Jakob Adolf Hägg (1850−1928)

Kleine nordische Lieder ohne Worte und Präludien, Heft I

Print

1. Prelude: Con moto
2. Allegretto
3. Barcarole, Lento ma non troppo
4. Tempo di Mazurka
5. Allegretto grazioso
6. Frühlingslied: Moderato
7. Tanz: Nicht zu schnell
8. Allegretto vivace

  • Year of composition: No. 3 is dated 7 October 1897, and no. 4 is marked Memory from March 1869. Year of composition for remaining pieces unknown.
  • Work category: Piano
  • Dedication: no. 1: An Robert Isaksson
    no. 2: An Frau Hermanna Hägg geb. Enequist
    no. 3: An Wilhelm Ericsson
    no. 4: An meine Mutter geb. Stjernholm
    no. 5: An Frau Maria Looström
    no. 6: An R. Hagemeister
    no. 7: An Frl. Siri Johansson
    no. 8: An Frl. Signe Olsson
  • Duration: Approx. 10-15 min

Examples of printed editions

• Det Nordiske Forlag, Köpenhamn [Copenhagen] n. d. [1898]
• Elkan & Schildknecht, Stockholm n. d. [ca 1898], same edition as above

No. 2, 3 and 8 also in Hägg, Album, 16 leichtere Clavierstücke
Det Nordiske Forlag / Hofmeister, Köpenhamn [Copenhagen] / Leipzig [1900]

No. 5 also in the book Hägg, 21 små pianostycken [21 little piano pieces]
Nordiska Musikförlaget, Stockholm, cop 1980

  • Location autograph: Musik- och teaterbiblioteket
  • Possible call no. and autograph comment: The pieces are spread over several manuscripts in the Hägg collection [Hägg-samlingen]

Description of work

1. Prelude: Con moto E major 4/4 (C) 36 bars (/:16:/20)
2. Allegretto E-flat major 2/4 24 bars
3. Barcarole: Lento ma non troppo, G minor 3/4 25 bars (/:8:/17)
4. Tempo di Mazurka C-sharp minor 3/4 38 bars (16/:22:/)
5. Allegretto grazioso F major 3/4 32 bars
6. Frühlingslied: Moderato A major 3/4 34 bars
7. Tanz: Nicht zu schnell G major 3/4 40 bars
8. Allegretto vivace A minor 3/4 39 bars (/:12:/27)

Links

Listen to the work on Spotify (login is required)

Work comment

It seems as though when preparing the five books Kleine nordische Lieder und Präludien, Hägg made a selection from his previously composed pieces, which might explain why no. 3 is dated 1897 and no. 4 1869. The remaining pieces lack information as to their composition dates and may as well be from the 1860s or 1870s as from the years immediately before the publication.

There is conflicting information as to whether this book is no. 1 or no. 2. The numbering of the pieces is of no assistance as both books begin with no. 1. (Book 3, however, begins with no. 16, whereafter it continues number by number until no. 37). The cover pages of both books state Heft I, II, which may indicate that either the publisher or the music dealer was to mark the intended number.

There are four facts that would indicated that this is book no. 1:
1) In my possession I have 2 copies of the printed music, where the cover pages have been marked in this way
2) To me, it seems feasible that the number of the printing plate would be aligned with the respective book. Thus, N.F. 3680 would refer to book 1 and N.F. 3681 to book 2. (The printing plates of the following three books are N.F. 3682, 3683, and 3684, respectively.)
3) In addition, it would seem most natural to begin the first book with a prelude.
4) In Hofmeister's list of published music (www.hofmeister.rhul.ac.uk) the books are presented in this order.

Unfortunately, however, others have come to the opposite conclusion, and at the Musik- och teaterbiblioteket, this book is marked as no. 2.

Finn Rosengren