Continuing their series of ‘Romantic Rarities’, the Berolina Ensemble presents a marvellous surprise on this new recording. The Clarinet Quintet and Sonata for Piano and Clarinet penned by Hans Weisse are heard on this SACD in what may be first-ever performances.

In any case, this is what the manuscripts suggest: they were first rendered playable by the musical discovery team led by the clarinettist Friederike Roth, and their work paid off! Delightful late Romanticism meets ambitious tonality in this music displaying its own unique appeal. Hardly anything is known about the composer. In 1930 Weisse accepted an appointment in New York, where he died mysteriously in 1940 at the early age of forty-eight.

Weisse did most of his composing during his years in Vienna, before Wilhelm Furtwängler called him to Berlin.

Furtwängler heard Weisse’s Octet and was enthusiastic about it. However, although Weisse enjoyed prominent endorsements of this kind, hardly any of his works were performed. It is not known why this was so, but the speculation was that his compositions were deemed to be ‘too intellectual’.