The Tyrolean State Museum Ferdinandeum in Innsbruck, Austria possesses a beautiful and well-preserved 1835 vintage Conrad Graf piano. It has four pedals, including two “moderators” that when activated interpose layers of soft cloth between the hammers and strings, creating a haunting, muted sonority. Because Felix Mendelssohn apparently preferred Graf pianos to other models, it’s easy to assume that this particular instrument’s timbre was familiar to the composer.
One could understand why Annette Seiler would want to record the complete Songs Without Words on it. In lyrical selections she revels in the textural distinctions between melody and accompaniment that contrast to the effects elicited from today’s more uniform concert grands. Listen, for example, to how the Spinning Song’s bass-register chords, “spinning” middle voice, and main tune emerge in a kind of three-dimensional perspective, as do Op. 85 No. 6’s sustained melodic lines, sparse bass lines, and detached middle-register chords.
The imitations of horn calls in the Hunting Song Op. 19 No. 3 convey a brassier patina than what you’d normally hear from a modern piano. The same goes for the twangy arpeggiated figurations in the E major Op. 38 No. 3, while Op. 19b No. 4’s muted effects resemble a kind of hybrid lute/dulcimer/fortepiano that is far better heard than described. In addition, striking pedal effects in the Variations serieuses both surprised and pleased me. There’s much to enjoy, although Seiler’s inspiration goes up and down.
For instance, she doles out the F major Op. 53 No. 4’s steady chords with heavy hands, while her wooden phrasing in the D major Op. 85 No. 4 turns the composer’s long-lined poetry into plain prose. And the slow, gingerly phrased Rondo capriccioso lacks virtuosic élan and sparkle. It’s probably best to sample just a handful of pieces at a time, or individually download favorite selections. However, the production values are first class, complete with excellent photos, extensive and informative annotations, and gorgeous engineering.
