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Wilhelm Kienzl: Feierabend–Frieden auf der Ofenbank, Op.52 No.4

286 views · Published 26 May 2017 · 3:25 · Indexed 28 October 2026

Channel: PSearPianist · 2017 · Music

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Phillip Sear plays a piece—'End of working day—peace by the hearth-side'—from a set of 'Bilder aus dem Volksleben' (Pictures from country life) from 1898 by the Austrian composer Wilhelm Kienzl (1857-1941).
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The Austrian composer, pianist, and conductor Wilhelm Kienzl (1857-1941) was for a time a student of Liszt at Weimar but also studied in Bohemia and Austria.  He is best known today for his folk opera 'Der Evangelimann' from 1894 (although he wrote several others).  In his lifetime, he was also well known as a song composer, and even considered on the level of Hugo Wolf.  His songs have been largely neglected since his death, possibly because he was a Nazi sympathizer in his last years.  This set of pieces are prefaced by short verses from various sources.  This ponderously titled piece is headed by a quote from a text by 'GK' (possibly a relative):

"Und der Vater sass still in sich versunken auf der Bank vor dem alten grunen Kachelofen und blies aus der Pfeife geholte Rauchwolken in die Luft, denen er träumerisch nachblickte."

I think it translates roughly as:

"And the father sat quietly, sunk on the bench, in front of the old green-tiled stove, blew smoke-clouds in the air from his pipe and looked around dreamily."  Presumably his wife was busy in the kitchen cooking the dinner (this was 1898!).  

Thumbnail image created with Adobe Firefly ( t.ly/jCDn ).
#austrianmusic #fireside 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Played by Phillip Sear
http://www.psear.co.uk (Email:  [email protected]  
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