Music of Robert Evett & Gerald Humel
Liner Notes   Cat. No. NWCRL237     Release Date: 2010-08-01
Robert Parris, harpsichord; Robert Gross, violin; Peter Hewitt, piano; Samuel Baron, flute

About his Harpsichord Sonata, Robert Evett writes:

“I wrote this sonata for Robert Parris' recital at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D. C. on January 1, 1962. It was completed about four weeks before the performance. The work requires a two-manual harpsichord and is contrived to be virtually impossible to execute on a smaller instrument. There are no dynamics, no metronomic indications and no suggested registrations in the score, so the performer enjoys considerable latitude in interpretation.

“Formally, the piece has a strong debt to sonatas of the Baroque era—slow and fast movements alternating. I call the last movement “My Papa's Waltz,” after the poem by Theodore Roethke; but I'm never sure whether the piece is or is not program music in the ordinary sense of the word. I built it as a rondo on a tune of no distinction at all (“For He's a Jolly Good Fellow”) which, nonetheless, is rich in associations for many people. I've tried to capture something of what must have been a very bumpy trip to bed.”

Asked about his Violin Sonata, Gerald Humel answered:

“It is always difficult to talk about a work motivated not so much by abstract musical form as by the sheer desire to express 'something.' In 1961 I visited Czechoslovakia for the first time since the war. The country was still very much under the influence of Stalinism, though the developments which reached fruition in 1968 were being discussed behind closed doors.

“I remained in the country for a month, getting reacquainted with relatives and friends I had known as a child. Upon returning to Berlin I began toying with the idea of composing a work for violin and piano in which I could (for my own personal satisfaction) reflect upon the impressions I had received during my visit. The idea for the form of the piece came about when it occurred to me to use the Czech national anthem as the basis of my row. A fragment of the anthem is then quoted at the end of the third movement. The form of the composition is quite straightforward. The first movement is a fantasy, the second is a dance-like scherzo and the third a development of various motives found in the anthem.

“The Preludium and Scherzo is adequately explained by its title.”


This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Full liner notes are accessible via the link above.

Various Artists

Music of Robert Evett & Gerald Humel

MP3/320 $7.99
FLAC $7.99
WAV $7.99
CD-R $7.99
CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print material or jewel case included.
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
   Liner Notes



Track Listing

Harpsichord Sonata: I. Andante espressivo
Robert Evett
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Harpsichord Sonata: II. Allegro
Robert Evett
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Harpsichord Sonata: III. Adagio
Robert Evett
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Harpsichord Sonata: IV. Rondo - My Papa's Waltz
Robert Evett
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Sonata for Violin and Piano: I. Allegro
Gerard Humel
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Sonata for Violin and Piano: II. Presto giocoso
Gerard Humel
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Sonata for Violin and Piano: III. Adagio
Gerard Humel
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Preludium und Scherzo
Gerard Humel
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