Hermann Goetz; Hans Huber - Piano Trios (Trio Fontane)

Information

Composer: Hermann Goetz; Hans Huber

• Huber - Piano Trio in E flat major, Op. 20
• Goetz - Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 1

Trio Fontane

    Andrea Wiesli, piano

    Noëlle Grüebler, violin

    Jonas Kreienbühl, cello

Date: 2020

Label: Solo Musica

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Review

This release features piano trios by two Swiss composers: Hermann Goetz and Hans  Huber. And they’re performed by a Swiss ensemble, the Trio Fontaine.

Hans Huber is an important figure in Swiss music. He wrote eight symphonies, six concertos, six operates, and a variety of other works. Huber was a late-Romantic composer, with a style similar to Brahms.

His Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op. 20 is a four-movement work that beguiles the ear. The melodies are a little four-square, but Huber (like Brahms) knows how to work with his material. The underlying logic of the work makes it easy to follow and appreciate even at first hearing.

Hermann Goetz was born in Germany, but he moved to Switzerland at 23 and remained there for life. Goetz’s music lapsed into obscurity after his death in 1876. But it had its admirers. George Bernard Shaw was a fan. So was Gustav Mahler, who programmed some of Gopetz’s works.

The Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 1 was written in 1863. Stylistically, Goetz seems to owe much to Mendelssohn. There are lightness and clarity to the score that’s missing in Huber’s. Goetz uses his motifs as foundational blocks. They may be transformed as the work progresses, but they still provide signposts to orient the listener.

The Trio Fontane is a young ensemble. They’re dedicated to rediscovering forgotten composers, and that passion translates will into their performances. The musicians play with real commitment, and it pays off. Perhaps its an affinity this Swiss trio has with music by Swiss composers. The Trio Fontaine delivers time and again with passages full of energy and excitement.

In my opinion, the recording wasn’t the best. The piano has a slightly muffled sound, which sometimes deadens the impact of attacks. The sound of the cello is also a little boomy for my taste, while the violin’s tone had a steely edge to it. In the long run, my desire to hear this music outweighed my complaints about the recorded sound. But your mileage may vary.

— Ralph Graves

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Hermann Goetz (7 December 1840 – 3 December 1876) was a German composer who spent much of his career in Switzerland. Born in Königsberg, he studied piano and composition with Hans von Bülow in Berlin before moving to Switzerland in 1863. He became city organist in Winterthur and gained recognition as a composer and music critic. Illness forced him to stop teaching and performing, leading him to focus solely on composing in his final years. His works include a symphony, concertos, chamber music, piano pieces, and two operas: Der Widerspänstigen Zähmung and Francesca von Rimini.

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Hans Huber (28 June 1852 – 25 December 1921) was a Swiss composer. Born in Eppenberg-Wöschnau, Canton of Solothurn, he studied at the Leipzig Conservatory under Carl Reinecke and later taught in Alsace before moving to Basel in 1877. Though initially denied a position at the Basel Conservatory, he eventually joined in 1889 and became its Director by 1896. Huber composed eight symphonies, concertos for violin, cello, and piano, nine violin sonatas, and five cello sonatas. He also wrote five operas, and a collection of 24 Preludes and Fugues for piano four-hands, covering all major and minor keys.

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The Fontane Trio, founded in 2002, studied at the Zurich University of Music and gained recognition through competition success, notably winning Best Piano Trio at the 2007 Migros Culture Percentage Chamber Music Competition. Supported by several foundations, the ensemble has performed widely in Switzerland and internationally, including venues like Tonhalle Zürich and festivals such as Gstaad and Sion. Their recordings include works by Beethoven, Smetana, Schaeuble, Radecke, Rütti, Huber and Goetz. Their Goetz/Huber recording was nominated for the German Record Critics' Award.

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