Martin Karl Löffler
was born in Germany, studied violin with
Joseph Joachim
, and bounced around among various European capitals before landing in Boston, joining the
Boston Symphony
, and taking the name
Charles Martin Loeffler
.
Debussy
knew his music and is said to have been influenced by it. The central work here, the
Octet for two clarinets, harp, two violins, viola, cello, and double bass
, is the main attraction; it was performed in 1897 but languished until 2021 when clarinetist
Graeme Steele Johnson
undertook the editing of it as a pandemic-era project. His efforts were worthwhile. Perhaps it was the prominent clarinet parts that attracted him, but it is the harp that really makes the work. The
Octet
is essentially a piece of dense, chromatic, late 19th century chamber music, but the harp is expertly allowed to show through the texture, and it is likely the great variety of sonorities that attracted
Johnson
does well to frame the
with a pair of his own arrangements that focus on the harp, one of
's
Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
, and one of a
Loeffler
song called
Timbres oubliés
, here transcribed for the enchanting pairing of clarinet and harp. This album is essential for lovers of 19th century American music, and it is highly listenable for anyone. ~ James Manheim