Following the success of her Odradek debut, “Splinters”, pianist Mariann Marczi pays tribute to the genius of Schubert.
With his Moments musicaux, Schubert set the standard for a whole genre: dancing, evocative miniatures, each offering a brief snapshot of some vignette or character, like a succession of colourful pictures in a slide show. Like Schubert, Huttenbrenner studied with Salieri and was influenced by Beethoven; the theme from the slow movement of his String Quartet No. 1 is audibly related to the Allegretto from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Schubert particularly loved that symphony, but chose his friend’s theme as the basis for his set of Variations on a theme by Huttenbrenner.
Hungarian pianist Mariann Marczi relishes approaching Schubert’s music from different perspectives, ranging from Baroque nuances in some of Schubert’s Moments musicaux, to glorious Romanticism which anticipates Schumann’s music. Alongside Schubert’s captivating Moments musicaux and inventive Variations, we hear the contagious Grazer Waltzer. Schumann’s Waldszenen or Forest Scenes complete the release, taking the listener on an intriguing journey from idyllic pastoral landscapes to darker, more mysterious terrain.
