• Home
  • Catalogue
  • Archive
  • About
  • The Pianist
  • Terms
  • Privacy

Romantic Discoveries Recordings

First recordings of nineteenth-century piano music

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« Piano Music of Herrmann Scholtz (1845-1918)
Piano Music of Friedrich Gernsheim (1839-1916), volume 1 »

Piano Music of Sydney Smith (1839-89), volume 2

December 6, 2012 by johnkersey

Piano Music of Sydney Smith (1839-89), volume 2
John Kersey, piano
RDR CD99

Audio sample: Aspiration, op 208 no 1

Price: £18.99. Click the button below to purchase this CD securely online.

Total time: 76 minutes 47 seconds

1. Nadeshda, fantasia on the opera by Arthur Goring Thomas (1850-92), op. 211b (7’46”)
2. Aspiration (mélodie), op. 208 no. 1 (4’12”)
3. Inquiétude (impromptu), op. 208 no. 2 (2’55”)
4. Gavotte and Musette, op. 188 (5’01”)
5. Vie orageuse (Deuxième ballade), op. 203 (6’36”)
6. Chant de berceau, op. 156 (7’20”)
7. Harmonies du soir (morceau élégant), op. 54 (6’18”)
8. Menuet romantique, op. 174 (5’28”)
9. Rayons d’or (Bagatelle), op. 176 (4’33”)
10. Happy memories (morceau de salon), op. 77 (8’03”)
11. Kermesse (Scène hollandaise), op. 181 (4’26”)
12. Voix du coeur (Mélodie), op. 178 (5’25”)
13. Zeffiretta (Morceau de salon), op. 159 (5’16”)
14. Bacchanale, op. 170 (3’25”)

Our thanks to the Sydney Smith Archive for supplying scores of these rare works.

Sydney Smith represents a lost generation of English composer-pianists who enjoyed both critical and commercial success in his heyday, only to be eclipsed by a rapid change in musical fashion that was compounded by his own ill-health. Born in Dorchester, in close proximity to Thomas Hardy, Smith won a place at the Leipzig Conservatoire aged seventeen and studied there for three years under Moscheles and Plaidy (piano) and Grutzmacher (cello). The Crown Prince of Prussia was apparently greatly impressed with his talent, and Smith’s move to London in 1859 marked the beginning of a career as a recitalist (notably at the Crystal Palace) and teacher. Added to this was the beginning of a prolific career as a melodic and effective composer of works for the salon and concert hall, many of which became included in popular anthologies of piano music of the day. This oeuvre made Smith one of the most famous musicians of his day, not only in England, but in Australia, America and continental Europe, and his name became a household word. Smith was particularly known for his virtuoso opera transcriptions, but as this album will show, was also gifted in a variety of short original forms, including characteristic dances and evocative mood-pieces. These works are written in a masterly way for the piano, showing a mature understanding of pianistic effect (with a good deal of influence from Chopin and Liszt) and providing a considerable technical challenge for the performer. The present recital offers probably the only opportunity at the moment to hear any of Arthur Goring Thomas’s last opera “Nadeshda” and is otherwise devoted to a varied selection of Smith’s original works, concentrating particularly on those from his later years.

Advertisement

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Posted in Catalogue |

  • Samples

    Two hours of sample tracks are available here.
  • Contact

    registry@oxceluk.com

  • Recent releases

    • Romantic Discoveries Recordings now on YouTube
    • Recital at the Guild of Musicians and Singers, 17 May 2014
    • Franz von Holstein: Piano Sonata in C minor, op. 28
    • Piano Music of Friedrich Gernsheim (1839-1916), volume 2
    • Piano Music of Friedrich Gernsheim (1839-1916), volume 1
    • Piano Music of Sydney Smith (1839-89), volume 2
    • Piano Music of Herrmann Scholtz (1845-1918)
    • The Little Russians
    • Piano Music of Jakob Rosenhain Vol 2
    • Piano Music of Jakob Rosenhain Vol 1
    • The Circle of Brahms vol. 6
    • The Circle of Brahms vol. 5
    • The Circle of Brahms vol. 4
    • Piano Sonatas of Eduard Franck (1817-93) vol. 3
    • Piano music of Algernon Ashton (1859-1937)
  • Links

    • John Kersey
  • Categories

    • Announcements
    • Archive series
    • Catalogue
  • About our CDs

    All CD prices include worldwide shipping. Our CDs are made to order direct from the master files using premium CD-R stock. They are not commercially duplicated CDs. Each CD is supplied in a slimline jewel case with a printed label and insert containing full track details and timings.
  • Secure online purchasing

    We accept all major credit cards for online payment via our PayPal gateway. This makes purchasing simple and secure. To view the purchases in your cart, use the "View Cart" button at the top of this column.
  • PayPal logo

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Romantic Discoveries Recordings
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Romantic Discoveries Recordings
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.

    %d bloggers like this: