The Romantic "Recorder"? Yes!

[Lance]

As an adjudicator for our local Harmony Club, who annually presents wonderful young musicians of all kinds (usually gifted high school students going on to college). They receive monetary awards to help them with college expenses, and presented me with some outstanding music. A teenager, for example, played the first movement of Sibelius' Violin Concerto, or a recorder player (which prompts this post). This year we had six winners. The recorder player performed, with piano accompaniment by her talented sister, music by Ernst Krähmer [1795-1837], namely his Hungarian Rondo, Op. 28. Here was a composer I was unfamiliar with, but fell in love with a composition performed on a recorder. Usually we think of recorders performing music from the Middle Ages, or the renaissance and Baroque periods in music history ... not particularly Classical- or Romantic period repertoire. But it worked! The young lady astounded me with her virtuosity. finger work and musical expression. I had to have a recording (or two) of the piece. I found two, one with flute and hammerflügel, and another pretty much the same configuration. Neither of these professionally recorded artists played with the conviction of the young lady who auditioned for us. She also plays the French horn with equal ease and will be going off to study at a music conservatory. Krähmer's Hungarian Rondo led to other of his music, such as his Concert Polonaise, Op. 5, his Variations Brillantes, Op. 18, his "Tyrolienne" Rondo, Op. 35; and Original Pieces, Op. 25. When we sometime think we've heard it all, we haven't and life offers some other wonderful musical treasures. My view of the recorder increased considerably. I wanted to pass this on to you. If you are interested, the best recording to obtain is by Trio Krähmerata on a disc entitled "Csakan und Biedermeier" on the Ami label [2504]. Martin Jung and Cordula Schertler play the Blockflöte with Peer Findeisen the hammerflügel. Highly recommended! ♫

[maestrob]

Thanks for the tip-off, Lance. It's always a great thrill to discover new music, and especially so through young people, which happened often for me in the auditions for my competition.