July / August 2016

Robert Volkman's Piano Trios

Friedrich Robert Volkmann (1815-1883) was almost an exact contemporary of Wagner, however, he certainly did not tred the same path as his fellow countryman. Volkmann forever kept Beethoven in front of him as his model although he was later to fall under the sway of Mendelssohn and then Schumann. While some readers may have heard of Volkmann, many will not and it is worthwhile recording here that such was not always the case. Hans von Bülow, the famous conductor, noted that when Liszt had a stranger visiting him, for whom he wished to provide a superlative enjoyment, he played a Volkmann piano trio with his countryman, Joachim and the cellist Cossmann. High praise indeed for a composer whose chamber music has not been available for the better part of a century. During his lifetime, Volkmann’s music was regularly compared to and considered the equal of Schumann or Mendelssohn. His second piano trio was often mentioned in the same breath as Beethoven’s Op.97, “The Archduke.” Alas, Ars Longa but for Volkmann it was not only vita brevis but also fama brevis!.  Though born and schooled in Germany, (he studied at Freiburg & Leipzig), Volkmann, after a brief stint in Prague, got a job in Pest in 1841 and made friends among the large German community there. Though he went to Vienna in 1854, he missed Pest and moved back in 1858 where he remained for the rest of his life. Excepting some sonatas, Volkmann’s chamber music consists of two piano trios and six string quartets.

Piano Trio No.1 in F Major, Op.3 was composed in 1842-3 during his first sojourn in Pest, but not published until he moved to Vienna in 1852.  The trio begins with a stately Adagio introduction which builds slowly in tempo and emotion and seamlessly leads to the main movement Quasi Andante (where our sound-bite begins) The heavily accented first theme is reminiscent of Beethoven while the second theme is lighter, almost playful. The second movement, Allegretto, is a scherzo and again shows the influence of Beethoven. The slow movement, Andante, is for the most part a calm pastorale, straight forward and simple, although the middle section (our sound-bite) provides a clever contrast in both tempo and emotion without becoming overly dramatic or stormy. The finale, Allegro con fuoco, is clearly the show piece of the trio. It contains three excellent themes, all of which provide excellent contrast. It begins with a highly dramatic and rhythmically swaying subject which suddenly, without any development, gives way to an exciting gypsy theme. Brahms himself later borrowed this technique many times. This trio is a fine work, and an excellent example of how Volkmann's music, along with that of Schumann's, is the link between Beethoven and Brahms. Deserving of concert performance, this trio will also give much pleasure to amateurs who will find that it is not beyond their ability.

Piano Trio No.2 in b minor, Op.5 was hailed as a masterpiece from the day it was premiered in 1850 and there is no reason to change that assessment today.  It was called a "New Path" because of its highly unusual structure, which represented a clear break from the standard four movement trios of Schubert, Mendelssohn and Schumann. The format of the trio is not easy to describe. It has been called a multi-part fantasy with each movement having two and sometimes three sub-movements. The opening movement, entitled Largo, is an example of this. It is a long introduction, which leads to a genial, seemingly unrelated  section. The third theme begins as a pleading melody which rises to a tremendous dramatic climax. The second movement is entitled Ritornell. A ritornell is usually an instrumental interlude in a vocal work. Here, Volkmann seems to have used the title in place of intermezzo. The tuneful music is mellow and relaxed. The main theme of the finale, Allegro con brio, is both forceful and exciting.

These trios are important works, both historically, and also in their own right,They were once valuable additions to the piano trio literature, and if given a chance, would almost certainly return to that position again. You can hear soundbites from each movement on our website and if you desire purchase the parts from Edition Silvertrust by clicking on the links above.