Huss & Schelling: Piano Concertos (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 16)

The little-known American composers Henry Holden Huss (1862–1953) and Ernest Henry Schelling (1876–1939) have received little recognition in the music world despite their virtuosic piano concertos. Both composers hailed from New Jersey and spent much of their lives in New York City. They displayed exceptional musical talent early on—Huss as a composer of songs and hymns, Schelling as a virtuoso prodigy influenced by Brahms. In their later years, both suffered a significant decline in popularity and productivity. The Boston Symphony Orchestra played a vital role in their artistic development by premiering Huss's major piano and orchestral works, as well as Schelling's "Impressions from an Artist's Life" (1913) and his Violin Concerto (1916). Huss, who was of German descent, studied composition with Rheinberger, though Tchaikovsky noted technical deficiencies in his piano playing—one critic even advised him not to play his own works. Schelling, on the other hand, was championed by his teacher Paderewski, who recorded one of his piano pieces. Although their musical views were heavily influenced by the 19th century, which may explain the short-lived nature of their fame, their compositions deserve renewed attention thanks to the devoted interpretations by Hobson and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Brabbins.