HOMAGE TO HUMPERDINCK

While German composer Engelbert Humperdinck’s fairy-tale opera Hänsel und Gretel remains as popular today as ever, much of his extensive output has vanished from the repertoire. This year’s centenary of his death offers the ideal moment to take a fresh look at this great composer. Deutsche Grammophon pays tribute to his achievements with Erinnerung: Homage to Humperdinck. Curated by pianist Hinrich Alpers the album presents a selection of Humperdinck’s best-known works in beloved recordings and archive treasures (recorded by artists including Solti, Rickenbacher, Lehmann, Fischer-Dieskau and Kaufmann), as well as newly recorded rarities and this world premiere recording of Erinnerung.

Erinnerung (Memory) is a short delightful piece for solo piano that Engelbert Humperdinck wrote at the age of 17 for the poetry album of his beloved sister Ernestine, who died two years after its composition. The work was recently discovered in autograph form between the pages of Ernestine’s poetry album. 

The album is available as both a 2CD set and digitally for download and streaming.