Surprise
about the beauty of a totally unknown string quartet that was heard on
a car radio led to an in-depth study that lasted 3 years, a worldwide
search for publications and CDs and 38 hours of radio broadcasts with
the title Hummel revisited. Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837) was once the most famous composer in Europe, but was forgotten soon after his death.
Programme maker Thijs Bongers did the reasearch and made the
programmes, but every series eventually must come to an end. The final
programme in the series Hummel Revisited will be broadcast on Tuesday 6 February.
The 38th episode looks at the final days of the composer. He was
still productive despite health problems and wrote an interesting and
in some respects revolutionary series of piano studies, op. 125. The
work would be an inspiration for Chopin who was an admirer of Hummel.
In the programme you can hear a selection from Hummel's studies as well
as some of the works by Chopin that were inspired by them. The
series closes with an elegant and virtuoso work fro violin and piano.
If you would like to listen to more episodes of Hummel revisited then click on this link and visit our website.
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