# Hans Huber



## Joachim Raff

Hans Huber (28 June 1852 - 25 December 1921) was a composer from Switzerland who, between 1894 and 1918, composed five operas.His piano concertos are slightly unusual for the form in that they have, like Brahms' second piano concerto in B-flat major, four movements (scherzos are included in addition to the usual fast, slow, and fast tempo movements).[n 1] He also wrote a set of 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 100, for piano four-hands in all the keys.

*Biography*
He was born in Eppenberg-Wöschnau (Canton of Solothurn). The son of an amateur musician, Huber became a chorister and showed an early talent for the piano. In 1870 he entered Leipzig Conservatory, where his teachers included Oscar Paul. In 1877 he returned to Basel to teach, but did not obtain a post in the Conservatory there until 1889; seven years later he became director. Among his notable students were Hans Münch and Hermann Suter.

In 1889 Huber wrote an A major symphony, which was conducted in December 1889 by Friedrich Hegar, and whose full score survives.[n 2] He wrote in all nine symphonies, eight acknowledged, and several concertos, two each for violin and cello, four for piano, two of them effectively lost. During his last years he lived in Minusio in Villa Ginia. He died at Locarno.

*Works*
Huber's first symphony, in D minor, subtitled "Tellsinfonie" has a slight programmatic element, derived from the story of the Swiss national hero William Tell. The symphony is somewhat similar in style and formal restraint to Brahms, although there is perhaps a foreshadowing of Sibelius in some of the orchestral textures.

Symphony n° 1 in D minor "Tellsinfonie", Op. 63 (ca.1882)
Symphony in A major, without Opus (premiered 1889 conducted by Friedrich Hegar)
Symphony nº 2 "Böcklin Symphony" "Sieh es lacht die Au'", Op. 115 (1897, premiered June 2 1900, published 1901)
Symphony nº 3 in C major "Heroic" for Soprano and orchestra, Op. 118. (ca.1908)
Symphony nº 4 in A "Academic" in the manner of a Concerto Grosso (for 2 string orchestras, piano and organ) (1909)
Symphony nº 5 in F major "The Fiddler of Gmund" (also "Romantische". Dedicated to Henri Marteau.) (Premiered February 1906.)
Symphony nº 6 in A major Op. 134 (dedicated to Fritz Steinbach) (premiered November 1911)
Symphony nº 7 in D minor "Swiss" (1922)
Symphony nº 8 in F "Spring-symphony" (1920, premiered October 29 1921 in Basel conducted by Hermann Suter)


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## Joachim Raff

Recommended listening:


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## Art Rock

Excellent late romantic symphonies.










The complete box (5 CD's, including all 8 symphonies and some other works) is now 20 euro at jpc.de. I even got it for 7 euro about a year or so ago, but that was probably a pricing error.


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## Bulldog

Some other fine Huber works:

Piano Trio, op. 20
Romance for English Horn
Piano Quintet, op. 136
Piano Sextet


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## MusicSybarite

I wouldn't say his symphonies are excellent. The one with a solo violin is just boredom, plain, simple, tasteless, and the worst of all: it's somewhat lengthy: 45 minutes. Nos. 1-4 are consistently good or great. In the next ones is evident the lack of inspiration. The piano concertos have interesting music as well. Don't know many other works.


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## Joachim Raff

Serenade No.2 in G major, 'Winternächte' ('Winter Nights')(1895)

Swiss Orchestra
Lena-Lisa Wüstendörfer, cond.
SRF2 broadcast of a live performance in Zürich, 20 October 2019

https://www.srf.ch/sendungen/im-kon...hestra-mit-musik-fundstuecken-aus-der-schweiz

Download:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/7yiw...ur_%27Wintern%E4chte%27_%281895%29_1.mp3/file


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