Miniaturen: Acht Kleine Stucke, Op. 4 - Clarinet and Piano

Max Laurischkus was born in Insterburg, East Prussia, in 1876 and died in Berlin in 1929. Although Lithuanian folk songs were included in some of the compositions of Laurischkus, it is incorrect to say he is Lithuanian as is sometimes written. Insterburg, also known as Isruties or Isrutien in the Lithuanian language, was never a part of Lithuania. The city was occupied in 1946 by Russia at the end of World War II and renamed "Tschernjachowsk." As a young man, Laurischkus left his German family in East Prussia to go to Berlin where he studied music with Bargiel and Herzongenberg at the Hochschule fur Musik. He later worked as a music teacher, pianist and composer.

This new edition of Laurischkus' "Miniaturen: 8 Little Pieces" is edited by John Anderson. The music shows the strong influence of Brahms, which is not surprising, because Brahms was alive until Laurischkus was 21 years old. The emphasis of the music is on lyrical, structured composition. Although the eight movements are each very short, they contain a variety of styles and lovely Romantic writing for the clarinet. The piano part is more challenging than that of the clarinet. Total duration of all eight movements is approximately 13.5 minutes.