Ferdinand Hiller

[Alan Howe]

Yes, do tell! I'd certainly buy a recording!

[tpaloj]

I agree with Alan in that this concerto can be somewhat unrelatable and underwhelming, while being a lovely piece of music at the same time. There's a strong improvisatory feeling in how the piece unfolds (not necessarily a bad thing in itself) and this affects the form also. Opening movement follows sonata form but the form is somewhat muddled and lacks strong contrasts. The rondo is a lot of fun yet maybe slightly too long.

Hiller's melodies can be fine overall, even great, but in this piece as in some of his other works you likely won't remember them after the work has ended. The andante mvts main theme is beautiful though and remains memorable to me. I still maintain this concerto would work great in a real performance, pretty music overall as it is. The serene tutti opening, for example, I find remarkable.

Recording is planned a year from on, still ways to go and more details to come. I'll share more as I learn more, too.

[Alan Howe]

I'll definitely buy the recording! Do keep us informed - and thanks for all your great work. It's much appreciated.

[tpaloj]

The Schillerfest of 1859 was celebrated from 8 to 10 November. In Cologne, Hiller's festival cantata "An Schiller's Wiege" was performed just once on November 10, 1859, then forgotten.

I've always had some mixed feelings on Hiller as composer, but then again studying his orchestral scores have positively surprised me more often than not. This cantata is one of those pleasant exceptions and contains many finely written numbers and enchanting passages. I hope you might enjoy listening to it despite the fact that no real voices could be provided: vocal music really is difficult to put together convincingly with Noteperformer.

As for the work's sources: Goethe Universität in Frankfurt-am-Main has the autograph full score and copyist's parts of the soprano, alto and tenor soloists. Frustratingly, Hiller had not written in the words of the chorus in the score. It was very difficult to try adding the texts back in, and I had to give up with this in the finale, which is why I didn't typeset it and the video has manuscript images for that movement.

Youtube: An Schiller's Wiege (noteperformer rendition)

[eschiss1]

Thanks!
I haven't learned how but am told that Lilypond is pretty good with text inclusion. Not as good at midi synthesis, maybe.