| Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837) was an Austrian pianist, composer, teacher, and conductor who was described in his time as one of Europe's greatest pianist-composers. However, his music has been neglected and underestimated in modem times, and is not considered to have any lasting influence on later compositional developments in the 19th century.;The present study aims to demonstrate that, though identified as a conservative composer, Hummel played an important transitional role in the evolution between Classical and Romantic styles. I argue that the post-classical pianism that he cultivated presaged many significant stylistic trends of later composers, and that these were stimulated by the rise of public concerts. The demand for virtuosic performances by middle-class concert audiences led pianist-composers like Hummel to explore new modes of improvisation, which in tum had a profound impact not only on keyboard technique, but also on compositional practice.;A comprehensive study of Hummel's piano music reveals a new compositional practice featuring juxtaposition of different figurations, freedom of modulation, and new formal structures. The fantasy style derived from concert improvisations came to be incorporated in different keyboard genres, resulting in generic mixture. In particular, the hybrid fantasy-sonata foreshadowed the later practice of Schumann and Chopin, and contributed towards the merging of serious and popular styles in Romantic piano music. |
