THE CONCERT

The concert was recorded on 30th August 2003 in Whittaker´s Musical Museum, Waiheke Island, New Zealand. The Recording and Processing was done by Audio Arts. It was a very special concert which was given as a fund-raising campain for the local museum which not just exhibits but also make over 100 instruments playing 5 days a week.

For more information about this special musem, please visit www.musical-museum.org.

THE ARTIST

Tobias Rückert was born in Stuttgart and had his first piano lessons when he was 9 years old. At 12 years of age, he was taught by Martin Pillwein in the Private Music School in Engelberg, Germany.

From the age of 16, he studied with Ilse von Alpenheim-Doráti in Switzerland. Master Studies with the Moscow Piano Trio under Alexander Bonduriska, Jörg Demus and Christoph Soldan.

His Diploma was awarded in 2001 by the University for Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart, Germany with Hans-Peter Stenzl serving as his mentor.

First official performances at the age of 9. Concerts as Soloist and Chamber Musician within Europe, India and New Zealand. Film and radio productions for various TV channels and one of the first Internet-Live-Streamings in 1999.

For more information, please visit www.tobiasrueckert.com.

THE MUSIC

features:

• Liszt: “La Campanella”
• Handel: “Chaconne con Variazioni, G-Major”
• Haydn: “Sonata con Variazioni f-minor”
• Mendelssohn: “Trois Fantaisies ou Caprices, op.16”
• Mendelssohn: “Rondo capriccioso, op.14”
• Liszt: “Il Sospiro”

THE INSTRUMENT

There is a history about the instrument on which these pieces were recorded: Built in 1897, this beautiful concert grand has been fully restored inside and out. Finally it is played by concert pianists again. It was owned by Paderewski himself who was a famous concert pianist and composer born in Poland in 1860.

By 1890 Paderewski was known as the 'King of the Piano' and toured many countries. He came out to New Zealand twice - once in 1904 and again in 1931. He always travelled with his own 9 foot concert grand and brought this one to New Zealand in 1904.

At the conclusion of his tour of Australia and New Zealand, he sold it to an Auckland pianist - Mr J.B. McFarlane. Over the years it was passed on to his son and then grandson - Mr M. Hanna, who had it beautifully restored and felt it was time that the public heard and saw it again after being kept in private homes for 96 years.

It is now open to the public and can be touched, played and heard in Waiheke Island´s Musical Museum, built up by Lloyd and Joan Whittaker.