Jan Hennig - Karg-Elert: Frühe Meisterwerke für Kunstharmonium (2019)

For decades, Jan Hennig has dedicated himself to harmonium, a much underrated, if not forgotten, instrument. That it could come to this, may be due to many causes, but one of them is certainly that often inadequate or bad instruments have brought the harmonies into disrepute. So the difference between suction and compression wind harmonies is hardly known, but musically it is fundamental, since only the latter, for technical reasons, are capable of producing a tremendous variety of timbres and expressive nuances.

Which are in detail, that hardly anyone knows better than Jan Hennig, who plays here on a Kunstharmonium the company Mustel, which also has a built-Celesta. Most knowledgeably, he not only introduces such things as percussion, prolongation and double expression in the booklet, he also introduces them himself with works by Sigfrid Karg-Elert. Karg-Elert had literally fooled about this instrument and left a lot of works for it, which are not only sometimes highly sophisticated and picturesque, but show the sonic possibilities of the harmonium in all its facets.

Jan Hennig does exemplary work here and controls the complex possibilities of variation of his instrument, whose dynamics are regulated for example with toggle levers while you always have to draw fresh wind with your feet, with fascinating perfection. Both the large form, such as the Passacaglia in E flat minor, op. 25, as well as small character pieces, such as a Rêverie or a Valse noble from the pieces op. 26, are performed in a charming way. Anyone who disqualifies harmonies as second-rate or inferior instruments is himself to blame. Images such as these should eventually lead prejudices to absurdity.

Tracklist:

01. Passacaglia in E-Flat Minor, Op. 25
02. Partita in D Major, Op. 37: I. Entrata. Grave, maestoso
03. Partita in D Major, Op. 37: II. Courante. Molto vivace
04. Partita in D Major, Op. 37: III. Sarabande. Lento cantabile
05. Partita in D Major, Op. 37: IV. Bourrée et musette. Allegro con brio - Tranquillamente - Allegro con brio
06. Partita in D Major, Op. 37: V. Air. Andantino gentile
07. Partita in D Major, Op. 37: VI. Gavotte. Grazioso
08. Partita in D Major, Op. 37: VII. Loure. Tranquillamente e sempre amabile
09. Partita in D Major, Op. 37: VIII. Rigaudon and Epilogue. Vivace e giocoso - Recht ruhig - Tempo I - Molto tranquillo
10. Improvisation in E Major, Op. 34
11. 8 Konzertstücke, Op. 26: No. 1, Humoreske in E Major. Allegrissimo
12. 8 Konzertstücke, Op. 26: No. 2, Alla burla in G Major. Vivace e capriccioso
13. 8 Konzertstücke, Op. 26: No. 3, Scherzino bizarro in G Major. Risvegliato e vivace
14. 8 Konzertstücke, Op. 26: No. 4, Adoration in B Major. Quasi improvvisata, lento - Largo con molta espressione
15. 8 Konzertstücke, Op. 26: No. 5, Valse noble in A-Flat Major. Commodo
16. 8 Konzertstücke, Op. 26: No. 6, Capriccietto in F-Sharp Major. Allegretto grazioso
17. 8 Konzertstücke, Op. 26: No. 7, Rêverie in E Major. Tranquillamente ed espressivo
18. 8 Konzertstücke, Op. 26: No. 8, Piquanteries in B Minor. Allegretto capriccioso