Obscure Music Monday: Böhm's Petite Bijouterie

Carl Böhm (Sept. 11, 1844 - April 4, 1920) was a German pianist and composer. Little is known about him, though during his day his works were very popular. He's considered one of the great German songwriters from the 19th century, and has many works that achieved worldwide recognition, such as Still as the Night, Twilight, Maybells, Enfant Cheri, and The Fountain. Bohm's publisher, N. Simrock, said that the profits from his compositions provided the capital for the publication of those of Brahms". That goes to show the popularity and salability of his works during his time.

Petite Bijourterie (little jeweler's shop) is one of Böhm's delightful salon pieces for piano, which were quite lucrative for him. This waltz is cheerful from start to finish, and there are plenty of opportunities for rubato so you can shape and create it to your liking. Böhm has littered the work with little grace notes, adding a flowery flair to the piece. The sections of this piece are distinct and obvious, which is refreshing to the ears. The cheerfulness and the way the melody just prances up and down the keyboard add to the sparkle of this fun work, and make it a real crowd pleaser.

Sadly we can't find any recordings of this, but we hope that changes soon!