Klughardt was born in Cöthen from a musical family. His debut concert had him playing Mendelssohn's G minor piano concerto. He studied later with Blassmann and Reichel in Dresden. A stream of piano miniatures soon made way for Dornröschen for soli, chorus and orchestra; presumably much in the tracks of Schumann's secular cantatas Roserpilgerfahrt and Manfred. He held various posts at Lübeck, Weimar and Strelitz. There are at least two symphonies as well as five overtures, operas, oratorios, chamber music and a violin concerto.

Klughardt's style is very consistent across the present four works. The frame within which he wrote was effectively set by an amalgam of the pictorial Schumann (Second and Third Symphonies) and the rural style of Dvořák. The Concert Overture sports some spry work for the french horns as well as the flighty charm of Schumann. The Oboe Concert Piece is a striking and somewhat melancholy reflection in Dvořák's style. It works extremely well. There is no Brahms in this mix. The brief single movement Cello Concerto is warm and rounded rather like a Dvořák middle movement. The Auf Der Wanderschaft suite is in six movements with much rural chivalry, sylvan glades and cuckoo calls. This is in the same sphere as Dvořák's American Suite, Wind Serenade and Ludolf Nielsen's orchestral suites all laced with a dash of Schumann (Rhenish) and Mendelssohn (Scottish). Klughardt does not aspire to high drama. This is the mulch from which the ‘waldweben’ magic of Mahler's First and Fourth Symphonies grew.

The recordings are taken from two German radio station archives and sound at least respectable if not up to the standards of transparency expected of modern digital articles.

Undemanding rural fare with a woodland romantic accent sometimes glancing eastwards towards Bohemia.

Rob Barnett

STERLING'S GERMAN ROMANTICS series
Wetz Symphony No. 3 CDS-1041-2
Burgmüller and Staehle Symphonies CDS-1046-2
Büttner Symphony No. 4 CDS-1048-2
Schulz-Beuthen Symphony No. 5 CDS-1049-2

 

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