Profile
Henning Schmiedt is Berlin based composer-pianist, born in 1965. His characteristics is the combination of orthodox piano composing and harmony, piano playing deeply influenced by jazz improvisation and sound and recording approaches of new and digital technologies.
Solo Albums
Klavierraum (FLAU, 2008)
“Klavierraum” is Henning Schmiedt’s album released from FLAU in 2008, the label is managed by Japanese Electronica artist “aus”.
This album is consist of 15 tracks, and almost tracks were made by improvisational piano solo and electronic ambience or noise. His piano improvisation play is deeply influenced by Jazz, but it includes pure and simple tone of classical music. And background electronic sound may be made with ambience part of piano effects, what is more he processed effects or Cycling 74′ MAX.
Theme of this album is his daily life. Almost songs are named by ordinary foods and daily things. So the songs is suitable for relaxing music and background music of noon or afternoon of our everyday life.
The track 12, “Kla” is classical composed song with very beautiful melody of Celtic taste, and when I listen this song I become peaceful and quiet state of mind. Also, the track 14 “Raum” is classical composed song too, features an impressive piano backing theme. A very beautiful and precious song. I associate gentle rain falling with to listen to this song.
About 10 years ago (2013 – 2014), “Raum” played repeatedly during 17:00 to 18:00 in my local shopping street. The street and the town looked very shine and happy to me. I felt very refreshed and happy.
Wolken (FLAU, 2009)
“Wolken” is a piano solo album of Henning Schmiedt released by Flau in 2009. It contains 12 tracks and 10 songs simply named Wolke plus a number (Eins, Zwei, Drei…) The songs were played by floating improvisational piano was influenced by Jazz. The piano tone is clear and sharp also gentle. The compositions are based on classical music and its structure, passage and backing. But he played by a swinging and swaying rhythm jazzy improvisation like the sun flickering and the harmonies have no heavy and dull Jazz mood.
And, so this music is a very bright, refreshing, cute and cheerful and original and unique music matches the ordinary life, a fine sunny day and a time of walking or shopping.
The cover art matches and correspond with this bright and refreshing music. I felt a clear blue sky, flexibly changing forms and traces of clouds (Wolke means cloud.), sun flickers on the sea and children’s pureness.
Spazieren (FLAU, 2011)
“Spazieren” is Henning Schmiedt’s piano solo album released in 2011 by FLAU. This album contains 29 tracks and each song may describe a scene of his strolling.
I think this album is his first authentic and orthodox piano album. Compositions are more classical and orthodox than former albums, and piano tones are very clear and usual. The songs own the traditional also today’s German atmosphere and echoe, like a green plain and a forest of the cover art. But they are not heavy and significant, are fresh, bright and brand-new.
Schnee (FLAU, 2012)
The album, “Schnee” released in 2012. All songs are basically a piano solo songs, but they are attached electronic noises and clicks, piano reflections and/or pads.
The songs and piano plays are expressed his characteristics, the combination of improvisation play influenced by Jazz, and classical bright harmonies. Also this album has a tendency to Jazz improvisation.
“Ein Ersten Stern” is a sweet song based on traditional and European ethnic melodies. “Weißer Tanz” is a melancholic but vivid song.
A nice and neutral fine work of Henning Schmiedt.
Walzer (FLAU, 2015)
“Walzer” is one of masterpieces of Post-classical and today’s piano solo music and I think the representative work of Henning Schmiedt. The songs are so sweet, elegant and precious, also melancholic but bright, cute but rigorous, innocent but nihilistic, significant but familiar. I think it shows the preciousness of our ordinary life.
The fruit of his music career and his life. He splendidly expressed his sense and technic of classical composition, and mixture of various memories and feelings. This album owns a tendency of this orthodox classical compositions, almost songs are three beat and waltz based compositions, but they are not dance music, slow gentle piano pieces. And they own the echo of German music (from Haydn, Beethoven, Wagner, Kraftwerk, NEU!, Andrea Berg to Monika Kruse).
The 2nd track, “Nowhere” expresses the sweetness of the loneliness. The 6th track “Wennschon, Dennschon” is a sweet and cute little waltz piano piece. The 8th track, “Hochzeitslied” must be a piece for weddings. But it has nihilistic feeling as a spice, so it become a so sweet and precious song. 12th track, “Duft von Astern” is a beautiful and delicate sweet piano piece is good for refleshing.
Again, this album is the excellent master-piece of today’s Post-classical piano solo music. I want all music fans to listen to it.
Schöneweide (FLAU, 2017)
This album features Henning Schmiedt’s tendency to classical music composition (Classical 7 : Jazz 3 or Classical 6 : Jazz 4). This album is also basically a piano solo album, but some songs their piano tones are added effectors, and are attached electronic and environmental noises, faint rhythms by electronic percussions, piano reflections including effects.
The mood of this album is more private, intimate, familiar and ennui touch to the former album. A refreshing and relaxing album, and a fine work of Henning Schmiedt.
Klavierraum, später (FLAU, 2019)
Following to “Klavierraum” (2008), this album is an improvisational piano solo album deeply influenced by Jazz. Backs of the songs are attached synthesizer pads, environmental and electronic noises.
In this album, Schmiedt piano playing owns the Classical music tendency like “Schöneweide”, that is sophisticated and delicate also firm and well built, and the touches are few and carefully selected, compared with the former work “Klavierraum”.
“Guten” and “Morgen!” are pure gentle piano songs with no background pads and noises. A calm and reflective suit.
“3 Teelöffel Backpulver (Terekke Remix)” is a remix song (original one is in “Klavierraum”) of a piano collage, percussions of a rhythm machine, a synth bass and a pad.
“Du und Ich (Mono Fontana Reinterpretation)” is the piano play is dynamic compare with the original, and is attached collages of German chatting voices.
A calm and relaxing, refreshing and reflective album. A good work of Henning Schmiedt.
Schlafen (FLAU, 2020)
“Schlafen” (the word means “Sleeping”) is a piano solo album by Henning Schmiedt. This album inspired by J. S. Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”, and so he wanted to produce a music for sleeping.
The first track and the last track are arranged “Aria” (theme) of “Goldberg Variations”. And on other tracks, Schmiedt freely played his original improvisational variations of the theme like the style of Jazz. The play is obscure, vague and ennui but relaxing. The touches are few and simple. The harmonies are clear, there’s no cloudiness of Jazz.
The sound is natural and atmospheric. It includes key touch noises, hummer noises and studio reflection. Then they are edited by deep reverb and chorus effects.
A silent, insignificant and passionless but relaxing music is good for a sleeping, there are peaceful mind and mood. The taste of this album is similar to Ambient, New Age and Healing Music, but it’s certain that this is pure simple also serious piano work.
Piano Diary (FLAU, 2021)
An album of Henning Schmiedt released in 2021. A collection of various styles improvisational short piano pieces. Almost songs are piano solo, some songs were added a pad, environmental and street noises, and some effects, reverb, chorus or EQ.
He had been played and recorded one short piece everyday during staying home by pandemic. Compositions might not be written on sheet music. They are composed by improvisations and inputted and edited on DAW. So there’s a private and creative mood.
“25 to 7” is impressive nostalgic simple piano piece. The rhythm is swing, touches are bit intense and phrases are sweet.
“Half Past” is a simple and heartfelt song, also Schmiedt’s iconic precious, sweet and melancholic composition.
“Saturday 27th” is a Folk and Traditional music taste song that recalls George Winston.
“Moonlight” is an Ambient song with a piano and (a) pad(s) for a rest and relaxing.
“Friday Night” is Classical taste and refreshing song, but it has an apathetic mood.
“Much Later” is a beautiful and melancholic song of an improvisational piano play with layers of female and male voice pads.
“Too Early” is a song features pad chord sound like myst, piano chord backing and few high-tones ride on the pad. The nice arrangement and wonderfully beautiful song.
“Twentyfive Past Four” is Schmiedt’s characteristic swinging and fragmental, neutral and mindless piano piece that appeared on “Klavierraum” and “Wolken”.
“12:01 AM” is a pad chord loop based Electronica song. The pad sound is very slow attack and release and ambiguous by a reverb or some effects.
A very nice album. You can enjoy and ease off by various style songs.
Piano Miniatures (FLAU, 2022)
“Piano Miniatures” is a piano album by Henning Schmiedt, released in 2022. It is consist of fifteen short piano songs, and on half of them there are synth pad chord loops, one track is a piano with a strings ensemble and some tracks are piano solo but piano tones are arranged by compressor, chorus and reverb effectors. The pads are very high attack and release chord harmony loop with no chord progresssion or chord backings and high tone and the length of one cycle of loop or touches are eight or sixteen bar long, they already appeared on “Too Early” and “12:01 AM” of the former album “Piano Diary”.
“Stille Nacht” is a song of dynamic piano arpeggio and a strings ensemble accompaniment.
“Awake” is the “Wolken” style song with a pad loop.
“Sometime” is sweet and nostalgic also refreshing simple piano piece.
“Therefore” is a Classical but improvisational piano with a pad loop song.
“Because” has a melancholic and Jazz taste, an improvisational and dynamic piano solo piece.
“Flow” is a Classical piano piece has the German echo like the album “Spazieren”.
“Close” is a pad Ambient song with piano fragmental touches.
“Recently” is a plain and neutral but refreshing song.
This album has the neutral and bright tendency like the former album “Piano Diary”. And you can enjoy various tastes and style of Schmiedt’s music.
I recommend this album for who like “Piano Diary”.
Collaborations
bei (FLAU, 2017)
“bei” by Henning Schmiedt & Christoph Berg is an orthodox and Classical, but unique and rare Post-classical violin and piano duo album.
The plays of two players are improvisational and few notes, make use of intervals in time and space, piano and violin phrases crosse and utilize each other.
A very nice and only one piano and violin duo Post-classical album.
Resources und Links
Henning Schmiedt (Official Site, EN & DE)
Facebook Page
FLAU | Henning Schmiedt
Bandcamp | FLAU
List of All Music Reviews
Post-classical, New Age, Ambient, Minimal Music, Electronica
(English, Deutsch, Français, Español, Italiano)
