Customer Reviews

Variations

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Czerny's variations on F.J.Haydn's Keiser theme "God bless our Emperor" magnify with piano virtuosity the well known anthem whose words were unfortunately modified during the nazi period.
Stamitz piano concert and Vogler Variations provide valid support to this recording.

Carl Czerny is a composer who took lessons from Beethoven and in turn gave lessons to Lizst. His compositions are largely forgotten and rarely recorded or performed. I bought this CD strictly for the Czerny piece. I heard a recording of it about 13 years ago on the local classical radio station and searched the local record stores for it and was told it wasn't available. I was very pleased to purchase the CD through Amazon dot com earlier this year. The Haydn Variations was a much requested piece when the local classical radio station took requests on their listeners choice night. At the time I first heard the piece the local station had a recording on an old out of print LP. A manager of one of the local record stores told me always got calls from customers searching for the recording every time the station played it. The piece is not well known and academics would probably turn their nose up at it but I found it very enjoyable and found the late pianist, Felicja Blumental, to be a fine advocate of the piece. I don't believe any other recordings of the piece are currently on the market. The piece is a set of variations on the slow movement from Haydn's Op 76 Kaiser String Quartet. I am not a musician so I can't comment on the technical aspects of the playing and the recorded sound is only average due to the age of the recording. I give the recording 5 stars based on my fondness for the piece and the fact that it is the only recording available for the Haydn Variations.