Friedrich Kiel

Friedrich Kiel (8 October 1821 – 13 September 1885) was a German composer and music teacher.

Writing of the chamber music of Friedrich Kiel, the scholar and critic Wilhelm Altmann notes that it was Kiel’s extreme modesty which kept him and his exceptional works from receiving the consideration they deserved. After mentioning Johannes Brahms and others, Altmann writes, “He produced a number of chamber works, which . . . need fear no comparison.”

Biography

Kiel was born in

Kiel's hobby was mountaineering and at age 60, he climbed Europe's second highest peak, the Monte Rosa, on the Swiss-Italian border. In September 1883 he was involved in a traffic accident with a coach. His injuries eventually forced him to retire shortly before his death in September 1885.

Compositions

Kiel's compositions number over seventy, including a piano concerto, motets, oratorios (including the Star of Bethlehem), as well as a Missa Solemnis and two Requiems.

Chamber music comprises a considerable part of Kiel's output and must be regarded among his most important and best compositions. (See list below) Altmann noted that, "throughout my long life, I have found Kiel’s chamber music a never-failing source of delight.” He praised Kiel highly as a melodist and lamented that it was “scandalously unjust” that Kiel’s two string quartets were as good as forgotten. Writing about Kiel's two Piano Quintets Opp. 75 & 76 in The Chamber Music Journal, R. H. R. Silvertrust remarks, "Both of these quintets are as fine as any in the entire literature."^{[citation needed]} Several of his chamber works, along with the piano concerto and some choral works, have been recorded.

References

• Cobbett, W. W., ed. (1929) Cobbett's Cyclopedic Survey of Chamber Music, Oxford University Press, 1929 & 1963, London.
  ISBN 0-19-318304-8
• Altmann, Wilhelm (1972) Handbuch fur Streichquartettspieler, Amsterdam: Heinrichshofen Verlag
  ISBN 3-7959-0113-8
• Chamber Music Journal, Vol. XVII, No. 4 (2006) ISSN 1535-1726; pp. 3, 10-12,

• Free scores by Friedrich Kiel at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• Free scores by Friedrich Kiel in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Friedrich Kiel's Chamber Music Sound-bites and information on several chamber works
• "Friedrich Kiel (1821-1885)". Naxos.com.
• Web site of the publisher (Dohr) of Kiel's music