Dennis Hennig
Dennis Hennig (28 February 1951–17 January 1993) was an Australian pianist.
Biography
At an early stage of his career he was one of the Australian Ballet's rehearsal class pianists, and later performed live music for ballet performances such as Signatures, An Evening, Seven Deadly Sins and Nearly Beloved.[1] He also taught at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.[2]
Ross Edwards dedicated his Piano Concerto (1982) to Hennig[3], who was soloist at the premiere performance in 1983 with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under Werner Andreas Albert.[4] He also recorded the work with the QSO under Myer Fredman.[5]
He played the piano for the music for Jane Campion's first film Two Friends.[6]
He wrote on the music of Charles-Valentin Alkan.[7]
Dennis Hennig died of an AIDS-related condition[8] in early 1993, aged 41. A medal in his memory is presented at the Sydney International Piano Competition.[9]
Recordings
His recordings include:
- Felix Werder: Banker[10]
- Bohuslav Martinů: Sinfonietta giocosa for piano and orchestra (Australian Chamber Orchestra under Sir Charles Mackerras)[11]
- Cyril Scott: Two Pieces, Op. 47; Lotus Land; Columbine; Two Pierrot Pieces, Op. 35; Pierrette; Poems; Trois Danses tristes, Op. 74; Over the Prairie (Two Impressions); Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 66[12] He planned to record all of Scott's piano works, but died after completing only 2 CDs.
- Scott: In the Garden of Soul Sympathy[13]
- Liszt arr. Tausig: symphonic poems Tasso, Hamlet, Les préludes, Orpheus – world premiere recordings[14]
- Wagner arr. Tausig: excerpts from Tristan und Isolde and Die Walküre; Kaisermarsch[15]
- "Pianistic Peccadilloes: selected pieces from the repertoire of Miss Arabella Goddard, Eileen Joyce, Percy Grainger, Teresa Carreño and others":
- Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor
- Thalberg: Air anglais varié
- Leschetizky: Andante finale from Lucia di Lammermoor
- Carreño: Little Waltz
- Moszkowski: Concert Waltz in E
- Raff: La fileuse
- Anton Rubinstein: Melody in F, Op. 3, No. 1
- Rubinstein: Trot de cavalerie
- Mozart: Serenade from Don Giovanni
- Grainger: Ramble on the Last love duet in Richard Strauss's opera The Rose Bearer
- Dett: In the bottoms
- Guion: Alley tunes
- Gershwin: Love walked in
- Gershwin: The man I love
- Grunfeld: Soirée de Vienne.[16]
References
- ^ QPAC: Grand
- ^ Macarthur Singers: Kelvin Russell
- ^ AMC
- ^ AMC
- ^ AMC
- ^ Two Friends
- ^ William Alexander Eddie, Charles-Valentin Alkan
- ^ Music Web International
- ^ SIPCA 2008
- ^ AMC
- ^ New York Times, 15 October 1989
- ^ Cyril Scott: Discography
- ^ Leslie De’Ath, Cyril Scott as Composer-Pianist and Author, with some Recent Perspectives
- ^ Liszt: Les préludes, score
- ^ hb direct
- ^ Australian Music Centre (AMC)