Support us financially by purchasing this from

20th Century Foxtrots, Volume 2
Gottlieb Wallisch (piano)
rec. 21-23 October, 2019, Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin-Dahlem, Germany
GRAND PIANO GP814 [66:28]

I have not heard Volume 1 in this series: it has not been reviewed for MusicWeb International. I understand that it traced the ‘inter-war craze for carefree dance music’ in Austria and Czechoslovakia. Now Gottlieb Wallisch turns his attention to Germany. Fans of Liza Minnelli will recall the 1972 film Cabaret, set in 1931 during the seemingly light-hearted days of the Weimar Republic but increasingly under the cloud of Nazism. The atmosphere of the film encapsulates much of the music on this CD. From the mid-1920s, cabarets, night clubs and dance halls introduced their patrons to music that involved ‘a fusion of modern dance and classical elements’. This vibrant exploration was condemned by the emerging new regime. Often, this was based on spurious ‘social, political or racial opposition’. And several of the composers were Jewish, which did not help.

Hans Pfitzner, pleading on behalf of more conservative composers, ‘stated that jazz and dance music, both products of America, were encouraging human instincts that were hostile to culture’. It was an ‘infection’. On the other hand, the new genre was defended by Paul Hindemith who wrote in a letter: ‘A foxtrot or a ragtime of today is more or less the same thing as a gavotte or gigue in Bach’s time.’ A perspicacious comment.

This CD presents music by a few famous composers and several who are less well known – at least to me. I will only mention a few highlights.

Any CD which presents a wide cross-section of music by several composers needs a listening strategy. Sixty-six minutes of this jazz/classical synthesis is a little too much to evaluate and enjoy at a single sitting. I picked my way through the repertoire chronologically, with the booklet in hand – stopping for a break every so often. This meant beginning with Eduard Künneke Batavia Fox-Trot from Der Vetter aus Dingsda (1921) and finishing off with the redoubtable Kurt Weill’s Two Pieces from Marie Galante (1934) written shortly before he and Lotte Lenya sailed to New York.

I was surprised to see Eugene d’Albert on the track listing. This Glasgow-born composer is normally associated with Wagnerian operas and Lisztian piano music. His Blues is a little more po-faced than most of the other works on this disc but is absolutely charming.

Walter Rudolph Niemann was Brahms’s biographer. The liner notes explain that the German master had encountered Ragtime and ‘found the rhythms interesting’. Niemann’s Moderne Tanzsuite (1929) is urbane in its absorption of dance elements with his neo-romantic style. It is one of the most satisfying pieces on this CD.

Walter Gieseking’s Three Dance Improvisation dates from 1925-1926. They are hardly designed to be played in the dance hall: the composer has appropriated the rhythms and melodic clichés of the genre to create a classically balanced Suite.

Leopold Mittmann Konzert Jazz-Suite (1929) outgershwins Gershwin with its cool jazz and blues-inspired rhetoric. The three movements, Charleston, Blues and Hot recall the American composer’s art at its best. There is an improvisatory feel to some of this Suite, especially in the final movement.

Readers will associate Walter Goehr with the conductor’s rostrum rather than with composition but he did write a deal of music, including operas and several film scores. The Two Pieces from the movies David Golder are laid back and feature catchy melodies.

Finally, mention must be made of the piano arrangement of Kurt Weill’s Tango-Ballade from The Threepenny Opera. The liner notes point out that this clearly shows the infectious syncopated rhythms and the original, often bitonal harmonies of Weill’s musical style. It may be the best remembered piece on this disc.

The liner notes present a major essay on the rise of jazz-influenced music in Germany It makes for a fascinating and sometimes disturbing read: how easy it is for governments to interfere with the arts. It is a warning to us all. Each work is set within its context and encourages listeners to explore further. Good photographs are given of eight of the composers. There is the usual biographical sketch of the pianist, Gottlieb Wallisch. The booklet is printed in English and German.

The quality of performance on this CD is beyond doubt, as is the recording. Gottlieb Wallisch is clearly committed to this genre of music. It is played here with swing, verve, and a comprehensive understanding of the technical requirements of this style. There is nothing condescending or patronising. I look forward to hearing more music from this fascinating but often extremely disturbing period of 20^th century.

John France

Contents
Paul HINDEMITH (1895-1963)
Tuttifäntchen Tanz der Holzpuppen (Dance of the Wooden Dolls) Foxtrot (1922) [2:50]
Eduard BORNSCHEIN (1883-1945)
Blues (1927) [1:05]
Eduard KÜNNEKE (1885-1953)
Der Vetter aus Dingsda, (The Cousin from Nowhere), op. 13, Batavia Fox-Trot (arr. Hans Jospeh Vieth (1881-?)) (1921) [2:38]
Eugen D' ALBERT (1864-1932)
Blues (1930) [1:59]
Eduard ERDMANN (1896-1958)
Foxtrot in C Major (1923) [3:04]
Walter GIESEKING (1895-1956)
3 Tanz-Improvisationen (Three Dance Improvisations) (1925-1926)
Tempo di Foxtrot [3:22]
Schnell [2:03]
Tempo di Charleston [2:20]
Fidelio Fritz FINKE (1891-1968)
10 Kinderstücke: No. 10. Shimmy (1926) [1:59]
Max BUTTING (1888-1976)
15 Kurze Klavierstücke, op. 33: No. 14. Tango (1928) [1:26]
Leopold MITTMANN (1904-1976)
Konzert Jazz-Suite (1929)
Charleston [1:31]
Blues [2:27]
Hot [1:56]
Kurt HERBST (1901-1941)
Jazz-Etüde (1928) [3:55]
Bernhard SEKLES (1872-1934)
Kleiner Shimmy (1927) [0:36]
Walter NIEMANN (1876-1953)
Moderne Tanzsuite, op. 115 (1929)
Blues [2:15]
Valse Boston [3:27]
Tempo di Charleston [2:56]
Tango [2:35]
Negertanz [1:42]
Stefan WOLPE (1902-1972)
Rag-Caprice (1927) [1:07]
Tango (1927) [3:18]
Kurt WEILL (1900-1950)
Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera), Tango-Ballade for Piano (1928) [2:56]
Walter GOEHR (1903-1960)
Two Pieces from the movies David Golder (1931)
Fox Trot [1:57]
Tango [1:38]
Siegfried BORRIS (1906-1987)
Quick-Fox (c.1927-1934) [1:28]
Tango (c.1927-1934) [1:57]
Kurt WEILL
Two Pieces from Marie Galante (1934)
Scène au Dancing [2:23]
Tango (Youkali) [2:28]