Friedrich Kiel enjoyed great prestige as a professor of composition in Berlin where his many students included Stanford and Paderewski. As a teacher he remained broad-minded and undogmatic. These elegantly poised works show a rather conservative craftsman but one who absorbed the influences of the best of his contemporaries - Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Liszt. The Suite is Beethovenian in style, while his approach in the Six Fugues is largely lyrical. A digital EP of the Six Impromptus is available to stream and download (9.70385).

“My, this is attractive stuff!” This is what the American Record Guide wrote about the world premiere recording of Friedrich Kiel’s complete works for violoncello. These interpretations by Hans Zentgraf and Christoph Ullrich disappeared from the catalogue long ago, but both albums are now once again available, like a package with a pretty ribbon. The richly varied pieces by this Brahms contemporary, whom the Berliner Nationalzeitung numbered among the best of his times, sound as fresh as they did on the very first day. Hans Zentgraf was born in 1954 and received his training as a cellist at the Academy of Music in Frankfurt and at the Juilliard School in New York (Master’s Degree). He was a member of the Lower Saxony State Orchestra in Hanover for ten years (1983-1993) and today is a freelance soloist based in Munich. Christoph Ullrich has a multi-facetted repertoire comprising all epochs and styles since J.S. Bach. His search for a vital and unconventional confrontation with the public has led him to the development of new forms of programmes. These include the very thema­tically rich musical-literary programmes with the Ensemble BonaNox, the concepts for children's concerts within the framework of the Ohrwurm-Projekt (Catchy Tune Project) with their proximity to music theatre, and his concert idea "Alchemy of Sound."

KIEL: Piano Quintets Nos. 1 and 2