Presents
Hans Koessler
Trio Suite for Piano, Violin & Viola (or Cello)
Hans
Koessler (1853-1926) is a master composer who wrote some of the most outstanding
music that you have never heard. An injustice, but one which we, with the
republication of this fine work, hope will begin to remedy this situation.
Koessler was born in Waldbeck in upper Bavaria. He
studied organ and composition with Joseph Rheinberger in Munich. He held a
number of positions in Germany before finally taking up the position of
Professor of Organ, Composition and Choral direction at the Music Academy of
Budapest in the early 1880's. He stayed there until his retirement in 1908.
Bartok, Kodaly, Dohnanyi, Leo Weiner and Imre Kalman were all among his many
students and he was widely regarded as the finest teacher of composition in
Austria-Hungary during the 1890's and the first part of the 20th century. Though
primary a composer of vocal works and opera, he did write a number of superb
chamber works including two string quartets, a string quintet, and a sextet
along with his Trio Suite for Piano, Violin and Viola.
Koessler's works were never catalogued and were often published, like the Trio Suite, without any opus number. The Trio Suite was dedicated to his student and friend Ernst von Dohnanyi and published in 1922 toward the end of his life but was believed to have been composed around 1919. The highly respected chamber music critic, Wilhelm Altmann, wrote about the Trio Suite as follows:
The Trio Suite is eminently suitable for performance. Furthermore, given that Koessler composed it when he was sixty six years old, it is astonishing proof of his youthfulness and intellectual vigor. It would be very popular in concert halls if it were to be performed. Koessler, a classicist who considered himself a follower of Brahms, nonetheless surprises us with daring modulations which Brahms himself would never have ventured to write let alone think of. The opening Allegro is written on a grand scale with lovely themes--including a very Hungarian dance--and a very effective coda. The second movement, Romanze, is filled with sentiment and emotion. Koessler follows this up with a delightful, gay Gavotte. The finale, Vivace, is full of attractive themes which are warm-blooded and distinctive.
We believe there are few if any works for this combination which can match the excellence of Koessler's Trio Suite. In fact, we feel it is simply too good to deprive standard piano trio groups of this music and have therefore have included an alternative cello part, in lieu of the viola. Thus for the first time, standard piano trios can now enjoy this work. We feel certain Koessler would have approved.
Original Parts (Violin, Viola & Piano) : $29.95
With Additional Cello Part (to be used in lieu of viola) $34.95
