Nietzsche: Complete Piano Music

Featuring

Jeroen van Veen
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

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Recording & Production

This album features completed and more mature compositions by Friedrich Nietzsche, all written between 1861 and 1887, selected from a collection compiled by Curt Paul Janz.

Composition History

Nietzsche's earliest compositions were often dedicated to family and friends, such as 'Da geht ein Bach' which was written for his aunt Rosalie.

Composer Biography

After a mental breakdown at age 44, Friedrich Nietzsche continued to play the piano and improvise for the remaining eleven years of his life, even though he could no longer speak or write.

Critical Reception

Nietzsche's tone-poem 'Manfred-Meditation' was called 'antimusical' by the celebrated conductor and pianist Hans von Bülow.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Nietzsche believed that music was the only way to grasp the essence of being, writing that 'Without music, life would be a mistake.'

Performer Biography

Jeroen van Veen, the pianist on this album, was awarded the NPO Radio 4 2016 Award for his efforts in promoting classical music beyond concert halls, particularly through his 'lie-down' concerts.

Composer Biography

Friedrich Nietzsche, the philosopher, considered himself essentially a musician, stating this in a letter to a friend in 1877.

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