Coming immediately after I finished reviewing a disc of Fanny Mendelssohn comes a disc regarding another Fanny, who had some circumstances in common. Both Mendelssohn and Hünerwadel were artists in their own right and composed on their own. Both held long-standing musical salons. Both died young, Hünerwadel at a much younger age, succumbing to typhoid at only 28. Her experience with her family was much more supportive than that of Mendelssohn. Hünerwadel was given a musical education by her mother, then allowed to pursue studies with town musicians and was then supported by an uncle. Various artists attested to her abilities - she performed in Zurich and, in a move unusual at the time, regularly visited mental institutions to perform in the belief that music would have a therapeutic and calming effect on the inmates.

This collection is based on her music album, including a great range of composers, from childhood teachers to Wagner and Liszt, which also shows the social network that Hünerwadel enjoyed in her short life. All but three of these 29 tracks are world premiere recordings.

The pieces are charming and a glimpse into what the Hünerwadel salon may have been like. Some of the works were incompletely written by the composer when making the entry and, as with the Liszt and Wagner, have relation to works that appeared elsewhere. Charming is the word for many of these works, especially the solo piano pieces by Müller, Eschmann, and Ernst. For those that enjoy salon music and Lieder, this disc holds great riches.

The mezzo-soprano tends to sing with more expansive tone than is necessary here; her first appearance in Huber’s Sehnsucht nach der Heimat being a prime example. The ending yodel is oversung and has too much vibrato. More sensitively done, this part could be light and lilting. On the quieter pieces, both Howard and tenor Edgar-Wilson work wonderfully.

As mentioned, the Wagner entry to the book was incomplete and subsequently extended by other hands. The opening bars to this familiar section are quite sparsely accompanied by piano, and the result will be of interest to Wagner fans. Hünerwadel being a singer, most of the contributions to her book are songs; for me the instrumental pieces, aside of course from the vocal piece by Wagner, hold the most interest for this reviewer — full of innocent charm and sunny brevity. There is an anonymous, Vocalizzo, which is languid and a brief minute and a half of sheer beauty. Another standout is Hünerwadel’s own Sonntagsfrühe for piano, flute and soprano, which is a lovely piece that holds its own quite well.

The booklet includes the texts to the songs, with various translations, along with helpful notes regarding Hünerwadel’s life. A very pleasant disc.

David Blomenberg

 

 

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