Presents
Eduard Herrmann
Sextet for Oboe, Clarinet & String Quartet in g minor, Op.33
“Eduard Herrmann’s Op.33 Sextet in g minor for Oboe, Clarinet and String Quartet was published in 1915. It is filled with significant musical ideas, but the writing is clear and transparent. It not only sounds good, but plays without difficulty. The wind instruments are given pride of place. The composer is fond of changing meters but this causes no undue complications. The concise first movement, Allegro moderato, is subtitled Fantasia, but it does take off into flights of fancy but shows considerable restraint. On the other hand, the second movement, Adagio, blossoms, on the warm Schumannesque thematic material. The third movement, Allegro appassionato, begins with a short elegaic Andante introduction. The opening theme to the main part of the movement is particularly impressive. There is even a short fugue.”—–Wilhelm Altmann writing in his Chamber Music Handbook.
Eduard Herrmann (1850-1937) was born in the German town of Oberrottweil. He began studying the violin locally and later in Berlin at the Royal Academy of Music where he was a student of Joseph Joachim. He also studied composition. He enjoyed a career as a concert violinist, and served for several years before emigrating to New York in the 1880’s as concertmaster of the Hamburg Opera Orchestra and of the Imperial Russian Orchestra in St. Petersburg. In New York, he established himself as prominent violin teacher and leader of a string quartet. For many years he served as the lead violin editor for the New York music publisher G. Schirmer. His editions of many of the major violin concertos are still in use. He was also was a highly successful arranger whose arrangements were for many years quite popular. Hermann’s compositions are mostly chamber music and include a string trio, three string quartets, a string quintet, and this sextet.
Here is a work that makes a good impression in concert, plays comfortably for amateurs and is well-written for all voices.
Parts: $44.95
Parts & Score: $54.95
