Quotations/Reviews

Statements by musicologists and composers on the works of Ernst-Lothar von Knorr


	Ernst-Lothar von Knorr and Hans Simsa (at the organ)

" 'He who brings much will bring something for everyone.' Knorr's works demonstrate the validity of this famous dictum by Goethe. In fact, it could be placed as a motto at the head of his entire oeuvre. His compositions satisfy both the most modest and the most ambitious demands. They cater equally for the amateur and the virtuoso, the connoisseur and the musical fraternity. Their spiritual content is the product of a lofty professional ethos that is present in every note he wrote."
Gerhard Frommel
"He is one of those contemporary composers who write for listeners rather than to square with some preconceived theory. His music is sufficient unto itself, it is full of imagination, wit and charm. It is superbly idiomatic and wonderfully tailored to the instruments and voices he writes for, it is concise and never long-winded, and its stylistic quality is not least the expression of a spiritual relationship between musical inspiration and consummate craftsmanship."
Hansdieter Werner
"Today a range of two-and-a-half octaves for the saxophone only applies to amateurs. The over three octaves covered in Knorr's sonata (1932) are no problem for present-day saxophonists. The composer was ahead of his time by about two generations. He has given us one of the core works in the literature for the saxophone."
Sigurd M. Rascher
"The recording demonstrates the composer’s consummate craftsmanship, his stylistic versatility and not least his highly communicative micality. The influence of Bartók is undeniable, as is the earthy and reflective expressiveness invariably characteristic of von Knorr's work."
Wolf-Eberhard von Lewinski

Reviews

"Ernst-Lothar von Knorr’s Sonata for Saxophone and Piano (1932) makes no bones about its French connections. It combines Mediterranean magic with tongue-in-cheek martial inflections. Sandra Leonie Ritter played it with consummate ease, responding to its wit and charm with obvious relish."
Rainer Köhl
"Among the new works a piano sonata by Ernst-Lothar von Knorr deserves special mention … The introduction builds on weighty chords, the first movement is a lively fugato, the second combines songfulness with linear counterpoint, and the highly rhythmic scherzo finale is a striking exercise in martellato technique. The straightforward and clearly-etched emotional values contrast with one another very convincingly and their expression is beautifully concise. The performance by Clifford Curzon was masterly …"
Fred Hamel
"In his string trio with solo voice, Lothar von Knorr responds seismographically to the poetry of Stefan George (songs from the 7th Ring) with highly individual ideas and a mixture of progressive features with concertante elements."
H. Hakemeyer
"The influence of Bach largely offsets the young composer’s modernist tendencies. The work fluctuates between baroque structures and contemporary harmony and melodic lines, but its vitality and individuality are enormous. It carries the composer’s unmistakably personal imprint."
Matthias Roth