Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Phillip Sear plays a short piece (date unknown) by the Danish pianist, teacher, and composer August (Henrik) Winding (1835–99).
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"Born in Tårs on the island of Lolland, Winding was the son of a clergyman who was himself an accomplished pianist and collector of Danish folk songs. In 1847 the twelve-year-old was sent to Copenhagen, where he resided in the household of J. P. E. Hartmann and received piano instruction from Carl Reinecke until the latter's departure for Paris in 1848. Afterwards, he studied with Anton Rée — a former acquaintance of Chopin — and pursued theory and composition under Niels Gade. He completed his training in Leipzig and subsequently in Prague with Alexander Dreyschock, who reportedly declared him 'the best of his pupils hitherto'. Returning to Denmark, Winding rapidly established himself as the leading pianist of his generation, touring widely across Europe and making Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto his signature work. In 1864, he married Clara, daughter of J. P. E. Hartmann (Niels Gade having married another daughter of the same household). He joined the staff of the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen in 1867, but a nervous arm injury sustained through overwork compelled him to withdraw from the concert platform and redirect his energies towards composition. He resumed teaching in 1881, joined the Conservatory board following Gade's death in 1890, and was awarded a state professorship and annuity in 1892; he died in Copenhagen.
Solo piano music constitutes the largest single portion of Winding's output and encompasses a wide spectrum of forms and expressive aims, from intimate character-pieces to technically demanding étude cycles. The most ambitious single work is 'Preludes in all the Keys, Op.26', a cycle of twenty-four preludes — ordered by ascending fourths followed by their relative minors, rather than the Chopinesque chromatic arrangement — together with a closing postludium that restates the opening prelude. The cycle is dedicated to Isidor Seiss, the noted pupil of Friedrich Wieck, and is notable for its lyrical emphasis and variety of character: the prelude in B-flat minor is particularly Chopinesque in manner, whilst that in E minor concludes the cycle with the quality of a dark fantasia. Among earlier sets, 'Landlige Scener, Op.9' ('Rural Scenes') reveals Winding's mature voice already present, rooted in the tradition of Schumann and Mendelssohn yet touched by the folk idioms absorbed through his father's collections. Further significant groups include the 'Ten Pieces in Etudeform, Op.18', 'Kontraster, Op.28', and a set of 'Three Pieces for the left hand, Op.27', evidence of a pedagogical as well as artistic purpose.
Beyond the keyboard, Winding's catalogue includes a symphony in C minor, Op.39, a Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16, a 'Concert Allegro in C minor, Op.29' for piano and orchestra, a Piano Quartet in D major, Op.17, a String Quintet in D, Op.23, and two violin sonatas, as well as cadenzas for concertos by Mozart and Beethoven. He was one of Edvard Grieg's closest friends, and his position at the centre of Danish musical life — connected by marriage and collegiality to Hartmann and Gade — gave him considerable institutional influence during the late Romantic period." (Perplexity AI, 19 June 2026)
The origin of this piece is curious. I believe that it is Op.25 No.2 (per a catalogue of Winding's music appearing on a published score of his violing and piano Elegy, Op.41. However, IMSLP gives a completely different list of pieces for Op.25, and a publication date of 1889, which was after that of the compilation of Nordic piano music from which I played. So maybe Winding revised or withdrew an earlier set?
Thumbnail image created with Picsart ( tinyl.co/4WqE ).
#denmark #sadmusic
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Played by Phillip Sear
psear.co.uk (Email: piano4@psear.33mail.com
WhatsApp: wa.me/441444483794 ) TikTok: tiktok.com/@pianogems
****See all my latest videos here: tinyurl.com/phillip210 ****
Phillip Sear plays a short piece (date unknown) by the Danish pianist, teacher, and composer August (Henrik) Winding (1835–99).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Born in Tårs on the island of Lolland, Winding was the son of a clergyman who was himself an accomplished pianist and collector of Danish folk songs. In 1847 the twelve-year-old was sent to Copenhagen, where he resided in the household of J. P. E. Hartmann and received piano instruction from Carl Reinecke until the latter's departure for Paris in 1848. Afterwards, he studied with Anton Rée — a former acquaintance of Chopin — and pursued theory and composition under Niels Gade. He completed his training in Leipzig and subsequently in Prague with Alexander Dreyschock, who reportedly declared him 'the best of his pupils hitherto'. Returning to Denmark, Winding rapidly established himself as the leading pianist of his generation, touring widely across Europe and making Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto his signature work. In 1864, he married Clara, daughter of J. P. E. Hartmann (Niels Gade having married another daughter of the same household). He joined the staff of the Royal Danish Conservatory in Copenhagen in 1867, but a nervous arm injury sustained through overwork compelled him to withdraw from the concert platform and redirect his energies towards composition. He resumed teaching in 1881, joined the Conservatory board following Gade's death in 1890, and was awarded a state professorship and annuity in 1892; he died in Copenhagen.
Solo piano music constitutes the largest single portion of Winding's output and encompasses a wide spectrum of forms and expressive aims, from intimate character-pieces to technically demanding étude cycles. The most ambitious single work is 'Preludes in all the Keys, Op.26', a cycle of twenty-four preludes — ordered by ascending fourths followed by their relative minors, rather than the Chopinesque chromatic arrangement — together with a closing postludium that restates the opening prelude. The cycle is dedicated to Isidor Seiss, the noted pupil of Friedrich Wieck, and is notable for its lyrical emphasis and variety of character: the prelude in B-flat minor is particularly Chopinesque in manner, whilst that in E minor concludes the cycle with the quality of a dark fantasia. Among earlier sets, 'Landlige Scener, Op.9' ('Rural Scenes') reveals Winding's mature voice already present, rooted in the tradition of Schumann and Mendelssohn yet touched by the folk idioms absorbed through his father's collections. Further significant groups include the 'Ten Pieces in Etudeform, Op.18', 'Kontraster, Op.28', and a set of 'Three Pieces for the left hand, Op.27', evidence of a pedagogical as well as artistic purpose.
Beyond the keyboard, Winding's catalogue includes a symphony in C minor, Op.39, a Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16, a 'Concert Allegro in C minor, Op.29' for piano and orchestra, a Piano Quartet in D major, Op.17, a String Quintet in D, Op.23, and two violin sonatas, as well as cadenzas for concertos by Mozart and Beethoven. He was one of Edvard Grieg's closest friends, and his position at the centre of Danish musical life — connected by marriage and collegiality to Hartmann and Gade — gave him considerable institutional influence during the late Romantic period." (Perplexity AI, 19 June 2026)
The origin of this piece is curious. I believe that it is Op.25 No.2 (per a catalogue of Winding's music appearing on a published score of his violing and piano Elegy, Op.41. However, IMSLP gives a completely different list of pieces for Op.25, and a publication date of 1889, which was after that of the compilation of Nordic piano music from which I played. So maybe Winding revised or withdrew an earlier set?
Thumbnail image created with Picsart ( tinyl.co/4WqE ).
#denmark #sadmusic
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Played by Phillip Sear
psear.co.uk (Email: piano4@psear.33mail.com
WhatsApp: wa.me/441444483794 ) TikTok: tiktok.com/@pianogems
****See all my latest videos here: tinyurl.com/phillip210 ****
