J. P. E. Hartmann: Thematic-Bibliographic Catalogue of His Works by Inger Sørensen

Abstract

Reviewed by: J. P. E. Hartmann: Thematic-Bibliographic Catalogue of His Works by Inger Sørensen David A. Day J. P. E. Hartmann: Thematic-Bibliographic Catalogue of His Works. By Inger Sørensen. (Danish Humanist Texts and Studies, vol. 56.) Copenhagen: Danish Centre for Music Editing, Royal Library, and Museum Tusculanum Press, 2017. [2 vols., xxi, 1019 p. ISBN 9788763545594 (set), $122.] Music examples, appendices, select bibliography, index. Inger Sørensen's thematic catalog of the works of J. P. E. (Johan Peter Emilius) Hartmann (1805–1900) may be viewed as a pinnacle accomplishment in a career devoted to the life and works of this important Danish composer and musician. While a monumental work in itself, the two-volume catalog is preceded by a major biography and an exhaustive edition of the Hartmann family correspondence. All of this previous research contributes to the depth and accuracy of Sørensen's catalog. Hartmann's life spanned the bulk of the nineteenth century, and his works are viewed as an important representation of Scandinavian romanticism. Although he did have the opportunity to travel throughout Europe and met and was acquainted with the most famous composers of his time, his compositions are characterized as being in a conservative, essentially Danish or "Old Norse" style. While his son-in-law Niels W. Gade achieved a high level of international recognition, Hartmann's reputation remained mostly confined to Denmark throughout his lifetime. Hartmann's lack of international familiarity, however, did not distract from his rich musical output, which spanned more than forty years of active composing and led to the completion of more than five hundred works. His impressive career resulted in three full operas, six ballets (produced in collaboration with his life-long friend August Bournonville), three melodramas, and numerous incidental accompaniments for other stage works. He composed two symphonies and nineteen other significant orchestral works. Other notable contributions were numerous chamber works and a large repertory of vocal music, including songs and choral settings. Sørensen's print catalog was preceded by and produced from data available in the online version of the catalog (http://www.kb.dk/dcm/hartw/index.xq [accessed 4 October 2019]). In her acknowledgements, Sørensen notes the favorable circumstances and support received from the Royal Danish Library, the Danish Centre for Music Editing, Axel Teich Geertinger, and others to facilitate the work of both the online and print versions. The resulting publication fulfills every expectation of the classic model for a composer's works catalog and excels in some features. It recognizes the concept of an original completed work and relegates fragments, arrangements, and doubtful works to four appendices. The main body of the catalog collates the works by the broad genre categories of "stage music," "instrumental music," and "vocal music." Within each category and subcategory, it organizes works chronologically by date of completion or date of first publication, if no date is provided in the autograph. The essential elements associated with each work include identification with HartW numbers, titles (based on the first printed edition and rendered in the original language), instrumentation, incipits, sources, history (including performances), and a bibliography with references to related letters. Sørensen's scholarship shines forth in the details [End Page 619] of each entry. She impeccably renders the source descriptions with remarkable detail and identifies and describes every applicable version or format of the work. The incipits offer the first bars of each work's main sections (movements, scenes, etc.) and include the instrumentation and the section's total number of measures. Not found in most thematic catalog is the work's history, so this feature stands out as an addition worthy of commendation. In addition to the lists of known performances during Hartmann's lifetime, this section also references reviews. Sørensen provides these descriptions and background information in English. Based on its exemplary scholarship, this beautifully produced publication is a worthy addition to the reference collection of any research or conservatory library. If the cost, coupled with potentially limited interest in the works of J. P. E. Hartmann, prohibit acquisition, libraries should point students and other patrons to the online version, which is readily available. David A. Day...