Presents
Friedrich Gernsheim
Piano Trio No.1 in F Major, Op.28
"Gernsheim's masterly piano trios unquestionably, along with most of his other chamber music, belong in the repertoire. Once the public rediscovers them, that should happen." So wrote the editor of The Chamber Music Journal. Piano Trio No.1 in F Major, Op.28 dates from 1873. The first movement is a Beethovian Allegro ma non troppo. The second movement, a Scherzo, allegro molto vivace, is a superb, standout and impressive effort. In the Largo which follows there are echoes of the slow movement from Schubert’s famous D.956 Cello Quintet.The concluding Allegro moderato assai is full of pleasing, broad Brahmsian melodies.
Friedrich Gernsheim (1839-1916) is a composer whose music was held in the highest regard by critics during his lifetime. No less an authority than Wilhelm Altmann, perhaps the most influential chamber music critic of all time has written that Gernsheim’s chamber music is poetic and of a high intellectual content. Gernsheim, somewhat of a piano and violin virtuoso as a child, was eventually educated at the famous Leipzig Conservatory where he studied piano with Ignaz Moscheles and violin with Ferdinand David. After graduating, he continued his studies in Paris getting to know Saint Saëns, Lalo, Liszt and Rossini. Despite his admiration for France and the French, he returned to Germany and during the course of his life, he held academic and conducting positions in Cologne, Rotterdam and finally Berlin. He used his position as a conductor to advance the cause of Brahms’ music. The two, while not close friends, carried on a correspondence for many years during which it was clear that Brahms had considerable respect and admiration for Gernsheim’s work. An accolade which was, in Brahms’ case, no mere flattery as Brahms only very rarely praised the works of other composers.
We have reprinted the 1873 edition, which to the best of our knowledge is the only one. Unfortunately, the copy we obtained was, as might be expected of a 150 year old set of parts, somewhat faint in places. We have spent many hours digitally darkening and have created a serviceable performance edition in order to rescue this fine trio from oblivion. But, it is not pristine like a newly published work nor the equal in quality of a modern edition. The price, less than our generally very low prices, reflects this fact.
Parts: $27.95
