Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 20 and 25 (arr. Hummel for chamber ensemble)

Featuring

Fumiko Shiraga
Henrik Wiese
Peter Clemente
Tibor Benyi
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Compositional Technique

In Hummel's arrangements, the piano part is enriched with ornamentation and decorative alterations, combining the orchestra, solo line, and Hummel's embellishments into a full piano score.

Recording & Production

This album is the first release in Fumiko Shiraga's complete recording of Hummel's chamber arrangements of seven of Mozart's piano concertos.

Historical Context

Hummel's quartet arrangements of Mozart's piano concertos represent an authentic documentation of a common musical practice at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Instruments

The improvements in piano design in the early 19th century, particularly with 'English action' pianos by Broadwood and Erard, influenced Viennese instrument makers and allowed for greater dynamic range and tonal capabilities.

Composition History

Johann Nepomuk Hummel's chamber arrangements of Mozart's piano concertos, including the ones on this album, were commissioned by various publishers in the 1830s.

Composer Biography

Johann Nepomuk Hummel, a piano prodigy, received two years of tuition in Mozart's house as a boy and studied under Joseph Haydn, giving him unique insight into their compositional processes.

Performer Biography

Fumiko Shiraga, the pianist on this recording, has gained international acclaim for her 'Piano concertos in disguise' series, which includes Chopin and Beethoven concertos arranged for piano and string quintet.