Divertimento for cor anglais and viola (op. 62b, 1977)
composed for Eva and Jürgen on 25 Sept. 1976 with warmest congratulations from Bertold Hummel
I. Prologue, II. Intermezzo, III. Waltz, IV. Introduction and March
cor anglais, viola
Duration: 10 minutes
Jürgen Hollerbuhl | Eva Hollerbuhl
Title: Divertimento for English horn and viola (1976) - Length: 16 pages - Date: I. 15.9.76 / II. 17.9.76 / III. 20.9.76 / IV. 22.9.76 - Location: Private property
Schott Music ED 20291 / ISMN: M-001-14996-9
First edition: J. Schuberth & Co., Eisenach 1997
In 1981, Schuberthverlag Hamburg published Bertold Hummel's Divertimento for bassoon and violoncello op. 62c, which was written in 1977 and arranged by the composer in the published instrumentation from a model for cor anglais and viola (incidentally an occasional composition as a serenade for a wedding of two musician friends).
As there is unfortunately still very little literature for this instrumentation, this composition is certainly an enrichment in terms of its musical quality. This charming chamber music is a moderately difficult musical work, which was not written on the basis of compositional theory, but rather by a composing instrumentalist for the respective instrument and its characteristic features and is therefore also ideally suited for chamber music instrumental lessons.
Based on concise short motifs, which were arranged by the composer in four quite contrasting movements - quasi in serenade style - tonal formulations and turns of phrase are not dispensed with despite the free tonal structure. Bertold Hummel's tonal reference to Genzmer and Hindemith is audible and the four movements are divided into a vocal prologue, a motoric-musical intermezzo, a playful, charming waltz, an expressive introduction and an energetic march.
The composer Bertold Hummel has been President of the University of Music in Würzburg since 1979. Within the wide range of his works, this composition reveals the composer's versatility. Incidentally, this divertimento was recorded by the bassoonist Eberhard Buschmann and Bertold Hummel (cello) on Bavarian Radio.
In the Divertimento for cor anglais and viola, Eva and Jürgen Hollerbuhl showed that they are not only at home in baroque and classical music, but also in modern music. The divertimento in question was written especially for them by Bertold Hummel. The carefully rehearsed, yet always playfully offbeat endings, which turned an entire movement into a question, a statement, an argument or a joke, were amusing.