Hummel: Piano Works

Johann Nepomuk Hummel was born in Bratislava in 1778 but moved to Vienna at the age of eight by which time he was already a precociously accomplished musician. So impressed was Mozart by his talent that he gave him free tuition and for a time even board and lodging. On Mozart’s advice Hummel and his father embarked on a five-year concert tour of Northern Europe and Britain, in the course of which they stayed in London where Hummel may have had lessons with Clementi. Back in Vienna in 1793, Hummel continued his studies. Among his teachers was Haydn from whom he eventually took over the position of Konzertmeister to Prince Nicholas Esterházy. Later he held similar positions at Stuttgart and Weimar though, amazingly, for much of the time from 1814 onwards he also managed to resume and pursue his international career as a solo pianist. He seems to have possessed keen business instincts as well as abundant energy. By the 1820s, however, public taste was changing: Hummel’s elegant melodies, often linear textures, and general sense of musical order appeared old-fashioned in the face of newer trends. The 1830s brought further but fewer successes for him as a composer and performer. Soon illness caused his decline and he died in 1837. Hummel’s prolific output comprises twenty or more works for solo instruments and orchestra, operas, ballets, church and chamber music in addition to a wealth of material for piano including a piano method said to have sold thousands of copies within days of its publication. He enjoyed the esteem and friendship of many other celebrated composers including Schubert, Chopin and Beethoven (even though in Beethoven’s case the relationship had its ups and downs). In his heyday, his reputation as a pianist was almost legendary: at one concert members of the audience were reported to have stood on their chairs to get a better view of his double trills. And in 1822 John Field, hearing him perform a brilliant improvisation and unaware of his identity, is said to have cried out, ‘Either you are the Devil or you are Hummel!’. Rondo, Op. 11 Published in 1804, this might be described as a sonata-rondo since it has two main themes, the first playful and the second more lyrical. Here, as often, Hummel shows his skill in balancing these two elements successfully. Towards the end there is a long and difficult trill leading to a reprise and a triumphant conclusion. The many subsequent editions of this piece testify to its popularity and it was transcribed for piano and violin in around 1931 by Heifetz. Caprice, Op. 49 This appeared around 1810 early in a selfpublished series entitled Repertoire of Music for Ladies. The gracefully decorated covers of the first edition bore Hummel’s signature and soon there were further editions from other European publishing houses. After a rhetorical opening, slow and faster sections generally alternate and there are some colourful key changes. Variations on a theme from Gluck’s ‘Armide’, Op. 57 This piece, an example of a genre popular at the time, belongs to the same series as the Caprice. Gluck’s melody is stated simply then followed by ten variations. In Variation I the theme is silhouetted within a dialogue between the hands, and in Variation II the hands in turn present phrases suggestive of the contours of the melody. In Variation III leaping chords alternate with triplets. Variation IV introduces an angular rhythm and in Variation V the left hand plays a new version of the theme underneath repeated chords in the right hand. Variation VI breaks into triplets and Variation VII contains some cross-hand writing. Variation VIII goes into shorter note values and Variation IX initially touches on the minor key. The final variation is in the style of a fantasia, with a change of metre and some exploration of other keys before a joyful close. La contemplazione, Op. 107 No. 3 Subtitled ‘Fantasia’, this is the third of Six Bagatelles written in around 1825. There are echoes of Beethoven in the reflective opening. In the second half the music moves to a more distant key and there are even hints of Schubert in the left hand melody. The final section is similar to the first but with more ornamentation, and the ending is serene. Rondo all’Ungherese, Op. 107 No. 6 This, the sixth of the Bagatelles, is one of many pieces written on real or imitation ‘nationalistic’ themes during this period. An interesting feature of the Rondo is its first phrase: far from being just a ‘curtain raiser’ this idea is developed almost in the manner of a fugue in one of the later episodes. La bella capricciosa: Polonaise, Op. 55 This appeared shortly after the Caprice and in the same series. An expressive introduction leads to a cadenza and thence to an elegant polonaise with its characteristic rhythms. Midway there are fiery passages which descend into silence and are followed by lamenting minor key melodies. The original ideas reappear and the final pages gather momentum to end in a blaze of glory. Sonata in E flat major, Op. 13 First published in Vienna in 1805, this Sonata was dedicated to Haydn. After a two-bar flourish, the first theme of the Allegro con brio moves in octaves marked to be ‘sustained in the manner of an organ’. The second theme is a melody of great charm though it appears only twice in the movement, the development section mostly referring back to the first bars of the work. Towards the close the last appearance of the main theme is marked ‘Alleluya’ and the movement ends joyfully. The Adagio is reminiscent of early Beethoven with its graciously ornamented melodies and expressive use of dissonance, especially in the middle section. The infectious rhythm of its quiet opening phrases dominates much of the final Allegro con spirito, and the main themes, though contrasting, each begin with three repeated notes. Midway there are passages which demonstrate Hummel’s contrapuntal skills, and the final phrases are marked to be played ‘with warmth’. © 2000 Eve Barsham