Mozart, Hummel & Beethoven: Concerto, Sonate, Symphony

Featuring

Aurelia Visovan
Anna Besson
Cecilia Bernardini
Marcus van den Munckhof
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Johann Nepomuk Hummel

Ludwig van Beethoven

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Composer Biography

Johann Nepomuk Hummel, a pianist-composer of the early Romantic period, was a child prodigy who became a pupil of Mozart in 1786 and later served as Konzertmeister for Prince Esterházy.

Recording & Production

This recording is a result of a partnership between Outhere Music and the International Competition Musica Antiqua in Bruges, Belgium, featuring Aurélia Visovan, the 2019 first prize winner.

Compositional Technique

Hummel's arrangement of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24 extensively rewrites the solo piano part, accentuating its virtuosity and broadening its range, sometimes an octave higher than Mozart's original.

Compositional Technique

Hummel's arrangements of orchestral works by Mozart and Beethoven for chamber ensemble were important for economic reasons, as they sold well and provided revenue for both arranger and publisher.

Historical Context

In an era before sound recordings and widespread orchestras, chamber arrangements were often the only way for the public to experience and appreciate orchestral works.

Instruments

The pianoforte used in this recording was made by Conrad Graf in Vienna in 1835, who is considered the greatest fortepiano maker of his time.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Hummel's compositions, particularly his Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 20, fuse the contrasting principles of constraint and freedom, tradition and innovation, central to Romanticism.