Julius Röntgen (1855-1932)
Ein cyclus von Phantasiestücken, op. 5
Neckens Polska, variations sur un thème populaire suédois, op. 11
Sonate pour piano n° 2 en ré bémol majeur, op. 10

Mark Anderson, piano

L’édition CPO nous a fait redécouvrir les pages symphoniques et concertantes du prolixe Julius Röntgen, compositeur néerlandais proche de Brahms et Grieg. Complément logique, voici l’œuvre pour piano, avec trois pièces datant des années 1870 ; on y perçoit l’évidente influence de Brahms et plus encore de Schumann (manifeste jusqu’au titre des Phantasiestücken opus 5), mais sans que cela ne bascule jamais dans le plagiat. La qualité de l’écriture et la finesse de l’invention mélodique n’appartiennent en effet qu’à Röntgen en propre. L’interprétation du pianiste américain Mark Anderson, familier de Röntgen et des répertoires rares, à qui l’on doit le texte de présentation, est remarquable à tous égards, à tel point qu’on aimerait aussi l’entendre dans les grandes pages de cette époque. Reste le plaisir de la découverte, et celui, tout simplement, de faire la connaissance d’une musique agréable, bien écrite et surtout non dénuée de personnalité. (Richard Wander)

Julius Röntgen (1855-1932) was both a composer and a gifted pianist and as such he knew how to write well for his instrument. Röntgen was a child prodigy and from an early age composed ambitious works for the piano. He frequently performed his own, and others, piano concertos. Beethoven's Fourth and Brahms's Second were particular favourites. It was through performances of Beethoven's Piano Sonata op. 111 and Schumann's Etudes Symphoniques that Röntgen established himself. However, it was not as a soloist but as an accompanist that Röntgen would make a lasting impression. The partnership with his contemporary, the baritone Johannes Messchaert, was legendary and they made several European tours. At one of their recitals, in the Vienna Musikvereinsaa l, it was noted that Brahms and Grieg were sat together in the front row. Röntgen compo sed constantly throughout his performing and teaching career. Opus numbers were only applied to printed works, itself a fraction of his more than 600 compositions. Recent renewed interest in Röntgen has revealed many treasures still waiting to be awakened in the Röntgen Archives (Den Haag). Alongside a huge series of unknown string quartets, string trios, piano trios and symphonies there are some thirty piano sonatas and sonatinas from 1922-1932 alone. Röntgen started and ended his creative life as a piano composer.