Some composers leave behind an impressive oeuvre yet still disappear from our collective memory. Gerhard Hamm (1835–1904) is such a case. Pianist Camiel Boomsma continues his quest for this forgotten nineteenth-century composer with Unforgotten, an album on which eleven piano pieces by Hamm and his son Karel (1876–1937) sound once again. No monumental gestures or virtuosic displays of strength, but music whose appeal lies above all in melodic inventiveness, harmonic shadings and a pronounced sense of intimacy.
That Hamm was more than a composer for the domestic parlour becomes clear from his life. For more than forty years he was active in the musical life of Venlo, where as conductor, music teacher and composer he played an important role. His extensive oeuvre spans a wide range of genres, from choral music to orchestral works. Yet his name has barely made its way into concert practice. Boomsma discovered his piano music thanks to a stack of scores he received after a concert from Carl Hamm, a descendant of the composer. This led in 2021 to the album Rediscovered, an exploration that is now continued with this new release. How that search began and what Hamm means to him, Boomsma told in this interview for Klassiek Centraal: https://klassiek-centraal.be/alsof-je-een-dikke-stoflaag-van-een-boek-blaast-camiel-boomsma-en-de-stille-terugkeer-van-gerhard-hamm-1.
A wealth of small forms
The choice for short character pieces determines the structure of the album. Hamm seeks expression not in large-scale developments, but in the way a melody unfolds, a harmony shifts its colour, or a rhythmic motif comes into motion. His music clearly stands in the Romantic tradition and is regularly compared with that of Schumann. Boomsma rightly finds this too limited: echoes of other greats resound, but also a personal signature. He senses these relationships well and gives the pieces a personal, nuanced interpretation.
This becomes immediately apparent in the Albumblatt – Nocturne, originally written for piano four hands and arranged for solo piano by Joey Roukens for this recording. Boomsma plays with a particularly fine touch and carefully dosed expression. The melody is given all the room to breathe, while the accompaniment retains its supporting role. It is precisely this restraint that makes this nocturne appealing: the pianist seeks it not in emphatic accents, but in the refinement of his touch and phrasing.
The following Impromptu – Perpetuum Mobile reveals a very different side of Hamm. Against the stillness of the nocturne stands music that is in constant motion. Boomsma rightly lets the temperament flare up. The delicate glissandi lend the piece extra colour, and the various voices remain clearly distinguishable from one another. As a result, the relentless motion becomes more than a display of finger dexterity: the piece gains momentum, relief and a playful character.
Love in various moods
A particularly attractive part of the CD is the collection Verlorne Lieb, consisting of six Clavierstücke op. 19. The set moves between varied moods and shows how Hamm evokes different emotional worlds with relatively modest means. Hast du mich lieb stands out in particular.
In this melancholic piece Boomsma allows the emotional tension to rise gradually. His playing is empathetic without becoming sentimental; the expression lies in the way he shapes the musical line rather than in overt drama. O hätt ich, with which the collection concludes, also finds a convincing place within the whole. Boomsma lets the emotion build further here, without the resolution losing its control.
The Etude from op. 15, lasting about seven minutes, forms the centre of gravity of the CD. The work transcends the character of a mere technical study and unfolds as an independent musical idea. The alternation between more contemplative passages and moments of greater intensity gives the composition direction. Boomsma gradually builds the arc of tension and succeeds in connecting the work's various phases. Here his sense of the larger line comes into its own particularly well.
The son also receives a place
With the Wiegenliedje and the Capriccio, Karel Hamm also takes his turn. The Wiegenliedje is a modest miniature whose charm lies in its simplicity. Boomsma keeps the performance free of unnecessary ornamentation and lets the melodic character speak for itself. The result is small in scale, but fits well within the intimate character of the album.
The Capriccio is of a very different calibre. As the second longer work on the CD, it has a more pronounced, ambitious character. In the interview Boomsma himself calls the piece one of the highlights of the album and praises its narrative character and unexpected turns. That adventurousness is audible, but Karel Hamm piles up musical ideas on top of one another. The abundance of notes does not always work to the advantage of the composition. The piece is lively and holds the attention, although it sometimes lacks the natural ease with which his father let melodic ideas speak.
A rediscovery with nuance
The recording, made in Westvest90 in Schiedam on a Steinway D concert grand, conveys the nuances of Hamm's piano music clearly. Differences in touch and dynamics remain clearly audible, without the sound losing any of its warmth.
Not every work is equally strong, and some melodic turns stay close to the familiar language of nineteenth-century Romanticism. Nevertheless, this music contains enough refinement and melodic expressive power to hold the listener's attention.
With Unforgotten, Camiel Boomsma continues his voyage of discovery and convincingly demonstrates why Gerhard Hamm deserves to be heard again. Not as a forgotten genius who must once more be placed on a pedestal, but as a composer whose music still succeeds in convincing today.
