L. Janacek: Complete pieces for harmonium (Lars David Kellner)

Lars David Kellner has recorded the complete piano works by Leos Janacek in 2013. His 3-CD box set, in which the pianist largely follows the composer's manuscripts (first versions), caused an international sensation as it is the most comprehensive recording of the Czech composer's piano works to date.

While studying Janacek's autographs, Kellner repeatedly came across another keyboard instrument: the harmonium. Some pieces from the “Overgrown Path” and from the “Album for Kamila Stösslová” were explicitly intended by the composer for the harmonium or were inspired by it when composing.

Leoš Janáček owned a suction wind harmonium in his birthplace of Hukvaldy, which he played regularly. Lars David Kellner presents his interpretation of the pieces on two art harmoniums: a suction wind instrument and a pressure wind instrument. Both types are necessary in order to correspond as closely as possible to Janáček's musical intention. While the more percussive and extroverted pieces are performed on the pressure wind harmonium, the suction wind harmonium is mainly used for those compositions that require low basses in the contraoctave or have a lyrical sound character. Both instruments come from Kellner's own collection. Lars David Kellner's recording is based on a copy of an early manuscript by the composer and contains several premieres.

Lars David Kellner, harmonium

Recording: Haar, Germany

Instruments: Lindholm (suction wind art harmonium); Mustel (Orgue-Celesta, pressure wind art harmonium)

Premiere recordings.