Johann Nepomuk Hummel - Piano Concerto in F Major, Op. Posth. No. 1, Nikolaus Lahusen (piano), Südwestfälische Philharmonie, Hiroshi Kodama (conductor)
1830-1833 ca., dedication Madame la Grande Duchesse de Saxe-Weimar Eisenach
I. Allegro moderato - 00:00
II. Larghetto e capriccio - 15:56
III. Finale. Allegro con brio - 24:00
„Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778 - 1837) was a pupil of Mozart, a protégé of Haydn, a friendly rival of Beethoven, and renowned throughout Europe as one of the greatest pianists of his day, a sought-after teacher who instructed some of the most distinguished 19th-century virtuosi, the author of an influential treatise on the art of pianism, and himself the composer of over three hundred works covering almost all musical genres (apart from the symphony).
Hummel's excellent, prolific and unjustly neglected output, with a large section of solo piano music includ the complete sonatas and etudes and a rich selection of chamber music featuring violin, viola, cello, flute, and guitar with piano, as well as larger ensembles from piano trios to septets. Though not a symphonist (perhaps not wishing to compete in that arena with the undoubted genius of his contemporary Beethoven), Hummel had great skill with the orchestra, as he proves with his many concertante works, among them concertos for piano, piano and violin, bassoon, mandolin, violin (unfinished, completed by conductor composer Gregory Rose) and the Introduction, Theme and Variations Op.102 for oboe and orchestra.
Haydn's recommendation of Hummel for the post of Konzertmeister at the court of Prince Esterhazy was the beginning of eight turbulent years at Eisenstadt. Fiercely independent, Hummel found fitting in with the manners and politics of the court difficult, and yet this was a very productive time. All his sacred music - represented on this set by a Te Deum, a Solemn Mass, the offertory Alma Virgo and the oratorio Der Durchzug durchs rote Meer for soloists, choir and orchestra - and several dramatic works including the opera Mathilde von Guise were composed during this period.” (From hb direct -love clasical music)
„Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837) was active at the same time as Dussek and Cramer, and a greater influence than them on subsequent composers. Hummel's concertos may be regarded as a link between the late eighteenth-century concept of the genre, and the early efforts of the nineteenth century. Hummel composed some twenty concerted works, including (separate) concertos for bassoon, mandolin, trumpet and other instruments, a Double Concerto for Piano and Violin in G major, Op. 17 (c.1805, sometimes listed as 'Concerto No. 1'), and around eight concertos for piano and orchestra, including No. 2 in C major, Op. 34a, Op. 73 in G major (Die Feyer des Geburts, oder Namenstages der Eltern), Op. 85 in A minor (1820-1), Op. 89 in B minor (1821), Op. 110 in E major (composed and performed in 1814, but resurrected for a Paris concert in 1825, with the title Les Adieux appended), Op. 113 in A flat major, and the Op. posth. 1 in F major (Dernier Concerto).
Most important of these is a pair of concertos from the early 1820s, the Piano Concertos in A minor (Op. 85) and B minor (Op. 89). These works were concert staples in the early nineteenth century- learned, studied and performed by nearly all fledgling virtuosos, including Felix Mendelssohn, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Frederic Chopin, Robert Schumann, Clara Wieck (later Schumann), Franz Liszt, (Charles-) Valentin Alkan and many others, particularly in Russia in the second half of the century.” (from The Cambridge Companion of the Concertos edited by Simon B Keefe)