album preview

Although Friedrich Ludwig Aemilius Kunzen came from a German family of musicians, it would not be wrong to call him Denmark's first great piano virtuoso. He came to Copenhagen in 1795 and was appointed court conductor with responsibility for opera and sacred music, but it was his renown as a pianist that made the Copenhagen bourgeoisie regard him as a god. Of the many works he composed, few have survived, but those that have speak of immense musical talent. One can hear this for oneself on this new CD.

In his time Kunzen was also famous as the composer of the opera Holger Danske (Ogier the Dane, released on Dacapo) – it gave rise to a Copenhagen ‘Opera Feud'. And Kunzen is celebrated for his tireless zeal in introducing Mozart's music in Copenhagen. His admiration of Mozart shines through the piano music, but all the same Kunzen has the artistic energy to break with his model and for example to write four movements in his piano sonata in C sharp minor, where the key too is surprising. The sonata is technically demanding, and shows us a mature composer full of self-confidence. Among the one-movement piano pieces it is worth noting the Divertimento in A major The designation divertimento is normally associated with lighter, entertaining pieces, but it is something of an understatement in this case. Kunzen has created a real little masterpiece that can be and has been compared to similar works by Haydn. It was written before Kunzen came to Copenhagen, but the composer probably played it at one of the soirées in a respectable bourgeois home like that of the theatre director Wilhelm von Warnstadt. A piece of Danish cultural history brought to life.