Pfitzner

Hyperion's Romantic Cello Concerto series continues to bring new works to light, expanding a repertoire that has long focused on a select group of composers. Here, Alban Gerhardt performs the three concertos by Hans Pfitzner. Pfitzner's early Cello Concerto in a minor was scorned by his teachers (although liked by the composer himself). His Cello Concerto Op.42 is a beautifully constructed work that derives it's material from a lyrical cello solo heard at the very start of the work. The Cello Concerto Op.52 is dedicated to Ludwig Hoelscher, a pupil of two giants of German cello-playing: Hugo Becker and Julius Klengel. As a bonus, the recording also includes Pfitzner's Duo for violin, cello and small orchestra.

The Piano Quintet and Sextet are Pfitzner’s largest chamber works; the Piano Quintet Op. 23 is in the traditional instrumentation for piano and string quartet but the Sextet Op. 55 is scored for an unusual ensemble of piano, clarinet, violin, viola, violoncello and double bass. The ensemble Ulf Hoelscher have here created an exemplary, stylistically illuminating recording which is a great addition to the CPO catalogue.

This second volume of Pfitzner’s Complete Lieder covers the period between 1884 and 1916 and shows why he was considered such a key figure among composers of his generation. A central theme of the songs is the archetypical Romantic focus on the portrayal of nature as a reflection of human feelings. The youthful and enduringly popular Ist der Himmel darum im Lenz so blau (Is the sky so blue in the spring) reflects his greatest qualities as a song composer- a memorable tune and rich, flowing harmonies. Favoring the bold use of color, Pfitner’s songs are characterized by a lively, pulsing rhythm and sweeping, ecstatic melodies.
Tenor Colin Balzer has sung acclaimed recitals in London, New York, and Philadelphia, and concerts with the Portland, New Jersey, Toronto, Quebec, Atlanta, Montreal, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestras as well as other notable ensembles across North America. Most notably in his career, Balzer earned the Gold Medal at the Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau with the highest score in 25 years.

Hans Pfitzner was one of the most important composers of Lieder in the Romantic period. Many of the songs on this album address subjects associated with withdrawal and introversion: the recollection of the happiness of past love, melancholic images of nature, and an awareness of the finite nature of human existence. Included is the world premiere recording of Weihnachtslied, his only setting inspired by a genuine folk song. But at this collection’s heart are the two remarkable cycles, Opp. 35 and 40, that are full of harmonic sophistication, impassioned expression, technical daring, and profoundly human understanding.