Late Romantic Swiss Flute Sounds – Othmar Schoeck & Joseph Lauber

Late Romantic Swiss Flute Sounds

Othmar Schoeck & Joseph Lauber

Tommaso Maggiolini, flute
Nicolas Mottini, piano

Recorded at RSI – Swiss Italian Radio

This recording explores the late-Romantic flute repertoire through works by two Swiss composers: Joseph Lauber (1864–1952) and Othmar Schoeck (1886–1957). Lauber, born in Ruswil and trained in Zurich, Munich, and Paris, combined the influences of German Romanticism and French Impressionism while remaining faithful to tonal music. A teacher and conductor in Geneva, he composed several works for flute, inspired by his friend Paul Hagemann, an amateur flautist renowned for his virtuosity.

Among these works, the Suite of Dances in the Old Style (circa 1930) evokes Baroque forms (allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue, gavotte, bourrée) with a personal and refined touch. The Partita op. 51 (circa 1949) for solo flute pays homage to Bach by alternating dances such as pastorale, sarabande, minuet and saltarello, blending dynamic contrasts and Baroque style. The Grande Sonata op. 53 (1937), considered his chamber music masterpiece, is structured in three movements (Patetico, Pastorale, Burlesco) and combines lyricism, rich harmonies, Debussy influences and technical virtuosity.

Othmar Schoeck, born in Brunnen and a pupil of Max Reger in Leipzig, was active in Zurich as a composer, conductor, and accompanist. He is best known for his vocal works and operas, such as Penthesilea. His Sonata Op. 16 (1908/09), originally written for violin and dedicated to the violinist Stefi Geyer, is performed here on the flute. The lyrical writing, rubato markings, and references to Bach make it an expressive and dynamic piece.

The program also includes Albumblatt WoO 70, a short, tender piece composed for Geyer in 1908, which reveals a more intimate side of Schoeck. Both composers, with their distinct styles, enriched the flute repertoire by combining expressive depth and technical sophistication.