Huber's two piano quintets, composed around 1900, show his evolution from seeking a place in European music to confidently incorporating Swiss folk songs into his compositions.
Composer Biography
Hans Huber, a Swiss composer, began his musical journey at age five with piano lessons from his father and later studied at the Leipzig Conservatory in 1870.
Compositional Technique
The second Piano Quintet in G major, Op. 125, subtitled 'Divertimento,' incorporates Swiss folk melodies and features a free form, reflecting Huber's temperament.
Notable Performances
During the premiere of the second quintet's 'Intermezzo' movement, the audience spontaneously applauded and laughed when a Swiss folk song, 'Im Aargäu sind zwei Liebi,' was humorously introduced.
Composition History
The first Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 111, was premiered in Basel in 1901 by Huber's pupil Marie Moosherr-Engels and the Basel String Quartet, eight years after its composition.
Performer Biography
The Carmina Quartett, founded in Switzerland in 1984, has received numerous awards, including the Gramophone Award and a Grammy nomination, and performs internationally.
Critical Reception
Music critic Ernst Theodor Markees noted that Huber's Quintet in G minor, Op. 111, recalled Brahms's Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, in its design and thematic development.
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