Fantasie, op.94 (''Potpourri'') for viola and piano (urtext) by Johann Nepomuk Hummel
- Edited by Norbert Gertsch and Johanna Steiner. Fingerings and markings by Tabea Zimmermann. Published by G. Henle Verlag
Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837) was a prominent composer of the Classical and Romantic eras. He studied with Mozart, was good friend with Beethoven and Schubert well, and had contacts with many other composers of his time. Though he his lesser known today, his music remains tastefully and elegantly representative of his time.
Hummel's Potpourri, Op.94 for viola and orchestra belongs to a light form popular in the 19th century: arrangements of popular songs and melodies of the time--namely, tunes from operas. Hummel's entry contains melodies from Mozart's ''Don Giovanni'', ''Marriage of Figaro'', and ''The Abduction from the Seraglio'', as well as Rossini's ''Tancredi''. But he also included plenty to excite the specialist, with passages of stunning virtuosity and even a central fugue. Over the years, the piece has endured, albeit in severely curtailed versions. The most well-known version, known to violists as the eight-minute ''Fantasie'', cuts out all but an introduction, closing, and the Don Giovanni melodies. This Henle urtext edition restores the original 20-minute version to its full glory, while allowing the violist to perform the shortened version. Includes a marked part by Tabea Zimmermann, as well as a blank unmarked part. For advanced players.
