Known in his lifetime as 'the north German Schubert', Carl Loewe (1796-1869) is remembered today chiefly as a composer of songs and ballads. Yet there is a considerable body of piano music that is strikingly innovative in content, expression and harmony, containing the germs of ideas later taken up by composers such as Wagner and Liszt. Loewe was unquestionably a brilliantly original talent, a major figure in ushering in the Romantic era - with the remarkable Four Fantasies of 1854 heard here 'documenting' in music the contemporary emigration of German families to the United States. This third volume of Linda Nicholson's survey of his piano music on historical instruments concludes it's first-ever complete recording on any kind of piano.
1 I. Der Abschied Des Auswanderers Vom Vaterland: Adagio - Allegro Assai, Con Fuoco [08:58]
2 II. Meerfahrt Des Auswanderers: Come Recitativo - Allegro Molto [12:09]
3 III. Die Prairie: Molto Moderato, Grazioso Quasi Adagio [11:03]
4 IV. Die Neue Heimat Des Auswanderers: Larghetto Affettuoso [04:54]
5 Der Barmherzige Bruder, Op. 28 [05:28]
6 I. Grave Con Moto - Allegro [07:20]
7 II. Andante [03:32]
8 III. Presto [03:48]
9 IV. Finale: Presto Con Fuoco - Allegro [07:24]
10 5 Gesänge Der Sehnsucht, Op. 9, No. 5 (Arr. L. Nicholson for Piano) [01:54]
11 Die Schlanke Wasserlilie (Arr. L. Nicholson for Piano) [01:35]
12 Stille Liebe (Arr. L. Nicholson for Piano) [01:41]
Known in his lifetime as 'the north German Schubert', Carl Loewe (1796-1869) is remembered today chiefly as a composer of songs and ballads. Yet there is a considerable body of piano music that is strikingly innovative in content, expression and harmony, containing the germs of ideas later taken up by composers such as Wagner and Liszt. Loewe was unquestionably a brilliantly original talent, a major figure in ushering in the Romantic era - with the remarkable Four Fantasies of 1854 heard here 'documenting' in music the contemporary emigration of German families to the United States. This third volume of Linda Nicholson's survey of his piano music on historical instruments concludes it's first-ever complete recording on any kind of piano.
