Hof-Capelle Carlsruhe - Hommage à Joseph Aloys Schmittbaur (2019)

The critic of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung wrote of Schmittbauers works: Hr. Kapellm. Schmittb., is one of the first to have distinguished himself in Germany on account of the most charming of all Instruments, which is surely so little used only because it is so precious and on account of a certain quaint prejudice against it and has done so in compositions, through playing it himself, and by building exceedingly good Harmonicas. The less often something for this Instrument appears; the more indispensable to the player, who does not know how to express his own ideas and sentiments in notes, are pieces written especially for this instrument; the more commonly and regrettably most players resort to pieces arranged as may be: the more is this small Work to be recommended. One readily recognizes in it the good player of the Harmonica. The pieces are not without poetic worth, and yet some particular passages excepted, which one can soon modify appropriately easy to perform [...] No one, who is able to perform them adequately, will play them without being delighted by them. This release will prove that not only will the performers be delighted by these works, but so will the listeners.