CD 96

Musical Instruments in the Ferdinandeum 3


This    CD    represents    a production that is a premiere in many respects. On the one hand it is a musical introduction to an extremely rare virginal or spinet known as Tafelklavier made by Ludwig Kulmbach (1790-1855).  On  the  other it   contains   compositions exclusively  by  Josef Alois Holzmann (1762-1815), all of them premiere recordings of a forgotten Tyrolean composer of the classical period. Last but not least, it presents the Tyrolean   pianist   Marlies Nussbaumer for the fi rst time in her capacity as a specialist on old keyboard instruments. The Tafelklavier by Ludwig Kulmbach came to the Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum in 1917 as a bequest from the Carl A. Pfeifer Co. of Stuttgart. This virginal was built around 1825 and is one of the few surviving and still playable instruments by the Heilbronn master. In 1981 it was taken apart completely, cleaned, and damaged parts were renewed; most  of  the  original  body was preserved. Although the piano pieces by Josef Alois Holzmann presented on this CD date from somewhat earlier than this Tafelklavier, they are especially appropriate because their unaffected, agreeable, entertaining style suits the tonal characteristics of the Kulmbach instrument  very  well. With these   pieces,   presumably composed    before    1800, Holzmann satisfied the need for both elegant works with some challenging virtuosity for performance purposes and good quality music for piano lessons and probably also his own use.

Track 22, 1:00
Schlagstücke
Presto
from Stift Stams