Another rarity from the Swiss Radio archives this weekend. The music of Adolf Brunner – his Partita for Piano and Orchestra from 1939 in this performance by Walter Frey, piano and the Radio Beromümster Orchestra led by Walter Kägi, recorded by Swiss Radio on October 23, 1955.
Adolf Brunner; b. Zürich, June 25, 1901; d. Thalwil, Feb. 15, 1992. He studied with his uncle, the composer Hans Lavater, and then in Berlin with Jarnach and at the Hochschule für Musik with Schreker and Gmeindl (1921–25), where he received training in composition and conducting. He completed his studies in Paris and Italy. From 1949 to 1960 he was director of the dept. of politics and current affairs of Radio Zürich. In 1955 he founded the Swiss Soc. for Protestant Church Music. He publ. Wesen, Funktion und Ort der Musik im Gottesdienst (Zürich, 1956; 2nd ed., rev. and enl., 1968). Brunner was especially known for his attempts to renew Protestant church music via his many sacred works.
From 1925 to 1958 Walter Frey was an instructor in piano at the Zürich Conservatory. Concurrently he evolved an active concert career in Germany and Scandinavia. He specialized in modern piano music and gave first performances of several piano concertos by contemporary composers. Later he became well known for his championship of the keyboard works of Bach. He published (with w. Schuh) a collection, Schweizerische Klaviermusik aus der Zeit der Klassik und Romantik (Zürich, 1937).
Time for another adventure if you’re not familiar – enjoy.
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Now back to the concert.
