Flotow: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 & Overtures

He was one year older than Richard Wagner and passed to the heavenly stage just a month after him on 24 January 1883; Friedrich von Flotow embodied a type of artist whom contemporary scholars of the German-speaking world had a particularly hard time putting their fingers on. Despite his North German origins, he was educated in Paris and soon came into close contact with the masters of French oper(ett)a. In the eyes of many critics, he was something of a traitor, renouncing Germany's high, lofty ideals. Not only was he able to celebrate his first real successes in France. The fact that he also conquered German stages with his works – bypassing Germans' strict world view, so to speak – was beyond forgiveness to some. This must not have been a cause of too much concern. His Alessandro Stradella and even more so his Martha were two well received works that were the envy of many. Indeed, the enduring popularity of these two works has eclipsed many of his other pieces, such as the delightful one-act opera La veuve Grapin, the beautiful overtures to Rübezahl and Shakespeare's Winter's Tale, and even more so his two piano concertos. These were written at the age of 18 and 19 respectively. They show that Flotow was in line with the contemporary taste for virtuoso literature and elegant movement. They are pleasantly charming, tasteful and moving testaments to the talent of a young man who would soon become highly renowned.