| Description |
Hermann Goetz - Complete Chamber Music
Piano Quartet in E major, Op. 6 - Three Easy Pieces for Violin and Piano, Op. 2 - Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 1 - Piano Quintet in C minor, Op. 16 - Gerald Robbins, Piano / Glenn Dicterow, Violin / Alan de Veritch, Viola / Terry King, Cello / Dennis Trembly, Bass
Once upon a time in New York City (around 1981), I recall the astonished, wide-eyed look of the 1st violinist of a major "younger" string quartet (I won't name the ensemble, but take my word for it: the group was about as "big name" as they come). This small incident took place at one of the musicians' gatherings we sometimes attended and the musician in question had, in an adjoining room, just listened to one of the recordings being offered here (which, at the time, I'd taped from a radio broadcast - we always took the tape with us on such occasions "just in case"). "Who IS Hermann Goetz??" were the only words he could manage, shaking his head with a mixture of shock, wonder and disbelief.
That's how it sometimes was then ... during the so-called "Romantic Revival" ... when these highly outstanding Genesis recordings first appeared. Musicians and music lovers alike were often at a complete loss to learn that they had somehow "missed" the music of Hermann Goetz (1840-1876). For these people, an encounter with the music of Goetz tended to undermine in a very dramatic way the old piece of common wisdom which goes something like: "Whatever - or whoever - posseses true merit always achieves universal recognition."
Presently, I'm not aware of whether the music of Goetz is better known since my first encounter with it (or indeed, whether the situation has remained more or less the same as it was in 1980 - or slipped in the other direction). But here is an "ageless" set of incomparable performances full of life and enthusiasm (plus almost whatever else one might want) ... just in case.
LP transfers of material (with good sound) issued 1975 (Genesis).
Includes original cover and notes.
|
!
17 
7 
