HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Carl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke

Born in Hamburg (in Denmark at the time) on 23 June 1824, Carl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke began composing at age seven, due a music teacher for a father. He first played piano in public at twelve. Reinecke published his Op 1 in 1839 per '2 Charakterstücke und eine Fuge für die linke Hand' ('Two Character Pieces and a Fugue for the Left Hand'). He made his first concert tour in 1843 to points in Denmark and Sweden. After studying in Leipzig under Mendelssohn, Schumann and Liszt, he toured Germany and Denmark in 1846. Reinecke was court pianist in Copenhagen for Christian VIII of Denmark until 1848, after which he composed in Paris.

Reinecke wrote his first symphony in 1850, 'Symphony in G major', which saw a few performances that decade but was later disowned by him, denied an opus number and eventually lost. Starting in 1851 Reinecke became a professor at the Cologne Conservatory, then a musical director in Barmen in 1854 until heading the Singakademie in Breslau in 1859-60. He was at Barmen when he published his first cello sonata in A minor Op 42 in 1855. His 'Symphony No.1' in A major later premiered in Leipzig on 2 Nov 1858, its revision on 22 October 1863 at the Gewandhaus (Garment House) in Leipzig. Most data herein is from IMSLP.

'Cello Sonata No. 1' in A minor Op 42 Carl Reinecke Published 1855

Cello: Martin Rummel Piano: Roland Krüger

'Symphony No.1' in A major Op 79 Carl Reinecke

Version 1 premiere 2 Dec 1858 in Leipzig Gewandhausorchester conducted by Julius Rietz

Version 2 premiere 22 Oct 1863 in Leipzig Gewandhausorchester conducted by Reinecke

Performance above: Rhenish Philharmonic Orchestra led by Alfred Walter 1991

Reinecke began to instruct at the Conservatorium in Leipzig in 1860, the same year he became director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra which he would conduct until 1895. He published his first of four piano concertos, 'Piano Concerto No.1' in F-sharp minor Op 72, in 1862 in Leipzig, written earlier in 1860. 'Piano Concerto No.2' in E-minor Op 120 saw print a decade later in 1872.

'Piano Concert No.1' in F sharp minor Op 72 Carl Reinecke

Composed 1860 Published 1862

Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie conducted by Alun Francis

Piano: Klaus Hellwig

'Piano Concert No.2' in E minor Op 120 Carl Reinecke

Premiere 14 Nov 1872 in Leipzig

Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie conducted by Alun Francis

Piano: Klaus Hellwig

'Symphony No. 2' ('Håkon Jarl') in C minor Op 134 saw print in 1875, revision in 1888:

'Symphony No.2' ('Håkon Jarl') in C minor Op 134 Carl Reinecke

Version 1 composed 1894-95 Version 2 1888

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Howard Shelley 2001

'Violin Concerto' in G minor Op 141 in 3 movements arrived in 1876, followed by 'Piano Concerto No.3' Op 144 the next year:

'Violin Concerto' in G minor Op 141 Carl Reinecke

Premiere 21 Dec 1876 in Leipzig

Berner Symphonie-Orchester conducted by Johannes Moesus

Violin: Ingolf Turbin

'Piano Concert No.3' in C major Op 144 Carl Reinecke

Premiere 11 Oct 1877 in Leipzig

Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie conducted by Alun Francis

Piano: Klaus Hellwig

Reinecke's better known works were composed during his latter career, such as his 'Undine' sonata for flute and keyboard Op 167 published in Leipzig in 1882 with a dedication to flautist and fellow Conservatory instructor, Herrn Wilhelm Barge. That had been an examination of the 1811 novella, 'Undine', by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué:

'Undine' Flute sonata in E minor Op 167 Carl Reinecke Published 1882

Flute: Claudio Barile Piano: Paula Peluso

Buenos Aires 9 Feb 2014

'Undine' Flute sonata in E minor Op 167 Carl Reinecke Published 1882

Flute: Alexa Still Piano: Renée Lavergne

Montreal Flute Festival

On 16 October of 1884 Reinecke's 'Harp Concerto' in E minor Op 182 saw premiere in Leipzig at the Gewandhaus:

'Harp Conerto' in E minor Op 182 Carl Reinecke Published 1882

Premiere 16 Oct 1884 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig

Harp above: AAnneleen Lenaerts

Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen conducted by Jan Latham-Koenigs

Concertgebouw in Bruges, Belgium 29 April 2014

Come Reinecke's 'Trio for Piano, Oboe and Horn' Op 188 published in 1887:

'Trio for piano, oboe and horn' in A minor Op 188 Carl Reinecke Published 1887

Piano: David Gilliland Oboe: Nermis Mieses Horn: Stacie Mickens

Britton Recital Hall University of Michigan 31 Jan 2012

Reinecke's 'String Quartet No.4' in D major Op 211 saw print in 1891. His 'Octet' in B flat Op 216 followed in 1892:

'Octet' in B flat major Op 216 Carl Reinecke Published 1892

Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet & Guests

'Symphony No. 3' in G minor Op 227 premiered on 21 Feb 1895 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig:

'Symphony No.3' in G minor Op 227 Carl Reinecke

Premiere 21 Feb 1895 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Howard Shelley 2001

'Symphony No.3' in G minor Op 227 Carl Reinecke

Premiere 21 Feb 1895 at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig

Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt conducted by Heribert Beissel 2011

'Cello Sonata No.3' in G major Op 238 was composed in 1897, published in 1898 in memory of Johannes Brahms:

'Cello Sonata No. 3' in G major Op 238 Carl Reinecke

Composed 1897 Published 1898

Cello: Martin Rummel Piano: Roland Krüger

Reinecke's 'Children's Symphony' in C major Op 239 saw publishing in 1898. His final piano concerto was 'Piano Concerto No.4' Op 254 published in 1901:

'Kinder-Sinfonie' ('Toy Symphony') in C major Op 239 Carl Reinecke

Composed 1897 Published 1898

Kapp Sinfonietta led by Emanuel Vardi

'Piano Concerto No.4' in B minor Op 254 Carl Reinecke Published 1901

NordwestDeutsche Philharmonie led by Alun Francis

Piano: Klaus Hellwig

Upon retiring from the Conservatory in 1902 Reinecke continued composing and toured England. On 21 Jan of 1905 he recorded seven piano rolls for the Welte-Mignon company, making him the earliest-born musician in the VF History to so document music. Those were later followed by 14 for Aeolian, then twenty for Ludwig Hupfeld (Triphonola, DEA [reproducing piano], et al). Compared to acoustic recordings, which finicky classical and big band artists tended to avoid for sketchy fidelity, piano rolls offered nigh real-sounding documents which a pianist could get behind. Gershwin burned a trail with them. But not a lot of people had money or room for a player piano in their home. Nor could other instruments or vocals be recorded like a piano roll, which made for a small market compared to acoustic recordings of which blues and popular artists sold as many as possible, fame trumping fidelity. Piano rolls yet thrived in a specialized market until radio, electronic disc recording and the jukebox relegated them to an old-time novelty. Titles below are stacked per issue numbers and dates proffered by Miaoyin Qu in 'Piano Playing in the German Tradition 1840-1900' (University of Leeds 2015). See also FPP.

Piano roll by Carl Reinecke: Mozart's 'Fantasia' K 475

Hupfeld Triphonola 53916 c 1905

Piano roll by Carl Reinecke: From Mozart's 'Piano Sonata' K 331

Hupfeld Triphonola 50318 c 1907

Piano roll by Carl Reinecke: Reinecke's 'Ballade' Op 20

Composition published 1850

Hupfeld Triphonola 50349 c 1907

Punched sometime after 1912 per the Deutches Museum

Piano roll by Carl Reinecke: Reinecke's 'Nocturne' Op 157 No.1

Composition 1881

Hupfeld Triphonola 55587 c 1907

Reinecke's final concerto, 'Flute Concerto' in D major Op 283 was performed as a piano reduction on 15 March 1909 in Leipzig by pianist, Oswin Keller, with flautist, Maximilian Schwedler, the latter for whom it was written. The concerto in whole saw performance at Queen's Hall in London by flautist, Albert Fransella, backed by the Promenade Orchestra with Henry Wood conducting on 4 September 1909.