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Saturday, March 28, 2020

Hans Huber - Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 (Dan Franklin Smith)


Information

Composer: Hans Huber
  • (01) Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 36
  • (05) Piano Concerto No. 3 in D major, Op. 113

Dan Franklin Smith, piano
Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra
Michail Jurowski, conductor

Date: 2004
Label: Sterling
http://www.sterlingcd.com/catalogue/cds1056.html

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 9 / SOUND QUALITY: 9

Anyone following Sterling’s excellent series of the complete Huber symphonies will know what to expect here: conservative, tuneful, well crafted music that falls gratefully on the ear and lacks neither feeling nor color. Both concertos date from before 1900, and so belong to the composer’s less adventuresome period–but they’re interesting all the same. Each has four movements, with the scherzo in either second (Concerto No. 1) or third (Concerto No. 3) position, lasting in total about half an hour. The Third Concerto’s first movement continues the line of formal experimentation that we noticed in some of the symphonies: it’s a passacaglia on the bass of the principal theme of the finale. Not that you’d notice of course, but Huber does at least have the courtesy to tell us.

Dan Franklin Smith displays an admirable level of proficiency and sympathy with both works and certainly never sounds as though he’s making time or is bored with the assignment. Michail Jurowski and the Stuttgart Philharmonic are old friends in the unusual repertoire department, and they almost always can be relied upon to deliver sympathetic and good quality results. Top it all off with very warm, well balanced sonics and the result is further testimony in favor of a composer whose neglect is surely undeserved. Collectors of Huber’s music so far will need no further urging from me, but if you’ve been following such worthy projects as Hyperion’s Romantic Piano Concerto series, then you’ll definitely want to hear this as well.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Dec03/Huber_piano13.htm
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Oct/Huber_PCs_CDS10562.htm
http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_cd_review.php?id=1666

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Hans Huber (28 June 1852 – 25 December 1921) was a Swiss composer. He was born in Eppenberg-Wöschnau (Canton of Solothurn) and studied at the Leipzig Conservatory, where his teachers included Oscar Paul. Returned to Basel in 1877, Huber obtained a post in the Conservatory there in 1889, then director from 1896 to 1918. Among his notable students were Hans Münch and Hermann Suter. Huber wrote in all nine symphonies, several concertos for violin, cello and piano, and five operas. He also wrote a set of 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 100, for piano four-hands in all the keys.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Huber_(composer)

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Dan Franklin Smith graduated from the University of Michigan and made his European recital debut in 1997. He was later featured on Swedish TV and made recordings with the Gävle Symfoniorkester and the Stuttgart Philharmonic. As Music Director and recital soloist with the international festival, Elysium: Between Two Continents, he is showcased his talent in performances both in the US and Europe. As chamber musician and vocal accompanist, Smith has performed in Washington, D.C., Cleveland, New York City, as well as tours in Bermuda, Taiwan, and Puerto Rico. He is a resident of New York City.
https://www.danfranklinsmith.com/

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