Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Phillip Sear plays a short piece (date unknown) by the Danish organist and composer Emil (full name Wilhelm Emilius Zinn) Hartmann (1836–98).
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"Hartmann was born into one of Denmark's most distinguished musical dynasties, the fourth generation of a family of composers originating in Germany. His father was Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann, a dominant figure in Danish musical life, and his mother Emma Hartmann was herself a composer of note. He studied principally with his father, absorbing the Romantic idiom of the Copenhagen school whilst maintaining awareness of broader German developments. His brothers-in-law were Niels Gade and August Winding, both figures of considerable standing, a circumstance that shaped — and at times overshadowed — his professional standing throughout his life. Hartmann's primary livelihood derived from his career as a church organist in Copenhagen, a post he held with distinction, though his compositional ambitions extended well beyond liturgical repertoire.
Hartmann's solo piano music reveals a composer of secure technique and wide stylistic range, moving fluently between nationalistic folk-inflected idioms and the more demanding virtuoso manner of the later nineteenth century. The collection of pieces at opus 16 is characteristic in its variety, the second number being a caprice of considerable display and expressive brilliance. His piano writing balances extrovert energy with a cultivated gift for melody and nuanced expressive shading, placing it within the broader tradition of Scandinavian Romantic keyboard music that descends from Gade and anticipates the salon and character-piece repertoire that flourished in the Nordic countries through the end of the century.
Beyond the keyboard, Hartmann composed in virtually every genre then current, producing operas, singspiel, ballet scores, orchestral works, and chamber music, including a piano trio in B-flat major, op.10, that demonstrates his assured handling of instrumental ensemble. His music enjoyed appreciable success in Germany during his lifetime, though it was largely eclipsed by the reputations of his father and brothers-in-law." (Perplexity AI, 19 June 2026).
I'm not sure when this piece was written—probably around 1880 or earlier.
Thumbnail image created with Picsart ( tinyl.co/4WqE ).
#denmark
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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 organist and composer Emil (full name Wilhelm Emilius Zinn) Hartmann (1836–98).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hartmann was born into one of Denmark's most distinguished musical dynasties, the fourth generation of a family of composers originating in Germany. His father was Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann, a dominant figure in Danish musical life, and his mother Emma Hartmann was herself a composer of note. He studied principally with his father, absorbing the Romantic idiom of the Copenhagen school whilst maintaining awareness of broader German developments. His brothers-in-law were Niels Gade and August Winding, both figures of considerable standing, a circumstance that shaped — and at times overshadowed — his professional standing throughout his life. Hartmann's primary livelihood derived from his career as a church organist in Copenhagen, a post he held with distinction, though his compositional ambitions extended well beyond liturgical repertoire.
Hartmann's solo piano music reveals a composer of secure technique and wide stylistic range, moving fluently between nationalistic folk-inflected idioms and the more demanding virtuoso manner of the later nineteenth century. The collection of pieces at opus 16 is characteristic in its variety, the second number being a caprice of considerable display and expressive brilliance. His piano writing balances extrovert energy with a cultivated gift for melody and nuanced expressive shading, placing it within the broader tradition of Scandinavian Romantic keyboard music that descends from Gade and anticipates the salon and character-piece repertoire that flourished in the Nordic countries through the end of the century.
Beyond the keyboard, Hartmann composed in virtually every genre then current, producing operas, singspiel, ballet scores, orchestral works, and chamber music, including a piano trio in B-flat major, op.10, that demonstrates his assured handling of instrumental ensemble. His music enjoyed appreciable success in Germany during his lifetime, though it was largely eclipsed by the reputations of his father and brothers-in-law." (Perplexity AI, 19 June 2026).
I'm not sure when this piece was written—probably around 1880 or earlier.
Thumbnail image created with Picsart ( tinyl.co/4WqE ).
#denmark
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 ****
