Presents
Wilhelm Maria Puchtler
Notturno in f minor for Piano Quartet, Op.9-World Premier Edition
Wilhelm Maria Puchtler (1848-1881) was born in the German village of Remlingen, then part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. He obliged his parents wishes to study for the priesthood, but after their death, entered the Stuttgart Conservatory in 1868 where he studied composition with Immanuel Faisst. He also studied privately with Franz Liszt very briefly with whom he became friends. After graduating from the Conservatory he obtained a position in Göttingen as a music teacher and choir director.
His Notturno for Piano Quartet dates from 1876 while he was working in Göttingen. It is in three sections. The opening section conjures up the atmosphere of a night piece with its somewhat gloomy and secretive mood. The middle section is highly romantic and full of yearning. In the final section, the mood of the opening part returns. About the same time he wrote the Notturno, came a song which he entitled My heart is like the dark night. He might well have used this as a motto for the Notturno. Puchtler, at the time, was already suffering from Tuberculosis which eventually killed him a few years later. While the overriding atmosphere is one of resignation, the Notturno is also a work of great beauty. It would certainly make a strong impression if presented in the concert hall.
Our world premier edition of this work is based on Puchtler's manuscript a copy of which we obtained from the Bavarian State Library in Munich. The work was carefully edited by senior editors Garik Hayrapetyan and Raymond Silvertrust.
Parts: $34.95
