Hans Koessler (1853-1926) Symphony in B minor/Violin Concerto

[Alan Howe]

...forthcoming from cpo:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9828313--hans-koessler-symphony-in-b-minor-violin-concerto

[Ilja]

Oh, very interesting! I only know him from his (somewhat later) Piano Quintet, and that's quite a delicious piece.

[eschiss1]

I was unaware of a piano quintet by Koessler- I see there's an incomplete one from 1900? (There's at least one piano trio, 4-odd or more string quartets only one of which might be published to my knowledge (SBB (Stabikat Berlin...) has some of the others in manuscript and what seem to be hundreds of digitized manuscripts of other works of his, hrm...!), a string quintet that has a version for string orchestra and lasts about an hour, etc. ...)

Edit: ah, I see, the piano quintet exists and has been recorded, it's -the score we have uploaded- on IMSLP-assuming it's the same quintet; it's in the same key- that's an incomplete score (it's complete up to the first page of the finale, apparently.) Not the work itself...

[Alan Howe]

Any further information (e.g. dates) on the Symphony or Violin Concerto?

[Mark Thomas]

Like Ilja, I only know of him from his splendid quintet. This will be fascinating!

[Alan Howe]

I've found this works list: https://markt-waldeck.de/waldecker-werkeverzeichnis/

[Ilja]

So what we have here is the 2nd Symphony in H-moll (B minor), and the initiative has probably been taken Heimat- und Kulturverein Waldeck, where someone recreated the score from the parts. I can find no date, however.

Apparently he wrote three symphonies in total. A fourth is mentioned but it is doubtful whatever it ever existed.

Edit: yes, well unearthed, Alan.

[Mark Thomas]

Well done, Alan.

[eschiss1]

Ilja: when is the 2nd symphony from? Late 19th century (as the quintet is from 1900) but when?

[Ilja]

Sorry Eric, the page doesn't mention a date, and the Deutsches Zeitungsportal is no help in finding out more. We'll have to wait for the booklet to reveal more.

[Revilod]

I see the concerto is described as a "Passacaglia Concerto" and is in only one movement. That's intriguing in itself.

[Wheesht]

According to 'Signale für die musikalische Welt', the violin concerto was premiered, from the manuscript score, with Jenö Hubay as the soloist in Budapest and then in Leipzig, the latter performance in February 1898.
Rather confusingly, the same journal has an announcement of the 'Uraufführung' of the Passacaglia concerto in 1919.

[eschiss1]

perhaps he wrote two violin concerti - and perhaps the 1898 one is lost...
(I think the work that's been arranged for string orchestra by the composer is the string sextet in F minor of 1902, not the string quintet in D minor of 1913, and neither is an hour long anyway (both are about a half-hour long)- my mistake

[Wheesht]

Both are referred to as being in A minor, though.

[eschiss1]

Possibly incorrectly in the case of the Passacaglia-Konzert. Note the piano reduction, which opens with 3 sharps in the orchestra (reduction) and none in the solo part, the two rationalizing to no sharps in both at Moderato (rehearsal B, page 4 of Marteau's reduction published 1914). Heh. I'm going to get a listen to that...
(The very opening, I see, sounds like it wants to be a Passacaglia theme, but it's the Adagio that starts at the bottom of page 39 that's actually labeled "(Passacaglia).")