Popper - Widmung, Humoreske, and Mazurka No. 1, Op. 11 (Urtext Edition)

David Popper often published his works in sets. His Drei Stücke, Op. 11, was issued by Bartholf Senff in Leipzig in 1874 (plates 1256.1257, 1256.1258, and 1256.1259). Unlike some of his later collections, such as the Spanish Dances or his various suites, which were united under a single descriptive title, Op. 11 appeared simply as Drei Stücke, with the titles of all three works listed in the middle of the title page.

Popper was already performing the Mazurka as early as March 1868. It is unclear when the other two pieces were composed; however, it is quite possible that all three originated around the same time.

Widmung was published with a dedication to Sophie Menter, Popper’s wife at the time. The title and musical character pay homage to Schumann, whose own Widmung was written for Clara. This expansive Adagio unfolds in two contrasting sections. The first, in 2/4 time, evokes the lyrical intimacy of Schumann’s songs, while the second, in 4/4, features expressive tempo fluctuations and harmonic gestures reminiscent of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. Near the end, a brief passage recalls the transition between the first and second movements of Schumann’s Cello Concerto. An orchestration of Widmung by Paul Gilson was published by Senff in 1901 (plate 2444). Gilson also orchestrated Popper’s Tarantella, Op. 33, and Wieniawski’s Scherzo-Tarantelle, Op. 16.

The Humoreske, dedicated to Karl Davydov (Charles Davidoff), continues in the Schumann/Wagner vein, drawing inspiration from the Scherzo of Schumann’s Second Symphony and Wagner’s Liebestod from Tristan. It is possible that Julius Klengel later modeled his own Humoresque, Op. 5, for four cellos, on Popper’s example.

The Mazurka, dedicated to Bernhard Cossmann, is the most innovative of the three works. Earthy and rhythmic, it evokes the style we now associate with Edvard Grieg. Interestingly, Popper and Grieg were born just a few days apart, and in a sense, can be viewed as musical twins. The Mazurka has become one of Popper’s most beloved and frequently recorded shorter works, alongside Elfentanz, Vito, Serenade, and the Tarantella in G major.

The Op. 11 collection forms an intriguing counterpart to Popper’s later Drei Stücke, Op. 65, which likewise opens with a serious Adagio, followed by a lighthearted Menuetto and a dance-inspired Polonaise.

This edition is based on the first edition published by Bartholf Senff. All editorial changes and deviations from the original text are indicated in the score. The main issue with the first edition is that it misses many accidentals, especially in the piano part, and dynamics in the cello part. Some spots in the cello part lack dynamics, where the piano has very detailed dynamics marked. We have added bracketed dynamics in these places.