Richard Rössler

Suite op. 16

An elegantly restrained air, which shifts between sweet gracefulness and the gentle melancholy of a lyrical Slavic melody, is juxtaposed with the light-footed gaiety of motoring ostinato tarantella phrases and developments of expansive dimensions and - particularly in adagio phrases - powerful crescendos. A humorous trait can also be found occasionally, for example in the capricious flute themes and the staccato articulations of the piano in the third movement of the suite, in which - of note from a structural point of view - there is a blend of the sonata and rondo form. In the second movement, the systematically off-beat, impressionistic piano accompaniment in particular brings us to a tender state of uncertainty, which alternates with the idyll of a pastoral melody and naturalistic musical imagery. - From the preface by Prof. Alexander Rößler, grandson of the composer Richard Rößler (1880-1962).