Dirk Schäfer (1873-1931)

Acht klavierstukken : for piano, Op. 15 (1921)

1. Allegretto simplice e tranquillo
2. Andantino
3. Allegro molto
4. Allegretto non troppo
5. Wals, Moderato, non troppo
6. Poco lento
7. Wals, Con moto e largezza
8. Presto

David Kuyken, piano

dedicated to Johan Verster Alsbach


Dirk Schäfer was a Dutch pianist and composer. He began his piano studies in 1888 at the Rotterdam Music School, and then studied with the support of a government scholarship at the Cologne Conservatory (1891-1894) with Pauer (piano) and Wüllner (composition); in 1892 he won the Mendelssohn Prize of Berlin. After his return to Holland he made many concert tours of Germany, France, Austria and Belgium, though his artistic sensitivity kept him from travelling as an international virtuoso. In 1913-1915 he gave a series of 11 concerts surveying the keyboard literature from Byrd to Debussy and Schoenberg; later in life he specialized in Chopin. Het klavier (Amsterdam, 1942), compiled from his notes by Ida Schäfer-Dumstorff, sets out his ideas on performance. His compositions show discernment and finesse; particularly in smaller forms he was able to express himself to happy effect in a style that, though related to Chopin, Skryabin and, to some extent, Brahms, has its individuality. He was at his best in writing for the piano, but the two short orchestral pieces show great skill in orchestration.

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