The catchy three-movement piece is somewhat reminiscent of Benjamin Britten in its fusion of old themes and figurations with new ones. Interestingly orchestrated - unusual effects with harp - Hummel always ensures that the harpsichord does not recede into the background as a continuo instrument.

The amusing and capricious work, in which the combination of harpsichord and skilfully scored orchestra gives it a special charm through the occasional contrast in sound and style, was performed with palpable joy and good empathy.

The last evening's music in the Gartensaal of the Residenz, like the others, had a modern twist; it featured the premiere of a work by a Würzburg composer, the Divertimento capriccioso for harpsichord and orchestra by Bertold Hummel, the teacher of composition at the Bavarian State Conservatory of Music, a piece that lent the evening a cheerful, lively, upbeat feel.
Hummel has a talent for using the stylistic devices of our tent with a light hand. He takes the instruments by their characteristic, but also by their striking and surprising colours and plays them off against each other in such a way as to create beautiful and sometimes witty contrasts. Here he also gives his music the pleasure of being allowed to oscillate a little burlesquely, a little coquettishly between the periods! He had chosen a baroque "model", motifs from Pergolesi buzz through this music, where they are exposed to contemporary artistry from all sides, so to speak; this turns and twists the elegant old mastery according to whim and cunning, according to cheeky pleasure, and so it is not only very pleasing to itself, but also to those who listen to it. Right in the first movement, the Concerto, the brass blows into it as if it were blowing into a march, the percussion quickly joins in and is no less able to speak lazily, the drum is even ready for a whirl that is as sure of itself as it is of the effect it triggers. In the Serenata, the instruments twitch differently, they float a little, the rhythm has changed, they speak to each other more leisurely, but in such a way that one remains fully aware of the humour: It then comes into its own in the Capriccio, the final movement.
The harpsichord has the first voice in this round and it makes confident use of it. According to Baroque custom, it often binds the ensemble of voices into a whole, even when it is the spokesman, but even more so when it insists on insistence because the other instruments only want to claim the right to be soloists. Then it acts as if it were only the accompanying voice and lets the speech and the alternating speech in this musical debate be carried out on its back.
For the harpsichord player it is therefore not least a question of being able to parry; his reaction must be accurate, his playing extremely fluid, an agile temperament is required.

Otto Strodel