Pretty Damn Obscure

This must be the most obscure disk that I have and I would hazard a guess that it is the smallest selling too. It also falls into the "why on earth did I buy this" category. The reason I did was that it had a glowing review in one of the classical music magazines ( later countermanded by one in another but after I had bought it ) and I had enjoyed another disk by the duo performing ( which hasn't had its' turn off the shelf yet ) The release is entitled Herzogenberg Piano Music and the performers are Goldstone and Clemmow piano duo on some pieces and Anthony Goldstone solo piano on the remainder. Heinrich von Herzogenberg was a friend of Brahms, who was his musical hero but who was more disparaging about his friend's work. That may well have been because of unrequited feelings that Brahms had for Herzogenberg's attractive wife. Whatever the gossipy side of things, nobody would make any claims for this music as the work of a great master, Herzogenberg himself said he had little originality but aimed to pass on the fine tradition. The performances here are well played and the works engaging enough without showing any great passion or absolute need for Herzogenberg to have written them. So, damning with faint praise maybe but no need to deny them a hearing.