Anton Urspruch (17 February 1850 – 11 January 1907) was a German composer and pedagogue who belonged to the late German Romantic era.
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Piano Concerto in E flat major, Op. 9 (1882)
Dedication: Joachim Raff
1. Allegro ma non troppo (0:00)
2. Andante, lento e mesto (22:11)
3. Allegro, tempo giusto (28:59)
Oliver Triendl, piano and the North West German Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Georg Fritzsch
Urspruch’s Op 9 was dedicated to Raff and, not surprisingly, published by Cranz. No fire and brimstone opening for him. Instead we have pianissimo strings playing a lilting 12/8 theme that one feels might at any moment break into Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ symphony. Indeed, throughout its twenty-four minutes, the first movement rarely departs from a bucolic evocation of Alpine meadows and streams. The soloist, though constantly busy, has no bravura role with only a few moments rising above forte. Beethoven is clearly the model for the unexpected and extended cadenza at 19'12. Even here, Urspruch is reluctant to depart from his rural idyll until he abruptly calls a halt to proceedings with two sudden sforzando chords.
The slow movement, marked ‘andante’ and ‘lento e mesto’, is in 2/4 and the relative minor. Muted strings play the main subject, which the soloist decides not to take up, but rather offers a different theme. In fact, it is the woodwind (as solo or ensemble) that are foremost throughout, with the piano in accompanying mode. A brief cadential flourish (marked ‘improvisando’), followed by an unanticipated nine linking bars of fortissimo orchestral tutti (pesante e con forza), lead to a fermata and … the final movement. The solo piano presents a delightful and spirited dance tune which, momentarily, resembles ‘Mein gläubiges Herze’ from Bach’s cantata BWV68. Oboes, clarinets and bassoons then offer a contrasted, more relaxed idea, before the piano enters with a third subject, both strident and Schumannesque. These themes provide Urspruch with the material on which he can play his variations for the remainder of this energetic movement—a fugato at 5'23, for instance; the piano’s moto perpetuo above the strings’ restatement of the initial subject; a tricky version of the same theme (molto più animato) that has the pianist playing different semiquaver passagework in each hand. The music accelerates to the orchestra’s further transformation of the theme in prestissimo triplets, joined ultimately by the piano for the joyful rush to the finishing line.
from notes by Jeremy Nicholas © 2018