Heller Selected Piano Works – Character Pieces - Piano Solo (Henle HN 372)

In this volume are to be found many small but pleasing piano pieces by the 19th-century composer Stephen Heller. The majority are of only medium difficulty, but their sound always has a particular charm. In 1853 Heller wrote to his publisher that he “had not sought to write many words” here, but wanted to suggest something “substantial and meaningful” in “just a few strokes”. Our volume provides valuable insights into Heller’s artistic development and is entirely devoted to the “character piece”, a form that comprises the major part of his compositional output. Examples include “Die kleine Bettlerin” [The little beggar-girl], “Nach erquickender Rast” [After a refreshing rest] and “Weinendes Kind” [Crying child] – scenes that conjure up and express a particular mood. As Ursula Kersten writes in her preface, Heller’s music already makes one think of Impressionism, and repays the effort involved in getting to know the composer of this volume more closely.

Composer: Stephen Heller
Editor: Ursula Kersten
Format: Henle Urtext Edition, softcover
Pages: 102
Henle number: HN 372

Contents

• Die Jagd op. 29
• "Die kleine Bettlerin" from "Miscallanées" op. 40,2
• "Eglogue" from "Miscallanées" op. 40,3
• No. 4 from "Traumbilder" op. 79,4
• No. 5 from "Traumbilder" op. 79,5
• No. 6 from "Traumbilder" op. 79,6
• No. 2 "Nach erquickender Rast" from "Wanderstunden" op. 80,2
• Prelude no. 2 from "24 Préludes" op. 81,2
• Prelude no. 15 from "24 Préludes" op. 81,15
• Prelude no. 16 from "24 Préludes" op. 81,16
• Prelude no. 17 from "24 Préludes" op. 81,17
• No. 9 from "Nuits blanches. Blumen-, Frucht- und Dornenstücke" op. 82,9
• No. 3 "Rêverie du Gondolier" from "Trois Morceaux" op. 121,3
• No. 1 from "Kinderszenen" op. 124,1
• No. 9 from "Kinderszenen" op. 124,9
• No. 10 from "Kinderszenen" op. 124,10
• No. 5 "Waldsage" from "Im Walde". op. 128,5
• No. 6 "Verfolgtes Eichhörnchen" from "Im Walde". op. 128,6
• No. 5 "Fragen" from "Petit Album" op. 134,5
• No. 6 "Antwort" from "Petit Album" op. 134,6
• "Weinendes Kind" from "Notenbuch für Klein und Groß" op. 138,10
• "Tröstende Kameraden" from "Notenbuch für Klein und Groß" op. 138,11
• "Zigeuner" no. 16 from "Notenbuch für Klein und Groß" op. 138,16
• "Zigeuner" no. 17 from "Notenbuch für Klein und Groß" op. 138,17
• "Zigeuner" no. 18 from "Notenbuch für Klein und Groß" op. 138,18
• "Zigeuner" no. 19 from "Notenbuch für Klein und Groß" op. 138,19
• "Zigeuner" no.20 from "Notenbuch für Klein und Groß" op. 138,20
• Prelude no. 6 from "20 Préludes" op. 150,6
• Prelude no. 7 from "20 Préludes" op. 150,7
• Prelude no. 8 from "20 Préludes" op. 150,8
• Prelude no. 10 from "20 Préludes" op. 150,10
• Prelude no. 17 from "20 Préludes" op. 150,17