Johann Nepomuk Hummel
was one of the finest composers bridging
the gap between the Classical and Romantic
eras. His teachers included Mozart,
Haydn and Beethoven, and Hummel learned
his lessons very well. His music is
notable for its harmonious treatments,
expert architecture and never-ending
string of attractive melodies.
For most of the 20th
century, Hummel's works received very
few recordings and was infrequently
programmed at live concerts. The exceptional
British record label Chandos changed
all that when it released, over ten
years ago, a disc of two Hummel Piano
Concertos conducted by Bryden Thomson
with Stephen Hough taking the solo piano
part. No longer could we simply think
of Hummel as a composer of attractive
and relatively superficial music. Thomson
and Hough conveyed a vitality and breadth
of expression that gave Hummel's works
much greater depth and meaning.
In the years since
that Chandos recording, the Hummel discography
has grown substantially. Yet, the Thomson/Hough
disc has clearly remained the best Hummel
recording on the market. Now, thanks
to MDG and the Trio Parnassus, the Chandos
disc has some company at the top of
the ladder. The 2-disc MDG set is a
real eye-opener. The performers impart
a bold and propulsive approach tailor-made
to these piano trios. Although the piano
trios of Haydn and Mozart are tough
to match, Hummel's do not take a backseat
in the least.
The set includes all
of Hummel's piano trios excepting for
the earliest that Hummel never identified
as being a piano trio. These are all
three-movement works having energetic
first movements blended with tender
motifs, slow middle movements of fine
lyricism, and third movements of great
vitality and propulsion. They do need
the advocacy of idiomatic performances,
and the Trio Parnassus is more than
up to the task.
I have listened to
the set for many hours, never feeling
a requirement to take a break and losing
my concentration. The music is never
less than delightful, and the performers
make it even better with their sharp
attacks and drive in the outer movements
and poignant refrains in the middle
movements. In a sense, these are 'go
for the throat' interpretations, uncovering
a determined and incisive composer just
as Hough and company did on the Chandos
piano concerto recording.
Special notice must
be made of two of the movements on the
set. One is the 2nd Movement Un poco
Larghetto from the Op. 93 Trio that
has two luxurious and gorgeous themes
capped off by a determined and heroic
motif (disc 1, tr. 2, 3:38); the contrast
is totally captivating. The other piece
is the 1st Movement Allegro of the Op.
83 Trio. In this outstanding movement,
Hummel puts all his inspiration and
composing skills to work with music
of great thematic development, propulsive
blasts of heat, and strong angst combined
with absolutely beguiling passages of
tenderness and warmth. Also, the compelling
piano runs are quite reminiscent of
Mozart's best in the genre.
The sound quality of
the stringed instruments is exceptional
with perfect resonance and detail. The
piano tone can be rather glassy in the
higher registers, but the overall soundstage
certainly does justice to the superb
music and performances.
In conclusion, this
is a splendid set covering some of Hummel's
most rewarding music in performances
that cannot be improved upon. Although
there are a few other Hummel recordings
that are mighty fine, the 'best of Hummel'
is to be found in this MDG set and the
Chandos piano concerto disc featuring
Stephen Hough. With such wonderful performances,
Hummel becomes a worthy alternative
to Haydn, Mozart and early Beethoven.
The MDG is an essential set worth every
penny of its premium price.
Don Satz
Trio Parnassus: Friedemann Rieger, piano;
Wolf-Dieter Streicher, violin; Michael GroB,
cello 
