Julius Rontgen: Piano Music, Vol. 1
Sheet Music

SKU: NX.NI5918

By English Symphony Orchestra and Mark Anderson. By Julius Rontgen. Classical. Listening CD. Published by Nimbus Records (NX.NI5918).

Julius Rontgen (1855-1932) was both a composer and a gifted pianist and as such he knew how to write well for his instrument. Rontgen was a child prodigy and from an early age composed ambitious works for the piano. He frequently performed his own, and others, piano concertos. Beethoven's Fourth and Brahms's Second were particular favourites. It was through performances of Beethoven's Piano Sonata op.111 and Schumann's Etudes Symphoniques that Rontgen established himself. However, it was not as a soloist but as an accompanist that Rontgen would make a lasting impression. The partnership with his contemporary, the baritone Johannes Messchaert, was legendary and they made several European tours. At one of their recitals, in the Vienna Musikvereinsaal, it was noted that Brahms and Grieg were sat together in the front row. Rontgen composed constantly throughout his performing and teaching career. Opus numbers were only applied to printed works, itself a fraction of his more than 600 compositions. Recent renewed interest in Rontgen has revealed many treasures still waiting to be awakened in the Rontgen Archives (Den Haag). Alongside a huge series of unknown string quartets, string trios, piano trios and symphonies there are some thirty piano sonatas and sonatinas from 1922-1932 alone. Rontgen started and ended his creative life as a piano composer.

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Listening CDs are traditional music recordings. Listening CDs make a great educational supplement - hear exceptional professionals play the music you're learning! Or, just enjoy listening to the music you love.