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Sonatas op. 13 & op. 20
Variations sur un thème d’Armide de Gluck op. 57
Fantasie: La Contemplazione op. 107 No. 3 La bella capricciosa, una pollaca op. 55
Christoph Hammer, pianoforte

One of the early 19th century’s most famous piano virtuosi was Johann Nepomuk Hummel. He was already famed as Vienna’s leading pianist when Carl Czerny wrote an enthusiastic commentary on Hummel’s art, summarizing the quarrel between Beethoven and Hummel supporters: “If Beethoven’s playing is characterized by its immense power, unheard-of bravura and fluidity, Hummel’s playing, in contrast, is the prototype of the highest purity and clarity, the most graceful elegance and delicacy (…)”

Christoph Hammer has achieved major fame as a specialist for historical keyboard instruments. He is internationally known as a soloist, Lied accompanist and chamber musician. He has also been the musical director of the baroque orchestra “Neue Hofkapelle München” since 1996, with whom he appears increasingly as conductor. In 2002, Christoph Hammer was awarded the Cultural Prize of the State of Bavaria for his great service in promoting early music. In 2003, he founded and acted as musical director of the “Residence Festival Munich”. A recording of the opera Catone in Utica by Giovanni Ferrandini, conducted by Christoph Hammer, has also been released by OehmsClassics.

The Purpose of the Musical Arts

To move the heart, to gladden the spirit and delight the ear: This is their destiny. Dry affectation alone is sole pedantry and does only the eye good; however: The tasteful coupling of art with sentiment and grace increases the attractiveness of the musical arts, gives them gravity and dignity, and leads the artist to the true goal.


Johann Nepomuk Hummel was born on November 14, 1778 in Bratislava, then called Preßburg. As a boy, his enormous natural musical talent was already apparent. When his father moved to Vienna in 1786 to accept the position of music director at the Theater an der Wieden, he took Johann to audition with the famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who immediately accepted the boy as a pupil for no fee whatsoever. The youngster lived in Mozart’s house for almost two years, paying neither food nor lodging, and met all of Vienna’s important musicians through his teacher. At Mozart’s recommendation, Johann Nepomuk’s father took him on a highly successful concert tour from 1788 to 1792. The two traveled throughout Europe visiting all major musical centers. Hummel wrote his first compositions during these four years. Later writing about his life to Joseph Sonnleithner, Hummel says, “In 1793, when I was 15 years old, I returned to Vienna, studied counterpoint with Albrechtsberger and afterward enjoyed Salieri’s instruction in composing for voice, aesthetic views and musical philosophy overall (…). Because I was already the top performer in Vienna, I concerned myself much more with instruction (…). From 1794 until 1814, I didn’t play any more in Vienna (…); only in my circle of friends and musical patrons did I play my musical fantasies. During these years, I wrote compositions for almost all genres…”

At Joseph Haydn’s recommendation – Hummel had met him in 1791 in London and studied organ with him in 1795 – Hummel was appointed kapellmeister at the court of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy in 1804. Hummel lost this position in 1811, however, because he paid more attention to composing and to the Vienna music scene than to his proscribed tasks. A major concert tour through Germany in 1816 finally gave Hummel the fame and recognition he deserved. He was asked to become the kapellmeister in Stuttgart (a short intermezzo) before accepting his last kapellmeister position in 1819 in Weimar, where he then remained. He continued to undertake long concert tours to Russia, Poland, France and England, dying on October 17, 1837 in Weimar.

“No real piano virtuoso of the present can or may ignore Hummel’s main works, if he is to have a broad education.” (Franz Liszt)

Of the major piano virtuosi living at the beginning of the 19th century, Hummel was among the most famous and recognized in all of Europe. His piano method, published in 1828, was one of the most authoritative schools. Even in his early Vienna years, Hummel was considered to be the city’s most important pianist. Carl Czerny reports in his journal: “What a master I heard there! Although I had so often had the opportunity to hear Gelinek, Lipawsky, Wölffl and even Beethoven, the playing of this so unimposing man opened new worlds for me. Never had I heard such brilliantly difficult passages, such purity, elegance and delicacy of elocution and such tasteful imagination.” It was quite true that Hummel’s relationship to the fortepiano founded a new school of piano playing in regard to technical demands as well as sensitivity to tone, articulation and dynamics – a school situated between Classicism and Romanticism. Music-lovers were highly divided when it came to discussions about Hummel as opposed to the great titan, Beethoven. Czerny described the antagonism quite succinctly: “If Beethoven’s playing is characterized by its immense power, unheard- of bravura and fluidity, Hummel’s playing, in contrast, is the prototype of the highest purity and clarity, the most graceful elegance and delicacy, with all difficulties calculated to arouse the greatest amazement through the combination of the Mozartian manner with the Clementian school so suited for the piano." This made it obvious that Hummel was the superior performer, and soon, the two masters had gathered their supporters, who fought each other with all available means. Hummel’s followers accused Beethoven of mistreating the fortepiano, said that he had absolutely no purity and clarity of tone, that his use of the pedal only resulted in confused noise and that his compositions were unsuccessful attempts, were unnatural, lacked melody – and in addition to this, were irregular. Beethoven’s party, on the other hand, said that Hummel had absolutely no real imagination, that his playing was as monotonous as a hurdy-gurdy, that he held his fingers more like spider legs, and that his compositions were only reworked motives of Mozart and Haydn.

“If Beethoven had been born twenty-five years later, he would have had to cede all fame to Hummel, who was the first instrumental composer of his epoch.” (Fétis) Hummel was not only an influential interpreter or improviser at the piano; his compositions were in great demand throughout Europe and influenced the greatest composers of his time, including Moscheles, Field, Chopin, Mendelssohn and even Wagner. His oeuvre was later crowded out of the limelight, however, as the works of Beethoven achieved increasing fame. Ferdinand Hiller, a student of Hummel, once reported a conversation he had had with Hummel, in which the latter confessed that it was a very serious moment for him when Beethoven appeared on stage. “Should I try to walk in the footsteps of such a genius?!” – said Hummel. “For a while, I didn’t know what to do. Finally, I said to myself: the best thing is for you to remain true to your nature.” And Hummel’s nature was the mixture of classicistic tradition, early virtuosity and salon-like agreeability. His major piano sonatas and concertos are supplemented by numerous variations, caprices, rondos, phantasies, dances and works for various occasions. Hummel’s compositions show that his style is very closely tied to the sound and musical possibilities of the pianofortes he knew in Vienna, with their light, fluid, elegant piano style.

Hummel’s Piano Sonata in E-flat Major op. 13 was printed in early 1805. Just as Beethoven had, Hummel dedicated this first major sonata to his mentor Joseph Haydn, to whom he thanked his first appointment at the Esterházy court. Especially remarkable in this sonata is the main theme of the first movement, introduced in the manner of a chorale and specifically designated sostenuto quasi organo. When it returns in the coda, it is designated Alleluja. Hummel’s second Grand Sonata in F minor op. 20 followed in 1807. The Polacca op. 55 is a typical genre piece, written during the years 1811–1815 and published under the title La Bella Capricciosa. The Variations in F Major op. 57 were written during the same period and based on a theme from Gluck’s Armide. The Bagatelle “Fantasie: La Contemplazione” op. 107 No. 3 is taken from a collection of six bagatelles which Hummel published in 1825 and dedicated to Princess Auguste of Weimar.

The two sonatas on this recording were performed on a copy of a five-octave fortepiano made by Anton Walter (Vienna, ca. 1800); all remaining pieces were played on a copy of a six-octave fortepiano made by Joseph Brodmann (Vienna, ca. 1815). Both instruments were built by Robert Brown of Oberndorf, near Salzburg, Austria.

Christoph Hammer Translation: Elizabeth Gahbler

Photos:
Booklet: Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien
Cover: Goethe-Museum Düsseldorf