The Biedermeier Salon
The following was presented as part of the album booklet of the album: „Der meint‘ es treu!“: Music for Fortepiano & Winds from the Biedermeier Salon. Now available on CD & Streaming.
Leopold Kupelwieser, ‘Gesellschaftsspiel der Schubertianer in Atzenbrugg,’ 1821, Wien Museum, Inv.-Nr. 18752
This album explores music for fortepiano and solo wind instruments from the Biedermeier period, which is usually characterized as a cultural flourishing in Central Europe between 1815 and 1848. During this time, often associated with German Romanticism, music became more accessible to the middle classes, and was often performed in domestic settings. Recreating this atmosphere, this album presents various works by Austrian and German composers of the period using an original square pianoforte made in Leipzig, paired with historical wind instruments. Furthermore, the album is presented by musicians from Das Neue Mannheimer Orchester Kamermusici:, or Carl Theodor’s Cabinet: the chamber music initiative of the larger period instrument orchestra founded by Anders Muskens.
During the Biedermeier period, the salon emerged as a central feature of bourgeois social life. Salons, typically hosted by women in their homes, were intimate gatherings where intellectuals, artists, and musicians engaged in discussions, performances, and the exchange of ideas. These gatherings fostered a sense of community and offered a refuge from the strictures of public life. They often included musical performances, poetry recitations, and other artistic explorations, shared between friends and communities in domestic settings. Famously, the Schubertiade, named after the composer Franz Schubert, was a more specialized form of salon, dedicated to music and the works of Schubert. These informal events brought together friends and admirers of Schubert to enjoy his compositions in a convivial and supportive atmosphere. Consequently, these salons exemplified the Biedermeier values of domesticity, creativity, and the celebration of art within the private sphere. The picture to the left depicts a salon in which a pantomime play was given in Atzenbrugg, where Franz Schubert’s circle of friends often went on excursions in the summers around 1820. Schubert can be seen at the piano on the front left. This depiction celebrates the aforementioned Biedermeier values, showcasing the collaborative synthesis of music and theatre in the private sphere.
The Irmler Square Piano, in the Lutherse Kerk Delft during the recording
Nameplate of the Irmler square piano
In order to better convey the spirit of this era, we have selected a number of chamber works with an intimate setting. Rather than using a grand pianoforte, we chose to record with an original German square piano: a popular fixture in Biedermeier-era homes, reflecting the period’s emphasis on domestic music-making and middle-class values. These compact, rectangular instruments were ideal for the smaller living spaces typical of the time. With their elegant, modest design and affordability compared to grand pianos, square pianos became a symbol of bourgeois culture, where family members and guests often gathered to play or listen to music. Their presence in homes also complemented the intimate and sociable atmosphere of Biedermeier salons. The instrument featured in this recording was built around 1823 by Johann Gottlieb Irmler (1790-1857), who learned the piano-building trade whilst apprenticing with prominent piano-builders in Vienna. He established his own piano-building firm in Leipzig in 1818 to capitalize on the growing demand for musical instruments from the emergent middle-class market.
Our album opens with a delightful sonata for flute and pianoforte in D major by Hummel written around 1810. This duo sonata sits at an extraordinary midpoint between the old genres of Pièce de clavecin avec accompagnement and the trio sonata, acting as a soloist and accompanist interchangeably. Hummel’s writing explores the vocalism of the flute, which is exuberant and extremely pleasant for the flautist to perform. The dialogue between instruments is constantly appealing and interesting, and is filled with much invention, all the while hearkening back to the classical models established by Mozart, who was Hummel’s teacher.
Hummel, portrait by Joseph Willibrord Mähler, c. 1814, Goethe-Museum, Düsseldorf
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy’s Sonata for Clarinet and Pianoforte in E-flat major, is an early work that reflects the composer’s precocious talent and his deep understanding of classical forms and Romantic expressiveness. Mendelssohn composed this piece in 1824 when he was just 15 years old, which is remarkable considering the maturity and sophistication evident in the work. At the time, Mendelssohn was studying under Carl Friedrich Zelter, who greatly influenced his classical approach to composition. Despite its quality, the sonata was not published during Mendelssohn’s lifetime. It was rediscovered and published posthumously in the 20th century, and it has since become an important piece in the clarinet repertoire. Regardless, it was likely performed in domestic circles that surrounded the Mendelssohn family.
Schubert’s Variations D. 802, written in 1824, are based on the solemn funerary lied: “Trockne Blumen” (Withered Flowers) from Die Schöne Müllerin, D.795/18 (The Fair Maid of the Mill). This work is comprised of a complex set of virtuosic variations mostly for the keyboard with accompaniment of a melodic instrument. The few variations for the flute do not only exploit the natural virtuosity of the instrument, but rather twist it in harmonic behaviours that are very adventurous for the flute – a flute that is at that time starting to search for evenness, roundness and ease in modulation. The most charming aspect of the work from the flautist’s point of view is that, however new the harmonic plan may be, the vocalism and affects of harmonic keys are still extremely close to those established by previous generations.
Artist: Schaeffer, ? depicting Kotte, J. G
Verwalter: Dresden, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (SKD), Kupferstich-Kabinett,
Signatur/Inventar-Nr.: 1902/468
The “Fantasiestücke für Pianoforte und Clarinette, Op. 73” is a collection of three pieces composed by Robert Schumann in 1849. Originally titled “Soiréestücke für Clarinette und Clavier” (Evening Pieces for Clarinet and Piano), Schumann composed the first two movements on February 11, 1849, and completed the third on February 13. According to his household diary, four days later, on February 17, Schumann wrote, “Early rehearsal with Kotte,” followed by another entry on February 18: “Early rehearsal of clarinet pieces with Kotte.” Clara Schumann described her “great enjoyment” of these sessions. Johann Gottlieb Kotte (1797-1857), the solo clarinettist of the Royal Orchestra in Dresden, played one of the finest instruments available at the time—an eleven-key clarinet made by Carl Theodor Golde of Dresden. Later writers have noted differences between the autograph manuscript, housed in the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris (M.321), and Clara Schumann’s edition, including a name change from “Soiréestücke” to “Fantasiestücke,” the elimination of a repeat in the first movement (mm. 2-18), and the addition of two chords at the end of the second movement. Schumann composed these pieces during one of the most productive periods of his life, a time that also coincided with political unrest in Germany. The title “Fantasiestücke” (Fantasy Pieces) reflects the Romantic ideal of conveying deep emotions and imagination without being restricted by formal structures. Schumann used this title for several works, signalling compositions that are expressive, free in form, and imbued with a poetic, often dreamy, character.
Eduard Bernsdorf (1825-1901) offered an enthusiastic and insightful review of the published “Fantasiestücke”:
12-key Clarinet by Carl Theodor Golde
© Museum für Musikinstrumente der Universität Leipzig
“Rapturous agitation, sometimes tinged with melancholy, at other times swelling to joyful outbursts. This is clearly the predominant character of the present Fantasiestücke. With a composer like Schumann, it is obvious that this uniformity does not lead to monotony. It almost seems as if he were striving to explore every psychological moment within them, and he has truly succeeded. The great variety and freedom of ideas are all the more admirable as they navigate within self-imposed boundaries. And then there is the splendid way in which the piano and the clarinet share the expression of these ideas, complementing each other; neither is master nor servant. One can see that Schumann has once again created a work that occupies a worthy place among the many beautiful works with which he has enriched art.”
Bernsdorf, “Für Pianoforte und Clarinette, Rob. Schumann, Op. 73. Fantasiestücke für Pianoforte und Clarinette (ad libitum Violine oder Violoncello.)” Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 32, no.13 (February 12, 1852): 59-60.
Originally written for clarinet in A and piano, these pieces are also commonly performed with violin or cello, as Schumann himself suggested. Schumann preferred the A clarinet over the B-flat clarinet due to its richer timbre, noting that if the instrument is in good condition, the work can be played very smoothly. The three pieces are poetic miniatures, each connected by a central tonic, making them well-suited for performance in a Romantic salon.
Through engaging performances on period-appropriate instruments and thoughtfully curated repertoire, this album not only revives the soundscape of the Biedermeier era but also highlights its unique cultural spirit. It invites contemporary audiences to rediscover and appreciate the intimate musical experiences that defined social and artistic interactions of this historical period.
Anders Muskens
