Fesca’s Piano Trio No.6 in F Major dates from 1848, the year before his death. It is notable for its heroic thematic material and impressive use of rhythm. The opening movement begins with a substantial Adagio sostenuto introduction, which is brooding and builds tension before the appearance of the main part of the movement, Allegro con spirito, full of dynamic energy and bold contrasts of mood. The second movement, Andante cantabile, is lyrical and songlike and showcases Fesca's gift for melody. Next comes a very lively, somewhat playful Scherzo, allegro, dominated by its rhythm. The hard-driving finale, another Allegro con spirito, opens with an attention-grabbing heroic theme. The music is full of forward motion, but from time to time is interrupted by somewhat calmer, lyrical episodes.
Alexander Ernst Fesca (1820-1849) was born in the German city of Karlsruhe, where his father, Friedrich Ernst Fesca, also a composer, was serving as music director of the Ducal Court Orchestra of Baden. Fesca received his first lessons from his father and was considered a prodigy on the piano. He attended the Prussian Royal Conservatory in Berlin, where he graduated with a degree in composition at the young age of 14, after which he enjoyed a career as a pianist and music director. Though he did not live very long, he composed a considerable amount of music. His chamber music includes six piano trios, two piano quartets, and two septets for piano, winds, and strings.
Writing of Alexander Fesca’s Piano Trios in his Handbook for Piano Trio Players, the famed critic Wilhelm Altmann states, “Alexander Fesca’s six piano trios will always hold a warm place in the hearts of chamber music aficionados.” We have reprinted the original edition, dating from 1848. The piano part is not a piano score but just the piano part, as was the common practice of publishers before 1860. This is a fine work, if not a masterpiece from the Romantic era, certainly deserving of both concert performance and a place on the stands of amateurs.
