Camillo Schumann (1872-1946), a pupil of Carl Reinecke in Leipzig, enjoyed an admired career as an organist, pianist and prolific composer. He pursued a traditional path that reflected his own training, interests and beliefs – barely acknowledging the tumultuous contemporary musical world of Schoenberg and Stravinsky. Instead, his works for horn and piano enshrine the finest qualities of German Romantic music. Sur la montagne by Laurent Ménager (1835-1902), a leading Luxembourgian composer, is a richly evocative depiction of a mountain landscape.

This new releases features world premiere recordings of Camillo Schumann’s three works, while Laurent Ménager’s Sur la montagne, op.35, is virtually unavailable on disc. A previous release of Camillo Schumann’s Cello Sonatas (8572314) was named ‘Best Find’ by Classical Lost and Found in 2011: ‘Pianist Francesco Piemontesi and cellist Maria Kliegel play the hades out of these selections, making an even stronger case for a Camillo revival. The piano is well rounded, while the cello sound is exceptionally silky, undoubtedly due in no small part to Ms. Kliegel’s amazing technique.’