Preface (Schott Music)

These three waltzes, composed for festive occasions, full of allusions for the dedicatees, are not difficult to realise and bear the unmistakable signature of Bertold Hummel - one even bears his musical signature.

Little Waltz op. 95f,1 (1994)

Bertold Hummel composed this little 67-bar waltz for his wife Inken on her 67th birthday. On the morning of every birthday, the 3rd verse of the chorale "Lobe den Herren" was intoned in the Hummel home. The singing composer accompanied the more or less well-disposed family members on the grand piano. The last notes of the chorale open the waltz.

A small reverence op. 95f,2 (2001)

On the occasion of his 70th birthday, the Bishop of Würzburg, Paul-Werner Scheele, held a laudatory speech for the composer friend in Munich's Gasteig. In this speech, Scheele made several references to Hummel's 2nd Symphony "Reverenza". On the bishop's 73rd birthday, the composer returned the favour with this "little reverence" in three-four time, which juggles with the letters of both names that can be set to music.

Wedding Waltz op.95f,3 (1998)

The Wedding Waltz was performed for the first time on the wedding evening of Hummel's son Stefan David and his wife Gabriele at Wolfgangsee in Austria. The two piano parts wander like parables together or alone through highs and lows, through major and minor, to unite at the end in the radiant C major.

Martin Hummel