Little known Kalkbrenner (the irony)

Started by kolaboy, Tuesday 11 December 2018, 01:17

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kolaboy

In view of the upcoming RPC release (mentioned in the new releases thread) I'm just wondering why Kalkbrenner's Concerto for 2 Pianos, Op.125 has yet to be considered for recording.  Not only that, FK wrote three operas - one of which is titled "Bluff (op.36)." I hope by some miracle that I live long enough to experience "Bluff." I just can't imagine a Kalkbrenner opera, anymore than I can imagine a piano concerto by Sibelius, or a bolero by Mendelssohn... all the more reason it should be explored.

eschiss1

Op.36 also seems to be attached to his Élégie harmonique, which is a little confusing? Also, in the Wikipedia/Klassika opus list, two of the works attributed to Kalkbrenner have the same titles as operas composed by Krenek; the opus number of one of them (Sprung) is the opus number of the other in Krenek's worklist (Krenek's Op.17 - Sprung - Kalkbrenner's Op.17 - Orpheus); ... something seems very off and sloppily researched here. I find no evidence in scores or 19th century sources of these works offhand, though I'm in a hurry right this moment.

Stanford's Operagate lists one opera by Christian Kalkbrenner and none by Friedrich, besides...

semloh

Thanks for that, Eric.
Obviously, some careful research is needed.

eschiss1


JimL

Be careful not to forget that Friedrich's son Christian was also a composer.

BerlinExpat

Grove states that Friedrich was Christian's son!

The same source reveals that the Kalkbrenner "finds"  noted above are the first three stage works by Ernst Krenek:
Der Sprung über den Schatten, op 17 (comic opera)
Orpheus und Eurydike, op.  21 (opera)
Bluff, op. 26 (musical comedy)

eschiss1

Grove's is right.
Christian Kalkbrenner: 1755-1806
Friedrich Kalkbrenner: 1785-1849

It's always possible that Friedrich, too, had a son named Christian who was a composer as well, because why should anything be clear and unconfusing (qv "Fr. Baumfelder".)

Christian Kalkbrenner has only one opera attributed to him - Olimpie - that I know of- but Friedrich Kalkbrenner's proximity on a webpage to Ernst Krenek might help explain the confusion along with some carelessness... maybe, don't know...

JimL

I believe that is the case, and Friedrich named his son after his own father.

kolaboy

Well truth is truth - but I am a bit let down, must admit. Speaking of Friedrich's father, I believe he did a bit of composing; I remember reading (perhaps Grove) that he was responsible for a pastiche or two...

eschiss1

yes- the elder Christian Kalkbrenner had several published works including a set of keyboard sonatas (pub. ca.1783-5, so definitely published by the elder Christian Kalkbrenner, as his son- father of the younger Christian Kalkbrenner- was ca.one year old give or take! at the time), an opera Olimpie premiered in 1798, and other works including yes some collaborative works and pastiches.