Both of these 18th-century composers were new to me and probably will be to most readers. Though DaCapo is a Danish record label, neither (as you can tell by their names) are Danish, but both spent some time in the small country, among their wide-ranging travels outside of their native Germany. Both composers were heavily influenced by Bach, but also drew ideas from Mozart and the newer styles of the Classic period.
Besides Copenhagen, Palschau also worked in Riga and in St. Petersburg – the Russian royalty imported a number of German and Italian composers to their court. These are the only two harpsichord concertos composed by Palschau; they seem to point more toward CPE Bach rather than J.S. A Russian folk element is said to be heard in some of his music but I didn’t hear it in these two tuneful and enjoyable concertos.
Schulz was from the Hamburg area and was a court conductor in Copenhagen for almost a decade. He was known for his simple songs, which later became a model for Nielsen’s Danish songs. His six pieces – his Opus 1 – are certainly diverse. A reviewer in 1779 called them “among the best piano pieces of our time,” but Schulz also was sometimes criticized for sounding a bit too much like Bach. The Prelude sounds much like old J.S., but the fourth piece, an Andante, is redolent of Mozart. However, it is the nearly nine-minute closing Larghetto con variazioni which knocked me over. It sounds something like CPE Bach run thru Alkan. What a virtuoso showoff extravaganza! Most exciting and fun piece I’ve ever heard on harpsichord! I’d love the sheet music but probably wouldn’t be able to play it!
– John Sunier
