in four movements: Ruhig graziös (calm and graceful), Möglichst schnell, ausgelassen (as quick as possible, boisterous), Sehr ruhig (very calm) and Mit grazie und humor. The Serenade is marked by authentic melodic inspiration, excellent part writing and a brilliant use of instrumental color and timbre. It was quite popular from the time of its publication up until the time of the Second World War.
This is a valuable addition to this repertoire and should interest amateurs and professionals alike. It has been out of print for many years and deserves to be rediscovered.
Parts: $29.95
