thu 11 aug 2016 11:00 hrs
Part XX
The past episode in the series ended with Beethoven’s ‘cover’ of the Russian hit ‘Schöne Minka’. A poignant theme that lingers in the mind for days. It made Beethoven some nice pocket money, too. Hummel did not want to miss out on the action, and also had a go at the song. He arranged it as a trio for flute, cello en piano.
Many other composers shared in the succes of Schöne Minka. Contemporary Carl Maria von Weber and Hummels student Friedrich Silcher both wrote piano variations on the popular tune.
We end the program with an historic recording. In 1939, tenor Richard Tauber sang an intangibly beautiful rendition of Silcher’s most famous song, ‘Die Lorelei’, with text by Heine.
- Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Trio for flute, cello and piano in A op. 78
Lise Daoust, flute; Elizabeth Dolin, cello; Carmen Picard, piano
- Carl Maria von Weber: Variations on a Russian theme opus 40
Alexander Paley, piano
- Friedrich Silcher: Variations on ‘Schöne Minka, ich muss scheiden’
Friedemann Treutlein, piano
- Friedrich Silcher: Die Lorelei
Richard Tauber, tenor, Percy Kahn, piano
