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1\11 rigl~rsrcscl.vctl. No portion ol' !his I)ook may l)c rcprocl~~cccl-r~~cclia~~ic;~Ily, c*lrctro~iic;~lly. 01. 1)). any orller nrc;lns, irlcltrtling ~~l~orocop~~i~rg-t\~i~lout t\,ritten ~ x r ~ ~ ~ i s of s i othe t r ~)ublisher.I'ublisl~c~tl siml~lt;~neously i l l Can;ltla by e l ' h o ~ l ~.Allell as & Son 12ill~itcd.
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THE .............
NPR@GUIDE TO ....
BUILDING A CMSSICAL
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CD COLLECTION BY TED LIBBEY
ln trodliction by MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH ............ ............................................. ___ ...,,,__,._..__ ..,,,....,.. (. ,_.._.,,_..__.._,_ WORKMAN PUBLISHING.NEW YORK
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n his preface to The Pntll to Rome, Hilaire Belloc makes light of the authorial duty of acknowledgment, assuring his reader that his avoidance of' it "is but on account of the multitude ancl splendour of' those who have attended at the production of this volume." T h e present writer differs. \ilrhile the readcr may wince at the list of names that follows, it is precisely because this multitude is so splendid that I wish to thank each one for the assistaricc I have received in writing this book. I begin with Ruth Sullivan, my editor at Workman, who has earned my respect and devotion with her insistence on quality. and Kathy Ryan, her highly resourcel'i~lassistant. bly thanks are also d u e to Anita Dickhuth, tvho did a splendid job with photo research, to Lisa Sloane, who presided so skillf'ully over the book's design, and to hlildred Camacho Richardson and Ken Richardson-Mildred for keying much of the original manuscript, Ken for fact-checking and copy-editing the ni;~nuscriptand for providing many lielpl'~11suggestioris along the way. I am gratef'ul as well to many friends for [heir advice and encouragement, among them Xlichelle Krisel and Steve Wassermann, \\?it11 whorii the idea for this book origiiiatecl. Leon Dana, Hob Silverstein. Deriis Stevens, and Toin Dixon. 1 am indebted to my colleagues at National Public Radio@,especially those on the staff of Perfonnunce Today, including host hlartin (~oltlsmith.p r o t l ~ ~ c Laul-a cr Bertrarl. and senior producers Hen Roe a n d Don Lce. hlore than anything else. lvhat has sustainetl me in thc writing of this book has been their enthusiasm, and that clf NPK@ listeners from Alaska to Florida. To my f'rieiirls in the recor-tl inclustry-particularly Ailnee Gautreau, Albert Imperato, Susan Schif'fcr. hlarlisa hlonroe, hlarilyn Kgol, Philicia Gilbert, Sarah Folger. arid Ellen Schantz-I offer thanks for responding so cheerfully to the many recltiests for information ancl assistance this book occasionecl. And to il.lrtsict~lA?~iericn, iny llome ti)r many years, I make gratef'i~lacknotvlcdgrnent of the free use of its photo archive. Lastly, 1 hi~inblythank those who, over the years, have bcen my best tcacllers-Joh11 Merrill, Leon I'lantinga. George I Ioulc. arid Leonard Ratner.
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he arrival of the digital auclio Compact Disc on the Anierican market about a decade ago has caused a revolution in home-listening habits cornparable to the changeover from shellac 78s to vi~iylLPs during the 1950s, arid Srom mono to stereo in the 1960s. T h e most compelling reasori for the popularity of the CD is its sound quality. As a playback medium, it oflers wider dynamic rangc and niuch less distortion than either the LI' o r the cassette. CDs sountl clear. warm, ant1 alive, often with astonishing impact and presence. Another reasoli for the CD's success is practicality: read by a laser beam while rotatirig at speeds u p to 400 rpm, a five-inch-diameter CI) can carry a piece as long as 13eethoven's Ninth Symphony (lasting approximately 70 minutes). ant1 play i t back without interruption. Add to that value: all nine of Beethoven's symphonies. alor~gwith assortetl overtures, will fit on five o r six Cl)s and can be purchasctl as a set for about $35, which is less than what it cost to buy the same recordings on seven "long-playing" recol-ds 25 years ago. T h e popularity of the Compact Disc has, however-, brought a dilemma for the classical music buyer. In ten years, the classical CD catalog 11as grown from 100 titles to al>proximately 50,000. With so many recordings available o n CD, there is an overabundance of options, particularly w h e ~it ~comes to the most fi~nliliar works in the repertory. T h e current issue of'the Schzuann catalog
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lists 86 single-CD offerings of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. with entries for another 24 sets containing the complete ~ e e t h o v e n symphonies. Tliere are 8 1 CD versions of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, 78 of Mozart's Eine kleirie Nachtmmik, arid an astonishing 39 of Antonin Dvofak's Cello Concerto. For the ordinary music lover, leafing through the catalog or flipping through discs at the local record store is daunting. Having to decide which recording to buy becomes an exercise in self-intimidation. That is one problem facing the consumer, and the bulky tomes with hard-to-read type. offering comments on 20 or 30 versions of a particular piece, d o little to help. Another problem, which affects many people who fincl classical music appealing on a visceral level, is the fear of inadecluate knowledge. "I like it." thcse people will say. "but I just don't feel I know enough to really u~iderstandit." T o them 1 always say that what matters is not what one knows about music, but how it makes one fed. Nonetlieless, some guidance-a few signposts to follow as one hears a piece-can often make a big difference, and turn an hour spent listening to music from a diversion into an experience. The purpose of this book is to help the music lover and consumer alike. It is intended to serve both as a companion to the "basic" classical repertory-by providing background and insight into the finest accomplishment^ of the great composers-and as a highly selective guide to the best recordings of those works on Compact Disc, by identifying the recordings that offer the most compelling realizations of the music and the rnost natural sound. That there is a pressing neecl for this kind of book I realized some years ago when I began to conrribute a weekly segment to National Public Radio's@Perfomulzce Today called "The PT Basic Record Library." T h e response o f listeners all over the country was immediate and enthusiasric, and requests for a list of recommended recordings poured in by the thousands. Now entering its sixth year, the "BRI," (as we refcr to it in the stuclio) remains the most popular segment on Petfonnance T o d q . 'This book follo~vs much the same format as the show. For each work (except operas), the coverage consists of a commentary on the nils sic followed by a listing of recommended recordings and capsule reviews. Originally. I planned to discuss 100 works, hut the book grew well beyond that. Even then, difficult choices had to be made. I wanted to write about all nine Beethoven symphonies, hut
the 40 pages il. r\~ouldlla\*cenlailed sectnett too much. So I linlited my coveriige oS beet hove^^'^ symphonies to the fbur 1 feel are most important, in order to Ic;ir,e rooln 1-or such \\qorks as Shostakovich's *17enthallel Prokoliev's Fil'lh-110th nc;ir and clear lo Iny Ileart-ant1 for si~tglcsynlphonic scoi-rs by thc likes of' Fr~inck. Jan%i.ek, Nielsen, and \'augh;tn \\!illiams, \\hose i~llportancedoes 11ot compare with 1
rc.c.iation01' the rcl,er~ory's breadth than ;in in-dcpth kno\vletlge ol'just a part of i t . Still, much as I love the music of C:liabrier, Chaussorl. arld Dukas, 1 do riot consider any of it I~asicalld l t a ~ elef~i~ out of this book. Ancl much ;is I respect that of Wellern, not a sirigle piece of' his has found a place in my heart, or, I suspcct, in the hearts of most of those who have been exposed to it during the past three quarters of a century. So it hiis not found a place here. As .\iozart once said of' his ;iinl in composing, nly nit11 i l l writing this Imok lias been " t o please hot11 the connoisseur ant1 the anlatc.ur." For ease 01' use. I I~avctli\~iclctlI hc. test into sis chapters, each of rvllicli covers ;I siltgle, large genre-orchestral works (inclucling sy~~iplionies and s~~ires), c o ~ l c e r ~ och;lmbel. s, n.orks, keyboard wol-ks, sacrecl ;111dc110r:il ~ o r k s a. ~ i t loperas. \,2'ithi11 each chapter tho entries have 11ee11art-:uigccl ;ilpl~;ibe~ically by composer. Tltis approach permits the reatler \\-it11;I slwcial interest-for instance, in music fi)r the orc.hesl~-ao r thc piano-to plunge rigllr in, \vhilc still ma kin^ it c-;~sytor : ~ ~ r o ~ lI-e:itlcr ter to n;ivigate I'ro111r\.ork to work and cornposc.r t o conlposer \\~itliout kr~olvirlgtlleil- chronology, o r fol- yet ;trlotlier reatler t.o find the works of' a f';~vol.itecomposer in e;lch seclion with a ttiinimum ol' fuss. In the c:lse of ol)er-;I. I tlccitlcd I 11at ; I chronologic-a1 over\~iew, emphasizing the ; ~ c h i c v e ~ ~ ~of' e nthe t s five greatest masters thc genre has kltown-hlozart, lt'agner, \'ercli. Puccilii, a~lctStrat~ss\voultl ~xo\~iclc tlic best fountlatio~iti)]. lislenit~g,\vhilc lacilira~irig the reader's Srtrti~ercsplorarion of thc*s~tt?jec~. i\ristotle cievorcd tile firlal part of liis Polil~c.~ to a clisrussio~iof' music ant1 the rvay in tvhich " r n a ~l-el:~tes ~ to III;II~." 111 ;lssigni~lgt o ~llusicsuch a11importanr I-ole in [he I'unc~ioningof the \\rcll-governed state, Aristotlc was simply ;ick~lo\vlcdgillg\\.ha1 was ktlown
to hirn and 11is co11tempo1-aries,nanlely that music co~rldhave a benefic.ial influence over t l ~ cc.llaractcr ant1 the SOLII, alld th;tt it could sho~va person \\.hat was possi1,le ant1 becoming in life. "lnr~ocentpleasures are 1101 ollly in Iiarnlol~yivith the ~ > e ~ ' f i - c ~ erid of' life, they also provide rclaxatiori," the philosopher rightly observed. 111 o u r own time. I)~tkcEllingtoll said mucli rlie sarrie thing \\hen he declared: "It don't mean a tiling it' it ain't got th;it swing." This hook agrees. -TP(l 1-ibbt~
T h e (:ompact Disc is tlie c:il,stone o f tlie t1igit;ll autlio revolution-\\,hose credo is that any sountl, inclutling the highly cornplcx sounds ol' music, car1 I,e represenrc!d by ~ ~ u m c r i c samal ples and stored ar~clretrie\ted that \\.;~y.Ry the mid-lf)80s, digital ~.ecortling-wllercby rrittsic is convel-tcd to a binary cotle at 1l1e tirne ol' he recording-had beco~riestand:) I-d. Prior to this, all recortlings \\?ereallalog. 111adcI>ystaving r l ~ souncl e of' ;I musical performance as an "analogous" waveform-in the groove cut onto ;I transcription disc o r as itn at-l.;uigelllcnt 01' rnagllctizcd pa~.ticlcs on rape. Prolx)~lenlsot'cligital rccortlillg and playback 11elici.c that i t is superior to analog becausc it adds no noise to the recoreling chain (such :is the liiss I'rom a master tape), ant1 I~eca~tsc i i tloes a Iwtter job of reprotlucing high frequencies, loud dynan~ics.and s~ltlden transiellts. hlol-eover, digital ~.c.c.ordingscall be p1;tyecl I~ackwithout degradatiori and copied rvithout loss of. cluality .Aclherenrs of analog complain that digital ~-c:cordillgrakvs rhe life out of 111~1sic by failing to capture its ~ i o s subtle t rli1ancc.s. and that compared with tlie warmer souncl 01' Ll's. CLk ;ire coltl, an;tlytic;ll, ancl harsh. hlost of' these vinyl aficionados can al'forcl rhe $30,000 systems needed to buttress their opinions. T.L.
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Page 1 BACH BARBERB A R T ~ KBEETHOVEN BERLIOZBERNSTEIN BIZET BKAHMS UKITTEN BRUCIWERCOPLAND DERUSSYD v 0 k . i ~ ELGAR FALLA F R ~ N C K
CONCIKTOS
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SACRED A N D C H O R A L hfUSIC
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O P E R A
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here is a philosophy which say5 that in order to feel Gocl, you must begin to believe in Him. just as in order to feel the u.arnith o f a stove. you rnust come close to it. This is ;llso true witti ~ii~lsic. I11 orc-ler l o feel its rvarnith. you m11st come close to it, and open youl- heart to it. Someti~nesthat can be aivfully hard work. I know many people ivho corne to concerts I~uttonedu p to the last button, so to speak. ant1 w h o lurri)~burtoned as well. H i l t rnusic is not so aggressive tliat it will come through to yo11 \vithoilt your help. In order to feel its warmth and beaut). you have to shed your emotional insulation, just as if it were :I coat. : ~ u dprepal-cbto lister1 n.ith youi- he;ir1. T h e key ro finding happiness in music iind to ~ ~ ~ i d c r s t a n diti ~isi 11ot g kno\vletlge. because the music itself will teach you whatever you neetl to knoiv. '1-he key is fkeling. \\'hat a treasure chest that key unlocks! I have been lucky enough to spend rny life i l l the world of music, making it and sharing it with some of
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INTRODUCTION i
the giants of our time. and I know, with all my heart, that every hour spent with great music illu~ninatesthe rest of one's life. Real. great music should never serve as a background for activities or chores not connected ivitll it. O u r ~\,orltlhas been cursed with "elevator music." Waiting in an airport o r visiting the doctor o r dentist, \ire are so often beset with canned "classical rnusic." I !lave even visited cafes. especially in Japan, that serve classical nus sic as they serve your food. hlany's the time that 1 woulcl leave, paying my bill lor h o d and drink I had neither eaten nor drunk, because my attention had been capturecl by the music playing in the background. T h e very nature of music makes it a different art: you can't stand before it. studying and exanlining it until you understand it. Therefore, if you are doing anything else while listening to classical music, you are distractetl and lose tile thread of development of the co~ilposer'smusical itlea. Just as if you were reading a book and skipped every ten pages o r so. \Ve are fortunate today that we ca~nexplore rnusic in so many ways, through concerts, broadcasts, and recordings. Yet the very abundance of choices available can be quire confusing. That is why we readers are Ii~ckythat Ted Libbey has provided this guide to the complex and magnificent realm of music. I have known .IPd for niany years. and I call promise you that he will be your best possible friend in the discoveries that lie ahead. 'Ted is one of the wol-Id's greatest rnusicologists. H e has enormous acadeniic knowledge, which he acquired at Yale and as a doctoral stud en^ at Stanford, and he is certainly familiar with the worltl of I-ecordings.But for me the most important thing is the way Ted engages wit11 the music. H e comes to each perfol-n~ancewith "open ears," ready to heal- whatever the music will teach him, and his writing reflects this. T h e suggestions he makes in this book( h e way he talks about the pieces the~~lselves and Iiis choice of recordings-all convey this essential understancling.
INTRODUCTION L
'Ted is also a talented mi~sician.He has performed in various orchestl-as as a percussionist and he continues to conduct professionally. I n one instance I I-ememher well, he sang in the c h o r i ~ swhen I conducted the Rachnianinoff Vespers at Carnegie Hall. In my experience. only a handful of critics are as insightful about \\.hat goes on in the perfbrmer's niind. O n thc rare o c c a s i o ~when ~ 1 read a review of my performance (01-have one tratisl;~tedfor me), it will usually tell me \\,hat I did in a particular moment. But his is the rare re\.ie\v in \vhich the critic tells me what I was thinking in that moment. So I am especially happy that Ted has written this book. Ollce yo11 begin to read it and experience the music h e has written about, you will find yourself coming close t o the stove and feeling its wasrnth-and also, 1 hope, sharing in the happiness that listening to 1ii11siccar1 provide.
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he concept of the orchestra as a large body of diverse instruments sounding together dates back to antiquity. It is t T memorably preserved in the words of Psalm 150, w.hich calls for the Lord to be praised "with the sound of the trumpet" as well as with the psaltery and harp. stringed instl-uments and organs. and loud and high-sounding cymbals. T h e syrnphony orchestra that w e know is of more recent vintage, having developed out of the string consorts and court ensembles of the Renaissance and early Baroque. T h e rnost important forerunner of this orchestra was the court "chapel" (in Italian, cnppella, in German, Kapelle) maintained by princes and prelates during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. At first, chapels were nothing more than choirs, since instruments other than the organ were banned from use in church owing to their association with dancing. clining, and secular pursuits. During the Renaissance, instrunlents bcgari to appear in court chapels throughout Europe, and as the timcs grew more secular the number of instrumentalists eniployed at court grew as well. By [lie beginning of the 18th century, the court chapel had in fact become an orchestra, especially in Germany, and the musician in charge of it-known
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there as a k'c~pell~~rei.slpr a n d in Italy :IS a ~nnr~.s/ro di ca/)pelln-\\,as likcly to be occupied not with church services l ~ u with t concerts, operas, a n d chamber performances. I n the 18th century. tlie orchestra became the star of'a thriving court antl pirblic colicert scene. Whether i t was the cnormoits. rcgally liveried array of the Concert Spirituel in Paris. the virtuoso court bands of Carl T h e o d o r in hlannheim a n d h~iunicli,o r the ColIcgiurn musicuni Bach cond~tcteclat Zillin~el.nla~ln's cof'leehousc in Leipzig. an orchcstra offered listcners ii tastc of the magnificent a n d the sublime. For ears unaccustolned to anything louder than hoof beats and church bells. hearing 50 o r 60 instruments playing at oncc was a breathtaking experience, hcyo~idcoml>arison with anything in nature o r the inlagination. T h e orchcstra o f t h e 18th century w,as dominated by the striligs, which \yere usu;~llydivided into f o ~ groups: ~r first \'iolilis, secolid violins. violas, ant1 basses (consisting of cellos a n d string basses playilig together). vl'lie most commonly cncoun~cretlwoodwincls were flutes, oboes. a n d bassoons: since the same rn~~sicians oftell pl;iyed both f l i ~ t cancl oboe, scorcs woulcl usually call for o n c o r the other. In all but the largcst ensembles. the clarinet was ;I rarity until the e n d of the century. hlost orchestras hacl a pair of' Ilorns. a n d coulcl milsteltwo trurnpets a n d timpani for Ikstivc occasions. I'rombones, a familiar presence in the opera house (their solemn tone synlbolized the supernatural). had to until early in the 19th century t o gain atlmission t o tlie symphony orchestt-a. Doubling in size cluring the Ronlantic era. the orchestra achieveel its present clisposition of approximately 100 players arountl the t u r n of the century. Instead of ~voocl\vilirlsi l l pairs. o n e could cxpcct to fincl three o r ti)ilr o f each varicty, long with such auxiliary i n s t r ~ l ments as piccolo, English horn, bass cl;il-inet, a n d contabassoon. A full brass section included 11otjust two Ilorlis arid two ~ r u m p e t s but , as Inany as eiglil 01- ten horns. b u r trumpets. three trombones, anel tuba. I n aclclition to timpani the percussion section routinely included cymbals, bass d r u m , a n d triangle, a n d o n d e m a n d coultl produce such ~)araphcrnaliaas tarn-talri. snare clrum, tubular bells. sleigh hells, co~vbells.glockensl,iel, casr.ancts, tarnhouri~le,rute, ratchet, antl \\rind machine. X large body of strings-on the o r d e r o f 18 first antl 16 second violins, 14 violas, 12 cellos, a n d 10 d o u l ~ l e basses-\\,as rieedcd to balance the sonic weight of all that hardwal-e. Just as tlie orchestra changed over lime. the formal genres in
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which orchestral riiusic was written changed with fashion. Arnong the riiost popular forms of the Baroque were the suite, a collection of dances often prefaced by a movement in the style of an overture, and the concerto grosso. a kitid of chan11,er niusic writ large, usually consisting of three o r four movernenu in alternating fast and slow tempos. sometimes with solo parts. Hanclel's It:aler hlusic is an instance of the former. while Bach's Rrandenbltrg Concertos arc a particularly elevated example of the latter. T h e symphony, from the Latin symphonin meaning "sounding together," was shaped by niany harlds during the course of the 18th century, most ably by hlozart ancl Haydn, ar~tlbecarlie the tlominant orchestral format of the 19th century thanks to Beethoven's visionary essays in the genre. T h e Classical symphony generally consisted of four movements: a n opening Inovement iri lively tempo. a lyrical slow movement, a minuet, anct a brisk finale. Nearly always, the first movement was in sonata form, also known as key-area form-in which, during the first part of the movement (called the "exposition"), there is a departure from the home key to a closely related key (the dominant if the home key is major, o r the relative major if it is minor): a series of more radical departures later on (in what is called the "development"): arid a return t o the home key, usually by means of a reprise of the moven~ent'sopening material (called the "recapitulation"). which serves to confirm the key anti provide a sense of completion to the movement. Often. the slow t-novcment and finale of a symphony are cast in key-area form as ~vell. Departures from the four-movement rnodel of hIozart anci Haydn began with Beethoven's Pmtoralc Symphony and continued through the 19th century ant1 the 20th. yet the model remaincd viable i11 the works of hlahler. Sibelius, Shostakovich. and I'rokofiev. the most important syrnphonists of' the past 100 years. T h e 19th century saw the emergence of two genres related to the symphony and to each other, the concert overture and the symphonic poem. But as the 20th century nears its e n d , these f'orms, along with the symphony, appear to be i l l decline. What has supplanted then1 might best be characterized as suites and orchestral concertos, suggesting tliat music has corile back full circle to the forms of the Baroque. l ' h e orchestra is still a magnificent vehicle h r the expression of thought and feeling, and its literature rcm:~insunmatched in the annals of music for its power, scale. and emotional range.
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sked on a final exan1 to sun1 lip Bach's life and arh~evernent,a sttitlent in a music history class began:
"Rach \\as a master of the passion. .ind he father of 20 children." Both ol whirl1 are true. though not in the wa) it sounds. Bach was the master not only of the passio~ibut o f the cantata, the concerto, the sonata, the suite-in sliort, of' an astoundi~ig variety of forms both sacred 'ind secular, instrumental and socal, r a n g n g fro111 the most intinlate to ~ h 111ost c riiagniliccr~t.And not on]!- \+.ashe ;i prolific sire who. at ;ige 45. could boast that his family coultl fi)rm a co~lipletevocal aricl ir1stl.u mental ensemble, he was also one of the most prolific composers in history. with musical "chilclren" nurnl>eri~ig in tile ~lioi~sands. Born in Eisenach. irito the rnost rnusic;il fanlily in Ger~rianhisto~-y,Bach rcceivetl an unus~~ally t l l ~ r o i ~ ghi~manistic h education. As a child he \\,as a good singer. but it \\.as onlv in his teens that he developetl into a capable instrument;~list.In coa~~>ositiori he was largely self-taught. After c o m p l e t i ~ ~his g studies i11 Iiineburg, I3ach held v;irious positions as a cll~irchorganist. 111 1705 he made a pilgrimage to Lirbeck to hear Dietrich Bustehuclc. the greatest organist of the clay and a conlposcr \\.hose niusic was to have a profound effect on him Bitch's o w n thrne as a virtuoso was bcgirining to spread. and b~ the e ~ i t of l his decade o f sel-vice as court organist ant1 concertm.lster i l l M'cirnar ( 1708- 17 17). he had securctl a reputation as the greatest org;i~~ist ;ind i~rlprovisel-i l l Germa~iy-;i distinction confir~neclby tlie aged J. A. Reincken, ~vlio.af'ter hearing him exte~nporizeo n I h e chorale A ~ 12JassprfliisI sell Babylon, remarked, '.I thought this art svas dead. but I see it still lives in you."
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Some of Bach's happiest years were spent at the court of Ciithen ( I f 17- 1723), where his youlig p;ilron, Prince L.eopold of' Anhalt-C:iithcn, a fine tnusician lliniself, showed great genel-osity to his Kapellmeister. Bach hacl devoted niost of his time in Weimar to compositig caritatas nncl \\forksfor thc orgall. Now, tlie bulk of his output consistetl of chamber 2nd i~istrurnentalscores for the prince's niusic-hungry court. In 1723 Ilach was appointed Kantor at the Tliomaskirclie in 1-eipzig, that city's most importa~it church and its musical centcr. He remained Kantor i ~ r i t i lhis cleath in 1750, colrlposing live complete :lnntial cycles 01-catitatas and other sacred ~vorks-inclutling llie S/.~\,Jn/thewPassiott and the R minor Mass. In .r\pril 1729, shortly after the first performance of the S/.i11~tthenlPu.r.riotz, Hacll was offcred the dircctorship of the Leipzig Collegium hlusicun~,an association of professional arid student triusicians fouildetl by Telemann that enjoyed an excellent I-eputation for he quali~yof its perfornianccs. After six years of writing sacred conipositiori and ivorkirig \vith limited forces to get his tnusic perfortticcl, Bach was cager for the cliancc t o return to 01-chestral composition and to work \vith top-flight itistr~~rne~i~alists. 1 . l ~withdrcrv I'l.oni the C:ollegiunl in 1741; cluring the next few years. he undert.ook two ren1:irkal)le studics that sun~marizedhis k~io~\dedge of [lie art and thcory of music: Afusical Oj'feri~tgand The Art of Fugttr. It rnadc no dif'krence whether Bach w r o ~ cfor the keyboard, the voice, o r any of the winti, brass, and string instruments knotvn to him: he understood the cap;il~ilitiesof all. Neither dicl it Iiiatter what style he chose to express himself in, for though he had ttioroughly assitnila~eclthc practices of the high C;erman Rarcque arid wrote for-midably in the archaic mode, he was illso conversant with the newer tastes arid understootl the conventions of Italian instrumental and vocal i nu sic. Bach's ~iovclapproacli to niusical form and ability to synthesize elemerits of different styles into a personal idiom set him apart from all his peers. I lis craft klielv [lo limits.
6
ORCHESTRAL WORK8
B
ACH TR4lrELEI) u~ideiyin Cernintiy b l ~ t 7 w e r set foot ouhide I)/ it. In this respect hr dif;ferod from his more costnopolitnn cottlemnpor(zries,c~tttor~g liietn Hnndel utrd Telenratl71. Ific mrcsic dffered from theirs, loo, in lhnt alttlost all of' it r~lnrwritten for his ow)/ perforrnntlcr or for pre.rertk1ioti by grorip.c l~ndprhis diruc!ion, ruttter that1 for broader public co~rtumplion.Ils Itigli exectlta tit standards appeal to today's performers.
cp..
BACH
e of the ironies of music history is that Bach's Brtltidenburg Concertos are dedicated to a prince wlio never paid for them, never used them, and probably never even looked at tl~em. Christian l.udwig, the Margrave of Brandcnburg, was the brotllcr of King Frederick Wilhclm I of Prussia. He resided in Berlin, the Prussian capital. It is not ce~.tainwhen Bach first niet him, but it is known that Bach was in Berlin between J u n e 1718 and March 1719-his mission. to buy a harpsichord for the court at Cottien, where he was Kapellmeiste~..Bach played for Ludwig while in Berlin. Upon taking leave of the prince, he was invited t o serid a few of his compositions back from Ciithen. Ever mindful of' the importance of patronage, Rach was quick to comply. He selected six concertos from those he had written for his ensern1)le at Cathen, modified them to make them a bit more showy, and copied them into a presentation manuscript. This rnanuscript of what Bach described in French (the official language of the I'russian c ~ u r t as ) six "Cmertos (171ecplu.riet~r.s inslrumerrls" made its way to the Margrave in 172 1. It bore a dedication, also in French, "begging Your Highness most humbly not to judge the concertos' irriperfection with the rigor of that discriminating and sensitive taste which everyone knows him to have for musical works, but rather to take into benign consideration the profound respect and the most humble obedience which I thus attempt to show him." T h e six R r a ~ ~ d ~ ~ z l rConcertos urg stanti as the supreme achievements in the concerto grosso lite r a t u r e o f t h e Haroque. T h e variety o f rhe instrumental combinations they exploit sets them apart f'rorn :my other opus, :IS does the flexihility of Bach's writing-15*hich allows each of the parrvp,,tng o ~ , n t L r l c ~ n l o a, ~ng i ticiparits to play both leading and supporting roles //re Bar11fotnil~ Iromr.
I
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BACH
7
in a constantly changing pattern of give-antl-take. T h e six works, no two of which sound alikc., encompass an impressive range of style and topic, and manifest in cornbination the co~irtlyelegance of the French suite, the exuberance of the Italiari solo concerto. and the gravity of German counterpoint. Subtle and brilliant at the same time, they are a microcosm of Baroque music, one that contains an astonishingly vast saniple of that era's emotional universe.
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fieldd Sir Neville Marriner.
B
A C H S FOUR SONS had nrcsic in the blood-and, o f course, got Iessoru frorn Pnta rrc uleli. Still, it $.I renrarkahle thnt oil of IItrtn bec(~rtirintporta~lt co1n/)osers in Ill eir own rigill. Carl Pkiltp/) ,ll;nt(rn~reIC.I! I:.-nrc~s Ilrr, most celebr(~t~*d c~tldir~Jl~retrtinl, nltd the symplroilirs ortd ourrlzrres of Johan~tCltristmn (thr London Bacfr) ore still perfont~edtoday.
IJhilip 400 076-2 [Nos. 1-31 and 400 077-2 [L\fos. 4-61
Amsterdam Baroque Orchestral Ton Koopman. Eruto 45373-2 [Nos. I , 3 , avd 41 and J537.t-2 [A70.s.2 . 5 , and 61
Munich Bach OrchestralWarl Richter. Deubrhe Grammophon .4rrhrzl 427 143-2 [2 Clls; urith Corzcertofor Oboe dhtnore and Stri~igs(crfirr R11'\' 1055) and Cotlcerto for Violin, Oboe, and Strings ( c ~ j t IIIVV ~r 1060)]
j
hiarriner's 1980 digital remake of the concertos with a top-notch assembly of soloists represents the epitome of the "orchestral" approach t o this music. T h e readings are distinguished by superb modern string playing and outstanding tyork from the soloists. Sir Neville's flowing tempos arc well suitecl to this approach, but the readings tlo tent1 to be a little downbeat-heavy, and the tendency of the St. hiartin strings t o smooth OLIL tlic texture limit5 the rhythmic interest of the pel-fbrnlances. Still. the tonal beauty of these readings atitl the virtuosity of the soloists are strong collil,c.nsaI ion. Philips's recording offers a \v;irni, plush sourrtl but is a little woolly at times.
8
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Condtcctor Karl R~chterufas an ntcomplislted organiqt.
BACH
'I'lie 1983 readings of Koopm:tri and the Anisterdam ensemble are vital ancl altogether rriore polished than several competing period-instrument versions. The accent in these clcgant, flowing accounts is on variety-in texture, or-nan~entation. ant1 matters of' p1ir:lsing and articulation. 'I'he executants' voicing of the counterpoint is eff'ective, while their pointing of rhythm underscores the fact that n~uchof this music comes from the dance. I3etter than most, Richter knctv that the Bmrrderlbtcrg Concertos arc serious fun and ought to be played that way. There is a sense of joy in these wiry readings-of something elevated but at the same time earthy and jaunty and not too pious-that still clelights after a quarter of a ccntury, and nowhcrc cloes one get :I better feeling for the extraordinary effloresce~~ce of Bach's genius. T h e accoulits are briskly paced and soloistic in approach, with every participant freely involved. While the intonation is at times less than precise, the 1967 recordings scarccly show their age, and the overall effect is cleliglltfully fresh.
J
t least a couple of these suites owe
their existence to Bach's involvement with the Leipzig Collegium hiusicuni, and probably all of them were perforrnetl l>y that group at one time or allother during his tenure as director. In their forrrlal layout and niusical substance, all four show ttie influence of the French style, particularly Nos. 1 and 4. I t is likely that these two were coniposccl tluring Bach's years in Cothen ( 1 7 17- 1723), though some revisions to No. 4, including the acltlition of the trumpet parts, were rnade after Bach arrived in Leipzig. Suite No. 3 can be fairly closely dated to around 11730 and was al~liostcertainly cornposecl as "l)ig band" rnusic
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
i
Rach m& use uf lht lurr~rluuro capacities of tht lmruverse pule. irr vogue irr tlrc 1730s.
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BACH
9
for the Collegium players, pc~.hapsto mark sonic special occasion. There is a chamber-music quality to the scoring in Suite No. 2, in B minor, which calls for strings and continuo arid a single transverse flute, an instrument that enjoyed a considerable vogue in the 1730s. Rach is quick to seize on the instrui ment's virtuoso capabilities, ;uld masterful in tlic i way he sets it u p against a modest complerrient of strings. Suite No. 3, in I), was composed for a large e~isenlbleconsisting of strir~gsand continuo. two oboes. three trumpets, ant1 timpani. T h e presence of truriipets and drums always indicates a festive occasion iri Bach's music, often one out-of-doors. and this is certainly the most outgoing of his essays in the genre. It opens with a French overture of syn~phonicscope-clense, weighty, brilliantly worked out- T h e ensuing Air often is referred to as the "Air on the (; String" after the title of an j arrangement macle in 187 1 by the \.iolin virtuoso i August Wilheln~j,which called for the melody to ! he played on the violin's lowest string. It is constructed over a chacorlne \)ass. and has becoir~e the suite's most familiar ~iio\~ernent, indeed one of the most fa~rliliarin all of Bach's music. While it calls for an even larger ensemble than the Third Suite, at least i l l the form in which Bach left it-strings and continuo, three oboes. bassoon, three trumpets, ant1 timpai-ri-Suite No. 4 , in D. began life as a slc~iclcrlyscored work and retains a lliore courtly nialinel- throughout. T h e opening French overtul-e has a yearning tenderness in itsgrave scctio~i,and a wonderful liveliriess in its a l i ~ g ~which o, is full of the spirit of the gigue. T h e outer sections of the BourrCe keep the trumpets a n d d r u m s . as d o t h e Gavotte a n d t h c concluding Riyjouissance. But the XIinuet eschews them, reminding us that at the heart of this music, as historian Karl Geiringer has pointed out. are the qualities of "wit, grace, and charm."
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BACH
English Baroque Soloists1 John Eliot Gardiner. Ernto ECI) 88048 [iVos. 1-21
~ t r 'SSO-l9 d /,Yo.\. 3-41
Academy of Ancient Musid Christopher Hogwood. 0i.rm~c-Lyrr~ -11 7 6'34-2 1-3(,'Ds]
T h e English Baroque Soloists :Irr ;I virt~~oso period band. and in this fine 1983 I-ecortli~~g Gardiner elicits readirlgs that are I'LIII 01.1-csilier~ce, energy, and life. These ;Ire foot-tappi~ig~)c.rli)rmances, as earthy as they ;ire c o ~ ~ ~ . r; lry~.~ 1111tl matched in their richriess and pic1~1;incy of'so~~~~tl. \Yhat is notable, in ;iddition t o tlic p o i ~ ~ t i rof' ~g I-hythrii, is the expressivcl~essof' rlie playi~~g. Hog\\~oocl'saccorrnls arc stylisl~a ~ ~\\*ell t l ITcorded, if riot quitc so bracing i l l c,f'li.cl. 1iot11 IIC a r ~ dGnrtliner havc. the same soloisr in ~ l I)~n ~ c il~or Suite: Lisa Beznosiuk, today's Icatling c.sl)ollclit of the Baroque flute. Hers is a11:~l)l,c;~lir~gIy ligl~t ;i~i(ldelicate tone, o ~ i cthat gives II(.I- ;III ;il~nosl ghost-like presence in ~11e tuttis. 1%11r she is ;111lc to hold her own in the solo ~>;~ss;~gcs, tlcsl)itc I I I C difficulty of fingering, a ~ i di l l 11otIi ;ccc.oLrllts I ~ c r playing is nicely ornariie~itetl.not ov(.rI\ ;rl'l'c.ctetl. On the Erato disc, slie goes tvithoul cretlir ;ill\.where except in the general rosrer ol' 111glish Baroque Soloists, a 1arncnt:ible ovrrsiglir.
n the programs o f X~i~ericati syr~~l)liony orchest~xs,the Arneric;~~~ co111posc.r\\sl~osc. music is most frecluently cncou~ite~.c-cl i\ 1101 A;II-(III Copland, Leonarcl Bcrrlstein, o r (;c.o~.gc(;CTSIIwin, but Samuel bar be^. ( It) 10- I!)H I ). 1-01.1ll:rnv
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Snrn11~1 Rnrber. c. 1938.
BARBER
11
years. Barber's Adagio for Stri~lgshas bee11 the most frequently performed concert work by an American cornposri. This intense, elegiac piece was originally the opening part of the second movement of Barber's String Quartet, Op. I I ; the composer then scored it for string orchestra at the request of conductor Arturo Toscanini. who gave the first performance of the arrangement in 1938 with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. T h e music begins q ~ ~ i e t~rrith l y a feeling of silbdued but deep sadness, builds to a searing climax of extreme poignancy, and subsides again into the stark, melancholy mood of its opening. Though familiar from repeated playirigs (and frorri use in Oliver Stone's film Platoor1). the Adagio for Strings remains one of the most moving and beautif~tlelegies ever conceived, an outstanding example of Barber's remarkable lyric gift.
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestral Leonard Slatkin. ERII CDC 49-163 pzqi~li Orwrlure fo The School for
Scaridal, E ~ s u yNo>. 1-3 for Orck(~.\/ru,urlcl hledea's hletlita~ioriand Dance of Verigearice] For the essential orchestral pieces of Barber, EhlI'scompilation with Slattin and the Saint Louis Symphon) is the best currently available. Slatkin's reading of the Adogiu is beaurili~llybuilt, exactly on the mark. T h e Essays-works of magnilicent craftsmanship in which Barber ilnerringly balanced the sorr-awful 1, ith the triumphant-are powerf~~lly stated, arid Mechai illeditutioa U J ZDance ~ of Vmgeance ernergcs as an orchestral tour de force. 'The recordirigs are fi~ll,spacious, superbly atrnosphel ic.
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BARTOK
he .\l irsir f o r S / r i ~ l g .Pc,rcrr.\.\io~l. ~, rrlrd C ~ l l ( : \ / n work of the Hungariari conlposer Rart6k ( 188 I - 1945) and also one of the most difficult of' his scorcs to perform. Composed in 1936. it calls fbr a 1'11l1 string ensernlie divided into t\\'o 111;iin grottps, each of \\.hich is further dividctl i l l the .\tantl;it~tl \\.a) inlo n~ultiplesections. along ivirh ;r percussior~ complcmcnt thai includes timpani, s \ l o l ~ l ~ o ~ i c . harp, and piano. T h e writing is c s r ~ . e ~ l ~ tlcely manding- anci rhythniically co~liplicatrci. -1'he piece's opening rrlo\renlenr is ;I rigo~.otlsly \vorkecl-out hlgue that I-everses its ell‘;^^ nlitll)oint; follo\ving a long crescentlo, die theme is ~)l:~yc.d backwards arlcl voices hegin t o tlrol) out until ot~ly ~ \ +are ~ olcfi. *I'he second mo\-emcwt is :in cnrrgclic c\llegro, tllc thircl :I h:~i~ntingly :~tl~~osl)l~cl.icAtl:lgio that provides a Soretaste of' 111c."I:'k~giti"ol' Rart6k's (,'oncur/o f i r Orc.lru.c/rrr. I I I rlic da~~cc.-like finale, Bart6k's love of folk m~lsic.c o ~ ~ 1~0ct sl ~ c fore, and the ccrily rnoclal harmonics oStl~e\vork's opening give way to a riiore conventior~aliisscl.tio~i of .A major. is the finest and most concenrratetl t T
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hc ( : o r i r ~ r / o j i o r~ r r / i t ~ . ~tvits / r a I3ar.ri)k's ~iist cornplctcd \cork: lie tlid 11ot live to l i ~ ~ i s l ~ either the Third I'iano Cortcerto or the \'iola Concerto that follo~vedit. aIthoug11 hot11 ol' tllc.sc \Sterecompleted after his death hy his pul~il'l'il~or Serlp. In these last t\rorks, all co~~ll,osctl i l l XII~CI.ica, H ; i r t i , k r u ~ - r t e dn w a ! . I ' r o m 1 1 1 ~I ~ I O I . I I ! + complesities 01' rhe m~lsiche hat1 ~vrittcil(Itll.il~g the 1920s and '3Us i r ~llis r~ative1-11111g;11.y, ;111(1 to~varda more accessible language. I)iisc.tl O I I r llc
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BARTOK
13
rhythmic and melodic contours of folk music. Y ~ I there is very little that sountls fblkish i l l thcse pieces. 'l'he writing is still vigorous, still airstere and biting in marly places. But mclocly is i~~cleetl more prominent, and rhythmic patterrls less con)though - Bartok had tlecitled to simplify . . . plex-as ! his way o f saying things without oversimplifyitlg i what he was trying to say. i Whether Bartok might have contin~retlin this vein if he had livetl into the 1950s and '60s is hard to say. LVhat is certain is that the Cotlrrrro i for Orchestra has proven to be Bartdk's most popular work, due in large part to the directness o f
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AXIhJ5. or1 the P l a r ~ dr lo Cortcorde, zl~as Pork '.s most f ~ ~ r n oYu~ S ~ I I I I rclrtt (it thr tlitlt= Lthor imntortaliz~dir in song in T h e hierry Mridow. I t ic still r / r p rmhodiirtrrlt of Art Nouve;~usplet~dor,blrl in "Coirlg to l\Jr~.~iirt k. " 11 s r ~ n u mow I / o i2Jorrlitt Ko~cgt, lhort a place lo ~111:". . . l h ~ chninpaple fioua. rrtrrl tliq dat~cet h C ~II~I-CO Otte ? ~ u.f" t h .s/)t-cioltie.~ ~ 0 1 1 t h J~I I P I I U a/ i\Jaxim'.c ic cr,:j,r.r Veuve Joyeuse.
suggests, the Cotrcerto f i r Orc/1~st,n sections and solo instruments of the orchestra as if they were PI-ot;rgonistsin ;I idea goes back as far as the R;rroque so, but Bartok's idioril ancl scoring odern. Sooner or later cvery princalled upon to solo, yet ;ill this tegrated into ;I work 0 1 ' tlecl) est. Even the exci~emerrrofthe 1in:rle feelings of' mystery : I I I ~i~rgcncy rtok's tonal ambivalence (he uses n the standarcl rnqjor a ~ r dminor) quality of his orchestl~rtion. OrcA~strais i l l live movements. each titled in Italian: "lntroduzioire," "Giltoco clellu coppie" ("Game of Pairs"). "Eltgin." "IIIIPI-?II~ZZO illterrotto" ("Interrupted Interrnczzo"), arld "Fitrmle." In the "Giuoco delle coppip," the pail-ecl \vi~idand brass instruments take turns playing their materi;~l in parallel at different intervals-the bassoons in sixths, the oboes in thirds, the clarinets in scvenths, the flutes in fifths, and the trumpets in seconds. The "interruption" in the " I ~ ~ t ~ t ~ t ~ e z z o " also deserves special cornnie~~t. Listct~ersI'rnliliar with Franz Lehar's opera Tlir h f e ) - l~I t i ~ f r ~will z~~ recognize the tune "Going to h,laxinl'sW here. B;1rt6k was not pasticliing Lellar, ~ L I Isatirizing 1)nlitri Shostakovich's hzingrad Symphony ( N o . 7). wllich quotes the Lehar tunc in its first movenlerlt. At
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
*
BARTOK
the time Bartcik wrote the Concer-lofor Orcltestrn, Shostakovich's syrnphon). was beirig played to death in concerts and on the radio, and impressed sorne a 5 a contemporary masterwork. Bart6k thought it was trite, arlcl clicln't mind saying so.
Chicago Symphony OrchestralFritz Reiner. RCA Lizirrg Stereo 61504-2 [Concerto for Orchestra and hiusic for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, u!itll Hungarian Sketches]
Detroit Symphony OrchestraJAntai Dorati. London 41 1 894-2 [hlusic for S~rir~gs, Percussion. and Celesta, with '17heSlirarulous biaridarin (complete)]
It was Reiner who, together with the violinist Joseph Szigcti, persuaded concluctor Serge Kousscvitsky to cornmission the Concerto for Orcllestm, and after all these years Reiner's recording of the score is still the best. Kei~lerunderstood the world of this music-the poignant, brooding, mysterious, and exuberant nioods it explores-and his interpretation speaks with an authority no one else has matched. 'l'he Chicago Symphony plays as if it has beer1 set on fire, with panache and he (rhrcago Sy rnpnylroi!y's plenty oE pob.er in resene. T h c recording, in r~t/errtald~soplinec~~lrl spite of rather noticeable tape hiss, has been painse\pr i~ de corps are shnrrd takingly remastcred. 6y 0 ~ 1 10 ~IWII~JIII of olher Doriti's 1983 recording of the 12.Jwicfor S t r i n g , c~urnrhl~r. It has a brus~wctzo11 of urzsltrfiascpd c/)lrrtdor, Percussion, und C e l ~ ~ is t none of the finest achieveand 11.c urtrzh urzd slrzflgs crre ments from 3 prolific career in front of the ns fine as ally 111 tlie world. microphone. There is nothing stio~vyi11 the conStnce {IS Joundtng 1r1 1851, hanclling of the piece; rather, his account ductor's rtc N I I I ( I C d~rectori-;rtc/udhas a feeling of continuity and cumulative 1x10zng Theodore Tliofrln~,Ff71: r n e n t ~ ~that m sets it apart. T h e Detroit Symphony K e ~ t ~ eand , , Slr Geopg Sultr-/i(~z~ec~lllzzf(~ted (z plays impressively, and the recording is precisely Cetilrd E~lrofiearzi/?lr r,f imaged and gorgeously life-like in the way it pluyrrrg artd sourid: u ~ ~ t g l r ~ , reproduces the weight of the strings and the ri~btul,aitdfinrl rn titr ~ ( I S S . impact of he percussion.
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eethoven. as he alwa)s took great pains to admit. was no hlozart. His father- tried to turn hirn into one anyway. leaving emotional scars that would Inark him for lifc. ~ e e t h o v d n spent his childhood years in his native Bonn. starving for affection but acquiring skills that would stand hiin in good stead as a coniposel-, ant1 developing a remarkably resilient character rnarkctl by a strong will and incredible endurance. I3y 1792. when Beethoven made his way to Vienna to begin his career, Mozart was dead. As his patron. Courit Ferciinand Waldstein, had put it., Beethoven's task was to "rcceive Mozart's spirit T1.0111 Flaytin's hands." In Vienna, Beethoven would find patrons and princes who supported him. and he would form an especially close relationship with Archduke Rudolph. the sori of Emperor Leopoltl I I. to whom he dedicated many 01. his most important works. Rut the closest thing he would have to a lifelong frieiid was the piano. He was alreadv on intimate terms with it when he a r r i ~ e t iin the Austrian capital, and in little time the instrument pro\ ided him with an e n t r ~into the salons of the Viennese nobility. Beetho\,en took lessons with Haydn. Salieri, arid Albrechtsberger as part of a well-planned campaign to ad\ance his art. one in which he attacked the most important musical forms-the string cluartet and the symphonv-not frontally but b\, laying siege to them. His first published works were sets of piano trios and piano sonatas, which served both to announce his arrival and as studies for the larger forms. ~l'liroughouthis life Beethoven led a solitary existence. .The turn of' the century brought deafness. and with middle age came ill heal111 and a string of family and personal disappointmerics.
O
These experiences wrought a transformation in Beethoven, one that can be seen in his changing likeness: the darkly Iundsome, ~vell-dressed,and socially active young nian of the portraits painted c.1800 became the wild, unkempt, irascible, ancl isolated figure of the years 1815-27. Beethoven's music changed as well, dramatically enough that it has become standard practice to identify three stylistic periods in his career. T h e early period, which enclecl around 1803-04 and was climaxed by the Third Symphony (Eroica), marked Beethoven's conquest of the C:lassic style as exemplified in the works of Mozart and Haydn. During the middle period-which lasted from 1804 ilntil roughly 1818, including a creative hiatus during the years 181217-Beethoven emerged from liis cleafness ~citha renewed sense of purpose. T h e works of this period are characterizetl by ernotional directness, by heightened expressiveness weddecl to a feeling of rhetorical urgency, and in most cases by the expansion of form to meet the requirements of content. There is a new emphasis on texture arid sonority. ancl a conscious play upon the elements of contrast, surprise. and innovation. An element of struggle is expressed through conflicts in key and disruptive gestures. The emotional point of the no st celebrated works of this period-for example, the Fifth Symphony, the First Kozun~oz~sky Quartet, the opera Fidelio, and the Fifth Piano Concerto (Emperor)-is the achie\lement of' a Ieeling o f triumph through transcendence of formal limits. The music of the late period, from about 1818 until Bcctho\fen's death, takes on an alniost visionary quality. Unfettered by preconceptions regarding form or content, Beetholen allows himself' a new fieedom of utterance, which includes the freedom to treat form in a schematic way (the number of moveme~ltsin his late sonatas and string quartets varics niarkedly, as does their length). Counterpoint and fugal procedure acquire a n c w irnporlance-perhaps because the composer's total deafness was nolv Sorcing him to rely on wliat he had learner1 in youth-and the inner workings of' the music at times beconle Inore irriporta~ltthan the outward effect. In the outstanding works of this period. particularly the Ninth Symphony. the ~\li~l\o Sol~lnnis,and thc final piano sonatas and string quartets, the frame of reference is elevated from the individual to h e ~~niversal, horn the suhjecti\e to the metaphysical.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
ECHOES: Once Beethounr had associaled the key of E /la! uith heroiim, other composers wrre boutrd lo folloui. Arnorrg t l t ~ .~lllphotli~ u ' I J )that . ~ L';PUI lhe hey itr this corrlexl arr Schuntunn i Syttrphott~No. 3 ( r k Khenish, irr u~trirhI.: Pal ~riggeslcofittrnism perhaps rtrorp tttarr h~roiirtr), Ii'n~ckrrer'sSyrrtphotr~No. 4 (111d Richard S/tm zr.s:c as.wrfive Ein f Iclclcnlcben. urtrerp the cot~rpo.certrirt~\t.lfis the lrero.
BEETHOVEN
17
ike many of his generation, Beethoven initially thought of Napoleon Rorlaparte as a champion of the ideals of the French Kevolution and a hero to the common man. Beethoven intended his Sympho~lyNo. 3 as a tribute, and in August 1803 wrote Bonaparte's name across the title page of the score. Nine months later, when he learned that Napoleon had crowned hiniself Emperor. Beethoven angrily scratched out the word "Bonaparte" and tore up the page. When the symphony was published in 1806, it carried an inscription that said orlly this: "Heroic Symphony. composed to celebrate the memory of a great man." The accepted view of the Eroicn-that it was a revolutionary departure heralding the age ofsymphonic Komanticism-is only par-tially right. In many ways the symphony is not so rnucli a cleparture as a culmination, a work that carries the 18th-century ideal of the symphony to its theoretical limit. In theEroica, Beethoven still observes the formal protocols of Classicism-in the layout, disposition, and relative weight of the four movements, and in the process of argument by which harmonic goals arc reached and expressive points are made. Indeed, the symphony's sonata-form first movement can rightly be described as the high-water mark of Classical tonality, even though it is larger and more everitf~rlthan any of the sy~nphonicallegros of hfozart or Haydn. The harmonic plan is cornplicatcd by lengthy and daring excursions into tonal areas remote from the main key, but the pull of' E: flat. the symphony's center of gravity, is strong enough to holcl the first movement together. 'l'hc thematic material of this Allegro is unusual in thiit it consists of r~earlya dozen n~otives.wllicli i l l a ~ l dof themselves seem to be incomplete, less conclusive than "~hcmes."Beethoven allows tllesc molives to flow
l8
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BEETHOVEN
into one another ancl corribi~~e i l l a variety ol'w;rys. a process that enables him to create ;I u~iivcrseof
S e a c l l for the Heroic Ideal
w
her1 riezitc uln.c bro~rgll~ lo Irim of Ncipoleori Ic ripnth iir 1821. ci~uihe 21w.t a s b d i j Ire i~r~trrdecl lo rorripost n~i~liriilg oil ils orrourrl, B P C I I I I Irrplird. I ~ P ~ ~ "I litr1*e nlrvcirly ronrposed tlrp ~ I I I L S ~ C for Ilrnl. " Alfhorlgh cli.tcippoilifpd iir .V(ipuI~o~r, A P P I ~ O Vdid Y I Iriot C P ~ I . ~10P look /Or u~ci~.t lo nrokv 11rv idml (f(1 rommon Irrrrrrnrritv irr hie letter uqorks. Tllu bu.cl m f i l l ~ p ik.5 llfffiflnlr lo Ilru Nirrfli Sytrrplroiry, zclilh i1.c f i r mola .cotliirg (/Srliiih~riode ToJ o y .
musical thought that is not closet1 o r circ-unlscribed by melody, but organic alltl alive, capable of breathtaking expansion. .4s orle wo~lltlespcct in the portrayal of a heroic figure, the ideas arc bracing, their expression poiverfi~l.A nloocl of optimism prevails, yet there a r e turbule~ltnioments that suggest darker sentiments. T h e Eroica's second movement, cast as a funeral march, is full o f t h e "big bantl" sounds ol' Frerlch Revolutionary music. T h e shattering bl;ir-e of the brass, the solemn drum rolls, ant1 the hair-raisi~lg musket volleys that were part of any d e c e n ~military funeral are here evoked alnlost ;IS colo~.fully as they would be a quarter of :I centill-y later 11y Berlioz. Beneath the overt theatricality, ho~vcvcr, is a feeling hovering between pathos ;ind terror. Standing in utter contrast to this is thc winget1 fleetness of the ensuing scherzo. \vliere [lie tlil.ill o f t h e chase seems almost p;llp;ll)le. K u ~ t ~ l i t l g quarter notes pulse through tlir strings. wllicl~ are kept to a ~rliispermost of thc time, \chile* lhc oboe and flute add bits of a skippi~igtune, I)llt in keys other than tlie tonic. Sutltlenly, like cl~rarry crashing through a thicket, the \vhole orchestr;~ erupts for/irsilr~owith the tune, \\qliich is at last in E flat. T h e exhilarating trio for [lie three horns, a tour d e force of part \vriting, echoes the music of the hunt. T h e finale is a brilliant set of variations or1 t ~ v o themes. T h e more tuneful one, which is actu;llly the second to appear, began life as ;I lowly contredanse, was later used in thc bitllet T/IP(;re(~t~rre.< of Prometheus, arid finally turns u p here. 'fhe niovenient's climax comes \\it11 a tender, hynlrllike statement in the winds of this Promctlieus tllne; almost niiraculously, what t~ntibeer1 just ;I singsong melody is clothed with s c l ~ t i n ~ e rnobility, ~t, and a feeling ofcompassion. rlf'tersuch a monient. the joyousness of' the symphony's c.oliclusion scelns all the more satisfying.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BEETHOVEN
19
Vienna Philhannonlc/Leonard Bernsteln. DPZ~~.SC/IY Gmmmophon 4 13 778-2 [zoitlr E g n ~ o Orrertur~] ~i~ (See also complete cycles)
In 1979, a year after this rccol-ding ~ v i ~m;~tlc, s the principal violist of the Vienna Philh;~rmonica distinguished, silver-haireti gentleman from Biirgenland 11anled Streng-complained that "When we play Beethoven \\.it11 Ber~istein,we tlo it Bernstein's way"-as opposed to Reethoven's way. But Bernstein's personal idenrificatio~iwith the heroic reach of this score causes the Vienrla strings to give their all in this ~~erlorr~i:incc; tllei~. playing, and that of their- colleagues in the winti and brass, is pure guts arid glory. Atter ;ill, IIIC. co~iductor'saffinity Lbr the rnu\ic, like tllc orchestra's, is beyorlcl challenge, ;inti ~ l i cvivid recortiing brings it all home.
he "Grand" Symphony in <:rnillor rcc eT i ~ e dits first per~ormauceo n l)ecembe~. 22, 1808, in iTienna'sTheater an der \\lien. Aftelthat night, symphonic rnusic would rle\rer be tlic same. The Fifth broke espressive grou~itla ~ ~ d overturned man!. of the formal concepts o n tvhicll the Classical symphony had been I~asctl.For the first time, the end of a syniphonj tvas 1i1o1-ci111portant and had greater weigtit than the Ixginning. Xioreover, the 18th-century corlccpt ol' unity ol' key ivas \\*illfullyrejected: the work I~eginsi l l C: minor hut ends, to what was for I%c.etliove~~'s listenel-s quite an arna~ingexl>ressivc vf t'cct, in (: n1ajor. As familiar as it has become, the ~yr~~l)lio~iy's
t
20
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
To n~uit~l of hrs coi~leii~fioraries, Beetl~ur~etr'r trwfi~mfiutrccrtrred /lo mate or11 01tlte blue.
BEETHOVEN
first movement-with its flight through the dark and dramatic landscape of C minor-still arouses t h e feelings o f "nameless foreboding" that Beethoven's contemporary E.T.A. Hoffmann noted in a review. There is the relentless reiteration of the farnous four-note motive (heard at the opening of the symphony as three G's and an E flat), so threatening in its Force. 'l'he scoring is lean .and severe, and the music does not flow smootiily: it is constantly being stopped and held back. which adcls to one's sense of unease. Even the lyrical second subject is taut, restrained, and affords but a brief glimpse of the peaceful horizon. Of the many strange and wonclerfill moments in this movement, perhaps the strangest is the subdued passage in the middle of the developn ~ e n section, t in which a series of hushed chords alternates in the \\findsand strings, suggesting an eerie calm in the eye of' the storm. But calm of any sort is short-lived in this, one of the most tightly wound a r ~ dcfisturbing sympl~onicmovements ever penned. T h e ensuing Andante is a theme \r.ith variations, rather free in form. There is a decidedly French accent in the wincl arlcl brass sonorities that color the proceedings, arid no mistaking the grand, marchlike treatment the theme receives at several points, which resoi~ridswith the pomp typical of the Revolutionary bands. But thew are meditative pages as well that seen] almost pastoral in feeling and are fill1 of yearning. T h e tcnsiori between them arld the outhrcaks of fanfare give the second movement a unique urgency. On its heels cornes one ot'thc rrlost remarkable scherzos in all of' Beethoven. T h e Italiar~\\ford s c h m o means "joke," but there is nothing lighr o r jocular about this one-here certainly is rrlore ol' Hoffmann's "nameless foreboding." T h e main subjects 01' both portions of this spectral darice sound froin the depths of the cellos arld basses, and the four-note motive is back, fiercer than e\er. But the most extraordinary featurc is the long, suspensef~~l bridge that leacls from the utter
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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•
BEETHOVEN
21
darkness and riiotionlessness of the scherzo's encl to the blaze of C ni>!jor that opens the finale. Here, with the added weight of tron~bones, piccolo, and contrabassoon contributing to its suI>lime el lect, a grarlcl ~narchproclairiis the t r i u ~ n l ~ h of the major mode over the minor. I t is a powerful rnetaphor for transcendence, a n d with it Beethoven makes a point that will echo throughout the 19th century-tliar fear, 1incert;tinty. and ultimately all human limitations, including dci~th. can be overcome, that this is the artistic project. Such victories must be won, and to suggest hotv harcl the struggle can be, Beethoven brings back the music of the scherzo. which gives hirn the opporti~nityto reprise that marvelous transitio~i yet rnore urgently. Even with victory assurctl, Reethoven hammers home the tonality of C n~a~jor \\.it11 a lengthy coda, saving 29 measures of pure C; for the end 01' the symphony.
Vienna PhilhannonidWilhelm FurtwBngler. Ed\!] CDH 69803-2 [wit11Sjrnpho~~y No. 71 (See- ;ilso co~l~pleir cycles)
Furtwangler's 195-1 account ol the Fifth, part of Ehil's "Great Recordings of the Century" series, really is one of the great recordings of the century and remains the n-ros~ colnpelling reading of tiiis symphony o n disc. Her-c the conductor is caught in the act of creation, at the Iieight of his po\vers, in a performance that develops froni measure to measure. T h e players themselves arc o n tlie edge of their seats, arid i t call be felt in the way they play: ~ l i caccents nle;ln something, the climaxes rilean something, even the changes of key are important. No one has ever said more \\it11 the four notes of the first rnovement's motto themc, found grcater ~lobilityof sentiment in the Aiitlantc, made ~11c transition I roln 1 he s c h e r ~ o to the final movemelit more susperiseful, or com-
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
22
' BEETHOVEN
niunicated t h e t r i u m p h o f C major m o r e overwhelmingly. Made in the h.Ii~sik\~ereirissaal, the recording boasts rich monaural sound.
SYMPHONY NO. 6,
IN
F. OP. (58
Pastorale the first coniposer to depict scenes from nature, Beetlio\.en created such a cornpelli~ignew language of rnusical pictorialism in the I'nstorale Symphony of 1808 t hilt it inspired imitation from a lorlg line of 19thcentury composers, just as if he really had been tlie first tocapturc the cuckoo o r :I surrr~nerstorm in music. I n some ways, particularly in terms of orchestral colol- and texture, the Pastorale is [he no st forward-looking of Beethoverl's scores. T h e way in which the composer treats sound (ratller t h a n relationshil)~of key) as an organizing principle marks the Ixgir~ningofmusical inipressionis~ii. Beethoven knew that music wtiich tries too hard o r too literally to depict a scene is bound to fail. He consequently avoided mere sound effect, except in a couple of instances, a ~ l dconcentratetl o n the evocatior~of' states of r r l i ~ ~ cthat l he associated with natural surroundirlgs ; ~ n dtrqith nature's own musicality-her rhythms of change. her richness, power, ant1 capacity to SUI-prise. Heethoven did give each of the symphony's five rnovements a hricf descriptive lirle: "Awakcl~irig of' Cheerful E'eelirlgs on Arrival i l l the Country," "Scene by the Brook" (with tlie calls of nightingale, quail, and cuckoo), "hlerry Gathering of Country Folk," "Thunclerslorrri," and "Shepherds' Song: I-lappy, Thankf'ul 1;eelings After the Stornl." But despite titles arlcl references to natural sou~itls. the symphony doesn't tell a story; i t simply conjures a series of' nioods. Tile Pastorale Symphony adheres to the sarrie basic premise as 11ic Fifth, but lllc Fifth's theme of' transcendence is replaced I ~ c r cby a sense of 1101
BEETHOVEN'S recollecliotr of' happy thoughts on visilitlg the counlv pxp~led(1 profound i?$uence on the subseque~i~ developtnerrt of Ihe sytrtphm?,', leaving ils rrrnrk on many u!orhr, includi~lg!he followit~g: Berlioz's Symphonie fantasrique, Harold in Italy; iZferuiplssoht13Hebrides Overture; LVagtl~r:cOver-
ture
to
The Flying D~rtch-
nian, "Forest bfurrnurs"
from Siegfried; Nrucktzeri Symphony No. 9; Afahler's Syrnpho~lyNo. 6 .
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BEETHOVEN
23
deliverance, achieved not through stritggle but by subrrlission to nature. Instead of the ct~oppyeventfulness of the earlier work, here one fintls a flowing musical discourse in which Beethoven seems willing to inhabit a series of' totial I-egions as if time were standing still. I n the fil-st movement's exposition, he visits three key areas rather than the customary two, tvhich broatlens the harmonic action and makes the relationship between keys less polar and more open. Here and in much of the rest of the symphony, Heethoven is concerned with Romantic contemplation, as opposed to the vigorous, goal-directed action of Classicisni. And in the way he is able to expand the sympliony's time frame, he opens the door to a new expressive realm in music.
Columbia Symphony Orchestral Bruno Walter. CBS MYK 1'6720 Phllharmonia Orchestral Vladlmlr Ashkenazy. London 410 003-2 (See also complete cycles) Thr Htrltit-bor~rNiuno II'uI~PT codrrrliilg
tit
Erlrupr.
r. 193-3.
Walter's is a youthfully fresh ant1 exuberant performance. but with the glotv of cieep spiritual maturity. It is full of convictior~ar~tleriiotiotlal involvement, though it never sounds overdriven o r pulled apart. T h e orchestra plays t\~ell,even if the violas are perpetually behind the beat and the winds ever so slightly reticent (tvhich may be the fault of the remixing engineer). In spite of an occasional missed note, therc is a cornpelling intensity to the performance; the finale, i r t ~x~rticular, radiates a Feeling of joy that seems to come right out of' the world of Beethoveri's opera Ficlulio. Though more than 30 years old, the l.ecording-bright, vivid. bass-heavy, ant1 closeup-SOLIIIC~~
24
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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like it was inade yesterrlay. I t has been well 1r:insferred, with n o artcmpr to attenuate tape hiss, yct no harshness to the sound. T h e Ashkenazy is beautifully played, a sonorous, spacious, and seductive reading that is exceedingly well paceti. T h e 1982 recording is first-rate digital.
SYI~PNOKY NO. 9, I N D Clt oral
i
j j
1 j i
MINOR, 0 1 ) .
125
the Ninth Symphony, Beethoven refought-on higher ground arid for greater stakes-the battle he had waged in the Fifth, and in the process once ag:tirl changed the fhce of symphonic music. Like tlie I:ifih, the Ninth is concerned with the assertioii 01' the ~n;ljorkey over the minor, and with the att;iinrneiil of a feeling 01' transcendence. Here, t h o ~ ~ g hthe , struggle has f'ar greatel- eniotio~li~l and psychological complexity, ant1 the r e s o l ~ ~ t i oisr ~lil'tecl above the plane of the idealized self to e~nhr;ice all of humanity. Conceptually as well as techiiically, the Nii~th is a work of revolutionary irinovation. New ground is broken in all four of the synlphony's rnovemerits: in the harmonic ambiguities of' the opening Allegro, in the violent rhythmic energ). of the scherzo, in the extraordinary suspension and prolorigatio11of harmonic action of the Adagio, a n d especially in the firiale, a setting o f Scliiller's celebrated ode To Joy. T h e poem celebrates joy ant1 freedom, and the joyfill rrlusic of this moverllent mirrors the meaning of the text by ~ctuallyescaping the bonds of corlveiitiorlal form. I t is here as well that Beethoveil transf'ori~isthc symphony, for the fir-st tiirle in its history. into a n act of philosophy arid personal confession. .l'hc ode 7b Joy came as close as worcls coulcl to su~iimarizing Beethoven's own rnornl views. I n the symphony's finale, it is prefacetl I)y a tlr;im;~~ic
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
•
BEETHOVEN
25
prologue in which the principal themes of the three preceding movements are called up and rejected, and a new subject, first introduced in the cellos and basses, is proclaimed throughout the orchestra. "0Freut~de,nichl diese Tone!" ("0 friends, not these sounds!") the baritone soloist abruptly exhorts, as if'declaring that the orchestral exposition of this theme, as beautiful as it is, were insufficient. He begins to sing the worcls of Schiller to the new melody, and his song is soon joined by the chorus. The famous theme is plain in rhythm, plain even in its melodic outli~le.It is the kind of song a Inan might sing to hirnself off in the corner of ii tavern, which is perhaps Reethoven's way of suggesting that the highest good is to he found in the commonplace. For Beethoven, common humanity comes first. The high moral truthsjoy in the embrace of brotherhood, atve in the presence of the Creator of the universe-have to be felt on that level if they are to have arly meaning a1 all. In setting the tenor solo "Froh, wie seine Sonnen fiiegen" ("Happily, as His suns fly") as a march, with Turkish instruments (cy~nbals,bass drum. and triangle) prominently featured in the accompaniment. Beethoven makes an allusion to the cultural differences that have to be bridged by the concept of brotherhood. It is significant that these instruments return in the movement's ebullient coda, no longer alien but assimilated into the musical texture as part of a single, joyful shout of praise.
T
FIF.' NINTH Symphony rcceiv~di.3first per/ormnncr on .%lay 7 , 1824, at the Kiinlt~rmlhor-Theaterin Ifiennu. It u 1 uat this concert that Heethvuen, $ then total!y deaf, had to be turned aro~lrrdto face 1/18applauding aitrlirtrcr (c~boue).At least /he nppecll he had inscribed on the rille page of h e hhlissa Solemnis had been granted: "From the heart, tnay it go again to the hea rt. "
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDING
Vlenna Phllharmonlc/ Leonard Bemsteln. Deu~tcheGrammophon 4 10 859-2 (See also complete cycles)
i
By the time of his traversal of the Beethoven i symphonies with the Vienna Philharrnonic, a cycle
26
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BEETHOVEN
grandly capped by ttiis rentlilioli of the Niitrl~. Bernstein had decitled to make rccortliligs of live performances only. Under- collccrt conditions, certain things occasionally d o go awl-y, hut tllere is often a feeling of' cohesion to ;I per.fo~.ni:i~~ce that is difficult to duplicate in the stutlio. A n d when Lenny was conducting a concert. he ;ilrnost always struck sparks with t h e musici;~nso r 1 stage. T h a t is certainly t h c case with tliis account. I r Iias a n electrifying intensity tliroughour, togerher t v i t l i a magnificent serise oSs\veep a n d r1ietoric;ll point. T h e 1979 recording is good. hut sornc\vhat veilctl in cliniases.
B
kJk;TllO\fEN ;II(I.Yo r r ~ (4'tlrc, first COIII/)~I.FP)X to prct rrrrtrorrorne nrcirki~rgsirr tih .scorc2.f to iridiccit~tempo. He wn.t nrqrrrrirttecl willr Jutio r~ 11 hrppomrtk hlnulzel, t / / ~ G~rmn~r iri~l~ri~or utho Pe'rfect~d/IIPrn~rh(rrrL\~r~ (rrorrird 1815, nlrd Ire relied or, it for terrr/)o rrrerrkirrgs irl /ti5 A:iri//r Syniplrorry. r\ 1nelzel'.c rn~trurrorne 15. orit of Itre J P X ~ pr~cisiorriri.s~ncmer~~ still rrirrn r ~ c r r t rrtd c nrrorditrg to oripn(r1.~/wr~irnlior~r, crrtd corrrposPr.s hnr~orthe irrz~errtor PIIT time /hq uvife "~ll.i\f." follourc~rlLJJ o rrurrrber.
Columbla Symphony Orchestra/ Bruno Walter. Sorry Classicnl SX6h' -I8099 / h (;I)\; zl~illr(:ol-iol:ill Ozterture crnd Leonore Oz~prt~rre No. 21 Cleveland OrchestralGeorge Szell. Sorr~Clussical SHjK 48356 [j CDs; u~itlrOr~urlrrrr.\to Fidelio, Egmont, nr~dking Srepheri]
\\latter recorded the Beethoven syrnplionies in stereo f o r CBS i r ~1958-59, taping No. 9 iri New York a n d Nos. 1-8 in Los Arigeles \vith orchestras o f freelance a n d stuclio musici;~ns\\rho rose milsnificently to the occasion. \Valter was in liis eighties. hut that didn't stop him fl-on] gral~hirigthese ~ v o r k sby the throat; there is n o rnir~cirig round, n o effusive lingering over phrases, n o porldel.ous trudging either. T h e even-numberecl syr~il>tioriies a r e sunny arid outgoing, f~111of' 111c \ \ f ; ~ r r ~ iI ht Ie~ conductor exuded (luring liis Intliari-surnr~ie~. yca1.s in the studio. Yet tile d r a m a ol'the otltl-nirn~l,cr.etl works is not slightetl. Walter's ;lccc:trrir ol'rlic I'il'th, f o r example, is a n interisely csl,r.essi\.c o~lc.i r l
ORCHESTRAL WORKS ' BEETHOVEN
27
which lyricisnl arld thrust are in perfect b;ll;illce, an evocation of stormy Rornaliticisrii :it its I~esl. The recordings have held up extremely ~vell;tlic sound on CD is spacious yet detailed, with anlaring presence and solidity. Between 1959 and 1964, CRS hat1 tape rollillg in Cleveland as \+-ell,and the lal~elcaptured Srell and his orchestra at their peak in \\.hat rernair~s a landmark cycle of the Beethoven symphonies. Rational rather than Romantic. Szell's approach was to view the canon as chanibcr music fixsymphony orchestra; the result was a travers;ll unsurpassed in its ensemble precisiorl ariti telisilc strength. The standouts are a thrilling El-oicutight, dramatic, and clean-and a Fifth of rare cumulative power. The dryisti sound of the original recordings seems to ha\c been s\veetened with some added reverb. but this hiis I~eelivery judiciously done. Berlin PhilharrnonldHerbertvon Karajan. Dezctschr Grommophotr 429 036-2 [5 CDA]
Berlin PhilhannonldHerbert von Karajan. Delttschc Cmwmophon 429 089-2 [6 CDs; zcrilh a\\or!ed overtures; also ozrallabk .t$nmtels]
Knruj(~II'S
tIccfr~Jy~rig
u,1171Y~~ J~~~~~ t/lfs .~rrfol-ttrrlllrpr . ~~rrkrrnint~ "7%r ~\'o~tcio.."
l'he first of these cycles, macle in 1961-62, was conceived as an integral recording ant1 rele;lsed as such ir1 1963. rather than piecemeal. I t is consistent sonically and in~erpreti\.ely.aritl its \+,elljudged performances hold up to repeated liearing. Karajan may riot have been ;is highly individualistic an interpreter as some in the gerieration that preceded him. but Iir possessed the same authority, as these readings sho~v.They emphasize tautness of line, grip, and momentum, and convey exceptional energy. 'I'he higtlliglit of the set is a suave, darkly haridsome Eroicm, tlie only disappointment a senselessly r~~sllctl Prrstori ale. 'The Berlin Philharmoi~icplays the 111t1sic with exquisite polish arid an understated hut convirlc! ing sense of expressiori. The sountl is gootl I'or
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS ' BEETHOVEN
the vintage, though it can be a bit grainy in the climaxes. In coritrast to his outlook in he early 1960s, Karajari's view of the canon in the mid- 1970s might best be described as hedonistic. The later readings are typical of the "massaged" style of performance he cultivated at the time. \vhich the critic Andrew Porter famously likened to Kobe beef. Therc is a certain softness under all that rnusculari~y,though for the rliost part Karajan shows his usual strong grip and maintains a balance between lyrical and kirietic elements. The approach works best in the Eighth, which is imbued with a dynamism that clearly shows its connection to the Seventh. Synlphonies Nos. 4, 5, and 9 are also extremely well done. The Philharmonic. at its peak when these recordings were made in 1975-77, is a marvel. Even if its playing rarely seems fiery, its sound is exhilaratingly rich. The recordings, made in Berlin's Philharrno~lie. are close-miked and firm.
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HE "AC'TffEN'I'IC" or p~riOdperfi)~trrcltcce ittz~olvesnol jzcst thr zwr of period i?~stncnlentsor. 111of1er1~ copies ther~ohbut a k o tlre origi~talplaying style^tuning, articululio?~,or~lamejztntio~l.ten~po,and phra.~h~g.The perf01 rrlalzcP of Baroque and C l ~ s i c a l mlc.ric hu.~come (I lo11g zutly since 1 953. when I'crblo C a ~ a l sled accourlh of (he Brandenburg Cortcr?ios feattcring soprarlo s~~.xopllo~lr in place of Bamquc Irlr?rrpel, ptrtes instead of recordt~rs, and picrrlo instead of harpsichord.
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SYMPHONIES NOS. 1-9,
COMPLETE CYCLES
ON PERIOD INSTRUMENTS
London Classical PlayendRoger Norrington. En11 A26-49852 (6 CDs; with O i ~ e r t u mlo The Creatures o f Prometheus, Coriolan, and Egmont; also availilblu sepnmtely] Academy of Ancient Music/ Christopher Hogwood. Oisealc-L~P 425 696-2 [6 CDs; also arruihbb separat~lj]
The insights these groups of scholar-musicians bring to Beethoven are thought-provoking and ol'ten quite striking. I n fact, these recordings are among the most important treatments of the symphoriies committed to disc i r i the past quarter centurv.
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Drawing distinctions between these two sets on period instruments nlay be a bit misleading, since both the approach and the players are largely the same. But therc are differences nevertheless. Norrington's First and Patorale are brilliant, his Eroica very good, though too fast in places. His account of the Ninth, however, is unsatisfactory: he misjudges some crucial tempos and has bad luck with soloists. Hogwood's Eroica and Pastoralp are also outstantling-and his Ninth is possibly the finest period-instrument reading of arty Beethoven synlphony. In questions of style and musical judgment, Hogwood is often 011 firmer ground, but Norrington puts more personality and drama into the equation, allowing himself more interpretive and expressive itivolven~ent.With Norrington, [extures generally sound fuller and heavier than with Hogwood. but where Norrington can be a bit harshly recorded, Hogwood has consistently good souncl.
he French composer Bcrlioz (1803-1869) was a child of the Napolconic era in triorc t T ways than just chronologically. Like the First Consul, he rose to prominence on a combination of brilliance, talent, and sheer willpower: like the Emperor, he had little tolerance for those he considered mediocrities, as well as an enormous appetite Tor grancliose projects that more common rninds thought foolhardy. . Unable to play a single instrument well, Bcrlioz nonetheless developed into the supreme or-chestrator o f his time, and his Romantic itnagination and extraordinary sensitivity to extramusical ideas helpecl Iiim fashion works that would change the scope, content, and even the sound of orchestral music in the 19th century. His creativity was fired in particular by a love Ibl- great literature and an
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~tncluenchablepassiorr I'or the feminine ide:il, a ~ l d in the best of his works these elements conspired to produce music ot' exquisite beauty and exceptional emotional power. O n September 1 1 , 1827, Berlioz attendctl a performance of H N I N ~at~ the I Paris OdCon in tvhich the Irish actress Harriet Smithson played the role o f Opheli:~.Overwhelrnec-l by her I)e;luty and charismatic stiigc 111-esence,he lell desperately in love. Artist that 11e was, he found a way to channel the emotionit1 itpheaval of f'(l/fire Srniflzsot^ into somethitlg he could control: a "fantastic symphony" that took ;IS its sirbject the exl~eriences o f a young musici;in i l l love. A detailecl progr,arn, written by Rerlioz hilllsclf and p~iblishetlp ~ . i oto~ the work's prcnlierc, leaves no doubt that he conceived of tlie Svnrphottie f a l ~ r t l s l i q ~ i as e a roniantically heightelled self-portrait. I n it Bcrlioz traces the infatuation of his hero througli a series of scenes-a ball, a melancholy evening in the country, an opiurn dl-earn of the artist t\.it~icssing his o w n executio~l,;trld finally a witches' s:~l)bath, i l l which the hero's I)eloved appears as a hideous participant in [lie orgy. ~I'hroughoutthe sy~nphony,the belovccl is represented by a brief' melodic motif callecl an idPe fixe. This device-which \\.as to attain sigtiilicance Femme i r i the works of' Fr;lnz I.iszt aricl, later o n , in the music of nitmeroils Ki~ssiancomposcl-s-is j ~ l s t airid St~tilt~Soit (nbo~w) one aspect of' the t.cvolutionary tl-cat~nerltof rneluicrc ~ h iirrpimlio7t f fur ody Berlioz introtluces with this \vork. \lore ttlc Sytnphoi~yFar~tastique. remarkable still ir1.e the score's Lormal ;tudacity Abori: his irfilrrnfiui~H~rlioz anti Berlioz's brillia~~tly innovative orchcstratiorl. uvrotp lo I I ~frieild F Luforesr: "[Llet ~ N teN P yoti u)/znl lu11e as he makes grountll~reakinguse of' mulriple timis . . . For you, it's ?to1 lhnl p ; ~ i i ,sponge sticks, orchestral hells, augrncr~ted rage, I / I ( I I f 1 1 9 ,that (leliri~it~t l~rass,arid itnus~~:il el'fc:cts s t ~ c has perc~lssivecol ~ci!tirttlakt-s poss~.~siorr01all I t p r o bowing. in wliich the string players I,ounce otw:s furulli~s,ulhich rerlderr : the tvood of their bows off the strings. 'l'ogether one rapable of ai~?lhiizg.. . I worild imler uiur11you lo ; these innovations make the symphony one of the txperienr~the ur~beuruble i seminal works of Ko~nanticism. sufleritrg lo urhicl~I / t a w i T h e S y m p h o r ~ i e f i ~ ~ ~ l n sreceived ~ i q l ~ e its premiere fall ti^ Prqy s i i l c ~your ! on Dece~nber5, 18S0, at the Paris Conservatoirc, &j)arlttrr." ! Frar1c;ois-AntoirleI-l;lberreckconducring. l.iszt was
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alllong rllose ill attentlance. In the t\vo years that followetl, Rerlio~made e s t e ~ ~ s i vrevisions e to the score, alld his Iieadstr~ongcor~l-tshil,of' Smithson unfoldetl as if it had l~eenscripted b y Ral~ac.O n October 3, 1833, the tico were married.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Sir Colin Davis. Pilllips 4 1 I 4 2 5 - 2
French National Radio Orchestra/ Sir Thomas Beecharn. E,\lI CI)C -17863 [uitl~Col-saire Ov~rtrtreand "R?a[ Ilrinl altrl Slorm" front Lcs Troyells]
Davis's account has ranked irmong the best since the day it was made. Refined, sensitive, l'ull ol' passionate reverie, i t is a high-voltage perforrii:rrlce tliirt never seems to he ovcrdriven. A\loidir~g the tentlency of marly contl~~ctors to trcat the work iri episodic terms, Ilavis I~ringsto the reading a fir-111sense of structure ancl argunierit. 14c elicits firle p1;rying frotr~the Dutch orchestra. \\.hose conlbin;rtion of chamberlike delicacy in the strings, charactcrfrl work in the \\-incls,and brilliant brass is virtu:rIly ideal. The recording issuper-b; tcsturcs enierge clearly in a spacious setting, \ v i t l ~good perspect.ive. Beecham got inside Frerich niusic likc n o Frericlirr~anof his day. His performance is a splenditl orlc, lilll of nuarice ant1 rhythmic irltcrest, truly magical in its e\.oc:itive color. T h e only drawbrick is the recording, which so~rndsthin in places (especially the violins). T h e disc is \\,ell filletl, with a stirring performance of the "Royal Hunt ant1 Storm" :rnd a Coi-snirr* Overture h a t so~trrtislikc i t was recorded yesterday; the latter is an absolute triumpl~,\vondcrflrlly playetl by the Royal Philharmoriic Orchestra.
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/ \ / c Y o r k i l l the 1940s was a wonderful town, a vital place where tlie pulse of life was strong ant1 fast and where the identity of postwar- America was being forged even bef'orc the war had come t o an end. Everything- that was important i l l the arts was happening there, and at the center of it all was tlie liveliest musical scene in the world. On November 14, 1943, that scene was transformed by the arrival o f a M'utlderki,~d named 1xo11;rrdRernstein (1918- 1990). Then 25 years old ant1 tlie assistant coriductor of the New York Philharmonic, Bernstein leapt into the limelight - when he substituted for Bruno Walter o n short notice at a Philharmonic concert. T h e following year Bernstein niade an equally extraordinary debut as composer- with the ballet F a m y Free, t o choreography by Jerome Robbins. - . Fancy Free was so successf~rlthat Rernstein. with the help of lyricists Adolph Green arrtl Betty Coniden, expanded the scenario and used it as the basis for his first musical, On Ilx Town. Bernstein later joined forces with Kobbins on another musical, this time with lyrics by an u11known newcomer n:uiied Stephen Sondheini. \Vest Side Storv, first sragetl in 1957, proved to be Bci-nstein's masterpiece. A rnoderr~-day,big-city adaptation of the story of Komco and Juliet-in which Tony, a forriier gang leatlcr on the verge of adulthootl, arid hiaria, a girl newly arrived froni P ~ ~ e r Kico, t o are the star-cross'd lovers, and the rival streetgangs, the Jets anti Sharks, are the hiontagues ;~r~cl Capulets-Wes! Si& Story transcends the limits o f the rriusical genre without attenipting to be opera. T h e Syrripiiotzic Dances, a contiriuous s~iiteof' eight orchest~.:~l excerpts from the co~iipletcscore, reflects its mix of dance rhythms, cool jazz, soaririg Broadway lyricism.
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and syn~phonice s u b e r a ~ ~ c e . T h e bracing Overture to Cmrzdide contains the most enduring music fr-orn Bernstei~i'sill-fated 1956 Rroadway ~r~usical ( i l l which tlic composer coliahoratcd wit11 I.illia11 I-Iellrnan, L)orothy Parker, Richard \Vilbur, and John Latouche). Familiar from concert perfi)rmances, this brilli;~ntlyscorctl curtairi-raiser is ;i t o u r d c force of i~iiaginatio~i and orie of the 20th century's finest 1x11-odiesof opera I)111'fa.hlelodies from the 1nusic;il are searnlessly ~vovenin, arid the co~icludingciillon really does entl things with a bang.
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I.:R,VSTElh' ulm ttot llrrfirst lo 7 1 1 1 7 1 ~music i i t ~ ~ / ) i r$ r d Shok~~.\p~arc's @RECOMMENDED RECORDING Ror~lcoand Juliet. The Ink of tlre strzr-cross~cllorvrs lrnd ,aoT,PdBprlior 10 CI)T)IPOSE hi, i New York Philharmoniclleonard Bernstein. "dmrnnlic ~~rrr,bltoiry" i Sotty Clcrssical SAlK -17524 [~oitlrG ~ r s l r z ~ ~Kliapsod il~: y iII RornCo et Julicl~cill 1839. Blue crtlcli\[, ~ ~ ~ in paris] ~ i ~ ; , ~ Tchnikovsky wrote his Far:i tar? Overlurt- Korneo and Jlllin 1869, rr,td Probhlniost nothing can compare with 1%ernstein1s fin) ~ ~ ballet~ o,r lltr ~ j own ~ accounts j of~ his music. ~ T~ h e best ~ recordings d ~ubjccrin 1935-36. Delius i are still the ones he rnade in 1958-60 with thc
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i Side Slory were brave "new" music. Originally produced Ily John XlcClure (and remised by him for CD). tl~cserecor-clings of the Candi(lt Overturc and the Sytrzphorlic Da11ces fro111\liest Sidt S t o q have never k e n bettered, not even by Bernstein himsclf.
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izet founcl the idea of fatal infatuatioti interesting- enough to have twice fashi ioned scores a r o u ~ i dit-the first his incidentill f music t o the play L'ArlL~ienne(by Alphonse Daui det), the second his final work for the stage. the i opera C(i1711~n.T h e conlmission to write the music i for the llaudet play-which dcals with ~ ~ ~ ~ r e q u i t e t l
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love and suicitlc i r l sunriy Prove~~ce-came fi-om I .Con Carvalho, who had a1re;cd y cornmiss~oneclscveral operas fr-orn Bizet. Ever the professional, Bizet turned out tlie score in short order, appare~itlystimulated rattler than inlpetlecl by the requirenic~~l that he write lor an enscnil~le ofjust 26 players. At the first ~)erlbrnianccol'the play, on Octol~cr 1, 1872, at the ThMtre ciu Vaudeville in P:~ris,Bizet's music went more or less unnoticerl I>y the critics a~iciactually irritated 1i1;lnyin the ;i~~clicnce. who rescnted any musical iritrusion in thci~theatrical reveries. Uizet quickly extracted fro111the score ancl arranged for f ~ dorchestra l a suite of four numbel-s, which he gave t o [tie conductor ~ u l e s - ~ t i c n n e Pasdeloup. I'relnicred on Novc~nber10, 1872, it \\?;IS a n instant hi[. A seconcl sltitc, consisting of four Inore numl~ers(one of which, the ';Mi?ruet." is actually from Bizet's opera Ln joliefille de P P , ? ~ ) , was con~pileclKolloiving the composer's death I,y his friend ant1 colleague Errlest Guiraud. 'I'he movenielits of Suite No. 1 are e ~ ~ ~ i t l c c l "I-',-Pllide,""hlir~rccd,""Adngietto," ;~ncl"Ca~illon."'I'lle "Priittde" gets irrlcler way with n swift series of variatioris on [lie "hlarch of the Kings." a Pro\.enqal song clatirig from the 18th century. and concludes with ;I beautiful ntrrlr~~te section t11:lt features a sweetly melancholy solo 011 the ;ilto sasophone. Tlie C minor "Ali,trret," originally the intermezzo between Acts I 1 arlcl 111 of the play, sounds much like a waltz by Shostakovich ant1 cornes with a h~rt.cly-gurdy-styletrio in A Hal. '1-he expressive. "A(k~gi~'~tio'' spins o ~ t t;i tender n~clotl y in muted strings. As its name implies, the vigorous "Ctlrillo~i'evokes the chiming of' church bells. Suite No. 2 consists of a "Pnstor~ife.""Intentrezzo," 'i\linuef." and "Fnrtlndale." Thc "Pastortlle" colnlines rustic vit;~litywith gentle lyricism in its outer sections ancl introduces a sprightly dance 111rle accompanied by tambourine in the middle section. There is almost a zreristno quality to the "Inter~nezzo,"and a suggestion of intcrise feeling in its long-breathed nlelody over pizzicato accomp:i~iit he impresario
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H E TOllrh' OF ARLES in Provprtce, J ~ I I I I for OILS ih ~un-drericheclr l i ~ ~ l nhcrr t~. allrcrcled poeb, prit~llrrs,and rn~uiciar~r for ce?1111)-I'es. TO judge from the Irugtc denuuem~ntof l)au[&f's L'ArlPsienne or Ole szlrreal cnnunces lhul Vutr Cngh /mi?lted iit Arlm, lrou~e~rer, arlktr during tlte IUIP 19th crntu7y saw the rt-&tr in a dtfferenl llght. S I I I I and II~ stun)', perhaps, Q ~ t rnot all love nlul gnnius.
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ment. T h e "hlintle&,''though not f'ron~the niiisir Bizct wrote for Daudet's play, fits right i r ~until the arrival of its trio, which souncls more like ;in echo of the waltz from Berlioz's Symplronit/c~rlta~~t i q w . In the rousing " F a m ~ r d o i ~ . the " "hl;~rch o f the Kings" is combined with a I'ro\~cn~aI folk tune called the "Danse dei cliiu~zl~-fr~.r."
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IlOhlAS B E E C H A N the son o/Sir Jo.reph Heecl~cirn,u rncrtr~~uclur~r of phur~ttrrcetrlicrrl(Beecham's Llivr PilLr) (111done oj Err-&rld's rcvul~hiedtrren. It u-ar I ~ elder P Neechr m's mottu). rhrfpoiclfor IIte orchestrnr joroig Toatrr~y e,rgr~g(,(litr Ilis ecrrlj yrars ori !lie podilotl~.7%(1trk(lo !/re mcitry ills Herclrritrr'.c pill\ 7,,e,r ,,,,j,pr,s,,tl lo cure, s;~. Tl~omci~ 7o~1.s (11.~0r ~ b 10 l~ follft(1 bollt lhc I.o~l~i()~l IJliilulm
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~~~~l philharmonic orchestral Sir Thomas Beecham. Ei''f CDC 47794
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A holiday in the South of France, anti ~r1ti:lt better guide than Beccham? Sir l'lio~nas loved j French ballets and the music of Bizet, and it shows l e lincls less-Ihall-pcrfec~ intoriation is ;I[ tilnes ;I t the spirit is exactly right-buoyn d e n e r g e t i c , n e v e r driven 01e accounts a r e perfectly proporsed with a radiant lyricisni. Ttie er. is too dry and almost mono
rival in his repertory, it was e of the last of his rccordi~igs, cl as magically as ever, drat\'iveness fro111 the strings leasure i l l the most glo\vi~ig he occasional li1,crties sr.itl1 re turned into convincing tor's cxtraorclin;~l-ysense valecl ear for sound. 'l'lle 77, is I-ichly atmosphcr-ic
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arely 20 \\.hen he was tliscovered by Robert Schumann, Bralims struggled for years to live LIPto the great expectations of his elder colleague. Although clubbed a "young eagle" by Schurnann. Brahrns was by nature conservative,, and eagle-like in one thing only: his lilelong determination to be a loner. By not aligning himself with tile radicalism of U"gner arid Liszt, he opened himself to the partisan musical politics of the day. Pundits on both sides sought to paint him as he champion of the anti-modern faction in German music, and he was unwillingly draitn into a maelstrom of controver-sy from \t.hicli he did not escape until the death of LVagner in 1883, when Rrahms himself was 50. Though slow to mature, Brahms clung tcnaciously to the idea that he should carry on the great tradition of Classicism. I-lis estraordinary craftsmanship and severe self-criticism helped secure his repiitatiori as the greatest instrumental composer of his day. arid eventually hc carnc to be seer1 as one of the most potent and original voices of Romanticism as t\.cll-for in the final zinalysis, his works are not as conservative as they seem. T h e conlposer Arrlold Schoenberg drew atteritiorl to this in an essay entitled "Brahms the Progressive," praising him as the agent of "great innovations in musical language." Brahms was indeed progressive in his unclerstanding of harmony, as he was in his predilection for rich, freely organized polyphonic textures-~chere the constituent in the traditional sense, but lines are treated not as co~~nterpoinr as parts of a living tissue of iridependent melodic elements. Perhaps most progressive of all \\.as Rrahrns's acceptance of rhythm as an element of nlusical language on the same plane :is melody
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and harmony. a view whose implications have been felt throughout the music of the 20th century. T h e most consistent characteristic of Brahms's music is its gravity: it is thoughtful, serious sluff. And it was as a center of gravity, in a time of heady Romantic expressionism, that Brahms had the greatest impact on his own era and on the history of music. For while his language was certainly inventive and expressive. his real achievement was the renovation of music as an abstract art arid the resuscitatiori of its traditional forms. Brahms's four symphonies form a fanlily in which the clear resemblance between members does not lessen the remarkable differences in their personalities. T h e First is dramatic, with meditative middle movements: the Fourth tragic. with an ebullient interlude: the Second bucolic and spirited; and the Third, the hardest to pin down, an extraordinary amalgam of lyricism and nostalgia tinged with despair. T h e four express themselves differently, too. each in its own distinctive voice. with a syntax that runs from the almost Gothic coristructions of the First to the taut line of the Fourth. George Bernard Shaw once claimed that Brahms was "the most wanton of composers." one who delighted in dressing himself up as Handel and Beethoven. In some ways Brahms's symphonies d o follow the Beethoven model-in their attempt to develop the bulk of their material from a few basic motives, in their quest for concentration and organic coherelice, and in their avoidance of program and scene-painting. But here are important differences between the two as well. While Brahms successfully tried the transcendental approach in his First Symphony, the dynamic of struggle and victory meant less to him than it did to Beetlloven. 111 the remaining symphonies Brahms was more interested in achieving a sense of emotional integrity. even if it meant accepting ambivalence, as was the case in the Third. In all of his syn~phoniesbut the Fourth, he eschewed the third-movement scherzo in favor of' the intermezzo, and only rarely did he try to emulate the dynamism of Beethoven, preferring instead a more lyrical manner of speaking-a quality that Schumann would have appreciated.
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H E REAL HRAHIZJS 1.7 1101 ac urell k~roziltr loday he :ucu (1 ctS7ilury ago, despitr belrlg rrrort8 admr red. Toduji ntcdl~tlces r~leern pnnrctnlj for IS y,?lpAon~esand concertos. r~rhlch7eprese711 n relotrvrly ~mttllporllo~lof ltfs outpul. The I esL of Its oeu~lreI ) / cluilrt ~ w ciozen o cl~n1rrher piece^, altotlter 13oo dozr7t zcrorh for platlo solo, atzrl about 200 rotlgi.
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rahms began work on his First Syrnphony in 1855, when hc was 22. By thc time he finished the score, he was 43. "You have n o idea," he later wrote to the conductor Hermann Levi, "how people like me feel when we hear the steps ol'a giant like him behirld its." T h e "him," of course, was Beethoven. Rrahrns felt such keen respect for Bcctho~eri's symphonies that he allowed the first motenlent of this symphony-completed in 1862, thot~gh without its remarkable introduction-to sit in a dra\\.er for 12 year-s before he rnustered the cotifidence to proceed. .And when the work was finally presented to the public, first in Karlsruhe o n November 1, 1876, and then i l l i'ienna, it was precisely the connectiorl rcith Beethoven that the critics noticed. Like Beetho\en's Fifth and Ninth, Brahrlls's First is co~icerneclwith the conflict of key, and also like thern, it aims to achieve tra~lscendence through ttic triumph of the major mode over the minor in the filial movement. T r u e to the model, the symphony's first movement is stormy and dramatic, fi111 of portents of the great struggle that is to ensue. But Bralinis relascs his gripsomething Beethoken \+.as loath to do-ill (lie ensuing Andante and Allegretto, establishing the pattern of intermezzo-like movements that woulcl characterize his rlext two symphonies as well. I n the finale, the battle is rejoined. Prefacing thy movement with an estendeci slow introduction that begins in the mists of C minor, Brahms clelrtys the arrival ot' the major key until the vusperlse is palpable. Then, following the lend of Beethoven's Ninth, h e allows it to be ushered in gently, cschelving a dramatic proclamation in favor of' a measured, hyrn~lliketheme. T h e rest of the movcnient carries this idea forward, ancl Arahms c-rcates a rnounting sensc of triirrnpli in the score's i final pages.
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SYMPHONY NO.2, IN D. OP. 73
t F
or Brahms, whose Symphony No. 1 had yaken 2 1 years from inception to first performance. it was clearly a relief to be able to start fresh on a second symphony. With his successful completion of the First, the floodgates of symphonic thought were opened to him, and ideas that had been dammed u p for years poured out in a torrent. Symphony No. 2 was finished in a mere four months and received its premiere in 1877, only a year after the First. T h e Second is the rrlost serene and reflective of Brahms's symphonies. Some have called i t "sunny," although it has its moments of turbulence. Pastoral at times, dralnatic at others, it is also Brahms's rnost powerfully orchestrated symphony-the only one with a tuba anchoring the brass section. Its finale corltains the most unashamedly brilliant music Brahms ever wrote, though the opening measures of the movement give no hint of what is to come. Perhaps because he was so serious, Brahms constantly made light of his own works. Inviting his boyhood friend .Julius Otto Grimm to attend a performance of the Second Symphorly in Leipzig, he said. "You must not expect anything special. Nothing but a tiny, innocent piece!" Despite this disclaimer, the Second Syniphony is renlarkably sophisticated. T h e thematic content, rnuch of which is based on the three-note motive (D, C sharp, D) heard at the beginning of the work, is unusually rich and well developed throughout all four movements. T h e scoring is skillful, and the counterpoint, particularly in certain pages of the first movemerir, reveals extraordinary subtlety.
Bruhmc. on the podium as sketchd j by his 8 ~ e t r dWiNj von Beckcmtlt. i
44l
ORCHESTRAL
WORKS
SYMPHONY No. 3.
BRAHMS
IN
I;, 01). YO
ways the black slieep ol' HI.;I~IIIIS'S four symphonies, the 'I'hirtl. (I;iti~lg1'1.o111 1883, is also the one that repays rcpeated listening w i ~ hthe greatest dividentis-irl nluch the s:lme way Beethoven's Sixth (the Pas(or(t1~)does. I';II.~doxically, t h e T h i r d is t h e synlphony \vllc.rc Brahms strays farthest froni [he niodcl ol' I1c.cthoven. Here there is no hcatccl a r g u ~ t ~ c nnt ,o transcendent victory of nlqjor key over niirlor, rlo Komantic heroism. T h e Third is 111.ah1ns'stilost personal symphonic canvas-110 less c ~ n o t i o ~ ~ a l l y intense for being basically Iyric.;rl and in\\*;~rdlooking-and the only one oShis fi)ur synil)llo~lies to end quietly (in fact, all Ibur 01' its r ~ i o v c ~ t i r ~ i t s end quietly). hluch has bec.11 ~ i l a d e01' the work's ol)c.r~illg motto, the mcloclic outline of'the notes I:, ;I II:tt, and I;-which supl~osedlyrepresc~~tctl tlic \\.ortls " F Y PC~I ~ P Ifr011" ("Free but happy"), I%l-;~li~~is's :IIIswer to thc motto ol'his friend, thr violi~iisl.Josc,l~l-~ Joachim, "Frpi a b ~ reijr.w~rr" ( " F r c ~I>ut Iollc.lyW). Xiore interesting than \\,list, il' ;~nything,tl~ese notes mean is how Bral~msuses tllc.ni as a 111otivic cell of' remarkable gcner-ative p ~ \ \ ~ cclcvclo11i1ig ~., virtually the t\.holc of the lirst moveinelit out 01' them. Not only does the [heme ;rppe;il- lrecli~cn~ly as a melody, it is often present :is :I I~ackgro~lntl voice in the testure of fully scol-ed passages, LISLIally in the bass. As in tile t\\ro pt-eceding s y ~ ~ ~ p l ~ o I3ral1111s ~lies. follo\\.s this exparlsive but tightly a r g ~ ~ elirst tl movement with a pair of lighter, inte1.111ezzo-like movements. T h e tirst, an And;tlire i r ~<:~~i;!ior, begins graciously but contains .I ~ n e l ; l ~ ~ c l piis~oly sage inidway through that \\,ill I N O I I I I I I I ~ K I ~ I I I S I O further reflections on i t in rhe fin:llc. l'lic i11lilll;ltc. .Allegretto has a memorable opening turlc ;IIICI seems to stradclle tlie fence Ilc-rwecn yc:lrning romanticism arid bittersireet I;~n~erit. 131.;1Ii111s tloc..\ the unusual by starting the fi~i;ilc.i l l the kcy 01' I:
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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BRAHMS
41
minor. When. after ni~lchturbulcncc~.the ~n:!jor key finally is embracetl in the t r l o v c ~ ~ ~ cclosi~~g ~~t's pages, it occurs not with a triumph;~~rt bl;~zcI I I I ~ quietly. with a sunset glo~v.
"F
I F I'OU 1.lh'k.' T H I S \\'Ol
2, irr C arid sib el it^<'.< .Syrrrpltorry N u . 2, irr D. Atttortg Br-(r/irrrt's oultr ulorkr. llrrs
pariy S r r r ~ i c r c l,Lro. ~ I rlrid tlrr Ifiolirr (:o,trc.rro
sharr
.
//ti\ .\ynr-
Ilrc
pirorrp. [.'or llrr clo.trsl rn~tlclt of
(111. lirtrtr
lo Dr~oicik'.\
S ~ r t r ~ I t o r tNO. y 0. irr
D;
ttot
orilv i.c !Ice kt? /Ire .\cirtrc, btrl //re /'ortrlfll ~ 1 1 l l l i f lI,\~ ,\ iftti111~.
he cherries are not sweet I~cre, a n d you certainly ~vouldn't\varlt to cat theri~!" So Brahms confided to the conductor H:ms vo11 Bulow in 1885 as he neared the c-omy>lerionof his Fourth Symphony while summering in ru1-:11Austria. Rrahn~shad given similar tvarllings about the Second, intending to throi\v 11-ie~~ds ofl' rile scent of his triost expansive symphor~y,but rile suggestiorl that the F o ~ ~ r lnigl~t th be 11;1r~1 to s\v;11low proved entirely correct. On hearing a piano I-un-thl-ough l)rio~'to the first public perforni;~nce,the cr.itic Etlu;cl.tl Hanslick confessed that the cxl>cl-ic~~c.c 11:ltl givrn him the sensation of being t~caterl 1\11 " t ~ y two other terribly clever men." Several of BI.;I~IIIS's intimates \vondered aloud whether 11e might not have miscalculated in cornposing ;I 1in;rle chill.acterized by such rigorous, joyless sohricty. 7'hc suggestiorl ivas made that Bral~rnsstrike 111cnlovement, a passacaglia consisting 01'30 vari;~tionsplus coda, and subsrit~~te another. Rrahnis wisely declined the advice, Ic;~vir~g the symphony as it stood. He realizcd [hiit the specilic gravity of the work as a \\ttlolr ncccssitatctl ;I weighty finale. For he hat1 tlep;~rtctl f'r-o111 his cusronl of placing a pair of slender i~~rlclIrlo\-cnients between two large outer ones, choosing E minor instead to answer the dramatic oy,eni~~g exordium \\.i~ha long-breathctl, ccli~;~ll~t clr;~rn;~tic. Andante and a true scherzo of'extel~dcd~ ) r o ~ x ) r tions ancl great brilliance. \Vith thesc t\\*oi ~ st l ~ c i ~ ~ ~ i dmovemerlts, dle rather tl1i111 IIVO ~ I I I ~ I . I I I ~ I L ~ i the pass;~cagliawas needed 110th :is ;I c:ou~ltcr! weight to halarlce the str~lctl~l-c ; ~ r ~asd a closir~g
42
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BRAHMS
peroration that tvould alloiv the symphony's I ~ ~ I I I u p tide of emotion t o break fully Lipon the listener. T h e character- of the Fourth Symphony Iias been described as autumnal. Even if i t were not the last of Brahms's symphonies, the description would fit, for surely none of the others presents the same pathos. austerity, and unblinking seriousness encountered here. T h e first movenient is particularly somber, and full of what Yeats, in a n entirely different vein. ~ ~ ~ olater u l dcall "pissionate iritensity." Brah~nssustains this mood through the second movement as well, with its opening in the tonally ambivalent Phrygian riiode (based on E, but neither major nor rninor) nrld subsequent wanderings in har~nonicregions both lighter and darker. T h e agitation of the first two movements yields to an earthy ruggedness in the schcrfo, which possesses an exuberant energy unique in all of Brahrns's output. Equally unique is the towering drama of the firialc, a ~liasterrvorko f scoring, architecture, and al-gunieii~, ancl the nlost profound symphonic utterance Brithms produced. Irlcorporating elements of' a full-blown sonata scheme within a single, all-encompassing arch, it starids as a fitting concl~rsion10 Brah~iis's greatest achievement as a sy~nphonis~.
Btcic
RANMS PURSUED
i t t t m r itc "olol" music itc o vorietj of mys. He ousted t h marc~ucripkcto j\lornrt'J (; ncinor Synrphorcy and H(cjdni Opuc 20 Strirtg QuartrLc, as utrll as H~erhove11's sktptchbook for fhc Hamnlerklavier Sotrctlo. As editor, Hrahm wcu. rrsporrtible for r\lornrt's Reqriiutrr. rn the firs1 cotnplete rdition of tho! cattrposeri work, crlrd for fhr .\ytnplco~ciesof Schrcbert, p~tbli.ttlu by Br~illtuj$ 3 Hiirlcl.
Berlin Phllharmonlc/ClaudioAbbado. Deutsche Grammophott 431 790-2 [Syrrcphorcy Are. I , with Gesang d e r I'arzen], 427 643-2 [,Vo. 2 , usth Alto Khapsody], 429 765-2 [Are. 3 , ufi~lcTragic Overtrcre atid Schicksalslied], ccnd 435 3-19-2 [No. 4 , with \'ariatiom o n a T h e r n r by Haydn and S%nie] Vienna Philhannonic/Leonard Bernstein. I)eu&che Grurnmophotr 415 j70-214 (;IJ.\; Symplcorlius ~Vus.1-4, rctith Val-iations on a Thcrnc hy I l;aydn nrcd the Academic Festival and Tragic Ovrr-1urr.t;ulso
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BRAHMS
43
Abbado's cycle, completed in the spring of 1992 with the release of 11ic Fourth Syrriphony, is an impressive contribution to the catalog. These are big, passionate, sure-fc~otedreadings, notable both for their magnificence of tone ant1 for- llieir unimpeded sense of flow. In ;iddition to his cle;lr grasp of each symphony's line of action, Abbado has a generous feel for the expressive conterit. and he exhibits loving, though not excessive, attention to detail. T h e playing of the Berlin juggernaut is beautiful; the power of' oltl is still evident, but there is now more of an inner glorv. Lt L'DIO ,4RB,4DO Deutsche Grammophon's engineers ;ire to he zuac ban1 trr .\lrlurr ttr commended for the recordings, especially that of 1933, the sort of tire r~tolt~rtst the Fourth, which was made in thc former East nrtd r1r~on.d111tclrelarigelo Berlin's Schauspielhaus-a hall that sccms to echo Abhndo. Trntrted us (a ptc~rtut, Itr zirer~t10 \'tetrrta 10 toke the sound of the old Philharnionie. the rottrcr rtr roridrccttrrg Bernstein's recorclings with the Vicnna I'hilt(t11g1tt tfnrrs Su~nroriaky harmonic show Brahms t h r o ~ ~ gthe h lens of Wagnl lho Arcr(fer~yof . \ ~ I L \ ~ c 1.11 ner's Tristan und Isolde. T h e conductor's flowing. 1990, Ire 1 ) t ~(trrtr orrly 1111, almost achingly prolonged interl>l.et;~tiorisemjolcrlh rrtorr lkr\ r~rrt~try to be rmrr1~11 ~ N I ~ . \ I C(ltieclor O J l h ~ phasize the lyrical aspect o f the music. At times l~erltrrt'lttll~~~rr~~orrtc. he brings a rather fruity expressiveness to the music, but for the most part he achieves quite lovely results. -1-herecordings on this 1983 release are fairly distant, and the Vienna strings co~iic out sounding a bit more wiry than they really are.
C
a n d Frigue on
(I
T/temc. of Purcell
may not sound like thc title of' orie of the 20th ceritury's most popular syrnphonic rvorks. but by its other name-7'h~ Yoz~ngPr,sot~'sGuide to the Orcha~ra-this 1946 score by Britteri ( 19 131976)has made more friends than any other rvork of English music, with the exception o f Hanclel's h messiah. 1he theme Britten chose for his variations was r.
U
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BRITTEN
OUNC LIS?%:Nk;:'HS who ~ J V PP ? . + Ylhi.t C~ porlr(1i1 of 1/1eorc/re.\lrfr may I?ko er& Prokofie~l'.~ and tlie M'oll', Copl[rt~d's Billy tlie Kid, (rrrd SrtitrlSNPIIJ ',F TIic (:at.~liv;iI 01' the Anini;rls. Al,ro ~ ~ r uprp pe(llirrg i . ~Kespiglli's b(rl11,l
from Purcell's incidental music Ibr a d r ; ~ r n :en~ titled Abrleluzer, o r The Moor's R ~ V P I Iwrittell ~ F , ill the last year of Purcell's life. T h e (heme is statecl by the full orchestra-with each section monlcrltarily out front-as a kind of prologue to the 1n;iili event, Britten's virtuosic treatment of the theme in successive variations through eacli division of the orchestra. T h e instruments appear from the highest in each group to the lowest. T h e winds are first. with the focus moving from Iliites to oboes, clarinets. and bassoons, each receiving a variation uniquely well suited to it. T h e strings are given their turn, again from the highest to the lowest, and then the brass-horns, trulnpets, and the trombones and tuba. Finally, the percussion gets a chance to show what it can cto. In the concluding fugue, the irlstrunients again enter from highest to lowest, but this titiic thc sequence is much more rapid, as the fugue sul)ject-itself a variation of the therile-is tossctl to and fro. I11 a concluding gesture, Britten I~rirrgs back the original theme in the full brass to c ~ r d the work in a flash of glory.
La bou~iquefant;~sque,n breezily scored arrai1g.rtrrc.7rl of t1orr.r Iry Ros.tirri.
@RECOMMENDED
Y
RECORDINGS
London Symphony Orchestral Benjamin Britten. Londoit 4 2 5 6 5 9 - 2 [ wilh "Forrr Sea It~~~rI~r(le.s" fr0)n
Peter Grimes] Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Andr6 Previn. Telarc CD 8 0 1 2 6 [ u ~ i ~Cour~ly lr Da~lcesfrom <;lori;~n;~, and ProkoJiar: Peter and the WolTj
Many of the more subtle details of the writilig emerge in the composer's own version, \vhich Ihr all the felicities of expression no~~etheless rnoves forward smartly. T h e 1,ondon Symphony cle;irly has great fun with the score and gives a thoro~rglily good account of iuelf. T h e 1963 rccortli~lghas :i touch of glare and brittlrriess at the high end,
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
BRUCKNER
45
and I he balances suggest some rather questionable miking-a bit surprising, since the accompanying "Four Sea Interludes," recorded five years earlier, sou~idbreathtaking. Previn's account of the Yoling - Person'.$ Guide is not quite as intense or evocative as Britten's, but it is potent and both better played and better recorded.
he wrote that Rruckner (18241896) was the first symplionic composer to take up the "metaphysical challenge" of Beethoven's Ninth-a challenge that had largely been ignored by illendelssohn, Schuman11, arid Brahms-musicologist Deryck Cooke pui his finger on what makes this Austrian composer such a significant fibwre in the history of the genre. Frortr village orgattisl lo V ~ Y I I ) I P S PThe renewal of the sy~~iphony as an act of tranrcott: Anlotr Bn~ckiwr01 36. scendence and an expression of personal ideology was a lifelong labor for Bruckner, a devout Roman Catholic whose faith permeated his work. Indeed. the very compositional process Bruckner adopted-which involves the conteniplation, ordering, and unraveling of 111aterialsuntil the essential feeling of a movernent or a work stands revealed-has been described as an attempt to clear awa) obstacles on the path to spiritual certainty. 'The mystical tranquility and visionary ecstasy Bruckner expressed in his last t h r e e symphonies (Nos. 7-9) are unique in the history INCE E;'AKL}' 1tt flrr of ni~~sic. Uaroq~ceprriod, fhr kq Composed from 1881 t o 1883, the Seventh of E rnujor has 1)tctt rtSyn~phonyhas a soaring opening theme, carried g(1drd ar l h "celest~nl" ~ kq hecnlur 115 ~ i g n u l u r eof fu11r by the cellos, that offers a glimpse of the vistas strclrps placvs ir aboul cc5 far ahead and marks the beginning of a momentous trp fllr c~rclro[fili/z.~from C, journey from light into darkness and back. hluch lllr c t r ~ / e rus , 07W ~014[dgo of the first movernent is derived from this opening iullile rtmuinlng in trtnv. subjec~,but Rruckner's treat~nentis so inventive
S
48
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
NE DAY I CAME home a r ~ d j e l qtiite t sad," Hrucktter wrote lo coltductor Felix iZ.lottl. "The though! Irud occtirred m ) N P !hat the hfasler woukd ~ o o t i die, and at thal rnonze?r! the C sharp ntinor tlierne of [he Adagiu came to me." The "121uslrr" was I.t'apzet- ulho died on February 13, 1883, just l h r ~ eweek( after 19nickner had finished hisfil.tr sketclt of the Adagio. Wlierr the nelus reached him, Rruckner added a shorl, elegiac clositlg.
BRUCKNER
as to make every idea seem spontaneous. ?'he music touches on rrioods from the mysterious to the exultant, and ventill-es into myriad tonal regions before returning to the key of E major and a majestic closing statenlent of the initial subject. Throughout the 22 minutes of the dirge-like Adagio in C sharp rninor, Bruckner sustains a feeling of great poignancy, which is heightened by outbursts from the brass and climaxed by a long crescendo arid a victorious C major statement of the forriierly mournful principal thenie. In the movement's closing pages, which the composer said he had written in memory of \.lragner. funereal gravity gives way to desolation and, in the last moments, an elevated calrn. T h e A minor scherzo operis with a shaclowy unison figure in the strings that serves both as a motive in its o\cpnright and as accompaniment to a festive trumpet theme. said to have been suggested by a cock's crow. T h e treatment gets a bit fierce in the rriovcriient's climaxes, but as a counterbalance Bri~ckneroffers an idyllic trio in the pastoral key of F major. T h e symphony's tumultuous finale is launched by a jaunty melody outlining the E riia,jor triad a n d resembling the opening subject of'the first movement. As before, Bruckner introduces niaterial of sharpl!. contrasting character ancl establishes cornpcting key areas in the course of the movement's developrnerit. But in a coda of great majesty, the key of E is orice again confirmed, arid the sy~nphonyends with the hrass proclaiming, in succession, both the main subject of the h a l e aurl that of the first movement.
Vlenna PhilharmonlcIHerbert von Karajan. Deulsche Gmmmopho~t429 226-2
This version of the Seventh, taped in April 1989, was the last I-ecording Rarajan made. His
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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47
powers were never greater than here, at the e~lcl of an astonishing 50-year recording careerwhen he deserted Berlin for Vienna anti an orchestra that was ready to give him everything he wanted. T h e performance grows as one listens. accumulating extraordinary power. It is personal and visionary, far more urgent than Karajan's prior rendition with the Berlin Philharn~onic,at times almost incandescent. T h e recording has good presence, though not enough firmness in the bass.
H
ANS RICHTER apprnrttced him.te!f to Rtchard IV(1grter ttr 1866 at the age 4 2 3 . Ten years Intrr, Rtcht~rrundtlcted the first prrfnrntc~irrf nf Ihr King cycle (11 Bqteulh. He ule~tt on lo clmritpturr tire AIU\IC of Brulrtn\, Dvoicik, ct?td e\ppctc~llyBnccktrrf . In 1881, dtcnitg rehemnnls for 111r Fourth Syitilpkorty, the well1ltentit?rgSrrcc kittr trppt,d Richlrr (I Ilrclli~.Htrhlr, ther~(~Jter k t / / IIte coitt 011 hrr rralclt chnnr.
G
omposing the Eighth Symphony was an ordeal for Bruckner. In September 1887. after three years of work, he sent the score to Hermann Levi, the conductor who had led thc first Munich performance of' the Seventh. Levi was utterly baffled, a reaction that plunged ihc composer into despair and prompted Ilim to begin a radical revision of the work that ultimately took another three years. Fortunately, the symphony's first performance, given by the Vienna Philharmonic under the direction of Hans Richter o n December 18. 1892, was an unqualified success. T h e first movement begins over a suspenseful tremolo, with a terse motive in the lower strings and a cryptic answer from the clarinet. These early passages center on B flat minor, not the home key of C minor, and the tension this establishes will not be resolved until the end of the symphony. T h e exposition is built on three 111ain subject groups, the second of which, in G major, employs the composer's rhythrnic hallmark of tivo quarter notes followed by a triplet. T h e harmonic plan of the rest of the movement is extraordir~arily far-reaching, and Bruckner shows remarkable resourcefulness in his use of mo~ive-;I( one p o i n ~ inverting the opening subject, recasting it in the major, and making a luminously beautiful digres-
18
ORCHESTRAL WORKS * BRUCKNER
Bruckner takes a bour.
F
OLLOW'ING the 1892 premiere of the Eighth, the composer Hugo Wolf, no friend of Bruckner's, wrote that the symphony "is ttw creatiotr of a giant, and in spirittml vastness, ferfilitj of ideas, and grandeur surpasses all the other symphorries of the muter. . . . It wns the absoblte victory of light over darktlesr, and the stornr of applause at the etld (4each tnovrrtre~~t wcu like sonre elernrratr~l manrj~.tkationof Nalrrr~."
sion out of it. After a series of elemcrital cli~ilaxes and hushed interludes, the movement ends with a bleak coda in which the clarinet and the violins recall its opening subject. accompi~niedby deathly quiet rolls on the timpani. The scherzo, as Bruckner described it, evokes the legendary folk figure hlichel-who typified "the Austrian folk spirit, the idealistic dreamer." Its opening subject, heralded by an arresting tremolo figure in the violins, is a LBndler that seems both earthbound and ecstatic-qualities that prompted music critic Richard Osborne to characterize the scherzo as "a nlovenlent in which the very mountains seem to dance." T h e trio offers just the sort of idyll a folk figure might dream of. especially the passage in which three horns and three harps cavort in the blissful key of E major. With its intense climaxes, charged silences, ancl extraordinary radiance of tone, the Adagio of the Eighth seems chamber niusic writ large. 'I'lie sense of space is immense arid the l'eeling of motion cosmic as this meditation unfoltls: in it, l%ruckner comes as close to conveying spiritual elation as in any niusic he would write. As in the Seventh, the Wagner tubas lend their glow, joining horns and strings for a tender leave-taking in the coda. T h e symphony's finale opens with a fanfarelike proclamation in the wind and brass over galloping quarter notes in the strings. Bruckner sustains the monientum of this idea through all the ensuing material, which includes a choralelike subject in the strings, marches both shadolvy and festive, and numerous returns of the opening fanfare. With the arrival of the movement's broad coda, which rises from a piariissirno beginning in C minor to a stupendous conclusion in C major. the battle for the home key is at last wori. As a crowning gesture, the main themes from all fbur movements are sounded simult;irieously i r ~the final two pages of the score, a feat cornparable to the quintuple juxtaposition of motives at the end of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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49
Vienna Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan. Detttsche Gramrnophon 427 61 1-2 1-3 CDs]
Karajan recorded the Eighth three times. but this 1988 account is the clear choice. He sustains the reading magnificently: his deliberate ternpos and careful pacing give the symphony time to unfurl, allo\virig the mystery and tenderness of Bruck~ler'svision to radiate from deep \tithin a paroxysmal intensity. T h e large passages have a rolling grandeur that is breathtaking-yet by maintaining a sense of scale and coherence, Karajan enables the symphony to be perceivecl as a single utterance. T h e Viennese play I>eyoncl their limits, and the cumulative effect is breathtaking. The recorded sound is \livid :~ndof very wide dynamic range.
:
1:d .
.
-
a
1
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'
t
merica has produccd many gifted
."cornposers during the 20th century.
i but only one whose music speaks so tiaturally and i is so recognizably American. C\'hethc~cspressi~ig
i
the emotions of life on the streets of Nets I'ork City or in the hills of Appalachia, tvliether clepicting the Southwester11 desert or just being itself, the music of Copland (1900- 1990)embodies the rough-and-ready spirit and tx-isk optimism of' America at mid-century. Like that spirit, it is outwardly confiderit, energetic, assertive . . . ancl on the inside, tender, nostalgic, occasionally sentimental. Copland's greatest achievement \v:~sthe crcation of an idiom that was at once original ant1 familiar, contemporar) yet comprehcnsiblc, ancl capable of conveying a \vide range of emotioti.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
50
4
T
HKOUGHOUT rhc Amer-icaca,z Soltlhwrst," Agnes de 1~1iIle-wrote, "the Saturday afientooil rodeo i~ a tmditiotr. On the remote raltclrrs, as 1c~e11as ill the trading ce~ttersand the towns, the 'ha11d.v'get together lo show off their skills. . . . The llzerne 14the bullet [Rodeo] i s ba,\ic. It deals wit11 the problet~rco11frorrtirrg pio~werutomeil: horci lo gel o suitable man."
COPLAND
T h e works he cornposed in this style during the 1930s and '40s while no less modern than the edgy, eclectic scores of his youth, are formally more acconiplished and far easier to follow. Thcir language is instantly recognizable, their feeling genuine and con~pelling. Copland's American idiom proved brilliantl) successful in his ballet Rodeo, cornmissioned by the late Agnes de Mille, who choreographed the work ancl perlbrmed the lead role at its premiere in 1942. LYith small excisions, the four sections of Rodeo constitute the movements of the popular suite, entitled Four Llanc~Episodes, by which the work is best krlow~lon the concert stage. "Ruckaroo Holiday" is a razzle-dazzle Allegro that in some ways follows the sonata-for~nstructure typical of the first movement of a symphon). "Corral Nocturne" is an atmospheric slow movement in Copland's most pensive style. "Saturday Night Waltz" opens with a passage reminiscent of string instruments being tuned. and its loping waltz includes a couple of references to "Goodbye. Old Paint." The concluding "Hoe-Down." based on the square-dance tunes "Bonyparle" and "IvicLeod's Reel," is a kick-up-your-feet display of' rhythmic verve and orchestral boldness. T h e finest of the works Copland coinposed in his American vein is the ballet Ap~aIacI1ia7~ Spring. written in 1913-44 for hlartha Graham. Because the work was to receive its premiere in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress, Copland found himself li~rlited to just 13 instrumencalists, the maximum number that ~vouldfit there and still leave room Sor the dance. T h e enforced economy helped him producc a score of remarkable tenderness ancl austere beauty-precisely the qualities of the human spirit that Graham's ballet sought to evoke. I t also encouraged Copland to emphasize variety of texture and timbre within the ensemble, and to make greater use of counterpoint and irregular nictcr than he h,td in previous essays, further contributing ro the liveliness of the score. These traits
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
~\lar/lrr~ Crrrlu~itrand Rer/rnrm Ross dancing Appalachiar~ Spring.
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were preserved when Copland. in 1945, devised a suite from the ballet scoretl for full orchestra, the form in which the music is best known today. In the final part of the ballet, Copland uses a well-known folk tune, the Shaker song ''The Gift to Be Simple," as the basis for a brief set of variations. Copland's own melodic style had by now acquired the gift of simplicity as well, so the rest of the ballet's thematic material, which is original, still sounds of a piece with folk music. Copland's most familiar work by far is his Fatifare f m the Common Alan, which resulted from an unusual initiative taken by Eugene Goossens, the British-born conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In the summer of 1942 he invited a number of American conlposers to write patriotic fanfares. T e n of the fanfares were wrilten for brass and percussion and were published in a single volume, with Copland's as the first. A mere 46 bars long. Far@re for the Comnror~itlnrz has become a part of America's national consciousness and makes as strong an impression today as it must have when it was first heard against the dark background of the country's entrance into MTorldWar I I.
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
New York PhilhatmoniclLeonard Bernstein. Sorty Classical AfYK 37257 [Appalachian Spring Suite and Fanfare for he Common Man, with El Salon hiesico and Danzon Cubano] nrtd AlYK 36727 [Four Dance Episodesfrorn Rodeo, with Hilly the Kid Suite] Saint Louis Symphony Orchestral Leonard Slatkin. E M I CDC 47382 [Rodeo, with Hilly the Kid]
Bernstein's accounts \vith the New York Philharmonic, recorded by CRS in the late 1950s and early 'GOs, are incomparable in their vit;ility and impetus. Bernstein had the ability l o move bc-
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tween delicacy and brashness, altjays getting the gestures right, ancl his versions of the Rodeo and R i l b the Kid suites are exuberantly persuasive. T h e Philharmonic's playing, while sorrletirnes a bit raw, is confident ancl rhythmically secure. There is also a tvonderfiil immediacy to Bernstein's reading of the Appnlnchin?~Spri?rg Suite, in wilich the New Yorkers give a virtuosic performance. Both of these CDs have been wonderfully reniastered by their original producer, John hlcclure, with excellent presence and a palpable sense of atmosphere in the quiet passages. Slatkin does both R o d ~ oand RilLv tile Kid complete, restoring sonic delightful music that is rrlissed ir1 the suites. In Rodeo, for example, i t comes as a delicious surprise to hear the saloonpiano inte~luclebefore "Saturday Night Waltz"arld Slatkiri insists on an out-or-tune upright. just the right touch. These are idiomatic, persuasive interpretations, thrilling in their buildups and visceral in the climaxes. T h e recordings have a tvoriderful ambience and dynamic range.
P R ~ L U DA EL ' A P R ~ S - M I D ID'UN
the pin~tn.I ) P ~ I L T
At
FAUNE
eeply influenced by literature, the French cornposer Debussy (1862- 19 18) was keenly attu~ledto poetic imagery ancl symbolism, and he hacl a remarkable ability to evoke through music the cmotions they stirred in :I sensitive reacler-a skill he showed not only in this score but in the 7'11ret Nocturnes and the opera Pelle'ns et A3ilisnud~as well. This talent was rccognized by StPphane hlallarrne himself; author of the poerri Lhp-i.5-midi d'tcn fi~ztne, for tvhon~ Debussy playecl this prelude shortly after coniposing it in 1894. "1 had not expected anything like that," MallarrnC re~narked."*Theniilsic prolongs the ernotio~iof the poem ancl fixes the scene more vividly than colors could have done."
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Del~ussy's01-cheslral palette i l l the l'rol~rrlclo I ~ I P Ajlen~oonofn Faun is indeed more s~il,t.lr;111dvivid than any painter's. T h e dro\vsy, sufl'ocati ng warmth alluded to early in tile poerll is superbly rendered by the languorous f i ~ ~solo l e ;IS it unfoltls against a dappled bnckgrou~ldof rlltrted strings and feathery tremolos. and by [lie near-absence of pulse through the score's early Ixiges. l'he feelings of desire and p a s s i o ~barely ~ sul~pressed at the climax of the poem are esl~ressetlin thc music's gradually intensifying lyricism. .Anti the drca~riyoblivion inlo which the f;tun sinks at its end is con\.eyed by the graclual fr;rgme~lt:itior~ and overlapping of nielodic motifs f r o n ~earlier in the piece. T h e result is a score of 11;lunting suggestiveness in which, just as i l l hf;ill:~rrni.'s poem, time seems t o stand still ant1 the scrlscs take o n an animation of their own.
ebussy oi\ped his i~~sl)iralioll li)r tile 7%wr Nodurnes .sal~outequally to sc\fcral lines from the poetry of Heriri de Kkgllicr-, a friellrl whose aesthetic views influencetf Iiim, ;lnd to the Oi\~IPOSL:HS A I A )' ou~e llreir in.~~tir(i/iort lo Ilte paintings of James h*lcNeillMThistler.11 \+*asM'llismrrse, bu! 1)~bucsyniid tler's Nortlrr?~esthat Debussy had in mint! when Farirc; urirl frirlhrr: 1/19 had he described his own tone pictures, co~nl,leted in the s(tttle ittii/r~.(.\./ / i o ~ i g ti01 t~ 1899, as "an esperirnent in the different arrangea1 lltt .\sine littie. F . h r t i t t ~ ~ ~ ments of a single color, like a srucly in griIy in Hnrcll~rherciittr irrrlolzurl uilh painting." flebr~\.yiri 1903. Shp garfr birtli lo Clu~ctlt~-Ernmci DPCertainly the first of then], "Nnclges" ("(:loi~ds"). br~tsy("(,'h~tr~rhni~." for fits that description. LVispy chorcls in the strir~gs uihotn I ) P ~ I L S . (11~roIe S ~ (:hiloscillate without going anywhere, ;ilid f ' r ; i g ~ ~ i ~ n t s drc~l'sC o r ~ l r r )in 1905. orrd lhrfr years k a ~ ~~Pr C ~ I N ~ ' of a melancholy solo in he Eliglisll \lorn, sct i l l a cliflerent meter, are repeated ;iin~lcsslyagainst !Ire .strorld i\It:\. DP~ILT.\Y. Prior lo rneelitrg D P ~ I L Y ~ , the vague background. T h e music secnls to flo;lt Erriittcl had 11 1iai.ioil willt \vithout any harmonic goal, a n d the c;l~~ccll;ltion i.iircrt, urlro cl~rlicatedlo h ~ r of one meter by another seems to I.c.nlotrc tllc /ti.<,\r)rtg r~rltp1.a bonnc work from the r-ealrn of' 1i111cas ivcll-.jl~st ;is ch;~nsorl. clouds at dusk appear to 11ass ~vitl~out moving,
C
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8
eventually blending into darkness. "Fttes" ("Celebrations") drew its inspiration from lines in a couple of Regnier poems, in particular from one nlentioning the "brilliance of angry tambourines and sharp trumpet calls." But it may also be the depiction of an event Debussy witnessed around the time he was working on the score, a festive procession that took place when Czar Nicholas I1 visited Paris to seal the FrancoRussian Alliarlce of 1896. T h e middle section of this scherzo-like rrlovenlent is a spectral march that begins as if from afar and becomes louder and more insistent as it draws near. The outer portions, Bacchanalian in their frenzy, contain some of the most animated and vividly scored pages in Debussy's oeuvre. T h e point of departure for the third Nocturna, "Siritzes" ("Sirens"), may have been a RCgnier poem describing the image of mermaids seen in a dreamlike vision. T h e wordless vocalizing of Debussy's sirens-an eight-part wo~nen'schoir behind the scene-is surrounded by a shimmering musical seascape that is among the composer's most evocative exan~plesof tone painting. though surely in more than a single color.
!a
Debtmy rides above L.a hferi swirling u1ave.s of ~ o u n d .
ebussy's most concentrated and brilliant orchestral work, La Mer is one of the supreme achievements in the synlphonic literature. A score whose refinement and expressiveness are typically French. it is nevertheless a work of such imagination that it stands apart fro111 traditions and influences. Its modernity can still be felt today, 90 years after it was con~posed. T h e sea fascinated Debussy: "You may not know that I was destined for a sailor's life," he wrote to the cotnposer Andre Messager in 1903, the year he started work on La Mer. "It was only quite by chance that fate led me in another di-
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rection. . . . But 1 have an endless store of rnerliories [of the sea], aricl to my mind, they are worth more than reality. whose beauty often deadens thought." T h e sea Debussy remembered, from his childhood visits to Canries arid later travels in Italy. was of course the hiediterranean. I t is a civilized sea, whose moods Debussy caught in all their richness. For Debussy truly had the ability to see images with an impressionist's eye, and to work IIE IiIlrtCf; THAT with the color and nlass of instrumental cornbisterns lo helve ~ ~ e r c i r e d the g r ~ n 111fl11er1ce ~ ~ ~ t 0 1 1 DPnations much as a painter worked with pig~ I L S S J(LS h~ s011ghl IO co11vq ments. He subtitled La Aler "'I'hree Symphonic llrp S/IPPT pourer of lht SPO Sketches," and the names of the rnove~nentsproulas 1 1 1 Japnrres~ ~ p t l l "[lo[vide us with verbal suggestions to stirnulate our low rf I ~ Deep-Sm P Ltbzle own sense of imagery. Off h'cl1mgarc~c1,"( a b o v ~iq ) h'aLtn.thrka N o k ~ ~ rIt1 a ~11. "From Dawn to Midday o n the Sc;t" explores Ihu w(lvr reern\ (1bou1lo t h e sometimes subtle. s o r ~ l c t i n ~ ed sr a m a t i c rwalloui up ( I hoot orid i1.y changes of atmosphere and lighting that accompaslsrurrg~rs.7 % U~M V P du~(lrf~ pany the progress of morning o n the water. T h e 'Ill. 1;ll)l I I T P ~ , rurrt 111 tI1u music suggests a gradual coming to life, fro111 c l ~ ~ r i nclrld r ~ , t 1 1 crest ~ rlicalnl grayness to almost blincling brigl~trless,end~ r r c k ~rrrlo c ? I I O I I P ~ O I Lcl)r(?yr ~ of ~ ~ I ( I N I )uuch I, 111 l h sIta/)e ~ of ing with brass and percussion breaking over the (1 c h w . full sonority of the orchestra. T h e second movement, ''Play of ~Y~Ivcs," draws the imagination equally to the sphcl-cs of light and motion. One senses the rockirig of the waves, the unexpected shifts of current. the glint of sunlight on the surface of the water, anti the mysterious depths teeming with life. Of the three movemenrs, this is the most "impressionistic" in its scoring, and perhaps the most musically engaging as well. "Dialog of the Wind and the Sea" is more ominous, more urgent than anythi~igthat h ; ~ s gone before. One feels close to the sea's danger. as the orchestra heaves and swells in great washes of sound. A m o m e n t of suspenscf'ul calm is reached before a final great buildup sllows the sea in stormy triumph, the violent rliythrl~sancl dazzling clash of sonorities conveyirig at last the fullness of its elemental force.
T
Mi
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Montreal Symphony Orchestral Charles Dutoit. L o n d o ~425 ~ 502-2 [Three Nocturnes, with Images pour orchestre] and 430 240-2 [La Mer and Pri.lutle h I'aprcs-midi d'un faune, will1 Jeux and orchestral excerpts from Le niartyre de Saint Sebastien]
Stylictic ~~rrsntilitj dktingtdktres thr Coticrrtgrbo~rwOrclrestra.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestral Bernard Haitink. Pliilips 400 023-2 [Three Nocturnes, with Jcus] ard 416 444-2 [La Mer (~ltdI'relude a I'apres-midi d'un faune, with "Ibirin"Jrom Images] Boston Symphony Orchestra/Charles Munch. RCA Living S h e o 61500-2 [La Sfer, will1 Saitlt-SaA.r: Organ Symphony, a i d Ibert: Escales]
Several years after their landmark recordings of Ravel's orchestral music, Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony have finally gotten around to Debussy, with results that are certainly worth the wait. T h e Noctunzes are impeccably rendered, with , " and energy extreme refinement in " N ~ ~ a g e scolor aplenty in "Fites," and languor arid mystery in "Sirknes." More of an outdoorsman than a hedonist when it colries to La Mer, Dutoit ernphasi~es body and voluptuousness of sound over atmosphere, striving for an effect of photographic rea I'1sn3 rather than impressionism. Ultimately, it is the score of La hfer, not the sea itself, that the conductor is interested in projecting, but what a glorious noise he makes. These are perhaps the best recorded perfor~nancesof Debussy's rnusic in the catalog, close-miked but with ample space, vivid, and well balanced. Haitink's versions from the late 1970s still rank anlong his most in~pressivediscographic achievements, a tribute both to his skills as an interpreter and to the stylistic flexibility of the Concertgebourv Orchestra. T h e account of the Nocturri~sis one of
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the finest-poetic, gorgeously pl;iyetl, :111d I~rilliantly detailed. In La Aler, there is poise, Llow, and high suspense, and the I-csporisc of ttic orchestra is similarly far-reachi~ig.'l'he work conies across precisely as intended, a set of' three "symphonic sketches" rather than a kaleidoscope with one picture jerkily falling Llpon the nest. Although the Concertgebouw is a difficult venue in which to record, the Philips team manages to achieve excellent balances on both CDs, with a nearly ideal sense of distance. hlunch was an excitable, spontaneous ~nusicia~i, one who gave everything to his perti)rm;~ricesantl never conducted a piece the same way twice. There is an organic quality to liis 1956 interprctation of La Mer-it is "live," urgellt, and quite passionate (especially in the finale), 1)ut not overstated. RCA's recording is cxcclle~it;the new "1,iving Stereo" remastering worlderfi~llycaptures t l ~ c presence, balance, and spaciousriess ol' [lie origi~i:~l.
o f L)\foiik ( 184 1- 1904) work of Br;ihms, w h o in the 1870s arranged three Austrian state stipeucls for his Czech counterpart and even \vent to the trouble of recommending Dvoi-rik to his o w n publisher, the firm of Simrock in Berlin. By the micl1880s, DvoMk's fame had sprcatl througl~outEurope, and in 1884 the composer ;icceptcd an invitation from the Philharmonic Society of 1.011don to visit England antl conduct several of liis works there. T h e success of his Symphony No. 6 at its London preniicre that spring pronipted the society to commission a new symplioriy, \r*hich Dvoi-5k began in D e c e n ~ b eof~ 1884 ant1 completed in hlarch. The po\verf~11new work, in the tl:t~.kkey ol' 1) minor, attested to the impact o f B~thms'smrl-
sa
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ancholy Third. which had just hecn publisl~ccl and had deeply impressed Dvoi-ilk. T h e Seventh Symphony's moody first movement is as re1n:11-kable for the concenrration of its argunient its fi)r the energetic treatment its ideas receive. Particularly impressive is the wealth of content DvofAk mines from the first subject. a dramatic, brootling theme in violas and cellos that apparently came to him as he watched a train carrying anti-Hapsburg demonstrators pull into Prague. T h e .Adagio. among the greatest of Dvoi-ak's slow movements. begins with a lyrical sulject in the winds over a delicate pizzicato accornpa~liment. This is follotrred by a somber idea in violins and cellos that is answered by hushed dirninishedseventh chords in the clarinets, bassoons, and trombones (a direct and unapologetic paraphrase t l E FIRST GROUP of T S I -.~vonicDnttces, cottlof a haunting passage in Brahms's Third). A11 po\ed itr 1878 for piclt~o idyllic second subject is intoned by the solo 1101.11, four h ~ t ~ r irrrtnprrltrd \, after which the rnoverrient builds to a hc:t~etl DvoMk lo firmu ntui tncrde cr climax. A gentle coda bririgs a poignant reprise fortrorr fitr Iris p~tbli.cltrr of the nlovenlent's opening theme, playecl by 111c Simmck. For rncrrq ymtc tlrerer~lt~lrr, R lrrg 4 zircrt i8xoboe over shirnmering tre~iiolos t r i ~ ~ g;ilor~g s, with rstrd ~ ( # ~ I ~ I Y the P ? I conlpo,\o. echoes of the sccorid subjcct i r ~t l ~ eflute a11d who rva 11 led to cleuote hinrselj violins. to large-.\crrle works, otld T h e tightly W O L I I I ~scherzo is a cross between a Sirnmck, who wnttted t ~ u t e waltz and a fz~rinnl,a Czech darice whose name Slavo~licDnnces. In 1886, aptly conveys its character. 'l'he symphony's fi~liile DvoMk orcht+struted itollt seLc of dnrrcrs i ~ i r t ~ . suond e ~ , tlri~is is determinedly. even a bit self-cor~sciously,tragic hour these lively work, ute in its emphasis on the minor key and its seething, best ktrouvr today. tremolo-laden textures. With typical rr~elodiclecundity, Dboi-Ak offers a first sul~jectgroup of two ideas: a convulsive theme in cellos, hol-ris, ant1 clarinets, and a subsidiary theme in the strings. prefaced by a stark. forte stroke i r ~the tirnpa~~i. T h e second group, in A major, has rhe character of a Slavonic dance. T h e recapitt~lationtouclics off a final struggle for suprernary between D nlirlor and I> major-which the n ~ i n o rkey sho~vs every sign of winning until, in thc linal tc.11 b:~rs, it is overthrowri by the major. 'I'l~cl-eis IIO tr:lnf scendence or catharsis, only the f'eeling of' 11c;tvy i suffering stoically endured.
SYMPHONY N O . 9,IN E MINOR, OP.95 Fronz the New World
D
VORAK fotlrtd a tiontr away front horne in Spillville, Iown, a ling f'nn coanlunity of Czech immigrants who pr~senredthr lattguage and co~lfureof [heir homtla~ui.In 1893, tlre conqoser spent a blirrful rind prodzrctive summer there rceilh his wjfe nlul six children.
on an invitation fro111 Jeanette Thurber, the wife of a wealthy New York businessman, DvoMk arrived in the city to head the newly established National Conservatory of Music. The composer spent the next three years in America, homesick for Bohemia but busy, and sufficiently stimulated to write some of his most enduring works. The Sy~nphonyin E minor. subtitled From the New W o r l d , was the first work he composed entirely in the United States. Dvoiik claimed that "everyone who has a nose must smell America in this symphony," having developed his own ideas in an intentionally rustic fashion so as to give the symphony the flavor of what he perceived LO be American Indian music, American folk music, and the Negro spiritual. Literary in~pressionsalso played a part: it is clear from the sketches that the symphony's second movement was originally based on the scene of Minnehaha's forest funeral in "The Famine" from Longfellow's The S o n g of Hiawattza, while the third movement was to depict "a feast in the wood where the Indians dance." It is not hard, however, to hear echoes of Bohemia-look twice, and the Indians turn into Czech farmers and peasants. Rather than being a musical postcard from abroad. DvoMk's Symphony From the New W o r l d is ultimately more of a fond look back toward horne. On a technical level, it is what Dvoi-ik wanted it to be: a demonstration piece to show American composers how to transform native American material into a grand symphonic gesture in the best European manner. The symphony succeeds in spite of the fact that Dvoiik's material is original, not borrowed. In contriving to make it seem "American," the C ~ e c hcomposer may have surrendered some of his native eloquence, and in developing it in
an occasionally four-square manner he may have sacrificed a measure of subtlety to prove a point. But the very directness and t~~nefulness of the ideas themselves, and the energy with which they are worked, are precisely what ha\.c made this the nlost popular of Dvoiik's symphonies. The music has a ruggedness. an openness, ancl a brassy confidence that are Arnerican in the best sensetogether with a heartfelt lyricism that even D\.oi-dk could hardly ciisguise.
London Symphony Orchestra/lstvan Kert6sz. I.ondotl \t1tcke7td C ~ ~ J S433 ~ C091-2 S (Symphony ,Yo. 7, utrfh No. 81 nnrld Lotido11Jtcbileu 417 72.1-2 [.%mphollp No. 9, ui/h Carnival O Z + P ~ ~ and I I YScherzo P capriccioso]
Arriorig thc finest recorded achievements of the tragically short-lived I-Iungarian conductor IstvAn Kertesz is his landmark stereo cycle of the L)voE,ik symphonies with the London Symphony, recorded from 1963 to 1966. This remains the best traversal OF the symphonies. KertPsz's rcadings are notable for their grasp of architecture :ind idionlatic good sense, as well as for their many fine iriterprctivc to~~ches. The London Sympfiony plays wiih polish and i,igor, ancl the sound. after rnore than a q u a r ~ eof r a century, is still ravishing.
VARIATIONS ON
AN
ORIGINAL TIIEME.
OP. 36 E lz i p a
F
he E71ipria Variations were not comrnissioned, and Elgar ( 1857- 1934) seerris to have cornposed thern as much for the discipline of writing in variation form as for anything else. -. I he process brought an unforeseen benefit, for
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with this score Sir Edward found not only maturity as a composer but fame as well-though the latter never really mattered n~uchto him. The melancholy theme in G minor on which the variations are based is the "enigma" of the title. Elgar never revealed its source, but years later he confided that the theme "expressed when written [in 18981 my sense of the loneliness of the artist. . . and to me, it still embodies that sense." Each of the 14 variations is a portrait of someone known to the composer (the connection almost always musical). identified in the form of initials, codewords, or. in one case, a mysterious cipher. LGAR'S MASTERY o/ For a long time the names of the "friends pictured the orchestra leaps o/f within" to whom Elgar dedicated the score reevny page of Ihc Enigma mained an enigma as well, but the composer Variations. One of thefinest descriptive pu.isages is h e eventually revealed them in the notes he wrote to opening of Variution XI accompany a set of player-piano rolls of the piece. ("G.H.S."),urhose subject is Thrce of the variations are particularly impornot George Robrrbo~1Sintant. Variation I ("C.i\.E.") is an affectionate portrait clair but hk bulldog Dan. In of Elgar's wife, Alice, treated as a co~ltinuationof the firsf five menFurP.~,the the theme itself. Variation 1X ("Nimrod") is an mrcsic shows Dan fallit~ginto the river U'ye (slrings), wademotional tribute to August Jaeger of the music dling up !he bank (basses publishers Novello and Co.-according to the and bassoons), reaching [he composer's note, "the record of a long summer top CfZt11 orch~stra)), and letevening talk, when my friend discoursed eloting out a triumphant bark quently on the slow movements of Reethoven." (hor71.i, lower slrings, and win&). And the finale ("E.D.U.") is a vigorous portrail of Elgar himself that includes references to "C.A.E." and "Nimrod" and ends the work on a note of unreserved triumph. T h e E n i g t ~ ~Variations a arc among the finest free-standing variations in the repertory, revealing a technique on the same level as that of Brahrns in the Variatiotzs on a Tllp~ne Hc~ydnand Richard Strauss in Dot2 Qztiuote. But they offer an even richer elnotional experience, for in portraying the salient qualities of each of his fiiends-whether melancholy o r tenderness, bluster o r coy reserve-Elgar was acti~allycharacterizing himself. Hans Kichter, the great champion of Brahms, Dvotgk, and Wagner, conducted the first perfor! mance of the Er~ipnuVariations in London on
E
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June 19, 1899. Rarely if ever had a composer's netv work been a niore perfect embodirnent of its Inonlent in history.
-
-
he word "circumstance" as usecl in Shakemeans pageantry, and there is certairily plenty of that in these wonderful marches. Elgar cornposecl the first four betweeen 1901 and 1907; the fifth came in 1930, though almosr ceriairily it had been starred many years earlier. Elgar did not intend these works as patriotic potboilers, rior in any way to glorify war. Rather, he hoped they ~ . o u l dserve as re~iiinclers of England's greatness and as gestures of support for tradition in the midst of charige. Pomp and Circl~rrts/anceMarch No. 1, in D major. opens boisterously a r ~ dhas the tune familiar from so many h ~ g hschool commencement ceremonies. (Colleges, with their larger classes, tend to graduate seniors to the niore ample strains of U'illiarn Walton's Crouvl Irnkeriul o r Orb a d Scpptre-both modeled on Elgar, of course.) March No. 2, in A minor, with its reliance on the strings, is the most symphonic of rhe set; one ~voulclscarcely expect to r ~ ~ u r ctoh this music, though it is martial enough in its swagger. T h e shadowy No. 3, in C minor, has been likened to a scherzo, while No. 4. in G major, the best processional after No. 1, is the rnost rhapsodic. T h e Fifth March, in C major. completes the circle in a light-hearted, almost nostalgic fashion. All five niarches are rich in sentiment and steeped in the rather cligrlilied variety of nostalgia to which Elgar frequently gave voice. Sir Edward was no enerny of modernity (he was orie of tlie first composers to record his own music), but he regretted the pace of change and tlie loss of so much that was goocl ancl human in scale about the past. speare's farnous lines t 9 -
E
LGAR'S FEELINGS about the pace of chattgp iu lhe nlodenl world. u~l~icllh~ so oftp?~mpressed in hi3 music, art captured in hls coirtnrcnk on TIte Brilhh Ernpir~Exhibition of 192-1: "17,000 men haarmernrg, loud .speak~rs,amplifiersfour aeroplanes circling 07rPf' etc. ptc.-all inechanicc~/& hom'blr-?lo soul & 710 romancp E j no imclginr~tion. . . . but at 7nj feet I sari1 N grot@ of rpul daisies. Sonlathing wrt rolled down ~ r ? y cheek-& I am not mhatned of it. . . . Darrrn a~rlyllting except /he duisy."
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London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestral Sir Adrian Boult. E.ZfI CDill 6401 5 [Enigma \'arialionr and Pomp and Circuli~sta~ice hlarchcs] Royal Philharmonic OrchestdAndr6 h v i n . Philit~s416 813-2 [Enigma Irar~atioruand II'omp and
Circulns~;lncehlarches] Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/ Sir Yehudl Menuhin. I'lrgin Clmsics I'C 91 175-2 [Pomp and <:ircun~stancc Slarchcs, uvt11 Cockaigne Oz~rtureand other marches]
Boll It's recortling of the E~zignzaVariations with the London Syniphony was made in the early 1970s. when both he and the orchestra were at their peak. It reflects an extraordinary blend of spontaneity and the grand manner. Smooth, Howing, rnajestic yet animated, it is a finely moldetl account in which every variation counts tolvard the whole. Boult's i~rlderstatedreatlirlgs of the P O T I Iatid , ~ Circumstanct~Marches with the London Phi1h;lrmonic are, like the music itself, the epitome of Englishness. T h e sound in the variations, closely 111ikedancl remastereti at a very high level, is a little on the bright sitle; the marches have exemplary sonics. Previn elicits beautifirl playing f r o n ~the Royal Philharmonic in his account of the Erlipna Variations, ic~hileprojecting a darker, more subdued view of the score than Boult. This is a reading of' substa~ltialcurnt~lativepower-, distir~guished by the orchestra's velvety sound. Previn's treatment of the marches, while not exactly fiery, is genial and warm. Rhythms are nicely sprung, contr-ihutir~gto a relaxed, almost playful mood, though the readings take on plenty of gravity where appropriate. T h e wide-range digital sound of the
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FALLA
1985-86 recordirigs is excellent. hlenuhin's 1981) iriterpretations of' the marches offer a glimpse into the iririer world of Elgar. \Vonderfully spirited, they are put across with an affection born of persorial acquaintance and a deep and lifelor~gtlevotiorl to the composer. 'l'here are many loving toucl~es:in the first 111:1rcli,foiexamplc, h e r e is a11 unexpected cxprcssivc trrrlphasis in the percussion in one cresceritlo, the the solo horn in the trio, violins are kept ~~tufcr ancl the organ is brought in magnificently lor the final reprise of t l ~ etrio. hlenuhin makes the marches sound more like the music of Elgi~r'stwo symphonies thari a pleasantly rousing p;lradc; more than ally otlicr interpreter o n disc, he entlol\,s them \\tit11 ;I tlcscrvecl sense of r1ll:incr and complexity. 'l'hey arc impressively recor-tlcd.
thought. Both a colorist and a classicist, 11e endo\\red his ballet scores with a subtle s e ~ ~ s ~ i a l i t y ancl a feel for the exotic that invariably r;rng true, yet he achicved a formal rigor that f'rerluently eluded others. h'luch like BartBk, he 11;rd tlre gift for assimilating the patterns and t l ~ epersorlality of folk nlusic illto l ~ i sow11 highly developetl language, so that the itleas he explored \\'err. at the same time origirial and derivative; their corlrrection to the rnusici~l r.oots of his Spanisl~c~rlturc entlowed then1 \ v i l l i in~rnensevitality. Falla's most sul)s~;rntialorchestral \\fork,El sombrero & Ires pcos (TIMTI1rep-Corxered I l a ~ )orib~na~ed , i as a quasi-balletic ~>ar~tornime-asetting fbrchami ber orchestra and \,ocalist based on AlarcOn's i novel. Following ;I cornmission fro111 Sergei I l i j aghilev, whose B;~lletsKusses had premiered such ! i\lorks as Stravinsky's Tlre R i t ~ o S/)t-i~lg;ilitl f Ravel's
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
T
HE MUSIC OF SPAIiV reuched a golden age in
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D(zp11niS and Chloi, Falla revised the first part of the pantomime ancl expanded the instrumental palette to create a vivid ballet score. The work debuted in London in 1919 with dcsigris by Picasso. The writing is virtuosic and warmly lyrical. spiccd with extraordirlary rhythmic and instrumental touches. There are also a few nlusical "in jokes," including a quore frorn Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Throughout the scorc. the sultry, changing moods and the dynamic tempos of lifc and love under the Spanish sun are evoked with genuine flair. The concluding jota, in particular. transmils tlie dizzying, coloristic whirl of an Iberian festival with authentically visceral intensity.
t11e workr of Fulia and his contenzporaries Isaac AlbCriiz and Et~riqueCranados. AN were students of the rntisicolMontreal Symphony Orchestral ogist Felipe PecirPll, hir~uelfn Charles Dutolt. conlposer bq. training. It alas Pedrell wlio tllnzcd the atLotulon 410 008-2 [with El arnor hrujo] ttntiori of Spn nish M t u i c i a ~ ~ s taw& Spnin otld showed London Symphony Orchestra/ iris cozi?tttymen tlie way to Gerard Schwan. their Itmiage. Delos DCD 3060 [sclitli Nights in the Gardens of Spain]
London's 1981 pairing of tlie two Falla ballets with Dutoit and the hlorltreal Symphony is a recording to prize. 'The iriterpretations are sua\e and finely crafted. seductive rather than incandescent. hut nonetheless Lery appealing. The recorded sound is good, although the acoustic of Montreal's Church of St. Eustache comes across as, in fact, too "churchy," causing Falla's colors to run just a bit (London's engineers have since done better there). Uriforti~riately,thc individual scenes of the ballets are not give11separare irides or track numbers. The Delos offering, from 1987, is sti~nriingly well recorded, arid both hcores arc virtuosically played by the London Symphony (with Carol Rosenberger as piano soloist in Nights). These are big, bold. colorfi~linterpretations. The Three-
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* FRANCK
Conmed Hal receives a particularly rousing performance under the baton of Gerard Schwarz. brilliantly paced and wonderfully detailed.
t F
ranck (1822- 1890) was one of the 19th century's most potent musicians-a thinker, teacher, and craggy individualist idolized by his students and beyond the comprehension of most of' his tradition-bound colleagues. But while he was strongly sympathetic to the n~usical futurism that e~riarlatedfrom Wagner and Liszt. Franck was also solidly rooted in the organ music of Bach. Like Brahms, he was conservative and progressive at the same time. His greatest works are nearly all late ones, arld to such important forms as the symphony and the string quartet he contributed but a single effort. The Symphony in 1)mi~ior.co~npletedin 1888, is arguably the greatest symphony conlposed in France after Berlioz. It remains in the repertory while works by Bizet, Saint-Saens. Gounod, Chausson, D'Indy, and other conternporaries drift in and out, testimony both to Franck's rigorous craftsmanship and to the power of his musical thought. The sympl~onyllas such a strong effect not only because of the dark intensity of its opening movement and the exultant energy of its finale, but because so milch comes out of so little. ,4s Brahms might have done, Franck develops an extended argument out of the three-note motivic cell heard right at the symphony's start. Not ihat the results sound Brahmsian. The harmony, with its chromatic complexity and yearning ambiguity, points, if anywhere, toward Wagner. In this symphony, Franck eschews both the Beethovenian scherzo arid the Br-ahmsian intermezzo. The score consists of three movements, the second of ~vliichis an Allegretto that owes u
T
H E ORGAN'S rich sonorih was cerlain fs hz Franck's mind when Ire c o w posed his Symphorly in D minor. Usiizg chorale-lik voicings, close chordal sparing, and frpquent douhlings and nri.xl~iresof &heflutes and reeds, he creuted ( I luminous blend of sound much like that urhicli the best French orguru of his time wpre desipud to produce.
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67
sometlling of its character, perhaps. to the corresponding movement of Beethoven's Seventh. Together, the Allegretto and the finale are just about as long as the turbulent opening ,Ulegro. They also represent an ernotiorial counterbalarice to the alrnost urirelieved urgency of that gloweririg meditation. T h e symphony presents what amounts to a theological argument: the foreboding of the first movement is transcended in the rapturous pages that come midway ~ l i r o u g hthe Allegretto, thcri vanqi~ishedaltogether in the finale. where trariscerldence and trarisformatiorl go hand-in-hand. As the themes of the preceding movenients are recalled and superin~posedupon one another, the syniphony's brootling germinal niotive is subjected to a series of ~nysteriousrising modulatior~s that culminate in the triumphant blaze of D major.
@ RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/ Pierre Monteux. RCA Gold Seal 6805-2 [with D'ltui)': Syn~phonjon a French Mountain Ail-, mttd Berlior: O v ~ r f u rto r
BPalricc et BCnCdicrj Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra/ Vladimir Ashkenazy. Londoi~425 432-2 [with Psyche and I.es Dji~ins]
blonteux was 85 when he made this recording in 1961, and the opening pages are very deliberalc, almost groping; the ensemble is not good in places, as though the beat Ivere some~cliat imprecise. But otice the long t)uildup begins, rcniarkable things start to happen. T h e Allegro takes off at a fierce clip, and frorn there on the performance simply cooks. Part of hIonteux's sccret is the way he animates the tremolos ant1 j ostirlatos h a t fill the score (arid ~chichcan sou1id T / , lrflIrt;tio,, ~ lo c n , l ~ l , c ~ l ha$ ,lg IMPI~ A I I I O Of ~o~r ~ ~ ~ ~ t ~ . ~ t A ~ !/ l klike e ~ ~so ( z ~much )'. ~vallp;~per unless they are brouglit
a
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
QERSHWIN
to life). T h e soulld is retnarkably firie except Sor some tape saturatiorl in the lcudest passages. There is good presence and atmosphere on the remastered CD, and the couplings are excellent. Ashkenazy's ear for tone color and texture is :I plus in Franck's music, and while his reading ol' the symphony just misses going over the top, it succeeds remarkably in conveying the emotions behind the music without false sentimentality. Although this is among the quickest readings in all three movements, there is n o sense o f hastc. T h e Berlin Raclio ensemble plays with arl appealing transparency, producing lighter colors than are usually associated with Franck. T h e recording, made in Herlin's Jesus C:hristus Kirche in 1988, is well bitlanced and solitl, and the i~lclusion of thesymphonic poem P.yrhP is a real bonus.
disjointed exercise in sympho11ic:llly dressing u p jazz rhythms, melodic figures. and quasi-improvisatory instrumental licks. Gershivin's uncanny sense of timing, and a gift for nie~riorablemelod) unparalleled in the 20th century, turn the Rhapsody into an enibotlinlent of t h e . J ; i ~Age's ~ . upbe;~t lyricism and dance-driven vilality. T h e Roaring Twenties had n soul, arld this was it. ?'he piece was composed in considerable haste for a concert on February 12, 1924, organized by jazz bandleader P;~ulWhiteman at New York's Aeolian Hall ancl billed as all "Experiment in
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
L a l i e Caron and G a r Kelly i n Ari American in Paris.
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69
hlodern hIusic." Whiteman's arranger. the multitalented Ferde Grofc, scorecl the piece for jazz band. and Gershwin himself played the piano solo, which at the time of the premiere he had not yet written out. Grofk ;ilso scorecl tlie work's orchestral version. Atz A~nericanin Potis, Gershwin's second niost popular score, is a brilliant orchestral showpiece and a nonstop experience in melodic invention. For all the color introduced at the start by the use of four taxi horns (which Cershwin had brought back from Paris), the tone of the score is really more American than French, with allusions to the blues and even the insertion of a Charleston. Far better than in Rhupsorly in Blue, Gershwin succeeds not only in maintaini~lgthe flow of tlie work from one section to the next, b u ~also in building a convincing overall structure out of his song and dance forms. T h e work received its premiere in New York on December IS, 1928. It was scored by Gershwiri himself', although tlie version comn~onlyheard today omits marly changes Gershwin later made.
Columbia Symphony Orchestra, New York PhilhannonIdLeonard Bernstein.
T
HE SUCCESS OF
Rhapsody in Blue prompted Gershurin to fnstrion anoth~rrltapsody for piano nrd orchesrra in 1931. The Second Rhapsody ti equally rn~rgelic;ils driving rhythn~cand glossy. jazz-itupired scoring are as zrnrnistaknbly z~rbanas u New York accent. The piece might be better knnurn toahy luui Gershwin S ~ I I Cwith ~ r~n origi~talrille: hi an hattali Rhapsody.
CBS dln.~ten~~orkt ,ilk' 42264 [utith Grofi: Grand Cirnyon Suite]
Cleveland Orchestra/Lorln Maazel. L o t h 41 7 716-2 [with Cuban Overture, and Coplard: Appalachian Spring Sltite and Fanfare for rile
Comn1o11hlan] T h e Bernsteiri is a disc for tlie ages. Here is Americari music performed with midcentury flair. ;1 monielit never to bc recaptured. Bernstein had the Keel for Rhapsody iiz Blue. ar~tihe does full justice to the still racy and spontaneous score. His perfor~nanceof the piano solo has a smoky, sultry
jazziness to it, along with a brash exuberance; there is touching tenderness in the lullaby, riveting dynamism in the fast pages. The perfor~nance of At1 Amcricntt i j r Park is bracing and energetic, and strikes a deft balance between intimacy and grandeur. The old New York Philharmonic incandescence coiilcs through in every bar, ancl the sound has excellerit presence and irnpact despite some breakup in the estreme high range. The 1974 account of Rhapsody in Blue from hlaa~eland the Clevelantl Orchestra is brisk, St111 of "big band" bravura. And at the start of An ..imerican rn Parts, you feel like you're right in the street. The virluosic playing of the Clevela~itlers is a delight fro111start to finish. The analog sound is outstanding, too. and this disc receives kudos for repertory and budget.
Grirg a! homr irt 1907.
the Norwegian cornposer- Grieg (1843- 1907) was asked by his countryman Henrik Ibseri to compose incidental music for I he first production of the play Peer G ~ I Islated , fbr Oslo in 1875. The project turned out to t)e a matnrnoth unclertaking, occupying most of the composer's time during 1874-75. The finishecl score, arnounti~igto well over an hour of music, probably hacl Illore to do with the play's success than the lavish clecor or even the slory itsel I'. Ihsen's Peer C;)'nt offers a rather cynical commentary on the Scandina\rian character. Its cerltral figure is an an~alganlof Don Juan (in his inisdirected sexuality) and Don Quixote (living a parody of the olcl heroism) whose esploits echo thoge of the l~eroesof The Odys~vyand Vo1t:iil.e'~ Cnn(1ide. .After years of searching, Peer goes home a r ~ dfinds Solveig-the ivoman who was right for him all along-waiting on the cloorstep. Grieg understood both the idealism ancl the
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
QRlEQ
71
irony at the play's heart, but chose to let his n i ~ ~ s i c set the mood of various scenes rather than expose the flaws in the characters a ~ their ~ d motiveswisely leaving that to Ibsen. While the music for Peer Gynt is softer in tone than Ibsen might have wanted, it shows insight nonetheless. There is plenty of profile in the dramatic segnlents such as "Sccne with the Boyg" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King," along with affecting emotion in "Aase's Death" and an almost cinematic atniosphere i l l such numbers as "lvlorning Mood" ancl "Night Scene." T h e liveliness of the dances and the pastoral quality of Grieg's scoririg give the rnusic remarkaI>le appeal.
San Francisco Symphony Orchestral Herbert Blornstedt. London 425 448-2
Gothenbutg Symphony Orchestra/ Neeme Jawl. Deutsch Granmophon 423 079-2[2 CDs; uillr inci&r~tnl music for Sigurd Jorsalfar]
I
BSI:'hr \C'ROTE Peer Gynt irl I867 uthile tic wm Iiviitg in Itnly. He hail left Norway lhrev years ea riit-r, t rrtpovPrithril and e~nbi~~eredhisfi~tlirre a.s an author. The SUCCCIS of Peer Gynt probnbfj had more lo do willt Grkg'J mwic than I b ~ e S~ rs~uty.
Blorristedt and the San Francisco Symphony uncork an account that is unnlarched in its richness and dramatic fervor. Here is a conductor with a real feel for the music, and in his hands Grieg's multi-niovement score shows all its elnotional depth. T h e perfbrmance is well paced and brilliantly played, and Laondon's crew provides a high-inlpact recording, very lorward and with excellent detail. Jarvi's recording is niarked 1)y good instinct for pacing and color, and excellent contributions born [he soloists. This account is n~elodraniaticin [he good selise, particularly in the confron~ationwith the Boyg. The sound is escellc~lt.
M
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R
et us second Bcetho\en's famous remark ; ~ n t "bend l the knee to Haridcl." It was Hantlcl's p ~ - o \ ~ e;is s s;I composer that impressed Reetlio\~c~i. and niore t l r ; l r i any other aspect of Handel's .irt it compels ;idmiration eve11 todav. But though I-Iandel \\as b~ temperamelit and training inclined to the t h e a m . he created works uf lasting v.ilue in ever) important musical genre of his da,. Indeed, amollg all other composers of the 18th century, onlv hloz;irt acliievcd sin~ilarsuccess in so many fields. In his youth. Handel 'ibsorbed the elements of the Cierman. French. and Italian stkles o f the mid-R;lroque. His knowledge of in Italy Italian music came first-1i;ind. during a thrcc-)ear sojo\r~-n that aniotrnted to a master class in co~nl)osition.His exposure to the music 01' the Veneti;in masters, espc.cially Antonio <:aldara anti Giovanni 1.egrenzi. freshened his corl-ect but rather s~olidnative Gern~aricounterpoint, softening its etigcs and giving its lines allure arid Iluidity. \.Vhile i r i Rome. H;intlel tvitnessed I l c ~ \ vhis Italia~lct~llc:ig~~cs e\atietl [tie papal b;~rto n opera by conlposing oratorios ; I I I ~cantatas in the thea~riciilstyle, arid he l'ollowed their Icad. Later in life. lacing up to the ticliiise of Italia~lopera in England. he \vould use the same trick ag;iin and protluce a magnificent ar-r;iy of English or..ito~.ios. In 17 10. Handel was .lppointecl Kal)t.llii~eister-to tllc I':lector of Hanovcr-the ft1ru1.e King Georgc 1 ol England-;tiid was granted a n immediate Ic;i\e of absence to spend the better part of a ,ear in Lonclon. i-le ~ c t ned u ~ to H;IIIO\CT the next summer. bur found it rather dull conipal.ed with the English cspitiil. In the fall of 17 12 lie again asked to be ternporatil) relieved of his duties.
O
t
and pernlission was granted on the condition that he return "within a reasonable time." Back in London, Handel found it easy to forget his obligations in Hanover. It was a long, long way away. He plunged into the composition of Italian operas, then in vogue, and also wrote some of his finest cerenlonial music. He had been in London a little over a year when Queen Anne died, leaving the throne to George 1, Handel's boss. Following the coronation. Handel prepared himself to face the sort of music no one likes to hear, but George, benevolent monarch that he was, continued to favor him-and pay him, even doubling his salary. Haridel spent the next two decades pumping out operas and solidifying his reputation as England's leading composer. But the old style of opera was doomed. A lighter. nlore comic vein was gaining favor, and the public eventually grew indifferent to the monumental style of Handel's creations. People still enjoyed good singing. however, and Handel sa1v that by writing oratorios, he could give thern what they wanted. From the mid-1730s. when he switched to the oratorio genre, until 1750, when he composecl Tlwodorrr, he enjoyed a dazzling string of successes. One of them was Messiuil, premiered in Dublin in 1742. Handel was himself a pleasure-lover, and he always macle certain his music gave pleasure to those who heard it. This most professionally accon~plishedof musicians possessed a lively wit. penetrating intelligence, rare cultivation, unshakeable integrity, and both good humor and good sense. hiore than that. he was an artist of the highest rank, the most cosmopolitan and eclectic of his age. His range as a conlposer-his mastery of a variety of forms and techniques and his ability to draw on them at willhas never been surpassed.
74
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HANDEL
WATERh~lUSIC he popular story that Handel wrote the z e r .Vfuic- as a ~xieanso l restoring hiniself to the good g~acesof King George I is now generally regardecl as myth. I n fact, it was the king, not Handel. \vho was in need of somc good PR. His subjects were beginning to regard hirn as a bit of a blockhead, ouing in past to the fact that he spoke no English. hiilch as a public f~gure c- .- . k ; e 7 = i:ztoday nliglit do. he decided to go on the offensive - -:-ZZ I with a determined show of magnificence. I n the ! surlirrler ol' 17 17, he had his adviser, Baron KielIhrG GEORGE urn$ f rnansegge, arrange for a musical cr~tertainrnent KILul m O n f l l r t llo on the Thanies foI10,ed by a nighttime cruise up enjoy "lablt-~ ~ I I L T ~ Cof, " ril~ich i i the river to Chelsea for supper. Naturally enough, the Water Music i~ (1 Inli ; Kielrr~a~isegge commissioned Handel, the court ricnlnrly grnnd t~snlr~plu. composer, to \.\.rite the music for this spectacle. Lotrir XI\' dint-d 10 t h ~ sfrat~uoJ 2~Jirhel-Ric/rarrl rir i The king ant1 his lavorites listened fro111the royal Lall1llN'*.:rSinfonies Pour f barge as an enscrnble of50 musicians played from le5 \oupers d u Koi. G P O T ~ another, while boats "beyond counting" cro\.\.ded Phlllpt) Teler~~ann b~otigttI i i alongside. tible ut zi.tir zcnth111~ I I Y tt1~m11.r Though the original scores have been lost. it is ~ o l i r g e o 2 S l P - ~,hWF l,~ "prodducttot~s"of hfilsique f clear from the instrumentation ar~clI\e, s that H a n de table could be trctrl k f tiel composed the 1 4 i ( ~ / 1Zftisic ~~ in three suites: a a'1~012efor "gtl' lfirtlsltmllarge one in F with ten movements, I'eaturing rwo us-ultd TZU:L~. fhunkr In i horns in addition to oboes, bassoon, and strings: recordiug\, ;ae rurl all e(11 i one in D with fite mo\crnenrs (among them the like kings. f celebrated "Alla Hornpipe"), inclucli~igparts Lor i trumpets and timpani as well ;14 Iiorris, oboes, ; bassoon, and strings; and one in (; with sevell f movements (somc of which are often linked in performance), lo1 a "softer" complement of f i ~ ~ r e , recorders, oboes, bassoon, arld strings. IVhile tlie suites in F and Dare clearly open-air music, nic:trit to be played on the barge, the G major grouping was intended perhaps to accompany the king's meal at Chelsea. CVell suitetl to its purpose-as both tlivertisselnent and advertisenien~for the king-the Il'ntrr il.lwic is memorably tunefill and rnakes fashionable use of the dance forms tvpically found in rhe -
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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75
Baroque suite, sucli :IS the rniriuet, bourrke, gavotte, and gigue. I n his resourceful scoring, designed to keep the royal ear from tiring, Handel conlbines festivity and finesse in perfect measure.
IF k'OU LIKE THIS II'ORK: >on rn~ghl aka t r y 9 tulo pnrly 20thCP?IIIII? PIPCPJnleof11no1 to accompany f i r r u * o r but lo acltccllly port r.iy them: Sliazansky's Fireworks, OP. 4. nild tlrr I)pbu\~yPrelude fop piano, Book 11. errtrtled Fcux
d'artifice.
of the Austrian Succession ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ais-la-Chapelle. T o shots* that he \\,as on the wir~ningside, even though Britain's gains itrere negligible, the king-I his time (;eo~-ge I l-orcierecl the construction of an enonnous victory pa\rilion in London's Green Park. bfocleled on a Greek temple, with figures of the gods and a basrelief of the king himself, the 4 10-foot-long edifice was to serve as the site of a spectacular firetvorks display. hiusic for the occasion had to be the very best, so the king askecl Handel. at the height of his fame, to compose it. T h e monarch not only expected I-landel to use as Inany martial instruments as possible, I~utalso let it be kn0ts.n that he hoped there \\~ouldhe no fiddles. Handel nearly balked at that suggestion, but ultimately gave (lie king what he wanted: an eliornloLls French overture in D scorcd for nine trtrnllxts, nine h o r ~ ~24 s , oboes, 12 hassootls, contral~assoonand serpent (later cut), three pairs of timparii, and assortetl side drums-along 1s-ith four cornpanion movements. A note in the score indicated that strings should double the oboe and bassoon parts; like his king, Handel knew that ~nakingpeace and surrendering were no1 the s:~~iic thing. 'The actual fireworks display, on April 27. 17-19, was a dismal failure, made u p for only by the grandeur of Handel's music. IVith or without str-ings-and these clays i t is almost always performed with thern-the overture stands as one of the greatest instrumenral ~novernentsol its age, a l~rilliantshowpiece niarked by jubilant f-~nfares
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and ivonclerful interplay between groups ol'wincl and brass instruments. Though much smaller in scale, the rerrlairiirlg movements-a bourree, a siciliann (entitled "Lo Pui.~"),an Allegro ("Lu Rbjouisscltlcr"), and a minuet-appropriately convey the "pomp ancl circumstance of glorious war'' but suggest, in their lyricism and elegance, the more gracious passions of peacetime as well.
@ RECOMMENDED
A
T A PUBLIC reheursal six .~ILI?A L M ~ ~ J I - c the officinl c~lebm/io~r, inert. than 12,000 peopl~crorojdrd h ~ t oI'nlurl~nllGnrriFr1.s (aborw) lo hear Hailrk~l:~ music, rrcaliizg n threr-hoirr trufic juin O I I Lo1ldo11 Bridge.
RECORDINGS
Phllharmonia Baroque Orchestral Nicholas McGegan. Hnni~oiziai\lttrrdi USA H,\flI 907010 [\Vater hfusic] Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marrlner. Argo f 14 596-2 [Water hlusic cold Xii~sicfor- the Royal Firework.s]
&fcCegan's period-instrument account of' the Il'ater ~ \ l l ~ r i ctaped , in 1987-88, is informed, vibrant, and brilliantly r-ecordecl-a wonderful argument for authenticity. As an interpretation it ranks second to none, conveyirlg the clances in an ideally vivacious manner. T h e I'hilharmonia, consisting mostly of American players, is not quite as accomplished as the London bands that have dominated the period-instrument scene. Bi~twhile the execution in places is a bit under par (the oboes, for exar~lple,get a little scrappy), there car] be no complaints about Lolrrcll Greer's superb work as first horn. hiarri~ierthins out the usual textures of St. hiartin's Academy to lead vigorous, stately accounts OF both the \Voter Allrsic and the l\lluic for the Royal Firezclol-h. -1he playing is snappy, thc feeling of dance-inspired animation just right. This is the ideal con~pilation,presenting both scores complete, and the souncl of the 197 1 recording is open, well balanced, and estreniely tvcll def ned.
,G/
1761, the 29-)ca~--oldAustrian coltlposer Hnydn accepted an offer of employment fro1111'1-incePaul .4nton Esterhizv. IVhen the p~ince died the following \elio~~t alitl the string ~ 1 ~ 1 . 1(el. 1 H;iyclr~'swork as a s ~ ~ n p l i o n i\\.as s t parrict~l;~~.l\ crucial to the evolution of rnusical thought. At the time hc I~egan.around 17(iO, there were several tkpes of ssrnphont. T h e {nost popular \\-as the Itilli,ln svniphony. basic.tll\ a glorified o p e n o\crture u.ith a fastslot\ -f '1st arrangement of movements using short. binarv f orrns. A lour-movement s\rnphon), with a minuet ;IS the secorid 01-third ri
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part, had begun to catch on among German and Austrian composers and would become Haydn's model. Usually will1 a sonataform first movement, it had its origins in chamber rnusic rather than opera, and often partook of the instrumental dialog colnrnon to the concerto grosso. Haydn was constantly experi~rieritirigwith orchestration and the arrangement of movements. His relative isolation at EsterhPza, plus the requirement of a steady output of music for immediate consumption, no doubt helped him develop an original style, while the fact that he had an orchestra at his disposal created a laboratory atmosphere in which he felt free to try out new ideas and perfect his craft. One finds an enormous variety of formal and expressive currents in Haydn's symphonies of the 1760s and 1770s. but certain personal halln~arksbegin to manifest themselves. Underlying the originality and fine craftsmanship of these works there is often humor, expressed in surprising gestures and unexpected juxtapositions of styles, as well as in striking harmonic modulations. hlost important, though, is the manner in which Haydn clevelops his thematic material. by carrying over the imitative counterpoint of the Baroque to create a texture based o11 the contours 01' a subject. It was o n this principle of thematic development t l ~ a tthe music of the next two centuries would be based. In 1779 Haydn signed a contract with I'rince Nikolaus that freed him to accept outside commissions, and he took advantage of this in 1785 to compose a set of six symphonies (Nos. 82-87). By this time, the four-movemerit form was firmly established as Haydn's model. In variety of effect and expressive profile, these Paris Symphonies are among his finest works. Haydn follo\ved them with five further essays in which the diversity of material and the cogency of the argument set a new standard. But one last. huge proof of Haydn's ability remained. Following the death of Prince Nikolaus in 1790, Haydn was commissioned to write a set of six symphonies for London, the success of which promptetl a contract three years later for another six. At the time he wrote the 12 Londort Symphonies (Nos. 93-104), Haydn's comniand of form and rhetoric was absolute, his reputation secure. Yet riot once in them does he come close to exhausting his inlagination. In their stylistic sophistication and richness of ideas. the Lo~~clorr Syrnpho~lies stand among the highest peaks of symphonic art.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
H04I'DlYS
,.I COA'TKACT u ~ l r nhe~ e,rtrred the verIIICP the Esterhrizy family stcrte(1 that he ritotill dyers "as befib nw trortest /rouse ofP rrfrd ficer of N P ~ R C P Icourt" provrdr on e.unrtrple to I r r ~ mmlrrafu. Hnyd~ru9acto tnkr lrrc rtrt(11S urrllr tlrtm, 6111 u4ac10 " a z ~ o ~rirrcltir d famrlmnt? r f r m l i r ~ grrrrd clnr~krtrg or r t t itr~r e l a f ~ wrth o ~ ~tlwrtt, ~ lest he loce the r e ~ p ~ due cI hrm" us Iiaprllm~rtter.
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79
avdn composed five symphonies (Nos. 88-92) between 1787 ant1 1789, the same period during which htozart p e l ~ n e dhis last four. and greatest, works in the genre. Taken togetlier, these composers' nine essays may well const i r LI te the high-water rnark of Cl;tssical symphonic writing-though the 12 works I-laydn t\.oultl complete in London after AIozart's death can certailily be said to reach the same es:tlred level. Falling hetween thosc better-known Londo,r Symphonies and the half-doren he wrote for I'aris. the five scores ;ire sornetinies humorously rcferrc.tl to as I-Iaytln's "Chal~l~el" Symphonies. Ttvo works in G 111ajor form the bookends to this extraordinary set, which marked the climax ol' Haytlrl's years as court composer at Eszterhiz;~. They possess in f~111nleasure the vitality a ~ l t l thematic iti\.ention that distinguish his mature idiorn, while revealing a still greater depth of' thougl~land fbrrn;ll elegance. Synil~lionyNo. 88 is one of Haydn's most buoyant syn~plionies,a work more infectiously cheerfir1 than festive o r grand, ant1 o n e in tvl~ichH a y t l ~ ~ indulges his sense of symphonic levity to particularly good effect. As he frequently did, Haytln provitles a slo\\. introduction to the fii-st movcrnent, ;I highly charged .Allegro that looks Sor\\,artl to the opening nlovemcnt of Beethoven's Eighth Symphony. I n the theme-and-variatio~issecond movenlcnt, each variation is more el:~l,or-atea~icl richly scored than its predecessor. A typic.ally tvitcy minuet Ibllo\vs. and a finale borrowing the jaunty rhythmic character of a country dance brings thc synil~lio~iy to a close on a ~ i o t eof light-he;~rtctl good c l ~ r e r . T h e Oxford Symphoriy was actually intentletl for Paris and bears a dedication to the same Conlte
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Prirrcc Nikolauc Eslrr/16zy, Haydni polrot1 for 30 years.
HAYDN
d'Ogny who had comn~issioneclthe Paris Symphonies. It got its riame in July 1791. when Haydn was awarded a n honorary doctorate by Oxford University ant1 pressed the score into service as his thesis. It contains occasional references to the learned style-in the form of brief fugal passages-bur while the fugues mayjustify a doctorate, Haydn's heart remains with the peasant. particularly in the simple clockwork motif concluding the first movement. In one important way, his habits are still ctiose of the servant, too: throughout the symphony. he often uses the back door to get where IIC is going harmonically. T h e rnix of refinement arid rusticity that characterizes the opening rnoveliient is echoed both in the minuet and in the Presto finale, a perfect romp with motoric themes and bouncing, off-the-string accompaniments. Yet the beautif~~lly spun-out thcnle of the Adagio has the melodic curve and expressive grace of an opera aria; here, Haydn's serenadelike writing for the winds is pure elegance.
Vienna PhliharmonicReonard Bernstein. D d c h e Cramrnophort 4 1 3 7 7 7 - 2 Vienna PhilharmonicMari Biihm. Del~hcheCrammoplioii Resor~arue4 2 9 5 2 3 - 2 [with Symphony No. 891
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestral Sir Colin Davls. Philips 4 1 0 3 9 0 - 2 [Symphony No. 9 2 , with No. 911
Bernstein's reading of the Oxford is a brilliant one. In Symphony No. 88, the intense string vibrato he encourages in the slow movement may be too much for some ears. though his jiiunty treatment of the finale is right on the mark. One can appreciate the chernistry that enabled the Vienna Philh;~rn~onic, at one Ncw York perfor-
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
HAYDN
81
mance, to encore the finale while Berristein kept his arnis folded across his chest. Bohrn's accounts with the sarne orchestra are genial and straightfbrward. ~l'lit.Austri;tn conductor opts for rather stately tenipos and a bigorctiestra sound, which the Viennese willingly provide; their playing is beautifully polished and urbane. Unfortunately. the recording is a bit boomy. Still, tlirec symphonies at a I-ock-bottoni I)uciget price is nothing to sniff at. Davis is always at his best in Haydn, and his 1983 reading of the Oxford is no exception. Like Bohr~i,he prefers a big orchestra, exactly the kind of erisemble for which Havdri wrote the mirsic. Davis draws brisk. assured, animated playing fro111 the L)utch players, especially the winds. anti the recording is outstaritiing.
aydn's last 12 syniphonies. commissioned by the I a o ~ i d o nimpresario J o h a n ~Peter ~ Saloriio~iand composed between 1791 ancl 179.5, are known as tlie London o r Salolnon S y m p h o n i e s a n d a r e considerecl t h e coni~x)serYs supreme achievenlcnts in the forrn. As thc American ulusicologist 1,eonarcl Katner has rioted, the t~velvemark "the culmination of a long period of growth in skill. fluency, ant1 fantasy," growth that Haydn achieved through much trial, if little error, in the cour.se of composing nearly 100 prior symphonies. These are the grandest of Haycln's symphonies. in both proportion and orchestl-;ition. Haydn here offers ;I compentiium of late 18th-century synlphonic thought, embracing the f'i111range of' style and topic found in the music of the (:lassical period. Dance types such as the bourrCc, gigue. gavotte, contredarise, arid L.2ritller are evoked at cvcry turn, and [lie vocabularies of the learried
82
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
H E 1'IEiYhfESE fnsrinntiorl uitlr Turkish mmic is u direct ottt~ruu~tlr of unr. Il'hen the Ottomn~l armies swept up tire Datzube and h i d siege to Vieilna, Vie~t?lrr'.tmtcsiciu~ct n1e11tto t h city walk and tattnted the Turks t~ imitnlir~gthe mruic of thr Ja?lissaly t)arrrls. Ollcr the threat of irzvnrio~thad receded, Turkislr-style nus sir wcls all ltre rage, nrrd Janisscrly irrrtrrrnren1.v ulerc, incorporared into tlre orchestm.
HAYDN
and galant styles-touching on cverytliirig from fugal imitation to pastoral musettes, *I'urkisIi rnarchcs, and tile music of the hunt-are ernployed with consummate skill. M'hile the ideas theniselves are not new, they are expressed with a new directness and a heightened sense of profile. Also new are tlie freedom and llexibility evident in Haydn's treatment of harmony arid phrase structure, plus the richness of texture Ile crcates in the scoring, which is coniparable to that of hlozart's last symphonies. biost remarkable of all. perhaps, is h o ~ veach of these works exhibits its 0 1 ~ 1 1character while remaining ~rnrnist;lkahlythe work of one mind. \\'hen he rvrote "Fine Lam Deo" ("The End, Praise God") at the bottom of ~11c score of Symphony No. 104, Haydn was 63 years old-an old man by chc st;lndards of his day. H e I ~ a dsaid everything hc had to say about ~ l l symphony c ancl \\.as ready to pass tlie torch to the only one worthy of receiking i t , Beethoven. Yet still ahead for Haytln were his oratorios TIIPCreu~io?~ and Tile Semo~ts,as ~vcllas the six great masses of his last years in Vienna.
Symphony No. 94, in G (Surprise)-The most famous nickname in the symphonic repertory belongs to this work, the seco~ldof the Lorzdolr set. O n e call imagine a sizable nuniber of tlie audience in r he Hanover Square Rooms on hlarch 23, 1792, literally jumping out of thcir seats at the "surprise," an explosive for~issimopunctuatcti by a timpani stroke, \r.hich Haydn drops like ;I bon~l, I t j bars into the n~iltles[of Antlnntcscertainly orie of tile composer's best jokes. But then the wliolc sy~nphonyis ;I delight. After a slow introcluction, the Vivace first movernent olfers up a laughing first subject :riid a second group that alrnost titters for ;I f e ~ vnic;tsures, then brays outright. 'l'lic waltzlike rninuer is equally ftlll of high spirits. ;rrlct the linale, one of Haydn's most exuberant, shows that music with a ligllt heart ! car1 also be virtuosic.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
*
HAYDN
83
Symphony No. 100, in G (Military)-Haydn's flamboyant allusion to Turkish march music in the second movement gave this synipho11y its nickname. T h e work begins with one of Haydn's most imaginative Allegros, a rnovement whose two wonderfully characterized subjects-the first an innocent little ditty for the winds, the second a graceful bourrCe in I he strings-are treated with spectacular inventiveness. T h e romance-like opening of the Allegretto gives no hint of' the rioise in store, but soon enough the "Turkish" instrun~ents-cyrnbals. triangle, and bass drummake their incursion. Rather remarkably. Haydl1 manages to weave them in and out of the texture, as though their presence were not the extraordinary thing it is, and he ever1 throws in a bugle call for good measure. T h e minuet sounds like something that villagc musiciaris might play, were it not for the trumpets and d r ~ ~ n iwhile s , the finale is dashing and deliciously digressive. At the end, the Turks return to boost the celebration.
rl tick-tcKk puke g i ~ v sthr Clock S ~ n i p h o its t ~ ~natnr.
Symphony No. 101, in D (The Clock)-The nickname was inspired by the tick-tock pulse-in bassoons and plucked strings-that accompanies the charn~irigprincipal tune of the symphony's second movement. This is only one of many inspired touches in Haydn's orchestration; throughout, he uses tlie winds to exceptional effect. While the minuet has a peasant roughness that nearly disgirises the finesse in the scoring. the musette-style trio, in tvl~ichtlie flute cavorts over a cleverly activated drone, exudes pastoral charm. T h e opening niovement is a gigue that might seem to belong to the e n d of the symphony-but here it is at the start, all irrepressible exuberance and inner delicacy. T h e real finale, a rondo, begins with a long-breathed string melody that provides plenty of material for racy treatment, including a remarkable fi~gatoepisode prior to the final reprise.
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
/1)'IIN'S SKULL (br1~1w)-nn rrrl rr.~~rolly lrrge orrr-uras of grecrt inlerrsl 10 fiI~rt-rrologi~tsof hk h y , who helreved Ihnt cl~ies to rrr lrlligetrce and clrnr~rclt-r cot~ldbr read t r ~( I sk~tli's ~opogruplr~. A/lrr Ilayd?r'c &nth, hu body was clnn[lrstr~/e(y~ l r s ~ n ~ e rand r e ~ l/ h ~ skull remo:~edfor stztdy. I& abserice ilm drscovered it, 1820 ruherl H(t>!!dn'srcrnntru roere lrnr~ferredfrorrr V I P ~ ~lo~hu L ( lrorne I toulrr.
HAYDN
Symphony No. 102, in B flat-One of' H;~ycln's greatest instru~nentalworks, this score exhil~itsa11 iinusual symmetry of design, ;IS well as striking melodic richness and harmonic irirrc~ition.Energy crackles through the two outel- nio\reliicnts, I~oth of ~cllichare assigned exceptionally lively tempos. T h e dance is nercr far a\Sfay,thougll Haycln pl;iys the game of s~artingthe sympholiy with a slo~c introduction shrouded in mystery and shadowand does so more effectively than in any of' his other sy~nphonies.Just as he begins with a joke, he ends with one: nearly everybotly in thc orchestra, one by one, has a go at the main theme, but each gets only as far as the third note, ;IS if' what comes next someho\v esc.?pes the players. Eventually, as always in Haydn, matters ;ire righted. T h e violins break through, ancl even the timlxlllist gets a chance to proclairn the three-~iotefigure, in triumph. Symphony No. 103, in E flat (Drumroll)-'l'l~e soft roll on the timpani that gives tllis sy~nl>l~ony its nickname occurs in the first measure 01' the slotv introduction, which f'oresh:itlows the nlysterious world of Romanticism. In this work, tI1i11gs are riot always wh;~tthey seem. As lyrical ;IS 111l1ch of the Andante sounds, its l ~ l ~ t s inever c strays from the march. In the ~rlinuet,made to sound like a peasant dance, horn calls lent1 ;I touch of nobility, even if later on they are rather mawkishly echoed by Hute and oboe. hlore horn calls, this time suggestive of the hunt, open rhe symphony's finale, while the strings introduce a vivacious subject with a strong off-the-beat rhythm. Haycfn's treaunent of this pithy material has an elan suggesting the rvork of a young niaster, but his scoring anticipates the tonal palette of the mid- 19th cent 1 1 7 . Symphony No. 104, in D (London)-The 1;ist of Haydn's Londo?i Symphonies is ;I \vork of' st~riimatiori whose nickna~r~e attests t o its pritle ol'l)lnce i11 the group. I t begins with a tvcigllty introtli~ction in the style of a French over turi., f'ull ol' ~);ithos
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
The Wisdom. of Salomon
Af
t o Haydrt's retir~ntertt, coturrl m(1nager Johatttt Peter Solon~ort (above) mgagecl him to compose Iral/ a doze71 rteul yrnphotii~sf i r (1 sews of conc~rtsit1 1,orrdutr. Haydrr 3 firsf Londotr sujoun~,in 1791, 711a.5 so ,%uccess/ztillrnt Ite W(IJ irrvilrcl t~crcktulo years later lo cotnpow $is more syrnptrotri~s.TIIPwhole a f i i r reslcl!i*rlin somr of thp )nos1 exquhif~IIIUTIC ever wrilteri artd alto gave birth to Haydrt's ttiver~ljveand robutt late style-n tribute to t h wi.~iiom ~ of SalomonJohatttt Peter, 111 lhir care.
' HAYDN
BS
and without a hint of D major. Tables are turned in an instant by the Allegro, where H;iydn ingeniously works out a tune that cornbines affectionate lyricism with the vitality of the march. In the Andante, a theme-and-variations rnovernent, there is a strong element of fantasy. and the nianipulation of the theme shows an inventiveness that is extraordinary even for Haydn. T h e minuet is a brilliant country dance with a hint of the hurdygurdy, its trio a witty affair in which winds anti strings tinker with a modest two-note motif while spinning out a little make-believe counterpoint. T h e sonata-form finale opens with an exuberant treatment of a Croatian folk tune over a rnusettestyle drone bass. Its joyous conclusion cornbines the folk song and a second idea in a heady affirmation of D major.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Sir Colin Davis. Philips Silver Line 432 286-2 ( 4 CDs; Syrriplrotlies Nos. 93, 94, a7td 96 (Philips 412 871-2) attd Nos. 100 and 104 (41 I 449-2) aCFo available separately]
London Phiihannonic Orchestral Sir Georg Solti. Lotuior~411 897-2 [Symphonies Nos. 94 atui 1001, 417 330-2 [Nos. 95 and 1041, and 414 673-2 [Ares. 102 and 1031
Academy of Ancient Music1 Christopher Hogwood. Orreau-Lyre 414 330-2 [Symphonies Nos. 94 a i d 961 attd 411 833-2 [.Vos. 100 and 1041
T h e London Symphonies have been interpreted in different ways by many different conductors, and picking the best recordings is a difficult task. That said, the laurel goes to Davis, whose 197581 accounts with the Concertgebouw Orchestr;~
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
HAYDN
starid among the most irn~~ressivercco~.tlctl accomplishments of rcceril years. 'I'hese arc. exwith wit ceptionally personable iriterprer;~rio~ls, and warmth in every measure. All 12 syrnphc~)~~ies are wonderfully well playecl, and \*cry well recorded. At full price, lliese Cl)s \voultl Ile a top choice; at midprice. with three sy~nplioniesto a disc (al~eragingmore than 75 rninutes of rli~~sic each), they're a steal. Solti's are big-boned readings, very much i r [he ~ Roma~iticmolcl. \$Thilethe playing of the 1.orltlor1 Philharmonic might have struck Haytln 21s a hit b n s h (especially in the strings, \\lliich sound more steely than anything he ever hcarti), cliariccs ;ire he ivould have been ho\vled over by ttic weight and firmness of tone Solti and this bantl protluce. Though a certain urisrriilirig clu:~liry occ:rsio~~;~lly emerges, these arc for the most part a r ~ i l ~ ~ ; ~ t e c l performances. l'lie souncl ot' thc 1983-87 recorclings ranges froni excellent to superl). So far, Hopvootl a ~ l dhis Acaclcn~yof' :\rlcicnt klusic have brought out just foul of ~hcb1.otrrlo11 Symphotiies, but their s~~cccss 111:tkeso~lc.i1111);ltient for the rest. These arc pcriod-insrrt1111c.11t performances of the most eleg;ll~t;111di ~ i f i ) r l ~ l ~ d cast, yet they possess plent! of' tactic as nvcll. H o p \ ~ ) o duses a bigger enscn~t~lc th;~n i l l his grour~dbreakingtraversal of tile hlozart synlphonies, with a string coriiplenient of eight first violins, eight seconds, four violiis, three cellos, and ttvo basses. They m;~ke;in in~pressi\~e ~~oise, as do the \\rind players. These accoulirs. I'rorn 1983-84, stand out for 11iei1t;lstel'~rlOI.I~;IIIIC~IItation, crisp articulation, aritl excellel~ttempos. Symphony No. 104 seems to have beer) less I~ril! liantly recorded than the rest, rl~ougliall s o ~ t ~ l d Chnrlophr~ffog-iitooriKIIIV punnil pu~/Onncr~rrr (I.,~.,IC/IPI. i quite good.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
HINDEMITH
87
?if
nthis (Ipr Alaler began as an opera
'The Coiirrrl of A~cgels"/ro~ll CriitzrroaMk crl~orpi~rc.
H
INIIEAIITH taught at Yale front I940 to 1953, where he prozfed a formrduble ped(~gogue.HLS exams, urhrchj~ointrnre to trine go nrr cir~,hlr~y, st~Nstnke fear rnto the hnrr~sof tnuric S ~ U ~ P I I LOrre L srght-reading lest calh for the rndrrn, seated at the ptano, to play from bars and alto cI+, ulh~lesrnr ulfan,~~uus!, srngtng from !/re I ~ I I O T cleJ
Cliurch of St. Anthony at Ise~lheirn,which was painted by hlatthias Griine\vald between 15 12 and 15 15. But Hindeniith (1895-1963). in his own libretto, went beyond riiere biography to conirrlent on the artist's role in times of social upheaval. Set against the backgrounti of the Refonl~ationand the Peasants' War of 1524-25, the opcra depicts Grunewald's struggle to act conscientiously in the face of cruelty and I-epression. T h e analogy with Hindeniith's own situationthat of an artist in Nazi Germany in the mid1930s-did not escapc those in power there, and the opera's planned premiere in Berlin ciuring the 1934-35 season uf;is blocked, in spite of conductor Wilhel~n Furtwii~igler'sstaunch clefense of the work and its composer. Hinclcrnith outmaneuvered the authorities by extracting a threemovement suite, which he entitled Syniphony J l a t i ~ i sder Alaler ancl which FurtwPrigler premiered in 1934 with the Berlin Philharmonic. T h e public's response was enthusiastic, but the officials were prctlictably hostile; shortly after the full opera's prcnliere in 1938 (it1 Zurich), I-lindemith was forcccl to leave Germany. T h e movements of the symphony arc named after panels in the lseriheim altarpiece: "The Concert of Angels," "The Entombment," and "The Temptation of St. Ar~tliony,"a finale that concludes with a rn?jestic. chorale-like peroration representing the Alleluiah cluct of St. ~ l n t h o n y and St. Paul. Though rernoved from its operatic context, the music retains a remarkable eloquence and drarnatic urgency. Hindeniith's radiant scaring for the strings ant1 magnificent use of the brass make it one of tlic rriost impressive of modern orchestral sho\vl~icces.
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HlNDEMlTH
San Francisco Symphony Orchestral Herbert Blomstedt. Luildon 421 523-2 [urith Sylnptionic hlcta~norphosisor1 Thenics of Carl hlnri;~von \\'cber ~ r r Traucrnmusik] d
This first recorvled coll;~bor;ltion (from 1987) o f Blomstedt ancl the San Francisco Symphony is ~ x ) \ ~ e r f udecply l, Ielt. ;111tl tlirilli~lgto the ear. 13lornstedt is notably s~~c.cessf't~l 'wit11 [he score's difficult concl~idirignlovclncnt; hecause h e makes each of its episodes sul,star~tive,the whole seems less episodic t11;11i usual. I3oth here and in thc ' S S I I ~ ~ ~ letan O I ~anI lo^-p/ro*u, C there is k a u t i f i ~ lwind anti brass pl;iyirig fro111the San FI-anciscans. T h e qt~ality.impressive recording is of dcrnor~stratior~ in its sense of' spscc a11d visc.c~-alimpact.
t/
the English composer Gustav Holst ( 1 8741934) is k~io\\.nro r~iostmusic lovers by this o n e piece. 1\.11ich is ;I little hit as if Prokofcv were krlolvn only for- his I ' t s t c ~ crrrd tht, Il'ol/. Tlic real Holst was ;I ~iiol-e"serious" cotiiposer thari orie might think fro111 ;I first acqr~aintancewith this nll-stops-0111essay i l l or.cl~c-str.;~l sho\\.mar~ship. 1'et even here, oric erlcoullters ch:~racteristicso f that deeper musiciarl-in the I-emarkable gift for melody exhibited on riearly every page of the score, and in the mysticism th;it pervades much o f the \\yriting. .l'hey a r c in perfect equilibr-iuln here. s t r e r ~ g t l l e n i ~;I ~ 1,iccC g that is firml! within the or-bit of corllprehe~ision. Holst's trearrllrrit of' tllc planets focuses nor 0 1 1 their celestial n;itut.e I , i ~ t o n the astrological asp e c t s l o n g associ;itctl \\pith tliem a n d t h e i r mythological nan~es;tkes.I'llc s~riteopens with a
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
HOLST
89
porrr;iit of "h'lars, tlie Rringc.1- of \\'a~-."'fhe en, Rril~gcrof suing movements are " \ ' c ~ i ~ t sthe Peace," "Mercury, the \\'ir~gcd hlessengcr." ':]tipiter, lie Bringer o1'~Jollity." "S:itilrn, the ll~-illgelthe hlagician," ;111(1 "Nepof' Oltl Age," "LTI.;IIILIS. tune, the hlystic." I t \v;~s Holst's Sricntl Cliffortl I3as who had given him rlie idea oSatrc~nptinga piece on the pl;~netsancl t t ~ eimagery this suggestc.tl led Holst lo co~iipose ;I work ~ltllikeany other Ile hat1 ~vritten.At its first performance in 19 18, the liste~icrsassumcrl "Aiars" to be n depiction of \\'orld \\'ar I, thcn still ragirlg-l)~tt 14ols1 Ii:ld actu;illy \\.ritten the nlovernent before the At~gust191.1 outbreak of hostilities. The final pages of "Septulic," with the ofl'stage fe~n;tlechorus, 111atiethe stro~igcst inipression ori t he ;~i~tliencc., I ~ i tI lolsr I~i~lisclf righllyjudged "S;iturnWto be tltc finest mo\pernent. \\'ith audiences totlny, it is ':l~~piter" that ~lsually niakcs the biggest impressio~i-and t he \\.hole score lins beconle a moderl~classic, ;IS likely as not lo I>e perlol*~itctlin a Pops setting. Ititerestingly enough, totlay's master of extraterrestrial music, .john \\'illiams, has t>orro\ved freely fiorn T/~tl1'1(/tzot.i in his filili scores, 111ostnotahly in his clepiclio~~ of the! Empire forces in .Slur 1llar.~.which echoes ~ h csinister ~~lartial rliythm heart1 at the beginning of "hlars, the Brit~gerof \\'ar."
T
HE I~SISTESCI~
of (1 riirrllt planel hnrl be~tt~ h p o r i z d l, l c / us/rottomPrs ltctd tto/ gel nc/ttcrlfy disrur~~*rrd I J l t ~ /i(4tett o I lo/.\/ begart -lahePlanets it1 191 -1. T1tu.r fltt score corot.sf.\ of s n w t r(111t1.r/hat, t~tu~~v~~t~*tt/.\-l/t(~ ottr Iirtozt~rt plant*/ 1/01 i ~ ~ i l l e(lh011t tt hehtg k;ar/lr.
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Montreal Symphony Orchestral Charles Dutoit. Lorrrlott -11 7 553-2
London Philharmonic Orchestral Sir Adrian Boult. El\II S~trdroPlr~.\ Cl)i\l 6 4748 (r~lt/ltI:lycrr: Etiigniii I'nria/torc.\l
i
E.vcn \\.it11 the score's prof lig,cte effects. i t rakes a spec id t~lent111 I~ririg01.1. ' / ' / I C P / ( I I ~ I >11~1toit /\.
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS * HOLST
goes straight to the point and elicits a stirring perforrnarice from his Canadian lorces. Every gesture. every nuance. is surely realized a n d breathtakirigly vivid. 'l'he sound o l the 1986 recording is still state-of-the-art. I t was Boult who conducted the 1918 debut of' T/IPPlanets, winning Holst's undying gratitude for making the score "shine" under his baton. S i s ~ y years later, Boult recorded the piece for the last time. Then in his 90th year, lie was still capable of rnaking it shine, and brightly. Boult has thc measure of each moilenlent, bringing out e s pressive details n o one else has f o ~ ~ in n dthe music. T h e L o ~ ~ d Philhal-monic or~ follows the venerable maestro right over the top, and the sound is remarkably f~~ll-bodied.
.\lr aird ,\lrs. Clmrkc lzes 01 thetr JKI)/o~(I/ Connecltr~thome.
of a C o ~ i l i e c t i cYankee ~ ~ ~ hanci-, Ives (1874-1954) grew tip in Danbury, in the rich musical soil o r late 19thcentury New England. He was exposecl to every available nlusical stimulus, from he European classics to Protestant liylr~nodyarid popular song, with a considerable amount of municipal band music thrown in. Heated in the crucible 01' his father's nonconforniist attitucles allout serious music, and tempered by his own carefully considered rejection of mainstream teachings at Yale, these ingredients produced in Ives an idiosyrlcratic musical alloy, a language utterly unlike anyone else's. Brir as anarchistic 3s Ives got in his composing. he never strnyecl fronl his roots in the American experience. And in nearly every work, the irnagery is extraordinarily vi\.icl, as though each score were really a muti011 picture in sound. Ives's honlespun "movies" have waited many years to
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
I
VES Il:\S A ,\l..iS OF inn?rj tale~rts..43 n riglrlhndetl prtclrei f i r the H i p klru Grt~inrncirSclrool ijorsrty basebtrll teani, Ire defeaterl )'nit's fres111nnrr team rn 1894. As u str~(leirta / )'(11c, Iz~escoirlrnueel lo h~ tlrorf 111ltrestrrl 112 h~.\el)nlltlruir I I I c~cacie~~r ru
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be received by a comprehentlillg autlicricc-:111tl [hey still have an uphill battle alie;~dof thct~lbut no music is more American in its I'reetlotli 01' thought and rugged iticlividualis~n. *Thc First Orchestrul Srt, better krtowl~;IS T f i r u ~ Places in hleiii Erzgland, shows the Ivcsii~t~ anialgam at its best. Composed bettceen 1908 ;~ntlI9 14, it received its premiere in 193 1 ;it one of the few performances of his own music Ives ever attended. The first movement 01' the triptych is entitled "The Saint-Gaudens in Boston (:o~nn~oti (Col. Shaw and his C:olorecl Kegiment)," the reference being to the Shaw hlcmorial created in 1897 by the Irish-born American scull,tor ALIgustirs Saint-Gauderis. Out of a ricbulous oper~ilig, strains of Stephen Fostcr's " 0 1 ~ 1Black .Joe"t~egin to crystallize, drearnily overlapped t)y I'raglnents of Civil War marchirig turics. T h e nlootl is 1,rokt.n by a single f'orceful outburst, n r ~ t l t.lie restless nleditatio~iconcludes. "Putnam's Camp, Kedding, (:onnecticl~c"ref'crs to the Revolutionary \'Z1;lr enc.;tml>melltof' 1sr:icl Putnan~,the Continental Army gener;ll. S~iatcllcs of several familiar patriotic tunes are heiirtl i l l this rvilcl niix of ragtime and nlartial I;~nt;~s\. T h e final mo\~ernent,"The klousnronic at Stockbridge." is named after a pocnl I)): Kol~erc LJnderivoodJoh~lsorl.Ives revc;tled that the piece is a reminiscence of "a Sunday morning walk that hlrs. lves and I took near Stockbritlge [hlass:~chusetts] the summer after we were ni;~l-I-ied. L\'e ivalked in the meadows . . . and heart1 the clistatit singing from the church across the river. The mists had 1101 entirely left the river bed, :lnd tlic colors. the running water, the banks a r ~ delm trecs were something that one \vould alw;~ysI-elneniher." The piece is one of Ives's tilost rcln;~rkable creations. Water and mist are evoked by t Ile murecl strings, while English Iiortl ancl Fre~ichIiorti cluote hymns. .I'his impressionistic collage I~lriltls to ;I chaotic climas before the scene va~lishcsiiito
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@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Orchestra New EnglandlJames Slnclalr. Koch Cl&a 3-7025-2 [with Country I h n d ~\lnrch~ t t d 0 t h u10rh] Boston Symphony Orchestra/ Michael Tilson Thomas. Deubche Gramtmoplcol~123 243-2 [will1 Syinphorij No. -I and Central Park in the Dark]
Sinclair's 1990 recording of Tlrrue Places 111 New Etrgland, the first to use the Charles Ives Society critical edition of the score, presents the piece in the small-orchestra instrumen tation lves prepared in 1929. T h e performance anti souriel are immaculate: the rest of the disc, containing numerous first recordings of smaller pieces, is well worth investigating. Thomas is one of our hest Ivesiii~ls,in the ~rlold of Bernstein and equally dcvo~etlto the c:~~rsc. His 1970 account of Tltree P l ( ~ ~is s~>;issiori:~te, sure-footed, and penetrating, allci the I%oston Symphony brings plenty of polish to the reacli~lg. T h e recording is lvarrn and well halancetl. Seiji Ozawa corlducts the couplings.
3-
anritek (1854- 1928) cornposed sorrle of most beautiful and go cornpellirig operas of thethe 20th century and will tiow11as one of its n~ostoriginal musical thinkers. He is also music's greatest late bloomer, not fi~lciinghis rriature idiom until after the turn 01' (lie cellticry, when he was in his late forties. JariiCek's lifelorig interest in the folk music of his 11a1ivehlo~.;~vi;~. as well as his training in thc clioir school ol' the
IF )'OU 1.IKE TIfI.5 tI'ORK, you rrr~gllt olro cry0)rJ(~rl(it~k's 91r1 phon~crhup30dy -1 aras Bull),i, bnsc(1 011 Gogol's tole of the Costack headman who rose up ngrnr~rlthe Poles orrd pord ~11th1rr.c I$. Jandi ~ snlcr k Ilre Rla.\lcrrr peul,/~ m lhp lrop~(ltrd snlz~ntiorrof Sluv~nrqullrrre. Irr t h he~ rolcjrprre of I'orns Brclbo he filrr~clcin errrhodrrr~errtof Ihe ~ I N ~ I ~ ~ ~ ( rdals I I ~ ~ to IIC urhlclr he : ~ ( L Trlr~loted.
Augus~inianmonastery in Brno. contril)utccl some eclectic strands to his unorthodox niusical language: so. too, did his open ear for new niusic. Rut for the most part his style was s l c i gerrerk, based on an instinctive feel for rhythm, harmony, and tone color and given refreshing edge by t h e terseness o f his melody a n d e x u l ~ e r a n t orchestration. In 1926, the year I I wrote ~ Sinfotlietta,JariAtek was 72 and in the niidst of a brilliant lridiari surnmer of creativity, spurred on by his platonic but passionate attachment to Kamila Stiissloviwho was 38 years younger and marl-ictl. T h e score. Jan4tek's largest purely orchestral coailmsition, is really more of a suite thari the "little symphony" its title implies. Each of the five movements showcases a different combination of instruments, and the orchestration of most of the work is bold, colorful, and in spite of the exparided tvirld and brass sectio~is,c1~aracteristic;illyleari. .]:ulArek'seditors at I lie liervspaper I,idovC rlovitly, for wliich h e wrote occasional articles, hati requestetl "so~nefanfares" for tlie Sokol gynlnastic festival of 1926, a national celebralion of the newly forged Czechoslovak Kepublic. A fervent patriot. JaniCek took advantage of the commission to write :I work that conveyed his feelings of optimism anti pride in country, dedicating it "1'0tile Czechoslovak Armed Forccs." As t.he work took shape, it also became a tribute to Brno, which had been i~ritlerGerman domirlation until the fbuntling of the republic in 19 18. Each movement after the first was meant to portray a landmark o r an aspect of the hloravian capit:ll's character. -I- Ile first nlovemelll, which .JanSi-ek originally intcnticd to call "F:~iil~ires" (he later cl~.ol~pcti all titles), is scored for t>r;issa ~ tiriipani ~ d anti f'eaturcs a fi1nfhr.e theme played by nine trumpets. It is fi)llo\ited by "The Castle" (a reference to the Spilberk Castle overlooki~igUrno), a movement fill1 of tlie bustle of shifting meters and tiisplaced accents hat presents a n almost kaleitlosc:opic succession of ideas ant1 moods. T h e elegiac tliird
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movement, "The Queen's hlo11;1stcry,"I)t~iltlsto an impassioned, pres~issinroclimitx before the tide of emotion subsides. Similar in feeling to a scherzo, the fourtll movement, "The Street," is brisk and lively. T h e energetic ringing of a bell provokes a moment's reflection before the active pace is resurllecl. T h e Stllfonirlln's final movement, to which JanACek had given the title "City Hall." opens niystcrio~~sly and gr;ldt~alIy gains momenturn. At its end, the music of thc opening fanfare returns, this time recapitulated with a full orchestral accompaniment accented by trills throughout the winds ant1 strings.
Vlenna PhilharmonicJSir Charles Mackerras. London Jubilee 430 727-2 [urith l'aras Bulba, r r ~ r d Shostakovich: Age of Gold Suite]
.\,,,ckrrrru mcu,trrd ,lIc,Cwch reprrto? 111 Prague.
hlackerras conveys t he e.xtraol.tli11:1rycolol- :111d spirit of this score better than :rliyone, ;lntl the 1980 recording, with an inspirctl \'icnn:l I'hilharmonic playing 011 the edge o f their scats, is electrifying. One of London's e:irliest tligit:iI efi forts, this is also one of the label's I ~ e s t - s o ~ ~ ~ l t l i n g recordings from any era and any 1-cnue.
iD
/iszt (18 1 1- 1886) is remernberetl as perhaps the greatest virtuoso pianist the world has known. T h e Hungariitn's techniqt~ewas legendary, and he had a stage prcsencc to 111alc11 it. But he retired frorn the co11ce1-I111'11 1'0l.Ill :it the age of 35, thereafter playing only in ~)rivatc o r for charity. During the last .1O yeill-s ol' his life, Liszt devoted himself to corliposing, tc;tchi~ig,;111d
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
L
ISZT SETTLED 111 Weirnor it1 18-18 urrlti Priruess Curo!y~trztorl Sng~t\t.illge~~.~leirr find o w r lht2 rmext clec~fkprljqed hic t~ro.$t producli~~e years as a C O I N poser. \\'hilt Lisd zlrole mtlric, Cerolyrle uprole u*or&-n lot of tIhclti, in~ i y~ l r urtt,.c t cluding r ~ ~ nlike that forold their ulny irrlo lie preface 10 Les Pri.ludcs.
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95
furthering the cause of other composel-s, chief among them Wagner. But his own achievenients as a composer are often o\*erlooked. Liszt's ideas concerning harmony. motivic treatmerit, and large-scale structure were novel and advanced, and they were to prove highly influential during the 19th century. He also possessed a n exceptionally poetic imagination. I n conibination, these factors spurrecl Iiim to create a rlew musical genre, the symphonic poem, i r i \\.hich a literary or pictorial idea serves as the point of depar~urefor an orchestral ~neditationtouching on a variety of rrioods. While Liszt's syniphonic poerns tend to be more loosely organizecl than the program~naticsyrriphonies from t\.liich they descend, they avoid the pitfrill of mere scenepainting, focusing instead 011 the evocation of psyclic-)logical states. Les Priludes, the niost effective and popular of Liszt's 13 symphonic poems. was originally drafted in 1848 as the pr-cface to a choral coniposition based o n the poet Joseph Arltran's 1,rs quutre ~ I P I ~ I PIn I Uthe . early 1850s, after clecidirig to recast the score as an independent \\fork, Liszt revised it ant1 looked for a suitable program to ~\.hiclihe coultl say lie had fishioned the music. I-le found one among the hliditatiotu poitiqltes of Alphonse de Lamartine, France's first Romantic poet and, for a brief period after the revolution of 1848, the he;~clof its goverlimenc. The score is in four broad sections, corresponding to the four elen~entsof Autran's test and. fortuitously, to the divisions of 1-amartine's poem. T h e nitrsic of the first scction supposetlly suggests, in the verse of' L-aniartine. "rnoods of spring and love." that of the second the "storms of life."'There is a long "peaceful idyll," folloirred by a militant ce1cbr;irion of "strife and victol-y." Two I-cctrrrent meloclic ideas dorninate the work, appearing in several different guises, each with a diffcrcnt expressive character, a process Liszt called thematic ~ransforrnation. Thc ~ i i ~ ~of' s iL cus Prilzcdes is tren~enclouslycf-
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
LISZT
fective; in this century, several passages became Holly~+.oodstock-in-trade, turning LIP i l l everything from FI:ish Gordon serials to Bugs Bunny cartcxlns. Lisrt's treatment of the 01-chestr-ais nearly as inventive as his rnar~ipularionof the thematic marcrial, arltl thc work's blazi~~gly scorccl concluding pages, tvllere "victory" is won, arc nlnong the most triumphant in the Ro~llanticliterature.
Berlin Philhannonic/Herbert von Karajan. Dett~\rlrp C;rar~ltt~o/)ltotr Call~nrrf27 -722-2 [illi/h .Ylbrli~r.r: Finl;~~~tliii, atrd 'l'rlrcoihu~nk~: Capritc.io italien totlrl 1 8 1 'L Ozrrrturrl Philadelphia OrchestralRiccardo Muti. I:.\fI Strtdiu ( 3 1 ) 53899 /uvt/r Brrrhtrr\: I'iurlu (:orlrrrlo .Yo. 11
"W
H A T IS O I I R I i f ~brrt N .\t*r-~t>s 011 Prelrr(1u.r 1" /hut rotrhtrozcrtrsorlg, 1/1r/ir.i/so1~r101rtolr r,/ rct/~ir/lii .sour~d~d I? Drulh? T t r ~Y ~ I C I U I ~ I (i(tlor1 I Y ~ of' nrt*r? rxis/(wct,is /~ertrLlt~tl I),y L07'(.. . . . )$1. JlU .\oot/er fiOt'\ /hp / n o m ~ e su1ttt11 l /lrr rrlarrn. thntr he notrs /u //it, po.\! of d(ztlg~*r, bt* //IY 1cur I I ~ / I ( I / i/ mu? / / r c ~ lsrrrtirnota /(irtr lo 11s m t l k . For there it1 /he S / ~ I I X gle / I ( # 1i~ill/ir1(1rottl/)lrtr st*//rrulia~liorlarid 1/11,[ltll po.s.\e.r.,iott of hir forrr.s." -FI.;III~ Liszt, Pref'lcc lo I.P.
E;..ir,iSjan's , . I II(i7 account of LC.\ I ' r ~ ~ l l o ~11as l r ~ 11evc.r bee11bettered for its gung-ho ~n;i~-tial fen-or, hothouse Komanticisrn. ;i~ldsynlpllonic SI\~CC'P. T l i ~ B e r l i ~cnsenll)le ~ is at kver pitcl~throughout, ant1 the sound is remarkably good. F ~ N I C I I ~arid I ( I the Capricrio itnlirvr receive eq~~ally li~lcper-li)~-rilances (tllough the I;rtte~s11t'fi.r~a little 1'1.o1nglary souncl). The I 8 1 2 Overture ciliinot hc rcromnlentiect because of some unlhr-tunate si~igingby thc L)o~l Coss;lck C:hoir. I~uttli~.ceout ol' four isn't b:icl. Sluti's versio~~ of- Lt1.r Prilurlt~.~,fi-om tlle early 1980s. is more I-ese~.vetl ; I I I ~poc~iith;il~E;;~l-;?j:i~l's, -. but still trashy ivhcre i t rieeds to be. I llr Philanse a ~ i d delphia Orchestra plays \\.irh i ~ i ~ r i ~ epolish lyric l)eauty, tllr brass most i~~~pressive in LIIC clin~;rses.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
.\lahk~ 111 1907, hfifi~lrrl year n \ ' I ~ ~ I(.'our/ ~ I I IO/~t,ra d~r~ector.
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97
of voices and words ;is well as the orcllcstra. and the piece that set the coniposer decisively on the path totvard the grandly scaled, highly individualistic and confession;il style of sy~iipho~ly that was to become his legacy. It \\-as also the compositio~i that brought hlahler his first i'anie, a~lclits prcmiere in Berlin on the night of December 13, 1895 (sraged \\'it11 (lie hell) of' liichartl Strauss), market1 the real beginning of hlahler's career as a con1poser. T h e syrnphony was written bet\\.eeri 1888 and 1894, rnostly while hlahler was serving as chief' conductor of the opera in Hanlburg. I t consists of five niovenients, the first thrce purely insrl-11mental, the last two also calling f'or vocal forces. T h e opening nlovenicnt is ;in emotionally charged essay that sparis an eliornious range of leeling. I t begins i r i dramatic fashion with a funeral m;rr-ch i r l C minor, offering u p a consolinglp lyrical second subject in (: ni;~jorbefore proceeding to a lengthy tlcvelopment where ther-e are passages firll of' mystery, and some terrilying climaxes as well. hl;~l~ler saves tllc most fi~rreful11-eatnlerit for the recapitulation, bringing I~acktllc funeral m;~rchwith a11;~lrnosthysterical intensity. After this estraor
98
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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,4ii/.ER FOl {ND sotttc~thingco~nicnl. olinos/ mctcobre. i~r.Y/. ,411/horiyl\ /)renchitig / ( I /hefisit. tttaittlj 11(.rn~rr tit(*/i.dt z t + t , t ~ / oil Lodiirg e.vac/ly //rr sattte ~tri.rchiezfor~rlirles (I.\ bujurr. For N tttorr dei~orttI J ~ P Uof~ tltis li~tr*4 n~a~igrli.otr. It? thefirltl of LkJj /zt~oLegendes for piatto. rtttilkd SL. Fl.i111qoisd'i\ssisr: 1;1 pr0dici1tion aus oisc;tus (St. Francis of rissisi
['reactling
t o ~ l l cBirds).
MAHLER
"Des '4 rl~o~zizis 11o1zP(tdri0 I;iSchpr~dig~'' ("St. .An thcjn y of Patlua's Sermon to the Fish") 11-omDL>.$ K~znbert 1~Vrinrler11on1, sc.~-\~cs as a sort of scherzo. h,l;ihlcr's original program suggested t1i;lt the IIILIS~C should have a fantastic, nightlllarish quality, and indeed there [nay be :I sirggcstion here of the tellrpration of the other St. Anthony in the desert. Still, one senses more :I rnacabre humor i r i the music than outright ang~iish.for which h1;tlller \vo~ilcleventually find nlorc po\verful expression. T'lle fourth Inovemelir is a setting for alto solo ant1 reclucetl orchestr;~of another Il7rirrd~r1torrr song. "l?rliclr~"("l'rirneval Light"), and the music sounds as i f ' i t tvere indeed suff~ised\\.it11 11 gentle ligllt. h~lahlerrloted t l i : ~ t the test shoultl he surrg as il' I,? a chiltl who im;igines hc. is in heiii~en. Heaven, ho\vever, has yet to I)e stormccl. That is tile task o l ' the s y i ~ ~ p l ~ o ~filial l y ' s movement, among the greatest tr;~llscendcrltaI i1rtcr:rirces in 19th-c-eri~~rry nlusic. Af-ter a dran~aticopcningancl a series ol. im;iginative episodes-marches, fiirifares, and proressio~r:~lssuggesting [he bizarre preliminaries to judgo~enr-\\.hat hlahler refers to ;IS "the grcxt call" is soundetl. From opposite sitics of the stilgc, horlls arlcl tr.umpets proclaim their fanfares. while I)ct\\seen them, flute and piccolo arrs\\.er with bircicalls, suggesrirlg natur-e stilletl to near-silellce. O ~ rof t this, a \~oiccemerges: [he urraccoml~anied chorus. solily irltoning the comlnnnd " A ~ i / i ~ ~ : x f("Arise"). e l ~ ' ~ ~ " Soprano :lncl alto soloists join the cllortls in K1ol)srock's otle Tlrrt Re~rrrruc~io~t, ;tllcl the setting gradually I>uilds in majesty irritil [lie final stanza is Il~rrleclout "\\.it11 the greatest I'or-ce" i l l E Rar nr;gor, ovcr a conclutli~igfo,?i.~.titrto in the orchestr:~sul>plemented by organ, deep 1,clls. ;~rldtell Iiorris.
Columbia Symphony Orchestral Bruno Walter.
cns 1 \ ~ ( ~ \ ~ i t 1 7 1 ~ f~l ~ ~ \1 -1203-3 2 ~1-3 ( : I ) ~ ]
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•
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Salnt Louis Symphony Orchestral Leonard Slatkin. TPI~IYC C I ) 800~91l8212 CDs] New York Philhannonidleonard Bernsteln. Del~tsct~e C;mrnmopho~r-123 395-2 12 CDs]
Soptn,lo Kn/hlePIf sorrrr ill .\fohlrr's Resurrection.
For generosity ol' spirit ancl insight, \Valterls account with the Colunlbia Symphony is still u n rn;~tchetl. I t is a reitding of breadth and scope, deeply committed and thoroughly uplifting in the fin;~le.'l'here is some noticeable tape hiss on t l ~ e remastercd CDs, along with a bit of constriction in the loirdest passages, but the sountl is e s c e l l e ~ l ~ for its late-1950s vintage. Slatkill's 1982 recorcling was one o f ?'elarc's early digital triumphs, an outstanding achiet-emcril 110th techriically ancl musically. T h e interpretation is noteworth\. for the powerfill, disciplir~eclplaying of the Sainc Louis Symphony, as well as for Slatkin's clear, intelligent presentatiorl of the score. And the vocal soloists, Kathleen Battle and hiaureen Forrester, are exceptional; 25 years ;il'ter Forrester made the recording with i\'al~er,here she is again, singing as beailtifirlly as ever. Bernstein's is an apocalyptic vision. This is the Rc\urrecliotz taken to the limit. and tlicn well bcyond. I t way not be a reading to everyone's liking, but it is certainly an experience, anci there is n o question of the performers' commitment. T h e sound of this 1987 live recorcling- is cxtraordi~larilygood for Avery Fisher Ilall, vivid, ample, f ancl quite detailed.
ahler completed the Fifth Symphony in 1902, t h e year of' his marriage to Alma Scllindler. T h e rnarriagc nlarked ! a turning p o i n ~in his life, and t.he symphony thc
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
MAHLER
I>eginnir~~ ol' his I'uII mattrrity as a rorr~posc~r-. 111 its rnelodic corlterlt and rnood, the Fifth has clear corinections to Ylalller's ci~rlicr,song-l~asetlsymphonies. but it marks an import;~rrtadvance toward :I more o r g a ~ ~concept ic ol'structirre arltl a gl.c.ater reliance on them;rtic tiirkages I,et\\.cen nio\.ernents. !\t tirlies, tllc cle\~elopmc~rrt of the melodic rnateri;rl is o\.ertly, even ironic;~lly,"(:lassical" i r i its rigor. Yet the carnotion;~ltra~jectol.y--fror~~ the fitnere;ll ~veiglita~itlviolence of the first t\vo movements, tliro~rgl~ the. tlre:~mlikctligrcssions ol' the scherzo, to the alrnost giddy optimism of the linale-is iritcnsely sul~jjectivear~tlKo~llantic.. The symphony I~eginsi r a ~ solemn vein with a I'ttner;~lrnarc.11 in (; sharp rnirior, altcrnatcly lugitbrious ant1 hystcl-ical. 'I'he cr~suing.A inillor :\llegro, k v i t l ~its hc;rving st ring 1):issagcs ant1 outI)ursts in tlic I~rass,is frightenir~gin its triltlr~css. The clirrlas of tl~isstorrliy nio\rernent. carcl'ully nl;lrked "High Point" hy \lalilc~.,is ;in al>ortivc I~idfor tra~iscendcr~ce: ;I r-ndi:~r~t chor:tle issues fl-om tllc full brass. only to tlisinregrate into a I-epriseof tllc sh;itlo\\.y opening material. *The thirtl movcanient is the kcystor~c,an HI$)~llcasur-escherzo opening it11 a \\-orltl of vast csxir rise ;rtld :illnost 1n;lnic- energy. \'el b e h i ~ ~its tl esirbe~;~rice ar~cl\v;tltzlike gaiety thcrc is contemo la ti or^, ant1 :I ccrt:liri ~ier-vousrrc~ss as \\.ell, clc.;trly cvoketl by tile haui~tinghorn ancl wintl solos in [.,\/A .SCHIi\'I)LEK, [lie rnitlclle sc-ctiori of tlic movcmenr. / I ~ Po/(lttglt/~r 14' 1 ~ 5 In tllc firi;il t\\.o Inoverllents, hlahler turns to a Ir~ntt1o111ii.srrrpe ,bo~,crittt~*r rcve1;ition ol' illore intirn;rtc feelings. First cornes ,4t~tottSclri~t~ll~r, zt1(t.\ (01 o~til.\lttt~dir~~ rotrtpo.\tprin Iro*ta n .Adagietto in 1: 111qjor. for strings a n d I~ar-11. oiott rig111be/ore .clro* 111(1rr;c*r1 i\~lrichis at olice tc.rrder. ;~rldsci~r-ing.Kecer~rrc;\lcrltb~r 111 1902. Sltc, ctl.\o scarclr has sllo~vl~ tllat \l;~hlcrc.onccived 01' this posse.c.srd otrv of lllr ttto.ct 111ove11ier1~ ;IS a "love letter" to XIIII~I; its 1):tges. ~ n a ~ t t ~po*~:co~tali/ic:\ tic of' /to,r ;Irnong the nlost hci~utif~rl i r all ~ ol'his rnirsic, I)uilcl /into8.;ls tltt. .\ottg I? 7 b 1 t t 10a p;rssion;rte clirn;~sin \\.hicl~ the rr;igic erwrgy Luh,z,r lell~it, cite tttrori~d tlll' ~ r f ' ~ l Itt/tt~/.\ ~ f ' ~ 1l f t bltlofthe syn~plro~~y's ol>cr~irlg movc.mcllts irndc.r.goes roprs:firsf ,\lnh/e~; t1rc.11 ;I glo\\,ing n~etamor.l~hosih. arcltit~~rt \\'(liter (;rll/);tlJ, .A ro~ltlolir~:tlc in L) 11iajo1.t)ririgs thc I'itih t/rt7ttllte ttoz~eli.ctFrfttt: Syrnpl~ony to a n irr~anibigitoiisl~ optimistic close. \\'~frl. Amid torrerits of eighth-[lore c.ourr~rrl~oillt I-crn-
A
,a\
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
MAHLER
101
iniscell( o f Bacl~at his mo4t inver~ti~e, lI;~hlc~. rcleiises the pcr~t-upetnotion of the precetli~~g hour i l l a 15-nlil~utedisplay of orcliestral fireWOI-ks. I:ol the c.linlax, he 1)ringsback the cho~.:~lc. that 11;id beer1 cut short in the secorltl Inoventcl1t, this time allo\\.illgit t o lead to ajoyot~s,1)rcathlessly acceler;~tingcotl;~.
Vienna Philharmonidbonard Bernstein. 1 ) ~ r t ~ c l Gmmmophorr rr 4-33 608-2
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestral Bernard Haitink. Phil+\ .f 16 469-2
New Philharmonia Orchestral Sir John Earbirolli. &.\I1 Sltrdio Plnc Cl)Al 6-1749
IF YO11 I.lliE THIS I!'ORK, IhlPtl to .\lrrlrlr,r's .Synr/~lrorr~ No. 7 . .4J'iurits /~cpr/trior~\ oprtring I~OI~YIIIC I ~~ I ~ (Irrt,~ C, 111id~1lr r~ro~frarrrrO rrrv rrry.~Ifnurcc crrcd ~roclunzc~l. f i r . brro~irttt c,- r/llljf~rjillll/t~ Ii/l.T prrzz/t,r/ borlr li~ler~ers nrrd cur~drlrror\. 11 rr111strm u(kllj rrr~i~rcvl-r rrrr11,c.c tllr ;SIOriotr.\ r~ruphorrj of it., cs/o.\i~tgPtrgt<\ IJ lre(rlt~r1 nc ( I 1r.tl prmrc~lio~r nf fin tic* siZclc rtplim~stnrrrtri(1 IIIP ntirr.\ of Romc~trlrrr.\rn.
,
~ ' I I ( , hlahler 1:il'th was one of the pieces 1-enny owned. 1 Ie and the Vierl~laPhilharr~iorlicgivc :I telling pcrform;~~ice, tra~ls~nitting tlic impetuoils energy of the score to the Lullcst. Bernstein's surelless of t o ~ ~enables c l ~ hi111to realize the m;lrly little caspl-essivegestures [hilt add u p to s o n ~ e t l l i ~ ~ g rnirac~~lotts. -1'11c playcrs, \vitli him :dl the \v;~y. contri1)ute some \vondcrfiil touches of' their o\vli, especi;illy the strings. T l ~ crecording, made livc in 1987 in Fr;ir~kf'i~rt's A l ~ cOper, is solid and 11;~s rcmiirkable imlxicl. Haitink's is the Apollonian counter~):irtto Bernstein's I-eading, a I~icid,clearly thought-thl-ough accoutll that ~~or~ethelcss 11as plenty ol' cmotio11;11 grip. 'l'he Conccrtgebou~\r-a11 orcl~cstrat v i t l ~;I great h'lahler 11-;~tlition going back to 111ctime 111is synipl~o~ly \cas written-t;~kes the b i ~i l l its tee111 and pl;~ysinlpl-cssivrly, irnp;il-ting ni;illy felicities. lt'ith .just the slightest tape hiss, the 11170 recortlirlg is outstandir~g. H;~rl,i~.olli off'crs a I~).l,c~.-Rorna~~ric ant1 i l l -
102
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' MAHLER
tensely personal interpretation. There is a seatof-the-panrs feel to much of it, and one can readily hear Sir John exhorting his colleagues with grunts antl groans from the podium. This 1969 account is not without rnornents of peril-tempos are broad, especially in the finale, and rubato and rhetorical point are sometimes stretched to the limit-but one suspects that this is horv the piece was played when i t was new. T h e sounci is warm antl spacious, with natural weight and excellent definition.
he surnnia~ionof hiahler's work as a song the most intimate arld proKound linkage Ile ever achieved between the two modes of expression, came with Das Lied votz der Erde (The S o r ~ gofthe Earth). This six-movement score, con~posedi l l 1908-9. is based on texts from a collection of Cliir~esepoetry that had been translated into German by the writer Hans Bethge and given the title Die c h i n e s ~ c / zFIote ~ (The Chinese F~IPT ) .h e poenls, with their exotic imagery evoking an unencouritered worltl, opened a spiritual door for the composer and served as the starting point for an extraordinarily intense nieditation o n the passing of life. Each of the six songs of Dar L i ~ dvojl der Erde is set for a single solo voice and orchestra. T h e first movement, entitled "Dm Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde" ("The Dririking Song of Earth's Sorrorv"), is a ferocious A minor Allegro that rnoves restlessly through three verses of Li-Tai-Po, the most famous of all Chinese poets. T h e prevailing mood is tragic a ~ impassioned, ~ d which rn;~kesthe otherworldly tre;tllnent of parts of the text unusually poignant, particularly at "Dm Finnnnien! blrut ewig . . ." ("-I'he heavens are ever blue . . ."). ''1)p~Eltuame i~rrHerbst" ("'l'he Lonely One in Autun~n")mirrors the loneliness hlahler saitl had syrnphonist, and t T
0
N E OF HIS7'OfO"S
rrto.~lircf~reslkcgjncr-toface encouilters betulreit cotttposers look place it1 1907 uthet~Sibelir~rand iZl~lrler met it1 ilelr~tcki.Alnirltr lol(1 sib el it^^ flrnt a synlpltorry "must he like [he world. 11 must ~t~tbracc evqtlc itcg. " Sibeli~~c dfferud. TI?Ici~rc,n s).mphoicy ulns not liku tlrr. world, 61i1n world ctrr~oitself: “lib s~jleand sevc'rily u j foml and profo~~tzd logic create a?, irttlrr connecliott betweurc all the rnoti~rcr. "
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
•
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103
clescelided upon hit11 ;LS he contemplated his owl] enti. -1'hc scoring of this song, in which the contr;tlto's lines seem to come one at a rime, is gentle arid sul-prisinglg spare unril the poem reaches its emotional crux in the last two lines, which are tre;~teclrhapsodically. The next two nlovements, "Of Youth" and "01' Be;~uty,"deal wit11 some of the more pleasant experiences of life, hut are tinged with melanclrol y, while "Der 'l'rict~ke~w it11 Ft-iii~ling"("The Drunkard in Sprir~g")has a lurching grarrdiloquellcc that is eventually trar~srnuteclinto lightheaded joy. "Dn-Ahschied" ("Thc Fare~vell"),among the rnost heartbreaking finales in the symphonic literature, is also the most expertly realizeti of hlahler's cre:itiorrs. In its ~r;r~~slucent beauty and sheer "othel-ness" of sountl, the scoring opens entirely rle\\. regions of expression and color-new to hl;ilrler, new to music itself. Likc bl-ushstrokes in a Cllillcse landscape, touches of celesta, harp, ant1 rn;~l~tlolin are applied to pages almost barc ol' sountl to create a fragile, haunting hackdrop for the solo voice. Tlle final sectior~.in which the Eartll's eternal cyclc of self-rer~e\\.:rlis observetl and embraced. brings a feeling of spiritual release urilxececler~tedin n~~lsic.
Vienna PhiihannonOc/Bruno Walter. Lurldo~l414 194-2 Philharmonia Orchestra/Otto Klemperer. E.\l I (,'lossia CDC 3723 I
Clral~erconductetl [Ire premicr-c ol'L)ci~Lied vo11 d ~ Ercle r in Munich in 1911, six rrlonths after hlahler's death, and he made thc lil-st recording 1 of the score 25. years later in \'ierrna. :\fter it'orlcl \Val- 11, Walter rcr~ewedhis tie? with the \'ienrla . \ ~ o / t ~ u r ' otlenszfi s 1rn7jt~d p l t ~ ! , ~(111d , ~ I ~ ~ o 7( jI ~t I ~~ d I ~ V I C Ei ~ .Phi lI~;t~-rl~onic, leading I o this 1 952 account of I1cr.c
104
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The E~tgliJhrottlmlto
MAHLER
Lied, one of tlie tre;tsur-es of the pre-stereo era. T h e conception and execution are on the highest level, and the si~igirigof Kathleen Ferrier-who krlew she was dying of cancer at the time the recording was macle-imparts a radiance to the final song that has never been approachetl by any other performance. T h e account f'roni I
ii~tlnlhlrrttFemcr, c. 1950.
in 1909, t ~ v oyears before his death. hglahler's Ninth Symphony is the greatest va1edicto1.y work in the orchestral liter;lture. I n certain w;~ys,particularly iri its fourtnovenient layout, it represents a return to riiore conventional notions after the formal departures of the Seventh and Eighth Symphonies ;ind D m Lied von der Erde. Hut it is also a work of striking innovation, most notably in the scheme of its first movement-whicli is based on the idea 01' ;I rccurring crescentlo rathcr than the harmonic patterns of conventional sonata hrm-and in the disintegration ant1 collage-like reassembly of' the thematic material i l l all four movements. Deep pathos and satirical rage seem to share the stage in this, the niost paradoxical of hfahler's works. In the end. a poigtiant farewell wins out over the warring emotioris of'a~iger.hysteria, and nostalgia that are prominetit ill the precetiirig Inovcrnents. 'I'he symphony's opening A n d a n ~ eis a succession of powerful buildups to increasingly violent outbursts. I t was [he cornposer Albarl Berg who referred to this movenient as "the ~iiostglorious" hlahler ever procluced, and who succeeded in penetrating its secret when he wrote: "'Fhc whole
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
M
AHI.I:'K C:A.VCELED three ~ p p u i r ~ l m r r ~ ~ r with Sigrtr~ordFr~lcdbeJbrr /~efirr(r/I~ TLII,IL/ to ste tile doclor irr tilt S I I ~ I I I I of I~~ 191 0. Freud Inter u m t e : "If I 1 1 1 q bclipz~~ rtpurts, I achieved rn~cclrwith [ J l n h l ~ r ] . . . [In ilw corlrse o n u ItigJrIy irtlerestir~gjorrrr q 9'11r01rgl1 It;.\ lye flirtmy, u~ di,sc.or~vrrrlIris persortal corlrliiiot~.~ fur Ioz)e, par tic^^larly his I-lolv 12la;n. cotnp1e.x (rnutf~erj~x(~tiort). I had rnrrclr vj?purtuiiity to adtnire tht c ( 1 p ~ b i l ifur 9 pqcholugicnl rrtmdrrslnrrtiittg it1 iftic rr~czrr ~ f g e n i r u . "
MAHLER
106
moverncnt is based 0 1 1 ;I premonitiori of cleat11 which constantly recurs. That is why the ter~derest passages are followetl by climaxes like new eruptions of a volcano." Not for the first tirne, hfirhler's life had invaded his rnusic, laying down the very laws by which it coi~ldfunction. The res~~lt-an entire symphonic rl~ovenrcntconstrlrctetl on a dynamic process. r;~therthan converitionirl li;~rnlonic logic-was to influence not only Berg but rnany other 20th-ceritury composers. Xlahler steps away Iron1 the brink i11 the secorld ri~o\~ement, an affectionate, almost corr~icalLancller full of high spirits and rcrnen~hr;~nce. The tone is hinted at i l l his tenipo marking, which specifies that thc exl)l.cssion should he "somewhat clurnsy and very coarse." But chaos is never thr :rrvay, and what begirr~Iiurnorously veers repeatedly totvard the fre~i/iedand grotesque until the opening idea returns, riow aimless anti disoriented. T h e movemerit e n d s by literally unr;tvcling itself in fr;~gmentaryreminiscences of its o w n material. T h e ensuing, ocltlly riarricd Rondo-Burleske is a tug-of-tvar betweeri anger, exuberance, ant1 innocence, t ~ i t hanger winning out in the end. The dance of death-here no longer a dance hut a rnarch, with snarling brass and hammered hot17 strokes-advances illexorably until i t I>ecomcs a I~:~cc.h;~naliar-r revel i r i I he movernent's f~nillpages. I n closing tvith ari ilclagio, as Tchaikovsky had done in his Pathitiqrl~,hfahler most likely hat1 in r i i i r l t l 1101 that symphony nor his own 'I'i~irtlbut . in the conclusion of nu.\Lied von &r E I . ~ PHere, instr-u~nentalform, is the same expression, thougll more pained; the wortlless song of parting passes frorn heavy melanclioly through sever;~ltlreamlike interludes, reitchillg a climax that scrcanis out not from fear hut with the sadness of one \\rho has an all-co~isu~ning love for lile and is about to die. Gradually, the eri~otionsu1)siclesand the tone of the n~o\~ernent turns elegixc. Fragrnents of motives pass like memories, until all that is left is a calrn acceplarlce of the end.
106
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MAHLER
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Berlin PhilharmonicIHerbert von Karajan. I)eul.~clleGrurnmophon 410 726-2 [2 CIIY] Vienna Philharmonic/Bruno Walter. E1\11 CDH 63029 Columbia Symphony Orchestral Bruno Walter.
M
A N L E K came lo ,Yea* l'ork in 1907 lo lakc rip Ilre pmr uf cu~rciuclor(11 //re A1 rlrupulita>r Opercl. H P leji crjier 1rc10 ~ e c u o ~4r hick~ m n g n)ith the tnancrgomrnl nrrd . T / ~ u I -[he II~ li~~religlrl ~ urillr Toscntrzrri. ~Lln/rlor'.c tenurt nl the .VPILI Yark I'hilhannot~icprozred sirnilr~rly lumulluozu. Ytt ~\ln/rlrt rr!nr>redulnrm feelings k ) r .411rerirnand An~ericnrr.~, ond particulnrb liked ridiug [Ire N r u York suburuy.
Karajan rnade a slirdio recorcling of the Ninth with the Berlin Philharmonic in the late 1'370s, hut he was appareritly dissatisf ed and pressed for this remake, recorded at a concert during the Berliri Festival Weeks of 1982. T h e result is riveting, with visionary intensity from first bar to last. There is unshakable control over hiahler's vast canvas here, but also an extraordinary "of' the rnornent" cluality that is unusual in Karajan's discography. 'I'he sound is excellent. It was LO Mral~erthat hlahler entrusted the score of his Ninth Symphony in the autumn of 1910, knowing that he hirnself\~.ouldnot live to conduct the premiere. Walter also presided over the first recording of the work, and it renlains one of the most remarkable clocuments of this centur),. \Vith an incandescen~Vienna Philharmonic on stage, the recording was made at a concert in the hiusikvereinssaal o n January 16, 1938, just prior to the Anschluss. Walter, rherl 6 1 , ancl his colleagues, some of whom had played under blahler. give an over~vhelrningreacting inspired not only by the rnerliory of the composer but by thc grin1 situation in Austria a~iclEurope at that monlerit. Listening to the account is like stepping back in time, ancl it can he a chilling experience. T h e s o ~ i n dis magnificent for a recording more t h a n 50 ye:irs old. Walter's 196 1 traversal takes a rnore philosophi ical view and is suffused with deep sentiment. In
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
107
MENDELSSOHN
making this recorcli~~g, one o f his I;ist, M';llter still carried inside him the physical rnenlories of 50 years earlier: despitc rcpeatc~tipleas from the corltrol room, he could not keep himself from stamping his foot or1 the upbeat to the string entrance at the beginning of the Liirldler. I t is after all a dance-and \!'alter felt it that way, just as hlahler ~\.ouldhatre.
IER
NIGHT'SDREAM:
then there is hlendelssohn (1809- 1847). Not even h l o ~ i ~ r t d as a l'i-year-old a n y t h i ~ ~quite g like arks tl~isC;errn;ln I.c~ri(/14/lit- Joir-its.\ Ira .A h1itls1111l111c.r Night's L)I.c;I~I
., True, hlendelssohn possessctl one of' tlle most cultivated sensibilities in the history ol' arts ;~ncl letters, but his feeling fhr Shakesl,rare (wl~ose works lle krle\v in Schlegc.1'~tr:~r~slations) nevertl~clessbordered o n thc rnir:~ci~lous for one so young. In the vast number ol' music:~lworks inspired by Shakespeare, there is harclly another as perfect as this overture. l'et when asked years later to describe what he had attempted to clepict, 3Iendelssohn coilld only say that the miisic follows the play rather closely in nlootl anti imagery. \\'ith the first soft i\wod\vind chords in E major, a spell of enchantment is cast, :inti the listener is translated (as Rortom might say) to the domain of Oberon and Titania. king ancl queen of the fairies. In a quick-march tempo. the strings scurry stilccato, their along at the extreme of piil~r~s.\i~no, eighth notes flying by so quickl!. that when the ~neloclycomes to rest on :t sir~glc.rlotc., it becomes a suspenseful tremolo. Fanfares in the brass announce that a celebl.atiorl is i l l storc., : I I I ~ here ancl there \vooclwir~dspop out of thc texture like
1011
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MENDELSSOHN
forest sounds, conjuring up a i~iystcrioi~s \+ro~-I(l in which even the shadows are anim;ltetl. hlvlidelssohn uses the ophicleide (a clesccnclallt of tile medieval serpent, a wind iristri~rnrlllwith 21 1)rass rlwl u/' l ~ ~ e l l r o1'~1' 1~ 1' e?fir~~. mouthpiece) to color the bass line ;I \+*eircllysuupscent brillintlce o/ rtrr pernatural shade. and lie depicts the 1)rayiilg of 011~rtro.e10 A Xlids~~~i~riier Bottom, who wears the head of ;ill ass. wit11 ;I Night's Ilream IC/I i / ~lrinrk raucous fortissirnu plunge oi'a ninth-fro111 1) sh;irl> on we9 conrposer O/ nl111odorvn to C sharp-in the violins ant1 clarirlcts. spheric m r u i Jrom Uerlioz (the "Ql~eeriAJab" sclrerw But hiendelssohn's romance with A ~\lidrlo~tr,rrcr in Ror11i.oet Julicttc) Nigh&?Dream was not over. In 1842, h e was cornto Richard S~rr~lus (llrt*sccrnissioried by Friedrich M'ilhelni IV to compose otld seclioir oJ Ein incidental music for a production of' tlie play in Heltleriletxri), urhilt*lire Potsdarn the following year. Kather I-en~;irkal)ly, more /esliv~ sljle of the Iml the 33-year-old was able to rekindle the flarne of ~hreesy trtphorri~sarid IIIP cotrce,1 O V P ~ ~ I I ~itlflri~ttc~d PS genius ;hat had bol-ned so brightly i l l 111euvci-tilrc. Sairrl-Sac"t~$, Bnrcll, 1jrclhtn.s. so that the 13 additional numbers seen1 oL';t pic-ce Slrnl~\s cord EIgfir rolro goes with the earlier work. sofitr (1.5lo qrrol~llrp CIO~I'IIPI In addition to several songs, the inciclelital nl~lsic tl~emrfiorrt his I
SYMPHONY No. 4, Italian
--
I N A. 01.. $10
for the Itnlicl~rSymphony hlc~idelssohnlllatlc to Italy cluring 1830-3 1. Few to~~rists liavc evcrbeen so well equipped to apprec.i;~tethe sl,lctitlo~-s of that cou11tr.y as Alendclssol~rror. so cspcSl.~ ;I[ capturing its many moods for ollicrs to cl!joy. i Here \+.as;I cornposer well acqu;iilltctl rvith 1t:lly's
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
The Spanish Steps, s b ~ r h e dby ,\fen(lelrsnhn.
MENDELSSOHN
109
niusical tradition, arid his ear must have delighted in the daily stimulus it received, not just in churches and opera houses but in the streets as well. Following his return to Berlin in 1832, he set t o work fleshing out the sketches he had made in Rorne of a symphoriy intended to evoke the spirit of Italy and the warmth and vitality of its people. T h e essay that resulted a year- later, so fill1 of color, lyricism. and energy, is an extraordinary example of n~usicalportraiture and remains thr most popular of' biendelssohn's symphonies. T h e ebullient first Inovenlent, in the bright key of A major. conveys at once the giddy feeling that seems to come upon all true lovers of life the moment they set h o t in Italy. Its upthrustirig rnain theme and racing eighth-r~otepulse are tlic embotliment of joy. Other sides of the country's varied personality are reflected in the remainder of the symphony. T h e brief seconti movement, in a penitent-sounding D nlir~or,suggests a pilgrims' processional with its walking bass line and chorale-like inner. voices. while the third rnovcment, ostensibly a scherzo, has the easy flow ant1 ornamental grace of a moonlight serenade. Passioris seethe and erupt with Vesu\.ian force in the finale, a saltarello (a dance in rapid triple mrtcr) in the fierce key of A minor. '1-lie inspiratio11 is cle;irly Neapolitari, though the tune is hiendelssohn's own.
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Berlin PhilharmonlcJHerbert von Karajan. Del~LtcheGromrnophotl Galleria 415 848-2 [Synphorty No. 4 , with Schubert: Syrnplio~vI\'o. 81
Boston Symphony OrchestraJSIr Colin Davis. Philip3 420 653-2 [Sjnrphotzy S o . 4 (~rldOvurture and ~~~~~~~d I&nhl i\ftuu for A hlidsummer Niglit's Dream]
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
110
MENDELSSOHN
Vienna PhilharmonicIAndre Previn.
Plrilifis 4-30 1 h 1-2 /Ovc.rllr rcs n~rtlrn~rr/~l~,lc, I?rridr,llnl i\l!csic for A hlidsu~nlrlclNight's I)I.C;IIII]
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The account of tlie ItuII(~rr S y ~ l ~ l ~ l il.ro111 o~~y Karajan and the Berlin Philhal-monk is 11rc11)i near ideal-potelit yet eleg;ilit, \\tit11 a l)e)lisl~lo the playing that exemplifies the h l c ~ ~ d e l s s o l ~ ~ ~ i ; virtue of snitx)thness.Strings d o n ~ i ~ ~\\.i~itls a t e hcrc, producing an operatic sound \\rl~ichst~ggc~sts tIi;~t hlendelssohn's impressions ol' I I ; I I \ , \\,ere of' a \:erdian sort, just \\.hat one \\'oLIIcI esl~ectI'rom Karajan. 111 thc fillale the sobriety ol' the 111illor mode outweighs the escirerne~i~ of rhe tl;~llcc, Icavi~igthings a bit 1liol.e civilizetl 111al1 111cy~itrc.tl be. Sou~ldis good but a bit glassy I ) \ totl;~y's standards. and cletnil is sc~~iie\\vhat 1.c~t1~1c-ctl 1,). closc miking. The coupling of Schtrl)c,l.~'sIr~rJirrI.\h~~cl Symphony, in an outstancling ;lc.coLlnt, is ~)c~.l'c.ct for those building a collection. The 1976 perlbrm;~nccoftlie I//tlic~rrSy~i~l)l~on)i by Davis and die Boston S y ~ i l l ~ l ~is oI I~~ ~; I yI , ~ Vl)y (~ a light touch ;ulcl lots of'ti~lcsse,):cr r11~1.c is l)lc~r~y of power in tlie linale. Ovci-;ill, this is ollc 01' tile most satisfying re;itlings of the sympho~~y i l l the. catalog, and it is couplet1 to a n csc.cllc~~t ;icc.orl~it of the overture, sclierzo, noc-tUI.IIC, ant1 \\,r*cltli~lg march fionl A ~\li~l.~~ci~rrnc~r .\'ig/iti Dr.r.crlrr. 'l'l~csc )I I 11t1 is outstandingly good a n a l o g - ~ ~ ; ~ t ~ ~\ ~ .; aI l~, ;11it1 III, \vet1 balanced. Previn's reading 01' [he co111111cte ,\li(l.\lrrrilnc,r ,Viglt['s Druum 1111isicis highly 11l-olilctl;111cl liomantic, as he i'iennese s t r i ~ ~ iln~nc.di;ltcl\ gs m;~ke clear by [lie \tray they dig into I heir I>;II.[S. 'l'hc performance reflects an intercstil~g1);1lir11ccI)ctween Previn's reflective a p p ~ . o : ~ cant1 - l ~ the Pliilharmonic's high-voltagc playirlg; 1'1.evi11gets his way: but occasionally one \vishes the \'ic~inc.sc* \\,auld get theirs, becaiise they c - c r ~ ; ~ ikrio\v ~ ~ l y11oiv to play expressively, tvit~iesstlici~gloriol~sslro\ving c . so1111t1 ol' I lic I !)X(i - in tile n o c t ~ ~ r n Tlie reco~.clingis soniewhat drier t h a ~is ~c~lstol~~;i~-y 01' the h~1usik~~ereinss:r;tl.
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rom the time he w;rs seven ~ ~ ~ lIret i \\US l 03, 3~loznl.t spent more t11;111 h;llf' of his lifc tr.;i\eling and pe1.lbr.111irig allray from his home in S:ilzburg. His fat her. put aside his o \ \ n duties as composer and tiolin instructor in order LO mastermint1 ever\. n1ot.e of his phenomenall~talented son. \\-ho in turn absorbed e\er\thing he could i l l hopes 01 eve~itil;ill~ conimanding a n ;~ppoincnie~it at a niajor court. 'l'he three journeys to 1t:ily father ant1 so11made bet\vecn 1 7(i
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tinie of the Pmris Symphony in 1778. his scoring had I ~ c c o ~~iiorc i~c niuscular, ant1 at the sarrle time more s~.~htly nuanced, tli;in th;ct of any other composer of the 18th century. In 178 1 h'fozart settled in Vierlna. Along with tllc ~ ~ ~ i c e ~ . t aofi n t y life ias a freelance musician in the big city canie tile freetlom to create ;IS he wished, and hlozart responded \\.it11 an outpouring of I~rilliantworks. '1-he availability of a pool of topflight nlilsicians e~iabledhlozart to write virtuosically in his Vien~iesesymphonies. especially for the wind players. I t was long thought that some mysterious iriner urge prompteti hlozart to compose his last three symphonies, Nos. 39-41. \vliich \tVer-e completed in the short span of six weeks during the sumnier of' 1788. hlozart's financial situation-which had begun to grow ilncomfortable early in 1787, around the time he srartetl work or1 Ilon Giovanni-had worse~ledduring the winter and spri~igof 1788. By that summer, he had started writing letters to hlicliael I'uchberg. a ltllolv Freemason. begging Lor loans. I t is i~nlikely 1l1at during such a strained period, hlozart \voultl have co11il)osetl solely out of artistic necessity. Rather, he tvoultl have I~ecnespecially careful to use his time profitably: tiis pattel.n, i~l'ce~. ;ill, was t o work or1 co~nlnission,for publication or pel-forn1nnc.e. 'I'he keys 01' the final three symphonies-E flat, (; ~ n i ~ i oant1 r, C: 111ajor-are strikingly contras~ed,ant1 each work has its otvri sound arid plays up different elerricrits of expression. 12111 tlle stylistic consistc~lcyof these symphonies is just as remark;il)le, and together with their predecessor, the Prngltc Sy~liplioriyo f 1786. tlicy not only stand anlong hlozart's highest achicvcnit.~itsbut ;ilso represent the pinnacle of musical Classicism. Only Haycln's Lorrdo~l Syrnplionies can compare \\,it11 them among orchestral \r.o~-ksof the 18tli century, though nothing I-Iayclii or anyone else h;u w i t ten quite n~ntcliesthe intense emotional expression ant1 contr-;ip ~ ~ n t brilliance al hlozart achieved in these scores. 'l'liey rem;~ir~ ;I ~xofouncllysatisfying part of the concert repertory, as rnea~iirigf'ul today as they were 200 years ago.
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S Y ~ ~ P F I No. ONY 29,
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combination of elegance, intimate yet Intense expression, ant1 supreme craftsmanship characterizes Syrnphony No. 29. More ornamental in style than the other Salzburg symphonies, it is paradoxically more substantial as well. Its moods are not easy to pi11 t l o w , hut that is part of what makes it so fascinating. For a moment, 3fozart steps outside of conventions to hare his soul. Later, \\.hen he was \\.orking in L'ienna. the key of A major \\~ouldbecorrle one of hlozart's fnvorites, in large part because i t I ~ good S for the clarinet-an instrurrierit he was among the first to use in the symphony orchestra. There were no clar.incts in Salzburg. ho\vcver, only oboes. and the A niajor of the present symphony is riot the radiai~t,strangely poignant key of works like the Piatlo Concerto No. 23. K. -188, Out a more austerc, plangent tonality. Its clui~lityis ~ucllsuitetl to the surprisingly urgent espression w e erlcounter in this work. T h e opening Allegro is rernarkal)le for the sureness of its line of action, as ~vcllas for- thc balance struck between gentleness aucl charged emotion-both products of the satile rl~elodicmaterial. hfuch of the effect corrics from repetition and inlitation, but the process is so subtle as to alrrlost escape notice, arid the result is the most assured and t\.ell-integrated symphonic rnovemerit hiozart had yet penned. The fact that violins are n1~11ed in thc Andantc only serves to heighten the intensity of the sharply profiled principal theme. Thc writing for strings here is exceptionally intricate, the scoring (particularly the use ofthe otxK,s) o t ; cielicacy ~ previously unencountered in hfo7art's rnusic. And this perfinal tour bars-tvtien ~ h c mits the n~o\~ernent's rriutes come off ant1 rlle first oboe ~ i ~ iout ls ~IIC dotted theme in fortr, over the hor~is-lo have a telling effect.
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X dotted rtiyllim figures in the ensuing minuet
as well, but here it irnparts energy as much as elegance. The trio introduces the kind of suave string rnelody [flat will 111ark ~ n ~ l cof l i hlozart's later work: on the other hand, the dotted calls to attention on oboes and horns are pure Salzburg. T h e hunting motif is unmistakable in the finale, but it is the string players who are the quarry here-dashing along. trying not to trip over thcir treacherous exposed runs, hoping to escape into the thicket of notes. There is time for rest in an ornamented, singsong second sut,ject, but thc chasc continues, with a tallyho from rile horns at the very end that still hrings a shiver of excitement to this listener every time he hears it. The Symphony in A was complcted on April 6, 1574. Mozart ~vouldwrite sy~nphonicsfor another 14 years, during \vhicli tirric his rna~erial would get stronger, his treatrnenl \.vould beconie surer, and the struct~lralseams woulci disappear altogether. But he \vould never again quite touch the gallaritry of [his work.
Prague Chamber Orchestral Sir Charles Mackerras. Telarc CD 80165 [zc~illrS~~~lpIlorzicc Nos. 25 and 281
English Baroque Soloists/ John Eliot Gardiner. I'llilip 412 736-2 [ziitlr S ~ N I ~ I INU. O ~ 331 IJ
hiackcrras has perfect pitch when it comes to hiozart, and his high-\-oltage performances of these pre-Viennese symphonies are stylistically informed and sple~ididly~nusical.He gives a passionate reacling ot'Symphony No. 29. The playing is exciting-and clean, too, ~viththe Prague milsicians showing excellent erlsemble, oi'ten at break~iecktenipos. The recording \\.as made in
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1987 at Prague's Hoi~seof Artists. ancl i t sounds superb. Gardiner's period-i~istrumerltXfozart cycle with the English Baroq~leSoloists impresses with its interpretive acumen and polished execution; the accounts are as interesting and well played ;IS any ill the catalog, showi~igjustliow far "authcriticiry" has come in 15 years. C;;irciiner paces his readings superbly, and the expressiveness he tiratvs fro111 the players is welcome and alivays appropriate. -Ishe recording, from 1984, is open and detailed, with thrilling presence and solid impact.
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I ~ Prugtre P pren~iereopt J u r ~ t r o v19, 1787, .\loart Ireatcd llrr (llrdi~r~ce to an
ozart's final years in i'iennn were a period oi'intense musical creati\.ity, intermit ten^ financial worries, arid waning celel3r-ity. Yet even as the Vicr~nesewere losi~iginterest in the virtuoso and his nlusic, which was growing too profbund for their tastes, hglozart \\.;IS finding solace (and some much-needed patronage) in I'rague. In January of' 1'787, he spent a month in the Bohemian capital, where he conductetl ;I perfiwmance of TIiei\!ai-riog.c. o{Figuro ancl prcnlie~.etl a new syrnphony in three movements th:rt he had just conipleted. The score has been k ~ ~ o i vever n since as the Prague S y ~ ~ ~ p l i o n y . In its conciseness ant1 d~amaticthrust, the Pr(1g-71~ is \vithout equal in hiozart's work. In tile first ri~over~ient, follo\ving ;I slo\\. introduction t1i;it is the 111ostimaginative ;IIICI potverfi~li l l :dl of' C ~ ~ I S sical music, the learnetl, I~rillian~, storm-a~~tl-stress, and sirlgirig styles arc all ernbraced, wit11 dazzlirig virtuosity and seamless connections from topic to topic. The writing displays a contrapuntal severity esceetling anything that had been tried it1 a sy111phony betbre. particularly in the dcvc*lol~~licn~ section: i t is the saulc kind of' \criting o ~ en~ c coirnters in hlozart's li11es.tchamber n1~1sic (t\~hicli,
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with a string complement of no more than fourteen in the Prague orchestra, rriay have k e n just what the work sounded like at the first performance). Yet therc is a symplionic rich~iessto the scoring that makes I he overall effect grand indeed. The G major Andante opens in the strings with what in other hands might have been a simple, aria-like subject. Hut in hIoziirt's, it quickly takes on a chromatic inllection allti is spun out allnost in the manner of a fantasy, through a series of highly profiled episodes in which sharp pathos and pastoral gentleness succeed one another with surprising swiftness. I t has I,een suggested that hlozart's decisiori to omit the minuet and proceed straight to the fillale \\,as a concession to Bohemian taste; whatever tlie reason, the music of tlie effervescent colicluding Presto was itself no st certainly a nod to the audience. 'The opera-huffa brilliance of the writing must have delighted those who already knew Fignro, svhile sending those who ditili't-if any there werc-sc~~r~.yingout of the concert eager 1o1tickets to tlie opera.
Prague Chamber Orchestral Sir Charles Mackerras. Tclurc C D 80148 [u~ithSymplroity No. 361
Fittingly enough, hlackerras and the Prague Chamber Orchestra do a magnificentjob with the Pmgzce Symphony. The account reveals a thorough acceptance of scholarly perrormance-l~lactice notions with regarti to accents, tempos, articulation, repeats, and orchestral seating, yet it is achieved witliot~tthe use of original instruments-a decent compromise, and one that permits virtuoso results. hllackerras brings to the poclium a sure grasp of tempo ant1 fresh interpretive insights, and the Czech musicians respond with i ,ifaCke17~~.~~I t n t m p ~ t a t(~J !~h~t , ~ playing of the ut~llostpolish. What stands out is Praguc L\ "mo~liydfozcr~l." i the way they suit the action to thc idea; the violin
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\,t'hnt's the "K" it) ,\/lozn rt's l~li'0l-tw?
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lro ulorkv o/ rtro.
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figures in the illtroducrio~~ are splel~didlycaressetl. \\*bile the scale passages in the Allcgro ill-e boltlly (lashed ofl- Sir Cllarles and the band rc\,cl in the complesitics ol' tllc music, jlisr as tllcy delighr in the p;lnache of its ciinlases. I n tllis regard, the best is saved for last: thr fillale of the P,ogi~ip \\~ould11;ive m:ltlc hlozai-t st:lttd up ;111tl cheer-.
S Y X ~ I ~ INo. I ~ 39, N YI N I;. FLAT, K. .54Q I-om hlo~art's e1rtr.y i r ~his c~italog0 1 ' \\to~-ks, we know tllat Sympllor~ySo. :3t) t F tras complerecl o n June 26. 1788, ant1 that i t calls for his beloved clarinets. I heir presence here, anti tltc abse~lccot'oboes, Icntls the \vol.k a cel.tai11 gcntlrr~essthat its siblings i l l C; minor. ;111t1 C mnjor. lack. Tlic s)r~nphor~y also comes closer ~ I I ; I I I either 01' those to the sunll!. lyricis11101' opera I ~ ~ f f p:wa. tici~larlyin its ovet.tur-c-like first rilo\.ernent arltl racy fi11;lle.T h e operling 111ove11ier11 is prefr~cctl l ~ ay gl-anti 11d;tgio i l l the style of a I:r.c~~cllovc*rture. \\sith double-dottetl I';~llf:irc figures in rhc itrinds ;111dbrass and s\vccl~ingscale passages in the SII-i~tgs. Tlic maill p:ir.t ol' [he rrlovement, all Allegro in 31-1 tirne, avoiris rhe mal-clilike esprcnssion typical of 1n;irly of t\lo~;ir.t'sopc11cl.s.offering inste;ltl Ho\c-ing firs1 anrl sccorld sul?jccts sct ol'l. by r ~ ~ i ~l)riIli;~~lr cli \\,or-kirlg-o~l~ of 111;1teri;1I IIOI-roufetl from the ir~troductiol~. T h e :Irldantc \leer-s ;I si~sprnsefulc.ourse I)ct\\.een pastoral irtr~ocer~cc ;inti pathos. .Illere is ;I highly c.hargetl poignancy LO the Ii;crll~ony.; t r l c l the nlo\.crnent's tlrarna is ; ~ l lrllc mot-c inipressi\,c* for r lie thematic cconom! l l o ~ a r -ol)se~-ves I ill i t , dcriiri~rg11e;11-lyc\ferytI~irlgI.ro111t l ~ ci11itiaI I.ot11.rneasu I-esul?jcct. \\'11;tt fi)llo\cs is perh;tln the statrlies~I I I ~ I I L I C . ~ h1oz;lr.t ever co~~ll)osecl, ~ I I C .(liar cor~tl)incs courrly r
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beautiful Iiindler-like trio that features the two clarinets, one taking the melody, t l ~ other e accompanying in the resonant low register, callecl the chalu~~il~atl after a 17th-century precursor to the clarinet. 'I-he spirired closing Inovcrnent is a virtual 1110ropel-petuo (;I type of piece featuring the sustained flow of rapid notes) that bubbles along like an operatic finale. As in the Andante, Mozart shows a remarkable economy here, weaving the entire fabric of' the rnoverilent L'roln the insouciant opening tune.
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T btt.4S [Ire clt?ritrc~/'.r soui~d-round, lr~nziirorrs, atul poipwr~t-tha~appealed lo i\fozor~. t l r ofie?~ rued clrn~retc10 suggrsst the love elernrnf in his irrc1rt~rnetzlul IIIIU~C.
1945 biography of hiozart, musicologist Alfred Einstein, the pllysicist's cousin, characterized the G minor Symphony as a "fatalistic piece of chamber music"-a description that still holcls u p urlder the s c r u t i ~ ~ofy recent investigations into 18th-century perfi)rmance practice. By any measure, this is 3lozart's most etriorional and rigorously argued symphony. 'l'he minor mode had special significance f o r - hlozart, almost always compelling him to give vent to feelings of extraordinary t ~ ~ r b u l e n ant1 c e passion. O n that plane, the G minor Synll~lionystarlds alone-not only among hiozart's works, hut among all works of the 18th century. T h e feeling o f restlessness of the opening Allegro is immediately apparent in (lie first measures, as cfivicied viol:~saccompany the pri~lcipalsubject in quiet agitatior~.T h e tone of- this subject is both poignant and tense, and hlozarl's ensuing treatment of it ranges from anxious to nearly manic. A chromatici~llyinflected secotitl sub-ject in B flat introduces a gentler kind of melancholy, but offers little respite. During the recapitulation, the return of this second subject, 11ow in C; minor, seals the prophecy of doom wit11 which the movement began. After such ;I I~arrowinglook into the abysq, it
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is necessary to withdraw-yet the second movem e n t , a n A n d a n t e in E flat, o f f e r s a t best a temporary reprieve. 'Though the nlood here is pastorill, there is something shadowy and bizarre about the surroundings. almost as though one were looking at a Venetian landscal)~with a n approaching storm in the b;~ckground. In this largely restrained movement, hlozart is unusually insistent in his emphasis of the underlying eighthnote pulse. This imparts a feeling of restlessness to the ~x-oceedings.\vhich is given haunting elegance 11y the use of a two-note figure known as the "Lombard snap," named for the region in Italy where it originated. T h e minuet and its trio contrast sharply, the one poignant and heavy, h e other pastoral and light. 'Tlic symphony's finale I~ringsa return of' the passionate sentiment of the opening movement. only now more fierce ant1 demonic. A tightly wound sonata, it begins with a "rocket" theme that veheniently shoots u p the C; minor triad. -The seething drama of the first key are;\ suggests nothing so much as terror and flight, though the arrival of the second sul~jectbrings a Heetingserise of consolation. When, in the rccapitul;ition, this subject returns in the minor. the feeling is funereal. Witti this cry from his soul, hiozal-I closes I l ~ e most unflinchingly grim symphony of the 18th century.
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chb o~ u,hor //I.\I synphcr~~jt.
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n August 10, 1 788, a nicre 16 days after completing Symphony h'o. 40, hlozart entered in the catalog of his works the Four opcning measures of another new symphony, his third of the summer. This one, in C: major, trould evenrually come to be known as the.Jupitpr Symi phony in recognition of its grandeur ant1 its pride i of place among symplionies of' the 18111 century.
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Did Scrlieri do it? s ottt*of / / I F ~ r t m . r lltigltl~ A P l uteri rnusicir~r~.~ irr I '1rnnct it1 / l r ~17S0.\. So11~r-i probobl? arnnesecl tttoril rttzy 111 d\,foatr/ /lturt ,\1021r/ did itr 11 irtt-irrdted. /It(, I/rtlin~r i l ~ of/iutr ~ s giutrrrort.~ill Irk prciisr rt ttrl nrrarrgrcl /Or fit:\-/ pefor~trrtrrc.t.sof .\onrcPtr/ .\lom r / i zrrorkt. 111 thrir rrrodt,rrr irt/t~rprev/r~/ior~s of I\ ozrt r/'.\ I@, Pr/o.r Sltafl~r(trrtl !\JiIo\ Fon~rnrrrmbe116ltrcl /ht? nilnor !bet/ Snli~ripoi.\otlad ~ \ l o ~ o rIt'r / . oilliu i/ lo .Fmlioi 10 SPI / / I F record .tlreliglt/. ~ \ l o x ~dr /i ~ dof ltto~r/fnilrorr hrarcglr/ or1 rl~rrorrc~/ir fql*rr. Nobody ,6obotrr,cl Itirrt.
MOZART
For while hloz;ir~coliltl not have, kno\\*l~ tll:it i t ~soultll>e his I;ist, this \\,as his summa, a glorious proof of his rn;tstery ol.I)oth music;~lstyle and the compositional craft. I n the opening measures. a phr;tse all~itlingto the march topic is ans\\,cred by olic in the singing style. 'l'hese :IIT the tn.o f~rlitl;t~~~erital poles ol 18th-century ~il~rsical espression, :irici wh:it makes h1o~;irt's treatment so rcmarka1)le-here and througliot~ttilt. rest of' the first rnoven~crit-is that they are not contr;tsted but I'used into ;I single ictea. -1'lle whole moverllcnt is a tour d e force of spal-kling io\~elltiorlant1 syr~ipholiic.drama, markctl by a scnmless conriectioli of material. T h c brilliant style l)rcdominiites, hut hlozart irlcludcs ;I storniand-str-css episotle, ele~nentsof' (lie fa~~t:isy style. and :I little c;itlcrltial tune in the rh!.tlirn o f a gavotte. *I'llc t\ndantc sccoritl rllovemc.l1t of tlic~lr/)i/t~r is a sarabande, the rilost passiorl;~teof Bar-oqtre dancc forms, here matlc painfully intense by the estr;iortlinary chroni:~[ic-ism of' tllc \vritirlg and the many \\~rellchingt urns of phrase introduced along the way. hlozart Iliutes the violins acldeti effect, and Iic m;~kespointed us<. of' tht. willtls. T h e rnelodic ;incl rhyt hmic co~~il)licatior~s of tliis movelllenr are remar-k;lble eve11 li)r hill), the pathos ~~ripnrallclc.tlin nitrsic of t lle 18th cc~itur-y. For the nlinuet h,loz;rrt climbs I>;lck down the stylistic ladder to a countrifietl setting with i111 ~ ~ n u s u a l cl yo l o r f ~ ~coniplesiorl. l 'l'he outcr parts of the rno\*erncrlt a r e festive ant1 easygoing, but the trio rnanif'ests a he:tted virulence in tile rnitlst of its bucolic silnplicity. hlozart brings things full circle \vith the fin;llc, a sonata-form Xllegr-o in the brilliant style whose scope, variety, :tllcl cont~.;tp~int:ll in\.entiveness are astoriishing. -I'he whole movemcllt is a n c.s:trnple of the (inconrhirrtltorici, the process of finding the r n a s i ~ ~ i t riu~irl,er ~m of' cliffel-cr~tarr;ingerncnts possible with a set of niusical fig~rres.In the coda, five of the movement's six prirlcipal niotivcs are gradually s~rpt.ril~~posect ~rntilall live arc going :tr
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once-not only that, but over the span of' 20 measures the counterpoirit is irlvertecl live tirnes, so that each of the five string groups (lirst violins, second violins, violas, cellos, and basses) carries a differc~ltnlotive in succession. I t is a matcliless surnmation of musical technique, one whose esuberancc ancl freedom seem to reflect thc very qualities hiozart prized most in life anct art, and whose h;~rrnoniouscomplexity sho~vshirn doing \\+hathe loved most: holding u p the rrlirror to thc richness of creation.
Columbia Symphony Orchestral Bruno Walter. Son! Clnrsical SA\J3h'4651 1 13 (:115; Syr~~phur~it,~ Afo.s. 39-4 1, ririll~Nos. 35, 36. orlrl 381 Chamber Orchestra of Europe/ Nlkolaus Hamoncourt. Telriec 9031-7.1858-2 12 CUs; Ssrt~pl~orlirs .Vos. 39-41]
B~~~ dontr (IS ~uelicis sing. ~
~
*l'hcre is a narrative qu;ility 10 M'altcr's irltcrpretations, alr~lostas though the synlphonies were operas without worcls. T h e phrasing is highly vocal, and \vhile the tempos are nearly al~vays broad, tl~ereis a deftly "sprung" feclilig to the rhythm that prevents the accounts from sounclirlg stodgy. l'he \\findshave greater prominence than in marly readings, ant1 the bass line is marketfly emphasized. These are graceful, sweet, lyrical renditiolls, reflecting the qualities attril>utcd to the "sublinle" hlozart hy the 19th century. \I7alter's account of Symphony No. -10 relliains lllc great one, unnlatchetl in enlotional depth ancl drarn;~tic exl~ressiveness.T h e 1959-(j 1 recordings are closenliked alld \cry pleasant, \vith a "live" ail- arourld the orcl~cstralI~ody.I'reviously ;~vailablcon CRS j CLk. the recordings have been f'reshly and sui perbly rr~nasteredfi)r Sony Classical. J
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Notoriously err;ttic i l s an ir~terpreterof Mozart, Hi~rnoncour-tscores big \vith his latest offering of the last three symphonies. I-ecor-(ledin concert at Vienna'\ hiusikvercinssaal o n Decem1)er 5 . 199 1, tlie 200th anniversary of \loz;~rt's tleatll. T h e appro;~cliis ;~utheritic,yet highly itliosyr~cratic.~ l l e ensemble a c-onventionalone whose young players have hcen tl~oroughlycoached to play in periocl style. I-larnor~co~~rt's perforrnar~ceof Syn~l~liony No. 40 is tight and dramatic, wllile his Jupiter is simply outstanding, p;irticularly in the brilliantly realizeti finale. T h e recording is reasonably well balanced ant1 c1et;tiled for a live pickup. thougl~ one might wish to hear a little more atmosl~here.
oz;irt wrote I:'ZIIPkleiw .Yachllnli~ik in the summer 01' 1787. while lie was at work on the secontl act of' Dot1 C;iova,z~~i. T h e forces l i ~which r A I.itt1e .l'iRI,I Jliuic is scoreda "seretinde quartet" consisting o S string quartet with atlded tloul)lc bass-are n~odest,as is the musical content, il'one compares i t to \\'h;lt h1lozal.t \\.as putting into liis string quintets at the time. But while the itleas themselves arc generic hy hlozart's st:~nd:~~~cls-rhythr~iically bquarc, barmonically uncoml,licated. neutral in expressionthe cr;~f'tsn~;rnshil) and part-\wiling are exquisite. Better than most musicians o f his day. Xlozart knew tl~attlie inil~ortantevents o f lit. took place either on the battlefield or- in the 1)oudoir. So there is a eel-rain ;ippropriateriess to the fact th;~t t he opening Allegro of'Einr k l e i ~ ~l'achtm~oik, ~c~ with its fa11f';ir-e~and quick-march brilliance, is followetl by a gentle Rorna~ice-not by the ~riiri~let rclerrccl t o in Xlozart 's cat alog of' 1%-orks hut ren~o\.eclfrom the score at a n e ~ l r . cl;tte 1 ~ (1,). wl~omand for \.ch;~t reason. no one kno~vs).T h e Ro~narice'saria-like t~.;inquilityis only ~nori~entarily troubled by ;I shatlo\cy, c;ino~iicepisode in tlie rninor. *\oul comes a
L
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123
minuet, contrasting its courtly pomp with a flowing trio. In the serenade's finale, a giddy tune in bourrke rhythm and its pulsating inner-voice accompaniment conspire to produce the musical equivalent of euphoria-hlozart's way of suggesting, perhaps, that the night is still young.
Prague Chamber Orchestra/ Slr Charles Mackerras. Telarc CD 80108 [uith I'osthor11 Serenade, No. 9, k'. 3201 Berlin Philhannonlc/Herbert von KaraJan. Det~trcilcGrammophotz 423 610-2 [roilh Divertimento No. 15, it1 B pat, K . 2871 "Big bo1d" .\loznrl Krr raja 11 specially.
urn! a
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble. Phi1ip.s 412 269-2 [witlr Divertirncrtto in D, K. 136. arul A hlusical Joke, 6.5221
T h e strings of the Prague Chamber Orchestra contril)ute admirably LO the klackerras reading. T h c approach is ~ilodernbut well informed, tlic I-esulting account clean, agile, luniinous. hfackerras observes the repeats (including that of the first-n~ovenient rccapitulation) and chooses exccllerii tempos: thc Roniarice is especially lovely. Telarc's 1984 recortling yields a fairly realistic concert-hall perspective, but the distant pickup tericls to muddy the texture a little. T h e coupled Postltotll Serenade is superb. If'you like a full string ensemble in this musicwith s ~ ~ i o o tlegatos, h polished tone, ~lnaccentecl ornirments, almost decadent opulence. and lots of vibrato-the 1981 recording by Karajan ant\ the Berlin Philharnio~iicis the one to have. In the irn~r~ortal words of music critic Alan Rich. Karajan's Mozart had a way of being powerful and
124
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prissy at the same time; yct thcrc is an ;itlileticism t o this reading of Eine kleitt~h ~ ~ c h l ~ nthat l ~ ~ is ik quite impressive. *l'hesouncl is bright, \vith a good sense of space :i~.oitndthe ensemble. *l'he Acaclen~y01' St. hl;irtir~-in-tlic-Iields Chamber Enser~~l)le plays the piece as hlozart intended, with a string quartrt and acltlcti bass. I t is a fine r c a d i ~ ~tilough g, some ornanlents atitl figures are sn~oorliedover i r i modern I;lshion rather than cle;~rlyarticulated. *Tliesour~cl01' the 19821 recording, close-n~ikedand naturally balancecl, is excellcrit.
Itliot~ghfiscally a n d ernotio~~ally une lor niuch of his ;idult lifSe. hllissorgsky ( I X9!)- 1881 ) \\';IS heyoricl question the niost tnleritetl 111em11erof thr group o f 19thcentury Kussi;~~~ composers k r i o ~ vas~ "The ~ hlighty Halidfill," or "'fhe Five" (tile others bci~lgLlily R;ilakirev, Xlcs;cnder Boroclir~,Cesar (:ui, and Nicolni Rimsky-Kol-sakov).I lc I~ada re~~ia~.Erabls fertile imagination but f o u ~ ~itddil'fic~~lt seeing prc!jects through to cornpletior~;barely 42 when he died from alcoholism, he left import;~~lt scores u~ilinished.As a result, many o f Iiis \vorks :ire familiar to the 1)ublic in orc1iest1-atior~s allit arrriligements by other cornposcl-s,especially RimskyKorsako~. *l'hnt was l o ~ ~ the g case \vith .SI.JV/I~I'.\ ,Viglrt ~ I I r11p Mare Alo~itrtaitr( 1867),con~n~only called ,+I ilrig-111 011 Haid i\louttrcrit~--and kno\\+11 in the thoroughly reviscci aricl reorchesrratcd version Rin~sky-Korsiikov produced atier hlussorgsky's tic:at 11, with thC ail11 of cor~.cctingthe "i~l~siiccessfiil sc.oririgW and "artistic rr:ir~sgressions" he felt hrltl marred his friend's ~vork.-1'oday. hlussorgsky's spartan origirlal (not put)lished until 1968).with its I-oughhe\vn orchest~.;ttii)~~ and brutal t~.ansitiol~s, is gain-
C/
M
L'SSORGSKl' .$rrr 1 Ihr last rnot~~lr of hir l f i it1 a ho.rpilnl ill .Y/. Pe!ersbt~g,i i ~ i n g f i o ~~lri* ~r fleck of a l c o t r u ~ ~jut1 n n ureek after hrc 4-3trd / ~ r r / t m d q . S h ~ r r befortl~ rke erlrl, rlrrs
gown. hair dishn*ele(t,~ I O I . S P reiiciutled, ~ht-look of ( I ~rrcict-
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
MUSSORGSKY
U S
ing a place for itself alor~gsitlethe more color.l'i~l and polished-bur urlnccessa~.ilylavis11-\rersiol~ lef't by Rimsky-Korsakov. St. John's Eve, which occur-s aroilntl the timc of the summer solstice, is traditior~allythe night in northern climes when \\.itches gather ;~ntlholtl their sabbath o n the slopes of thc local ~ n o u ~ ~ t ; ~ i n . ~lussorgskp'sterrifyingly elen~cntalvisio~~ of this I-itual-with its menacing crescentlos, shrieking ivind and brass passages. and vivid evoc;ltion of the witches dancing (ir-hich sounds like Cossack reveling on a particularly \\,ild night)-makes this score a classic of the musical macabre.
19 (I j11111py.st t ~ l ~ r l c n.so~Iclit~~ ~r rllr~-i~rg rht, Jr1tc11u~rrkrof \\'r~r/(l \t'(lr 11, ( f l r r / I P 111 trp cr c.ig(rr o ~ c/ / I F O t r r k ~ ~ t ~ ~ c l /~orr/rI{ /I/.\ C ~ I I I I I I I ? /tori.\(, ill ,4I I . \ ~ ~ ~ ( I .
A.
s an orcl~estralshowpiecc-the fi)r111 ~n which it is familiar to most lis-
tcncrs-Pictures nt ntl Exlrihi~iottis two ti~ncso\!cr a work of enlargement. hlusso~.gsky'so~.igi~~;~l suite for piano, composetl i r ~1874 as a nle~llo~-ial to 111c pairiter Victor Hartmann, took as its point o f tiepanure ten pictures displayecl at a ~ ~ o s t l ~ u n ~ o u s exhibition of the artist's \\.ark. l'hougl~pi;tnisticallv crude, hiussorgsky's renderings of'his fl-ientl's irrlagcs convey their rich fantasy with sincerity and s c a t imaginative force. Kavel's celcl~ratctl orchestration of Pictrtr~sat ntr Eslribi~iot~, u~ltlertaken in 1922 at the request of cor~cluctorSerge Koussevitzky. i11 turn fairhfillly amplifies I~otllthe \+.itand deep feeling of AIussorgsky's tribute. One js surprised. listening to the orchcstr;ll version, to discover that Hartliir~nn'soriginals i\rc~-c modest little sketches and \\.atercolors. For cs; ample, the "Ballet of Chicks i l l Their Shells" was ; inspired by a \\.himsical costume sketch f i l l ;I I children's ballet. hIussol-gsky had turnctl t11;it into 1 a lively scene painting, ant1 Kavel's scorir~g,witti i its clucking oboes arltl scurrying scale ~~;~ss;tgcs ill i the bassoon and strings. t r a ~ l s f b r ~ t l l ~ ~ s cl~iltlrcrl r ~/nr/llm~ (;rl/ts r ~ l,/~ K ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,. .~., ,{ iht, IJir~rrrr.\( I / //I,.I:.shihi/i~oc. i i l l their eggshell costumes into real cl~icks.
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The inspiration for "The Hut on Folsl's Legs" came from a quaint design for a clock in the shape of a cabin built on chicken's feet-the inl likely abode of the witch Raba Yaga. Mussorgsky decided to portray the legendary hag's frightful ride through the air. Ravel marshals the heavy brass and a businesslike array of percussion to create a thunderous chase. In "The Great Gate of Kiev." the mosl breathtaking arid at the same time most touching part of the suite, Mussorgsky apostrophized his departed friend with a monumental realization of Hartmann's lopsided, ornately decorated drawing of a city gate in the old Russian style, with a cupola in the shape of a helmet surmounti~lgthe gatehouse. Based on the theme hlussorgsky called "Promenade"-which opens Pictzires at an Exhibition and is meant to depict the viewer's passing from one work to the next-this finale was the con~poser'sway of saying faretveli and, at least in music, giving substance to one of his friend's fondest dreams. I11 Ravel's hands, hlussorgsky's vision of a gate that was never built becomes one of the architectural ivonders of thc world, magnificently b r o ~ ~ g htol life by full brass, pulsing strings, pealing bells, and triumpliant cymbals.
I
N HIS 2 2 YEAIIS belritrd [Ire wheel ( 1 969-911, Sir
Ceorg Sohi drove the Chicago Symphony Orr/rr>rlmla lp atrrotrg the j ~ ~ position Anzerica's "topfive" o r ~ h e ~ tras-traditionnlly those of Chicago, Clur,elarzd, IVPZLI York, Boston, and Philod~lphia. Ktrourn for his dynurnic, all-stops-out mzuicnulkbrg, this native of Budnpest hirs won rnurr Crnrnnrys (30 at lmt count) lhmr arty otlrer t~rllsician,includirrg Stevie Wonder, Poul Sirtron, and Michuel Jackson.
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Chicago Symphony Orchestral Sir Georg Solti. London 430 446-2 [Pictures at a n Exhibition, with Prokofin~:Sytnphotry No. I , and Tchaikortsky: 18 1 2 Ouprtrrre]
Montreal Symphony Orchestra/ Charles Dutoit. Lorrdorl 417 299-2 [I'ictures at an Exhibition crtd A Night on R;iltl Mountain, with Kho\lanshchina Prelude, ailil Rimsky-Korsnkov: Russian Easter
Overture]
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Thunder is impressive, but lightning gets tlie work done. There's plenty of both i r Solti's ~ 1!)80 account of Pictures, a piece that has long been one of the cornerstones of the conductor's repertoire. 'This is an over-the-top performance-l)rash, brilliant, and virtuosic in the big movcn~ents.yet remarkably delicate in the right places ("Tuileries." for example. is manrelous). The recording is early London digital, dry and fierce. with string tone that's a little abrasive. but solid ;irltl suitably atmospheric in the quiet pages. If Solti comes at Pictures from the percussive standpoint of hlussorgsky's original for piano, Dutoit sees the music through the lens 01' Kavcl. The hlontreal Symphony gives a heautifi~llyfinished performance-rhough as is oftell tlir case with Dutoit, this 1985 readiug is fairly matter-01fact, not as epic or highly charged as one n~ight wish in this music. T h e stars hcre are thc hlontre;~l orchestra's solid America11l~rassancl sul~pleFrench winds. Thc recording is London digit:~lat its best: warn1 ancl richly detailed.
I R I ~ Li \~ ~
/ik,ng/
t r ~ n a i~ i i SYMPHONY NO. 4,
'i llr U : l - E T r l - L > O J R B
COPENMLG~N A-.I.-.
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Copr~lhogria.1 0 5 3.
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Or. 29 I The I~~exti~zgukt~abl~ lereas the Finnish composer Sibelills sought to compress, t o ni;~kehis syrnrganic as possible, Denmark's Carl -1931) was inte~.estctiin l i b e ~ l t i ~ ~ g 1 elements of rr~usicalespression. e music of Urahn~s,Schurnan~l, man Niels Gatie, he \\,as anlong i the most natural, least orthodox composers of his n who had espericncecl life to the fullest, reflected upon i t intenrly, and ~ r : i ~ ~ s l ; ~ ~ r t l i ir all into a unique species of' c o ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ u n i c a r i o n . i Nielserl was extremely close to rlaturc, Imrh elerncntal and human. His ernotions : I ~ , ~ L I thc I la~tc'i.
i
l28
N
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
IE1,SEiY ;\S;I HOI' Lrccrr~rrN rtgi1trt7rlcrl brrglu~.((rbo11t)irr t h ~ ~ri.slr unrry. Ilr clicl lro/ sue crctiorr. ~Irorrglc15 jrars tnrlier ilrt DO~IP held S if~ROr(1 btniit~g from ilrt P n ~ w i n t r crtrd ~ , ilrp menrory oj' cornbut rom still freslr nmotrg hi.c el&,:\. Clfhtrr I ~ ~ P / S P I I butt~liorr :F wnrl 011 marrruvt,rs, I / I P yororg brrgler 1tnncc.d lo keep rip wiilr 1ri.c cornrnurrder 6y tulislirlg r h tail ~ of the i$Cf;ctrk 1ror.s~nrorc71dhis Itfi h n d (~rrdIrllirrg fire horstdrug lrinr n101rg.
NIELSEN
were bittersweet: i n Iiis music, particularly his Symphony No. 4 . lie gave voice to the co~iflictof negative and positive forces that he saw at the core of human experience. Niclseri \\?asnot a great melodist-his n~elodiesare rhythrns, texture>, ar;~bsques-and in ;Iny case he was against making things too easy on the listener. I n f;lct, his scores have a rather sharp edge to them, often jabbing with irony and sarcasm. Yet for all this, his works virtually shout \\'it11 life. That love of life was sorely tested by \\'orld \Var I. Nielsen found the experience o f being on the sidelines both disheartening arid cathartic. "*l'he whole worltl's tlisintegrating," he wrote at the tirne. "Natior~;~l feeling, ichich hitherto rvss regilrdecl as somctl~inglofty and heautif'ul, has become like a spir-itu;~lsyphilis that has devoured the brains, and it grins out through the empty eye sockets with moronic hate." Nielsen's answer to that diseased t i ~ ~ was i e his Fourth Sympliony ( I9 l ti), where hc ;tinled to show that ;imicl the terror, the life-seeking force could he ;IS strong. In that regard, the symphony is a great success, for it holds the listener for the better part of 40 minutes. This is especially so toward the encl. ~vhereNielse~ipor.tr;iys the struggle quite literally in a battle involving two groups of timpa~~i, placecl o n opposing sicles 01' thc orchestra, ant1 tllc orchestra itself. The syn~phony.in four continuous movements. draws much of its effect from the to\r.eri~igcontrasts of sound Nielsen builds up. T h e otrthursts arc violent. rhythmically insistent; the Inonierlts of tranquility, with tlicir echoes of folk song, seern i11111ostto come I i - o ~another i~ world. In tlie end. harmony triurnlhs. Nielsen's o w n note to (he score says in part: "By using the title Tlrr 17rc.s~ i ~ r g u i s l r a b l the e , coniposer has endeavored to indicate in one \vortl what the music lone is capable of expressing to the full: the ele~nental \%'ill to Life. Music i s Life a n d , like i t , is ir~cxtinguishable."
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:
San Francisco Symphony Orchestral :, Herbert Blornstedt. i Lortdort 421 j2-1-2 (utillr S y t n p l r o ~A'o. ~ ~ j]
Blo~nstedt has t l ~ cl'u11 measure of' Nielscn's n~usic,ancl his 1987 c.otrpling of the 1;ourtIi ;~ncl 1:iIth Symphonies, itl~possiblebefore the ;itlvent of CI), is the ideal ~)rogram.l'liese are escellent ~ x r l o r m a n c e s .knowingly shaped antl magniliccntly played. Lonclon pi-ovicles a state-01--the-art recording, in a living, I)rc;ithing, spacious ar11I)ience.
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of rvrititlg a symphor~ythat was rially "(:l;~ssical" in spirit ;111(1 lilyI phraseology, irlstrurne~lt;~tiori, ngiragc ;lppealed to the iconoclast 9 1 - 1953). Even as a student, he e to distance himself' 1'1-om the In Kornanticism, and as his style clcvcloped lie became iricreasingl\ t~ostilcto selltir~~et~t:~lity for ~LSOIVII s;~ke.Owing to 111c~x.cirli~u.ly iror~ictemperament throttgh ~vhichhis music:iI thoughts were usitally lilterecl, I'rokotiev's striving f0r tiirectness of el'fcct and economy 01' means could at tirnes take o n the air of sarcasrn. I n the C:lu.\,rrol S) niphony, tlo~vever,\\fit and char-111h;lcre t11c upper hand fro111 rllr stan, antl tlic liioocl of tire piece is natitr-ally cs~tberant. Prokofiev aptly cll:tr.ac.terired the spirit 01' the svniphony when he later ivrote. "If Havdn had livetl to our era. he \voultl t~averetained his cornpositional style but ~vottldalso have al)sorhecl something from \vIi;lt was new." \,trhilethr Clmsical Sy~npliony'sproportions ar-e more slelltler tlla~i
130
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ORCHESTRAL WORKS
H E CONCEPT of mitnicking lire Classical style in a sfntphot~ycan be traced back to Beellloven, ufhose Eighth ulac thr first irr a long lirte of s ~ pri~pose~ h fuUy relrospective works. Others include .\fetidelssoht~s ltaiiari Symphony, Hizet's Symptroq in C , Matikr's Fourth, Sibeli~u'sSixlh, S~ravitukyiSyniplion y in C, and Shostakovictr's Ninllr.
PROKOFIEV
one would find in a work by Haydn, the structural plan of its opening Allegro comes reasonably close to the model-though with typical playfulness, Prokofiev recapit 111atesin the wrong key ant1 then, after eight measures. ratchets up the liarrnony to where it belongs. The expressiorl is a bit racy for a Classical first nlovement, however, and the scoring is altogether modern in its bite. In tlic seco~itlrnovenient. a Larghetto, Prokofiev niimics t l ~ eornamental melotlic style of a Classical Andante. Then again, the melody itself', beginning on :I high A in the first violins, soars well above what ivould have been safe territory in Haydn's day. MThereHaydn would have put theminuec, Prokofiev i ~ ~ s e rat gavotte, s an anachronism by Classical stanclards. With ungainly octave leaps in the melodic line and graceless grace notes in the bassoon's low register, the treatment is intentionally rt~clehut wonderf'ul fun. T h e finale is a joyous rornp in which the harmony virtuaily jumps through hoops to avoicl t11e minor mode, a challenge Prokoliev set lii~iisell'whilecomposing the movement. I'rokofiev co~npletedthe Clnssical Symphony duri~lgthe eventful year of 19 17. He condi~ctedthe premiere hi~nselt'.in St. Petersburg (the11called Pctrograd). on ;Ipril 2 1, 19 18.
he tide of' \Yorld War I I had turned by 1944, the year Prokofiev set to work on t 9 the coriipositio~iof his Fifth Synll)liony, which he described as "the culmination ol'a long period of' my creative life." During that period, Prokofiev had ~ ~ n d e r g oar ~mcta~norphosis. e The n f a r t / / ~ r rible \vliose ico~ioclasticcreations had left audiences electrified and confused througl~the 1920s had been replacetl by a 11ctv cornposc~.-one who, ill his own \vords, had "gone d o w ~into ~ the deeper realms of music" in sei~rchof ;I more direct and simpler-style, with empllasis o n emotional expres-
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i sion rather than novelty of syntax. i At the outbreak of the war, Prokofiev. like nlilny Soviet artists, had been evacuated from hfoscow. Yet the war's grim presence can be felt in many parts of this symphony, most graphically in the concluding pages of the first movement. where the thunder of heavy guns is evoked in a towering, percussive climax. Here and elsewhere one senses a disquieting ambivalence of mood: triumph and ! tragedy seem interlinked in such a way that nei. her clearly predominates. Tension permeates the opening Andante, where broad, rhapsodic passages based on the warmly diatonic principal subject clash with rhythmically edgy material, much of it derived from a persistent repeated-note figure first heard in the violins. T h e quasi-balletic third movement, like the first, is predominantly lyrical and again strikingly ambivalent. The funereal tread of its operiirig measures gives way to a gentle thenie in the clarinets: as the first violins soar aloft with it, they uncover a waltz hidden within. T h e uneasy yet elegiac quality of the writing conveys a dreamlike melancholybut a subsidiary theme in violas ancl horns, over lurching pizzicato cellos and basses. introduces ;i darker sentiment, and the waltz ultimately unclergoes a brutal transformation before the earlier mood is recaptured. Prokofiev may have taken a page out of Shostakovich's book in c o m p o s i n g t h e s e two uncharacteristically meditative but poirerful movements. T h e synlphony's second niovenient. however, shows a familiar side of Prokofiev; it is USSIAN t h d he was, a toccata that touches on the macabre and the Pmkofiev was a11 excepcomical while giving every section of the orchestra tionully clever a t u i a virtuoso workout. T h e rondo finale is irreprescompelili~lecl~e.uphjer. sibly exuberant, an Allegro gioroso animated by a Gurnes utere as inurh of n stream of bantering solos for the woodwinds. daily ritual m conrposing or practicitrg the piano, and Because of the way it successfully dispels the PmkoJlev even wo11 a toto.tensions of the preceding three niovernents \vithrlorne,rl at srrr rllrring a11 out seeming artificially tacked ori, thc finale must Atlurrlic crossing 011 llre be considered one of Prokofiev's most extraorAqt1it;uiiia it1 1921. dinary achievements. 'l'he symphony :is ;I whole.
R
132
ORCHESTRAL WORKS *
PROKOFIEV
with its rugged grandeur anti we:~llfio f ni;itcl.i;iI, its strong rnotivic connections between ~iio\~c*ments arid supple orchestriltiori, remains onc of the great works in the literature. I'rokofic\l riglitly considered it his finest creation.
Berlin Phllharmonic/Herbert von Karajan. Deutsche Gmrnmophon 4 3 7 235-2 [Symphonies N o s . I and 51
P
:
its terisile strength arid lyric sweep, rlic traversal has the power of the conductor's t~cstrecortli~igs with the Berlin Philharnionic. Tempos ;ire ~vcll chosen, the performance nioving i~iexor;ihlyli)rward without secrriirig to be pushctl. The playirig is assured throughout and ricl~in a t i i ~ o s ~ ~ l r ~ r - e . T h e Classical Sy~nphon y, recortletl 1 3 years later-, comes offsoundingjust a hit heavy; it is l,rilliaiitly played but not quite light-hearted cnough. pl-l~c recorded sound is sorne\\*hat gl;il-y i l l tllc 1:iftli but has adequate weight and det;iil. Lhtoit and the hlontreal Sy~l~l,liorly pick L I I I thc Gallic element in Prokofiev's I;ing~i;~gc \\.it11 rcatlings that are sensuous and sii;ive. In ;I leis~~~.ely stroll through the Cll.ssicc11. there is 110 cl'l'or'i to portray the bad-boy side of I'rokolicv, so tlic 1.cs1rlt is a little soft. T h e version of tile 1:il'tli ~)l;~ces ;I prernium on beauty of' torie ;111tl li~ie-;~ritl 1)l.o-
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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133
vides as voluptuous an experience of the score as can be imagined. T h e 1988 recording is warm, spacious, and nicely balanced, rvith real bass and lovely string tone. Solti, as could be expected, delivers a virtuosic if rather fierce Classical Symphony. Even though this 1982 account is one of the fieetest on disc. there is nothing cut-and-dried about the playing, which is polished to perfection. T h e recording, made in Orchestra Hall, is on the reverberant side, but still quite satisfactory in its detail.
"4'
s an adult. Prokofiev had a marked aversion to sentimentality. Reserved and cool by nature, he avoided openly shotcing his affection for others, and he tended to be uncomfortable in his relationships with children-including his own two sons, from whom he remained fairly clistanr. But Prokofiev never lost the ability to look at the world through a child's eyes. He loved fairy tales, delighted it1 the imaginative aspects of play, and believed in happy endings. As a composer, Prokofiev realized that children often bring more to the act of listening than adulrs do, and he wrote a substantial number of pieces for them, including his Seventh Symphony. By far the 111ost engaging of his works for youthful lis~enersis the tale for narrator and orchestra Peter and the IITolJ commissioned by the Children's Theatre Center oC hloscow. Prokofiev himself conlposed the text. in collaboration with Natalia Satz, aiind the work received its premiere on hlay 2, 1936. With his keen understanding of how children think, the composer packs the narrative with events and characters, each one represented by a memorable melody. T h e scori~lgclearly delineates the "personalities": the bird is represented by excited.
134
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
* PROKOFIEV
Hight): r~tnso n t l ~ cIlule; rile cluck, its music in n minoi- key, by tllc plaintive souncl of' the oboe; the cat, whose sultry, gliding steps arc to 11c ;u.ticulatecl cot, c ? l ~ y y ~ t ~by t ( ztlic . clarinc~;I'eter's CI-itsty grandfather by I~lrchingfigures i l l rhe bassoon; thc \volf, its tnusic also in the n~inor,by sii;~rliltg brass; the not-so-smart hunters by their el-ratit gunfire in the timpani and [)ass tlru111: arid I'eter himself' by the string scc-tion, u.itli irs \\.at-tnthand added espressive rlimension. ,As the chnmc-tersinteract, the rcpeti~ionustheir melodic tags creates a sense of satisl>ction in the young listcrier, \t-llile tlie suspense of Peter's (:onfrontation wit11 tlic \volf is resolaecl in a hnl~py march thar brings :t11 tllc c1iarac~e1.s back together again. For- the adult. listcncr, ir is the cc~mbinarion of Prokoliev's Sctching 111c1odit.s;uitl readily I-ecognizable idiom thar bl-ings clelight, along rvit.11 the thouglit t h a ~I'eter's challenge to authority and ~villir~gr~ess ro take risks are what savc t l ~ e day. Thc outcontc of such behavior in the co111poser's o\vti life, :IS S~alin's 19-18 pitrge of the I!nion of So\.ict (:ornposel.s \\-;is ro silo\\., i\.oitlcl he diffc!rcnr. I'rokoficv \voi~lcli>e\relreco\-er Cro111 the cellsure 11c C I I C ~ L011 I I .that ~C~ occasion. tlio~igh the thought t llal tltc colnposel. ol' l'(~rt,rc/tt(/ Ilrr* I\'$/ co~tltlI)c I)~-a~~tled a n esr I-emel!. clccatlcnt fol-n~:tlistI - ~ I I I ~ ~olle I I S (01- the stlpt-rlne ironics of' 201h-c.rlitury art.
Royal Philharmonic OrchestralAndre Previn. Telurr CD $0126 [it*il/l B1ittt.11: .l'he Yo111lgPcrson's Guide to the Orcllrsua n11d Cour~lyDances fronl Glo~iana] The New London OrchestralRonald Corp. I ~ S ~ P ~C'DA ~ O 66499 II [ulitl, 1lrinter-U ~ I I ~ I Sumlne~ I.~. Day, a n d T h e Ugly I)ucklirig]
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
PROKOFIEV
135
Previn does ;I deft jot) of both narrating and conducting a lush, sympho~~ically scaled performancc from 1985. His hell~fulintroduction to the score, giving musical cues, is ideal for your~g listeners. Telarc's sonics are breathtaking, and tile coupling \\ith Hritten is highly desir;~l~le. 'The I-Iyperior~CI) brings to get lie^ four of Prokoficv's mqjor ivorks 101- children i l l very wcllrecortletl performances froni 1991. As for the narration by Oleg and C;abriel Prokolicv, the conlposer's son ant1 grand so^^, i t woultl Ilave been better if Gabricl liacl done the wholc thing.
he FI-ench composcr Kavel ( 1875- 1957) great silccess convcr~ingpieccs origi~l;~lly intentlctl for the piano into orchestr;~l music, and then passing off' the orcl~estralivorks as ballets when the occasio~~ s ~ ~ i t eHut d . his most popular score, I~ole'ta, \\.as irltendctl,as a ballet from [lie start, cornmissio~~ed by 1c1;1 Rubinstein and l~-en~ieretl in 1928 at the Paris OpCra. Indeec-I, t\.ithout the orchestra. RolPro never ~\,oulclhave \r.orkecl. T h e entire score is one long cresce~~do ovcs a recurrir~gharrrior~icsequence, with ;I constant rhythmic obbligato-thc first notes heard, played tl~roughout by the snare drum. Only o n the last pages 01' the score does the harnlorly shift briefly from C to E, creating a n exhilasilting high before slnmming I);~ckinto (: for the exubcrar~rclosing. \Vhat gives Bolt?,-o its vitality and colol is the subtle shif'ting of [lie orchestl.ation, the deployment of one instrument or inst]-urnentalcombination after another, borne on the inexoral~lcI~uildl~l, from operiing whisper to co~~cluding real-. T h e csotic uncler~tonesa1.c clear, ;tnd ivitnesses report that the i\.ay Rubinstein danced it. Bolero was the holtest thing i r i Paris. enjoyed t T
138
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' RAVEL
L I C ~ Iof
Ka\,el's muric looks i l l onc w;lv or :irlother tow;il tl Spain, whicll Ibr llirn represcrltctl not orlly the remote, colo~.l'lll, fasci~latingworltl of' til-cams the rc;il \\.orld ~voultl like to be, but ;III inexhaustible sour-re of exotic niusical ideas. Sp:~in'sspecific apl)e:il to Ravel was t l ~ erhythmic ;inti melodic richllcss 01' its tl:~llcc t'orrlls. In the Ra/~sa(liet~.~j%zg~zolr, liis first puhlisl~ctl \\lark for fill1 orchcst~-a(1907), thcsc (lances bccame the building blocks for a Sour-move men^ suite that clearly s l ~ o n ~the s con~poscr'stalent for tr;ir~sformings~iggestiveideas illlo \~iscerxllycsriting music. K;~vel'sresoui.ccl'ttl scoring-l~ar'ticularly his virruosic use of ~,ercussior~ (il~cludir~g such clistinctivels ';Spai~isli" instruments :is castanets ~ultl tarnbourine) arlcl (left touches wit11 muted strings ;111cl I>rass-hclps ~ n ;ke i the R~p.$odi~ P S ~ ( L ~ ~O OI /I C P of' I~isrnost apl)c.;iling ~vorks. i \ r l t l his skillful incorporation 01' tl;ir~ceforms sircli as the rn:i1;1guciia arid the h:~l>anera,which 111-eservestheir exotic character while imparting to them a synlphonic suppleness and open-cr~clrdness,won rhc ;~l)lx.ovalof Ravel's conteniporary hl;unucl de F;ili;l, \vho praised tlie score for its ;i~rtlicnticSpanish character. T h e four mo\.;ctnents create :I sequence rnucl~ like that of a short symphony. vl'l~(* opening "1'rr;ludr,d la rrl~i!"("l'rrli~tlct o the h'igllt") is a hypnotic. cvocation of [lie 1l)cl.ian evenil~g,;ilmost fragr;tiit ivith color. As ;I tlescendirlg li)ur-note motive (F, E, L),C sharp) repeats itself'in the backgrou~ltl. tl~issong of' the r~iglitbloorns I>l.icfly,like a rlocturrlal flowel-. i l l I w o passiori:rt(. ~)l~r.ases for t llc strings, before closing with catlc~lzasfor p;~irctl cl;irine[s a n d bassoons. Purlct~~:itctl by Hashes 01' r;in~Imurine, ~ l l esllado\q ";\lnlrrg~re~ia"fills the role of a scherzo, vanishing illto the nigh1 as quickly as i t hatl c.oine. 1Vitl1 the. c.rlsuing "H(11)rrirurcr," a piece ol.igi~~;illy composctl li)r two pianos,
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137
K;ivel ~ h o i \ ~tlic s st~l>rleside ol' his c-r;~ft:I\ ;ill or chest^-ator, creatii~ga ~iiosaic.o f t l ~ c .most tlclic;ue color. l ' h r fi~alc.,erititled "Furia" ("l;esti\.alw). is a brillia~itlyscoretl sho\\.piece with tli~rilysliifting rt~ythmsin its outer sec~ionsalltl a strlrry ccritral sectiori featlrring serpcntirie solos by the Irlglisl~horn and c.larinct. i \ r r ~ i c l eclroes 01' IIIC "night" murive from the lirst movenic.nt, the festivities I~econ~e incrc.;isingly livcly i r ~ r t i l , t\.itlr Ilis sure selrse ol' clirrras, Ravel brings tllirlgs to a tlazzling concli~sion.
11apl)cris tliat a great t\-orli is better kno\\w by cscc.rl>ts.Such has been the fate of Ravel's l)(rplr~int-t Clrloi c \ ~ . sirice r its creatiol~.\\'bile occasionally perfi)rrnctl as a ballet, it is t~sually heart1 in coticerl, reprrse~lrctl by its final three nurnl~ers:''LPI~PI (it1 jol~r" ("1)avl~reak")."P(irr~ottrinr,"and "Dnmr gc;r~c:rc~lr"("(;en7' THE 7'W,IE era1 I):rtice"). Kavcl hirnsell' tlcsign:ited these cscerpts ;is Suile No. 2 follot~~ir~g the sc.oreqscorner Chloe-/l:.\t otre jrmr hrforr tllr dvblrl of .~~r~ruirr.sl~'s pletion i r l IF) 11'. Kite ot' Spring-his ttr~uiRasctl o n a pastor;il drarna I>y the (ir-eck poet m l /(irrg~mgezitm cotr.tiolo.c~cl I.ongus, t11c scenario for the I>:~llct\\';IS rlcvised quitr rrrizntrn~~l. .Arid his I L ~ F t ~ vXlikliail Fokine, n cl;~ssicallytrairlerl cia~icer of llrr iN rr,o,lo.r ~hrorcglrorel ;111cl choreogr-;ipher 101- Scrgei I)iagl~ilc.\"sI\;~llc~s //re ~o~rrl~editrfi "D;III>~I ahKusses. The first t ~ v oscenes of the h:~llcrportray eralr" p e t r the darlrrrs vf /hc. B(rllo7t.c Hre.\~e~s ti,o urld o/ tlie co~~r.tship of D;ll)llnis and (;liloe ;r~rdtlic liltrrutrblr~.111 orrler- 10 krep rhcv tcr's a1)tluction by. and mil-aculous escape from, p11bt.. t h q 1 1 ~ 1 110 re.50rl lo (t ;I bar~rl01' l>il;ctes. 'l'hc r l~irdsc.cane. c.ornl>r-ising tr-ick: re~pr(lti~ig ill /Iirir the ~111-ce nuiiil~ersof Suite No. 2 . taki-s pl;icc in heads //rtfiz-r-.sjllnbl~ tlarrrr ;I grove sact-cd to tllc got1 Pan. K;~\.el11o1-triiys tlle of /lrc.ir-iinprt8.o(criv, Scr-gri Dia-gl~i-lev.orrr ntrd over niurmuring of a nearby I~rookat dayl~reakwith .co a\ trol In grl 10.~1. uriclul;~tingfigures i l l the \\.intis, h;tr.l)s, celcstn. arlrl latcr the strings. In rlic tbi-egro~intl,bil-clc:ills are soirtided Ily thc piccolo ; ~ n dtliree solo violins. As the shades of dawrl give I \ , : I ~ ro t l i C color.s of d;~y(violins, cellos, and basses are instructctl ro gradu:~lly relliove rlicir m~rtes),;I lusuriarlt nlel-
1 s
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Lntrglz te r irz Music
T
hew is liluch in i~rtrsir tho1 coil m a k ~I L Ir~liglr, ~ and oil occnsiort cuiirpo.\rn have czrrir tried to iilrrhr ~huir muric 11riglr :l,ijLSfv. 111 Daphllis et ChloC, rlrtrirlg Il~r"Cmtr~squ~ Dr~rrr.r~ of' Dorcuti," Kazleli hrcr.\s and utirrds grr/faau*in slrorl hti~:~Lr of eigh~lrrroles uver Ji(t.rhr.~oj striizg trrrrrolo. Bortcik szrccee&d in tilt- four111 moveineirt of his Co~lcerro for 01.c:Ilcstra~uitlrborr ts 01 raucoru ~rilliizgiir .\lri~rgs, ulnds, a td bra<,fi~lluuied 6y descrtrdiirg streuks of litteriirg ciglrllr iloles.
•
RAVEL
ody huilds i l l thc orchestra. 1);lphnis ;r~vakes, ansiously looks for- Chloe, antl sees her ;~lnonga group of shcl)lierclesscs. T h e ~ w othro\\ themselves into each other's ;I 1-111s.the melody reaching an irnpassionctl climas. I n grntitucic to Pan, \r-hose irllcr-ventioii savetl Chlol. from the pirates. Lhphnis ancl Chlol. mime the story of tllc god antl his belo\,ed Syrinx, to n sultry Il1.1te accompani~ncr~l. Sta~.ked"expressive and supple," tlle solo is actually shal-ecl I)y thc four mernhel-s of' the flute sectio~l-piccolo, t\vo flutes, and alto Ilute-l~ut playetl ;IS if tvrittcri lor a single instrument. Over- a g e ~ ~ t pizzicato le accompaniment colorecl by horns, harps, celesta. o ~ lclance , becomes increasingly and ~ ) e r c ~ ~ s s iI lie animated, until with a last \\?hid C;hloe I-111s languorously into Ilaphllis's arms. In a brief hut passion;ite epilogue, youilg women dresscti as biiccharites cnter, shitking their tambouri~les,fbllo\r.ed by ;I group of young nicl~. Setting the b;icclianal ngai~ista tlizzying 51-1nietcr. intosicating i ~ itsell', r Kavcl dcl~loysthe I'ull rcsources of the orchestra to create an eshilarating orgy of sour~cl.
Montreal Symphony Orchestral Charles Dutoit. Londoir 421 456-2 [4 CDJ; BolPro, I<;~l~sodic rspagnole, arrci I ) ; ~ ~ , l lc.1~ ~Cllloe i s (roi~rplete). aith utl~eiorch~str~rl ~r~orks] Boston Symphony Orchestra/Charles Munch. RCA I.ivri~g Sterro 61846-2 [Daphnih c.1 Chloi. (romplrlr)] Berlin PhilharmoniclHerbert von Karajan. Ueut.\clru Grcii~~~~to/~lrot~ -127 250-2 [Iioli.~ o n ~ 1)aphnis d et Chloi., Surtc*N o . 2, uvl/r Drhrtq: I'rdude i 1';11>1-t.smidi t l ' ~ r nfaunc. nrrd L.a hlrr]
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
'
RAVEL
139
Llutoit's ma) 11ot be the r~lostpoir~tcrlintcrprctatio~lsof this mu.\ic, or- thC most sirl~tlyni~ancccl, hut they are deftly clral-actcrized,dasl~inglyplayctl, and I)~.illi;~ntly 1.rcort1ed-\\.l~icll p1acc.s tller~i~ I I I O I I ~ the .je\\vclsol' the (:D catalog. Lonclor~'~ erlgi~lecring ~ x ~ t s t hlistener e right irlsidc the orcliestr~;~, \\.hicli is realls \ \ ' l l ; ~ t Ravel's scoring is ;if'ter. \Vhile therc is Illore tlctail than oric \voulcl hear in a live per-for-nlancc,the balarlcc and perspcct i\.e of these early- 1980s recordings are perlectl) n;ltural. I)LItoit's l < ~ t / P , aant1 Rnpsosotlrr c~\png?toIi,11:tve a s l ~ l t r ~ warnlth. The polishecl, opulent account ol'L)c~plr~/r.\ e[ Chlok is what put Dutoit and the .\lontrc.;~l Sylnl)l~ony-a I~etter-Frcllch o~-che.\tr;~ tharl ally in Fsa~ice-or1 the map. 'l'he only tlr.;~\\~bnck OII this (:I) is that the scerich 01' the I~alletare rrot
RI5olero
,41%L KI:'(.'ORDEI)
u~ittrttrt, Lurrrorrrc~r1.xOrc/rt,.\/,a irr Jlrtr~lnryof I 9 3 0 .
(I
iit/li~
o w r cr )ear n f l ~ r~ I I uqork'\ P prerrrirrr. RDIV'/'\/r.~npois e l i t tttr .\lorcg artd . \ / r ~ (side, l ~ /rrt/ /kt, /revjorrt~atrc~, i.\ 111 rru roci?
r/orlg~.lnderd. u i n e of rttc, solm (ire rt.mcrrkab1y fret,, rrpeciltl/\~/ / I ( > O T I PJOrjirst tromhoilr, ;~~lric/r is pluyerl ;c,it/r rr zonrrotr~jer A i k e slitli,.\ br*l:cr~et~ nolr\.
mitmcnt, painted i r ~blazing colors \\,it11 the strrc strokes of a master. \Vhile tile tempos occasionally seen1 iclios!:ncraric, there is ;llways arc t~nderlyirlg logic. :\t the tirne the secortling \\.as made, tlrc Bostor~ Sympt~ony-with its refi~recl winds arltl lun~inousstri~lgs-\\.as indisp~ltahlythc Ixst FI-ench orcl~cst.l-ain the \\'orld. ant1 i t plays tlrc rnusic \\.ill1 a collsurllmate sense 01' s~ylc.RC:\'s ciirly steseo recorclirlg. neu.ly rcrnastercd, has a "live" quality i1npac.t. and \\*onrIerfi~l I<:ts:!jar~'s 19liti Bolbro I - ; I I I ~ Swit11 t l ~ cfinest ;LCcounts ever recortlccl: polishcti, sua\.c. ~.cmarkal)lc for its hypnotic control arrtl splendid cumulativr ef'fec~. At 1 F:O!J. it comes O I I I at precisc:ly the s:cr~rc tirnir~g;IS Ravel's o\vn r.cc.ording-1;)r like tllc con1lx)ses. Karitian knew illat the piccc cannot go as fas~;IS the score .srr~sit Ilould go. Alllong tllc virtues Ilcrc: are tllc wonrlcrt'irl solos I)y LIIC Berlii~ ~vincls;111dthe rllagr~ificcr~t tonal s h c c *o~ f~~ h 1'e1111 band. -1'he I964 perforrn;~~~ce of t11c. Suite KO. 2 fro111I)mpl~nis1.1 (;hi06 is po\\.erI't~l.FOI-;I I-ecor.tlir~g more t Iran 25 yearb old, Holi;ra souncls superb: t 11c Dap11rri.r suite is rlearly as vivid, rhough cloutlrcl by a too-diffuse I-everhcratior~.
140
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
9
B
ERNIIVI'S FON'I'A N .A clcl 'I'ritone urns COTIImissio~recl Pope U r b ~ i t Vlll (borit Al((feo B~rberini) iit 1643. Stnilding iit the ~ ~ i d dof l e!he Piarzcl Barberiiri, it ir a masterpiece of design. Fonr dolphiirc at its b a r clrr~ulwater in tltro~cglt[heir oben ~noltllu. Atoj) thth. rciist~d1nil.s is a gia111 scallop shell, up011 wlricli is scored thefiRurr of Tritoii. udto b l o u ~ulaler out tl~ro~cglt nit ttpruised conclr shell.
RESPlGHl
~out~taitu oJ liotne, completed in I!) l t i , is the first of I hree syn~plior~ic ~~oetiis 11) Kespighi (1879- 1!)3(i) inspired by the Eternal City. The tvorks portray not so much the city's architecture or flor;~I ~ u tthe mood of particular scenes-and the sense of atmosphere and history that makes Ronrc unique anlorig cities of' the world. In I;ounIai?~$1,J'1<0111e,each of four fourllilins is rendered at a dil'l'crent time of day. 'l'he work opens with a gently ;~tmosphericportray;~lof' the Fountain of the Viille Giulia at da\vn, (1111-irrg \s.hich one car1 alnlosr see the mis~srisirig over a pastoral landscape. 'fhe bucolic reverie is I~roken by a unison blast o n the horns, and the scene shifts to the Tri1o11 1;oitntain in the ~ ~ l o l - t ~ i l ~ p . Her-e, Respighi's i~naginationprovcs Illore than eq11aI to the task ol' clepicting the rnythologiral demigod of Bemini's splendid fountain, tvho blotvs o n his conch shell in the middle of \vllat is today one of Rome's busiest intersectiolls. All nl;lnner of' rnusical sea-bcil~gsanswer to Iris call; :is their play subsides we ; ~ r l~rought c face to face \vith the Imwer of the sea ilsclf', by the Trevi I:o~tr~tniliin all its midday splelidor. Neptune's (:hariot, heard here in the trurnpcls ;tntl tronihoncs, passes tl.i~lrnphantly over the strings'\oaves, follotr.etl by tritons o n their sea horses : ~ n dcavorting Nereids. l'his one nlovement, like t he fountauri, is certainly wol-tll :I coirr or three. 1)usk :trrives and we fincl ~LII-selves :it the Fountain ol' the Villa %lerlici,lookitig o11t over the Castel S;lt~t'Angelo,the \raticall, ;lntl all of central Rorne. 'I'he air is soft, and as tile light fades the tolling of I)clls brings a n etltl lo 111cday, and to this lush s y m l ~ l ~ o lpoem. ~ic Sequels in music are d a n g e r o ~ ~tliirlgs-only s r;~relydo thcy rll:ttcll or surpass tlie origi~l;~ls. But cight years af'tel (.o~llpl~.tit~g F O I I I I I N (f ~ I ~R. O \ ~IIP,
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RESPlGHl
141
Respiglli outclicl hin~self'with Pilies o/ Kornc. Conceived o n a 1;irger scale and with even ~rio~-c brilliant orcllcstral cl'lects, it portrays fbul- Kornall settit~gs\\.here pine I rees flo~trisli. :\gain rhe scenes ;ire vie\vetl at characteristic tilncs ol' (lay. "The I'ines of t l l c - \:ill;r Rorghesc" finds chiltiren ;tt play in the niidda! sun. "Pines Nc;tr a (::r~acornb"is :I twilit aSl:~ir,tlic \vork's lirst look at Rome's ancient past. \\'ith "'l'he I'ines ol. the Jnnic~llur~~," Kcspiglli pail~rsa shinlrneril~g nocturne in ~vl~ich. conscious o f effcct as al\\.ays, he int1.t-rtluces the ~.c.cortlcclcall of ;I nigll~i~igalc~ as the final touch. Anrl "-l'he Pilies ol'the ..\ppi:ir~ LV;ly" S I I I I I I I ~ O I I Su p ;I I'i~ll-l~lotvn l
London Symphony Orchestra/lstvan Kertesz. Lnrrrlutt \t'c,r'kt~ld (;inssic.s 425 507-2 [rclillr vl'l~e Birds] Montreal Symphony Orchestral Charles Dutoit. Lurrrlotr -1 10 145-2 [icillr Kom;ir~k'cstivals]
,1111,,111,1,11-
( I I I ~\ I I ~ I I I I I I ~ hr(cri/!. I,~II~
\\'ih all irlcal~desccr~t London Sy~nplior~y spread out i r l frc~l~t of I~irn,alltl the best cl~gincel-iligrear11 of tile I!lGOs ar his Imck, Kerti.5~had ~r~crely to pick L I ;I~ 1)atoll to n~ake11len101-able r-ecol-dings. His perf'orrnances here are sul,erlative i r ~ever!' \\*:ty: \ V : ~ ~ I I i~i~:igiri:ttive, I, ;i11c1 I~:ili;i1iateto L I I cor.cb ~ (Kcrtesz Ilnd studiecl at [lie :\cc.aden~ia di Sanra Cecilia i l l Komc.). Tlicy arc also stunniligly ~~layctl arid recorcled, \vhicl~niakes tllis disc, at 1)udgc.t price, the best choicc for rliis rcl)ertory. Illsteatl of offering rot ria^^ I ; ~ ~ s I ~ he ~ ~ third ( I ~ s p;irt , ol' i Kespighi's trilogy. tlic coul,ling I~creis T l ~ Ijirdsr
142
ORCHESTRAL WORKS ' RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
even better, because as a piece of rnusic, Roltrc~tz Feslivc~lsis, well. for the birds. As arl interl~reter.1)utoit nnay IIC a touc11refinc*tl for Kespighi, but tlnc 1982 accounts of Pl~lesand Fountairrs he lends with the hlont~.ealSympho~ly are among the best. T h e latter ivork is vivid and sprightly in the mitldle sections a ~ r\*ondertl~lly ~ d atmospheric at he end. Pilies moves along briskly as well-perhaps a little too rnuch so in the finale, which lacks t l ~ egaudy grandeur of some othc'r accounts. T h e sountl is tyl>ically fine, so~newh;it distanced but solidly imagetl.
I I ~ the I \Vild \Vest was to the Americ:in ~rilaginationin the 19th century, [he near East was to the Russian. ?'hese la~lclstvcre full of intriguing cultures, wonci~.ollssights, striking beauty, :i~idheroic deccls-at least that \v;ls the impression n literate Russian ol' the clay PI-01)ably had. As a lieutenant in the (:zarist navy a ~ l d later :is he illspector of naval Ixinds, liimskyKorsako\. ( 1 844- I C108) hat1 tra\celed line ler~gth and breadth of the empire and sc'en much of tile world beyond by the time lie reached rniitldle ;1gc. In 1888, witli some of his finest work ;~lreatly behind him. Ilc con~posecl:I largc orchcsrral suite inspired by The 7%owanci nlrd O I I P~\'iglrts-intendetl, as hc later said, to Ic;tve listeners with the impression of "an Oriental rial-rativc of some numerous ;IIICI varictl fairy-tale wonders." Nanlecl for its storytelling hc'roi~ie,Kimsky's Scl~el~~tnzade I-esernl~lcsa symphony in structure. T h e four nlo\femrnts, c;ich of' \vhich carries a descriptive title, share much thc~natic~nateri;~lincluding n si~iuousrnelotly port^-aying Schchrrazade herself, played by the solo violi~i,ant1 a stern motive representing the Sultan Sl~ahriar, Sorcef'~~lly Ilur-lecl out by strings and f ~ ~brass l l at
ORCHESTRAL WORKS ' RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
143
the start of the piece. Each of' these two motives is subjected to numerous translorrn;~tions,so that thc whole work is, as lie claimed, "closely knit by the cornrr~unityof its thernes arrd rnotives, yet p r e s e n t i n g a k a l e i d o s c o p e o f i m : ~ g c sarlcl designs. . . ." T h e iruagery of the opening niovenlent, "The Sea arid Sinbad's Ship." is easy to discern. T h e undulating lower strings beneath Shahriar's rnotive, here doing double duty as a thenie for Siribatl, irnrnetliately show the gallant sailor on the deck of his ship, riding our the timpani swells. "The T a l e of the Kalendar Prince," \vith galloping rhythnis, warlike fanfar-es, and cyirlbals that glint like scimitars, tells of lancl-based adventure arid takes the place of a corlventiorial scherzo, \ \ M e "The Young Prince and the Young Prirlcess" is a rZIL.liD FKOI\I tender romance u~ithhints of arabesques arid a city lo cify, rsla~td processional. \2'ild revels and arl undercurrent of to island, nttd .ira lo tea, urgency mark the finale, "The Festival at Baghlri~tilotrr day U ~ E(*11~01intere(1 dad-The Sea-Shipwreck on a K c ~ kSurmounted n t m s r~critld Thcr~ule all by a nrorize Warrior." 'roivard the end there is begnri to p r q , u ~ t das ure a cyclical return of the nus sic depicting the sea uierr doing this a Juriour squall hi1 Ute sitit, and tore and Sinb;ld's ship, only this time a storrn rages. the .wily IV /alters. The stlip \Voodwinds, strings, and percussion portray the ~trhirledcrrutcnd three tinlei billowing waves in all their terril'ying 1n:lgnifirrlzd was d ~ i v e bockn~ctrd. ~t cence. ;IS the brass proclainl the tlierne of Sllahriarl That thv nrdder brokr and Sinbad. T h e ship crashes against the rocks and is the ship hecrded to~t~1r(l a CIYf.. . ." destroyed . . . but it is only a srory, ar~clgentle -"'l'hc l'sle of Sinbad Scheherazade has the last word, I~ringingcorn for-1 the Searnan" in the to the wise king ivho has sparecl her life. A rabiatc Nighh
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestral Kirill Kondrashln. I'lli1ip.i 400 021 -2 Royal Philharmonic Orchestral Sir Thomas Beecham. Er\fI CDC 47717 [ubilil Boroditl: Polovtsiarl Dances from Prince Igor]
144
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Kondr-ashin sensitively balances the m:isculi~~e and the fe~nir~ine in his account of Sciielrert~mde, ivliich is notable lor hoth its sonic opulence and Oriental splendor. T h c conductor- leads a per-forni;ince in the gr;und Inallner but maintains fir111 orchestral discipline. T h e \\thole rhir~gis a riot of color, arrtl the cxcellcnt analog recording I'rom 1979 has been 1)eautifully tra~isterred. Beecharn lovecl a colorfi~lscore, and he came U ~ J\\fit11a gloriously \ri\vici accoulit of this one in 1957. cluring his I;~teryears wit11 the Royal Pliilharmonic. There is a serise of spontaneity i ~ this i performance, of the orchestra literally sitting on the edges of their seats. The stereo recording has a hit of edge, too, causing brass ant1 strings to sound glassy on occasion. BLILthe image is firm and has remarkable depth.
SSXIPIIONY N o . 3,
ISC: X I I S O R ,
OP. 58
lie o f the great masten ot French ~ n ~ ~ s i c . Sai~~t-S,iEnr ( IH:$:i-lI)I! I ) h;ls Ixcn judgetl l)y ~x)gw.ity;IS ;I I-eaction:i~-y.111 fact, he \\.;IS onc. of the niosl astute :tnd eclectic niusicia~~s of his da),. .-\ pianist a r ~ dorg;lnist of ~ulsu~-passctl ahilitics \\.ho possc.ssc.d ;I prodigio~lsrlrernor-\ and a legcr1cla1.y gill for sight-re;~di~ig, he \\.as thoroughl\ ;tc-q~~ai~ited \\-it11 the works o f 1,iszt ;111d \t'i~g~lc.r, yc.1 \\';IS also on fa~nili;~r terrns with thc nus sic 01' the Ikil-oq~~e. \\'bile Ile \\.;IS n1ol.e of ;r co~~solid;ttor thau :I pior~eer,S;~iut-SaCusnonethcles~I-CIII;I~~K:C[true to the spirit and 11-adilio~~s of Frcncli rll~~sic. by f ~ l s i l ~the, g l~estof' tile new ar~tlold, a~lclI)? cshil~itingcoirsurnn1;tte c.1-aft>rn;rnsl~ipiirltl ;I srnsitive ear for soriority. S;ii~lt-S;~i!~~s co1111)oscdlive symlhonies, t ~ v oof thcni early \\forksthat rclnainctl irnput)lisl~ecIfor un;rli! years. His 1110s~ ilnpol.la111\\,o~-kiri rllc I x r n is his S y ~ n l ~ l i oNo. ~ ~:-iy. i l l C n~inol-.c,on~l>lc.ti.d in
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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US
1886. Conceived on the grandest scale, and clearly influenced by the innovative compositional techniques of Liszt (to whose memory the score is dedicated). it is krlowll as the Organ Sy~ilpllo~iy because of the important role that instrurnen~ plays in the work-not in a solo capacity. but as a complement to the orchestra. IVithin the symphony's unorthodox two-part layout can be found the conventional division of material into b u r movements: the first part consists ol' an Allegro (prefaced by a brief slow introduction) and an Adagio, while the second part combines a schcrro and a Presto finale. A striking feature of the music is the degree to which Saint-Saens makes use of the process of thematic transl'ormation. a technique developed by Berlioz and Liszt in which a melodic cell from one niovenlent is modified to produce a new subject in a subsequent mo\ ement. There are two motto themes in the Orgun SJrnphorly. One is an ascerlding fournote motive first heard in the slot+ introduction, voiced by the oboe over a plaintive harmonization in the strings; it later appears in espanded form as the consoling theme of the Adagio and as the grancl, chorale-like sulject of the finale. Tlle other motto theme first launches the Allegro in the guise of all ac-cornpanirncnt, a scurrying sixteenth-note line in the violins. It reappears in altered form at many points-in two clifl'erent transformations within LIIC Adagio, as both the opening and a subsequent theme in the scllel-zo, and as a subsidiary theme in the finale. T h e organ's majestic full voice is saved for the closirig poition of the s) mphony, where it sounds triumphant chords amid the orchestra's bracing proclamation of the first motto theme. But its most he;+tt~ifulmoment comes at the beginning of the Adagio, where its pedal tones support a hushcd, lyrical tre:ltment of the same subject in the strings. Saint-Saem in 1910, the gray enitlettre of French music.
i
- -
though he was born bel'ore the invention of the telegraph, Sailit-Saens livetl long
enough to beconie the first major composer to \\?ritefilm music. The same gift for characterization that makes a good film score is cvidc~iti r i the highly cinematic musical entertai~inientknown as The C a r ~ ~ i vof a l the Animals, which Saint-Saens de humorously described as a " C r t l ~ ~ fa~ltrrisie wologique." Scored for two pianos and an ensemble of t\vo iriolins. viola, cello, string bass. flute, clarinet, glockenspiel. and xylophone, Tirp Crrn~ivnlof tile Anitt~alspokcs fun at Offenbacli, Berlioz. Mendelssohn, Rossini, and not least, Saint-Saens hiriiself. The tortoises dance Offenbacli's fr~rnouscancan in the slo\+estof tempos. ant1 thc clepha~itcavorts to the strains of both the "Dance of the Sy1l)lls" fi-om Rerlior's La ~ i o t t r ~ ~ adet iFalr.\l o ~ ~ iuici the scllc~.zo from hfendelssohn's music for A i\.lidurmtnc.r Nig/11:r Dreani. Pianists are considered a~li~nals i l l this menagerie, and their incessant fiilger exercises and scales are parodied with rnercili~lgmxl li~i~iior. Saint-Saens targets himself in "Fossils." where the xylophone plinks out his Dulzse ~~tc~rubre. "Twirlkle Twinkle Little Star" and the aria "Ll~iavoce poco fa" from Rossini's The Barber of Seville also gain admission to this select group of animal remains. It's all concluded with a mirthful finale. Fearing that this divertissenien[ might direct attention away from his Inore important works, Saint-Saens forbade publication during his lifetime. He was right: the popularity of this carnival has eclipsed that of his other cornpositio~is.
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Boston Symphony Otchestra/Charles Munch. R C A Living Stereo 61500-2 [Org~nS~trcplinizy, rclllh Dehlrssj: La hlcl-, nlcd 1het-t: F.sc;~les]
Berlin PhilhannoniclJames Levine. Dvt~tsclteGmtn tt~oplco~c f 19 6 17-2 [Organ Syrtcpicorty. 7rrilll D u k a ~ :T h e Sorcerer's Apprentice] Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta/Charles Dutoit. L012(1011 430 720-2 [Organ S~rnplrotqcrtid T h e Carnival o f [he Animals] Academy of London/Richard Stamp. Virgirr C1w~ir.iLI'C 90786-2 [The (I:arnival of' the Animals, with Prokujirz~:Peter and the l$'oif ant1 A l o ~ a r / Eine : kleine Nachumusik]
0?"c/lestra.l
Perso~tnlities
F
ocinded in 1881, Iht. R u ~ t o ~Sytnplcu~t~ t i r otre of .imn-icai ttlost 7~ersntiIt~ orrltolr(rr Sillre
dcIy5 ,f
Srrgr Kolusuziif+ (nboz,p,, Ircu po.ise.s.sed the ~larttr.stritcg tot~t,and u~elI-d./;~ce~l fittlhrf'v rhnt ( c r ~the r.)s~)~re of Ri1.~.riare sound. as zrvll ns llrc, gleatning hro.\s (111drhytlinlic precisiotc favorpd it/ d rntlricc~tttrcirsic. '4 ~ e ~ i ~ r n /ofi-o n Ar~ren'cntlrotnposers uwofe ilfi(lt ( 1 solltld ~ of 111~ ~ O S ~ . t t t p I o t ~i t r i d - p lanil, B e r ~ a l ~ i nntcd . \vllltt~rPis101t.
T h e account ol' (lie O r g c ~ nSyrnphony front Munch and the Boston Symphony is another esi ample of' how this conductor coulcl take a warhorse ; ancl turn it back irito a serious piece of music. i Serious, but not dull. T h e -4llegro is iri~passionecl, the Adagio is intensely poetic, and the finale i qenerates real edge-of-the-seat excitcn~ent.Thc ii 'rietv "Living Stereo" rem:isteririg has rcstored the i 1959 recording's lice-like presence and rnirii~irized ; the eff'ects of tape saturation in the loudest passages. The glorio~tstolie of ~ h orchestra c conies through loud arid clear-, along with a thrilling : i sense of Symphony Hall ariibierice. Thc couplings i :.: are generous ancl e v e r y b i t as irnpressivcly j f'ercorllled. i. Levine and the Berlin I'hilharrnonic raise the i roof with their spacious 1986 rendition of [he O ~ ~ sy~nphony,co~nbiningvirtuosity \\.it11 finesse and I i an erlgagil~gserise of color. Under Levine's baton the momentum never flags, and while the Berlin i trumpets aren't quite up to some ol'the notes, the
:
148
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strings and wincls play with ex~~.ao~-tlin:~ry 1)olish. The recortling is \vivicl and \\fellI)al;~~~cccl. Dutoit and the hlonrrealers gi\*c:I \\rell-l)l:ryetl if rather straightfor\varcl reatli~lgof r l ~ csynnphony. The music emerges \\'it11 ; I I ~ ;~uthcntic C. 11'.IC accent, , .. and the coupling of Tlip Cc~r?riitnl theAnimals (performed by the I.ontlon SinfO~nietta) makes sense for collectors in seal-ch of a singledisc sampler of Saint-Saens's most ~ ~ o l ~ u~vorks. la~. T h e 1987-88 Canliztnl from i'irgin is lively and exceptionally well recorded. I t also has ~ h cIwst coupling of works for young liste11e1.s.
\Vestern art. The ilr~strianc:olnl,osc.r Scli~~l)c~.t :I ( 1 797- 1828) ~lndouhtedlyinte~itlctlto 1;'IS.I 11011 ' bur-movement symphony that ivot~ltltlcl~at-ttlr;rmatically from the ~iioclelsof hloz;~rt;~ntlI-1avtl11 and open up a vast and strikingly s~~I?jective rc.:rI~rl of expression. From tlic start he goes i l l ;I direction quite different fro111 that of his 111-ececlingsix symphonies (tliel-e is 1 1 0 S ~ I I I ~ ~ O NO. I I !7). . \Voodwinds and brass-which for thc first ti~nci n any symphony are allol\,ed a sonic 1)rc.sence eclual to to that of' the strings-lend a poig11:111tcoIo1.;1tio11 the texture, heighterled by unustlal tloul~li~lgs (for esample, clarinet and oboe playirig the first ~ilo\.c-. n~ent'smain subjecl in unison). I lle tromboucs, which Beethoven had saved for his most cli~ii:~ctic moments. are part of this orclicstr;~Sron~the beginning and are used \cith great skill to clccpc~~ its sonority and add a cuttir~gedge t o the outl~i~rsts. The music of the opening Allegro sccnis f'1.;111glit with premonition. A lugubrious i~i(rotluctory1);issage in ihe cellos aucl basses, i\,hicli Schi~bcrt1:tcc.r
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
S
clzub~rt'sSyti~pho~i? hb.8 UIU abortrd i~z the Third mozlernent (c~bove). Otlrer zo$/i,zhhrd uforkspoptclar in the rrj~rrto~y are: Sclrr~brrt'sow11 Quartertsatz itz C ~~linor, lfzrfirst 71io7)rmr~ztof a prr~j~rted forcrtnorletne?rtsln'tlg qucci-te/, U72d Bntckner's .Syrrrpho?ry No. 9 , in D minor, rcdrith lacks its final rno~rerruvttbut n qitile effeertizw il~ithol~l it.
SCHUBERT
149
expancls upon in the rno\ernent's developmerit section, prefaces tlie true main therr~efro111 clarinet arid oboe-an urgent, n~elancholysubject in R minor over a feverish sixteenth-note accompaniment in the violi~is.Only one other melody is offered, and it is the famous one, almost but not quite a walt~.Schubert's scoring, for cellos over pizzicato basses, ~vitlia11 off-the-beat acconipani~i~ent in clarinets and violas. is a tour de force of unders~atenient.In this hau~ltingmove~nent's entirely new world of orchestral color and espression, Rornarlticism appears in symphonic music for t11c fi rst time. T h c ensuing Andante, in the idyllic key of E niajor. continues the exploration. Once again the music is set in a flowing triple meter (tlio~ighthis time in 318 rather than 3/4), and once again the wooclwi~~ds and brass are used with exceptional finesse. Ar the clarinet intones tlie movement's desolate second sul?ject i11 C siiarp minor, S~IILIbert again uses an off-the-beat accompaniment to lend a sense of fragility to the expression. Rut on this occasion, the magic goes even further: midway through, Schr~bertchanges tlie harmony from minor to major, anti with that the melody, now taken up by the oboe, changes from poig~lantto consoling. T h e t t ~ oriioveme~l~s were penned in the autumn of 182'2, but during the winter oI 1822-23 Schubert beca~nedesperately ill. He may have left he sy~liptlonyincomplete because of the association it bore with such a ti-au~iiaticexperience. But the piece had also become problematic i11 a purely fbrmal sense. By developing his material forcefully in thc manner of I3rethove11.Schubert had gone against the grain of his own thinking, for tile material itself is notat,ly "closed" (that is, melodic)-as opposed to being "open" (motivic) and capable of the kind 01' expansion and reconfiguration that typified Beethoven's procedures in son:~t:t form. Schubert woulcl find the solution to this problem in his Ninth Syn~phony.
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Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Leonard Bernsteln. Drrclsche Gramrnopho1r -127 645-2 [uith Synphorty No. 51
London Classlcal PlayedRoger Norrington. Ed11 CDC 49968 [roilti Syrnpho~~y No. 51
Boston Symphony OrchestrdEugen Jochum. Dr~~LxchtGramr~lophorrResottatl~e-127 195-2 [utith Bfethozren: Syr~rphottyNo. 51
Rernstein's highly ~ ~ e r s o ~1987 i a l account ol'rhe Unfittished yields some remarkable insights into
the score's troubled expressiveness. .['he first movement reveals a tonal darkness, with a feverish. trenibling quality to the viola accompaniment of the big tune. Tlic Andante is leisurely, but there is a fragile tension to the argument, together \\lit11 a sense of motionlessness, breathlessness, ii~id far-off distance. T h e symphony's climaxes are unerringlyjildgecl, but the ending is not as radiant as others have it; Rernstein instead rnakes it quietly, tenderly detached. T h e Concertgebou~vstrings play magnificently throughout, arid the winds are striking in their excellence. For a realization based 011 live takes in a cliflicult hall, the recortling is very well engineered. Norrington's period-iristrument treatments of the Fifth and rhe Urrfinithe~lare ;I delight. Here, "authentic" means brisk, s\.ith textural derails ernerging in absolute clarity. There is a Leathery lightness of touch iri tlie strings, great delicacy in tlie ~vinds,glistening tonc iri the horris. -1-lie playing often has a decidetlly \focal quality, just as it should, and the accou~itsof both rvorks sail along \\rithout ever seenlirig to be in haste. EXll's 1989 recording is outstancli~ig. In his sincere, po\verLi~llyemotional account of the U ~ ~ f i n i r h e d.Joclium , is gentle in the lyrical
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151
pages hut fills the clinlaxes with visionar!. intensily arld edge-of-the-seat drarna. T h e first mo\~emetlt's development section is especially hair-raising, while the X ~ l d a ~ lhas t e never sounded lovelier. Tochu~ll was ur~surpnsseclin his ability t o move betwccr~ extremes while holding everything together, and here tlie elements of mood, pacing, color, weight, arid expression are in perfect adjustment. T h e Boston Symphony plays radiantly. and the account is exceptionally well recorded.
S
"Here /la\ ntii.>rcoilombed (I rich freost~re,6111fit) [utrcr /to/~ri"e,blia/~/lutl S r / ~ ~ t b c pnzle. ~-ii
chubert began \vork o n the Ninth Symphony in 1825 and put the firlisl~irlgtouches on the score in \larch of 1828, hoping to get a performance from the Gesellschaft d e r hlusikfreunde in Vienna. T h e society founcl the piece too long and the writing too clifficult. Folloi~.ing Schubert's death later that year, tlie manuscript of' tlie Ninth passed to Schubert's brother. I t remained in his possession until it was discovered j in 1839 by Schunla~in,~ 1 1 0was instrumental in arranging the work's premiere that same year- by the Gewandhaus Orchestra in I.eipzig. In spite of its belated appearance, the h'inth proved to be among the most importa~ltscorcs of the 19th century, strorlgly influe~lcingSchumann himself. tangentially affecting Brahms, and in the vastness of its design-the qt~alitySchunlarln referred to as "heavenl) length"-bolclly pointing the way for Drucknei and hlahler. h1,in) of the stylistic and formal approache$ Schube~t had pioneered in tlie unfinished Eighth Symphony are carried forward in the Ninth. Still, in onc crucial respect, the concept is different: here, Scliubert contains the irnpulse to spin out melody and instead bases each nio\ enient on pithy, readily nlalle,?l,le motives. T h e subtlety of Schubert's or chesual palette iri
162
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! ! 1 i
all four r n ~ \ ~ e r n e nist s breathtaking. As he hat1 in the Uttfitzishetf Symphony, he lays the colors of winds and brass over the strings in ii warn), lustrous fashion that places the sylnphony firmly i l l i the sonic realrn of Komanticisrr~.Eclually inillori tant is the way h e uses these instrurne~~ts in solo capacities-the two horns in unison, but p i ( ~ ~ roor,1 the symphony's noble opening kinfare, o r the oboe, again piano, with string accompani~ilcnt. sounding like a distant trumpet in the .Ancla~lrc's first theme. l'he most remarkable feature of the Ni~ithis its rhythmic vitality, and the \vay in \chic11 two specific cells-the dotted quarter (or lesser value) followed by a n eighth note (or its equivalent). and the triplet-gain strength t h r o ~ r g lthc ~ course of the work. These two rhythn~s,joined by i i r ~insistent four-notc figure first heart1 in the i ~ o r n s , become the chief substantive elemer~tin the fi11;1le, a movement of enormous length that goes like a shot because of the rhythmic rnater-ial's I~orsepo\vcl-. l'he poetry and i~nagi~latiorl of Sc11~1bcr1's Ii~rer. music a r e present in the Ninth lo the ut~ilost degree. At least o n e passage in the syrnpl~olly's Andante deserves special mention. S r h u l ~ e r scts t LIPthe arrival of the recapitulation with chor:~lelike sequences in the trombones, winds, anti stril~gs. HI:' HORN HAS all marked pianissi~no,out of whicl~the two horns trr~ditioirallybee11 thr inernerge, playing a softly repeated high C . I n the slnlmvrrl of thr iiobility, l~ced intervals between the notes orl thc horns, the in ba~tlrclnd in the chase. 111 strings offer a hushed, slotvly changing harmoThe Sorig of Roland. utrilnization-first the cellos and basses, tlle11 violas ten 900 years ago. the and violins-which gradually intensifies until strings niitlncshed Couitt HoLucl,rd blou1.r oil it to suinntoir Chora n d horns together emerge in the nlovemel~t's kmngtrr aird hk arirry; i ~ c home key of A minor. It is a passage of absolute tone, c~l/ir.~t forcrftnl, rhrlr genius-and it is echoed more than once in t h e rl~spniriirg,oird finally h e music of both Schurnann a l ~ Brahlns. l ble, lell.~rhr Frarrkc lroro thc
T
brrltle b goiirg. Since tlre11, irl mw i r I,/ e v period, ~ the hortr lri1.1 brrir used 1i1 o~ioke senrimt~~tr, (fnohilily, ~ I I I ~ I ~ P S of thc I r r c l t l , or (I mood (I/ Vienna PhilharmonidSir Georg Solti. hrroi.\~~r, Londou 4 0 0 082-2
ORCHESTRAL WORKS ' SCHUBERT
153
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/ Sir Charles Mackerras. Virgin Clarsics IrC 90708-2
.S~rp,utii~l~ r o i ~ h r l ~Srlircbc~rr i~t fr-o~nSit G u o q Sobi.
Coaches of dlampion tcarns talk about chemistry, ant1 that is precisely what Solti and the Vienna Philharn~onicbring to this winning performance. T h e conductor provides just the edge and sense of impulse needecl to help make the players come alive. Tempos are near-icleal as the piece settles into those wonderfill regions of torie color Schubert alone seemed to inhabit. Solti observes the repeats in the first and lasi move~nen~s, the latter particularly irriportarit if the finale is to havc the weight it requires. The Philharnionic contributes many fine touches along the way: what could be more apt, to mention one, tlian the sound of ihe \'iennese oboe to begiri tlic second movement? London captures the 198 1 performance in bright early digital sound. blackerras's period-i~istrumeritrecording is a joy, full of life, excitcrnent, :mi intensity-but not period prissiness. 'l'lie transiliori fi-ont the first rnovenient's Andante introduction to the Allegro is very lricky-co~lriuctors always seem to be shifting gears-but here il goes off splenclidly. In fact. Sir Charles exhibits a sure grasp of tempo throughout the performance along with a fine ear for balance, arid Ile provides plenty of fresh i~lterpre~ive insights. T h e 1987 recording has extraordi~lnryrealism.
cR
Ithough identified as No. 3, the KlletlSymphony of Schumann (18101856) was actually llle fourth ancl last of his completed works in the forr-n. I t was written at i breakneck speed during five weeks in the autuInn
'i.vh
1W
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Roberl and Chra Schunulniz moved lo Ihe Rhineland in 1850.
S
OME OF HISTORY'S best composers earned part of their living as music critics, among them Schumann, ~ e r l & . Fauri, Debussy, and the Anrerica~l Virgil Thornson. Though Schumann's intuition was at times stronger I h n his analysis, hk work wm especially itnpmtunt; thanks &o him, Chopin, ~Mendelrsnhn, Berlioz, and Brahms got needed boosis.
SCHUMANN
of 1850, shortly after the German composer had moved to Diisseldorf, where he assumed the post of municipal music director. The optimism with which Schumann greeted this move can be felt in many parts of the fivemovement score, especially in the festive opening. marked lebhafi ("lively"). In a mood of sunny ebullience, passages of cliorale-like majesty and breathless animation are juxtaposed in such a way that an aln~ostgiddy tension results. The second movement, called a scherzo, is actually a freewheeling Undler that was originally to have borne the title "Morning on the Rhine." An interniezzo follows, reflecting the tranquility in which Schumann wrote the symphony. The ordy outright allusion to h e symphony's "Rhenish" origins colnes with the penultimate movement, which was supposedly inspired by a scene Schuriiann witnessed at the cathedral in nearby Cologne-a ceremony marking the elevation of an archbishop to the rank of Cardinal. The music here, unlike that of the rest of the symphony, is solemn and grave, suitably evoking a processional in the immense interior spaces of a Gothic nave. The finale, a brisk march, brings the symphony to a close on a note of energetic confidence. The idyll that gave birth to the RhenisIl was unfortunately a brief one. Schumann ultimately ran into difficulty with the critics and the orchestra in Diisseldorf. And within four years of the syniphony's completion, he succumbed to the effects of syphilis and was comniitted to an asylumafter an unsuccessful attempt to drown himself by jumping into the waters of his beloved Rhine.
Berlln Phllharmonlc/Herbert von KataJan. Deutrche Grammophon 429 672-2 [2 CDs; with Symphonies Nos. 1 , 2, and 41
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
SCHUMANN
165
New York PhilharmonicReonard Bernstein. S o y Clnrsicnl SilJh' 47612 [with Syalpliony Alo. 4 and klanfrcd Overll~rt~]
TIE Cologne rulhedral inspired lhe fourth nloveinetzf of flw Rherrish.
Karajan's integral recording of the four Schumann symphonies. available at rnidprice on two CDs, is hard to resist. T h e account of the Rltetlish is hedonistic, extroverted, full of panache. Even though Karajan takes off with an unusually frenziecl opening, more hyper than noble. every bar is p~1rposefi11,the playing passioriate and committed. The 1971 recording is distant but warmly atn~ospheric. N o one has more fully conveyed the exuberance of the score than Bernstcin did in this 1960 recording. the capstone of a Schurnann symphony cycle he and a f red-up New York Philharmonic taped Lbr CBS in just three weeks. T h e perFormance scales the heights of Romantic ardor, and the sound is amazingly vibrant.
native of St. Petersbiirg t\-ho at the ''age of 19 had d;~zzledteachers and public alike 1%ith his Firs1Symphony. Shostakovich (1906-1'373) flourished in the permissive atmosphere of post-Kcvolutionary artistic ferment that lingered in the Soviet Union rhrough the 1920s. As the deadly 1930s ~infoldcd,he continued on his course as the fearless boy uonder of Soviet nus sic with the full-length opera Lad? ,llacbetli of lhc 1\l/.e7lsk Dkfrict and the dissonant, sprawling Sympllony No. 4. Nothing he had done so far had been as daring as these t\zfo scores, arlci he paid he price. \Vhcn Stalin heard ldndj hfncbeth in 1936, he personally demanded a scathing review he published in Prnwln. The next morning. Shostnkovich woke t o a state of disgrace. T h c composer turned his energies to a new i
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work, a converitior~allystyled alltl s t ~ . ~ ~ c t i ~ s yr ~ e tnlpllorly in four movenients, with all easy-to-fi~llow argument beginning on a tragic Iwte arlcl Icatlil~g to a heroic conclusion. T h e Fifth ~voultlbc clifferent, characterized in the Fdnlous remark I>yan unknown con~mentatoras "a Soviet artist's rcsponse to just criticism." Completed in 1937, Symphony No. 5 works brilliantly as pure music, and it has justifiably become Shostakovich's most frequently performed symphonic work. It'hile the ;rrchlike plan of its charged first movement niay have bccn borrowed from the corresponding movcrnerlt i r l I f OSTAh'O I'ICH ilas Tchaikovsky's Puthe'tique Symphony, the trcat~{fetrr h ~ e kwith ~ /tic ment is nonetheless devastatingly effective (so Ieurlreta. ( I t , one ocrt~sionif much so that Shostakovich adopted the same laypovcd foe I I I I I C for ~ rotrdrcrout again in his Eighth Syrnptiony). Here, after a ;or h'rkoif~tAlnlko. The je(r7 waq 19%. n~rdNo, No, portentous introduction, tile strings Ijegin :I t c ~ ~ s c Nar~ctte,IIIP I3ro(rd1tloj clirnb froni the bleakness towarcl ;I r a p , alnlost I N ~ L S I C ( I / , ~o(1.s~ I I Pr q t l 011 visionary lyricism. But there is a grim color:~tion ovc.~i:rtrop~."OK," 12lolko to ever1 the most consoling niolllellts, ;i~ldso011 chnll~~trgrd lrt, puprl, "11 enough the reverie is shat~crctlh y ;I 1)rutally 111cyorr'ti8.so p ~ ( 1 1 .go i n l o /h(rl roortr (rtr(1orrIit-\f~(r/~ 'Tto chanical march. A rclcntlcss hiriltlup ellsucs. 1111til for Trtto,' oird Irnvz i/ rt~c~fl? the march is trumpeted out in all its garish m;igit1 crtr Irotrt ." Fotly-/ivc 7rrinnificence. After a climax of nearly hystcr-ic;d fi~rce. ~tfecI ( I / P ~ ,Shot!nko.r~iclr the first movement uneasily settles back inro the ~ I I I P T illifh ~ P ~ (I fitir.th~dscot P desolate mood of its start. erilrl/er/ 'I',lhiti I'ror. ~ % \ ~ / k o T h e symphony's second movenlelit. ;I schcrzocorrdtrcfed the (prece (11 h ~ s tiext rot~ccrl. like Allegretto, is not as light-heartetl as i t secrlls. The heavy, burlesque tread of its outer portior~s and the mawkish delicacy of its trio, \vl~ilehumorous, have a lugubrious point thirt elicirs, at best, a grim smile. T h e follo~ving1-argo is ;~ltogether serious; by t ~ l r n sscaring :rntl elegi;ic, i t is the expressive heart of the symphony. T h e alnlost dreamlike nlelancholy of the music tr;~riscr~~rls any autobiographical intcrprctatio~is,;IS its ~xrtllos is universal-and for that reason all the uiore touching. In the remarkable finalc, S1iost;ikovich achieves one of 111e greatest c o ~ ~ lof ) s Iiis s y ~ ~ i phonic career: a "victorious" closer rhat ril;inages to drive home the espectetl Incssagc :r~itl :I[ the same time make an entirely dilfi.~-c~it poir~t,
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the real one. The resounding march that ends the movement represents the triumph of evil over good. The apparent optinlisrri of the co~~cludirig pages is. as one colleague of the composer put it. no more than the forced s~nileof a torture victirn as he is being stretched on the rack.
@ RECOMMENDED
RECORDlROD
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestd Bernard Haltink. Lordon 410 01 7-2 Scottlsh National OrchestralNeeme Jarvi. Chnclos CHA.'V 8650 [ u ~ i fBallet l ~ Suite Are. 5 f r o m The Bolt]
Hailittk lurr recorded all 15 Shostako:~uhsyn~phonies.
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Hailink's 1981 account of the Fifth is a stunning realization. Plumbing the full depth of the music's desolation, it also rises to towering heights in the climactic pages of the openirig arid closing movements. T h e Concertgebouw Orchestra plays magnificently and is powerf~~lly recorded. T h e Estonian conductor JBrvi brings an authentic accent to his interpretation. which is spontaneous in the best sense and suitably brazen in its splendor. The Scots are taken to the limit, and their ensemble playing occasionally shows it, but they deliver some real fireworks along the way. he 1988 recording is vivid ant1 tllrillirigly natural in atmosphere.
is one of Shostakovicli's [nost personal utterances. From the brooding first movement to the march-gone-~nadfinale, it is a grippingly corn~ri~~nicative work. I t is also one of the handful of indisputable masterpieces penned in the second half of this century, a creation that
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summons up the a~iibivalence,complesity, and turbulence of the tvorld into whit h many of us were born. T h e sy~nphonybegins with a hfoderato of tremendous brcadtll, an ominous esordium in E minor. Its long-b1-ea~hedopening subject. gropingly announced i11 the lotver strings, is treated at length before a halting, ~\.altzlike~ e c o n dsubject is introduced in the flute: together, these ideas conspire to evoke a mood of nightmarish desolation. There is a long buildup l o a terrifying climax a1 n~idpoint.after which the fabric unravels in a fantasy of haurlting desponclency. T h e cnsuirlg scherzo is one ol' Shostakovich's most violent. Despite its brevity it manages to convey an imprcssio~~ of polished briita1it)--which is just as it sliould be, since Shostako\ich later revealed that the music was a portrait of Stalin. T h e Allegretto, reminiscent of the Lancller-like movements hlahler i ~ s e din some of his symphonies, introduces a mysterious solo horn call in the midst of its energetic celebratio11 o i t h e clance. It also introduces Shostakovich's motto thenieD, E Hat, C, R natural-whose German spelling (D-Es-C-HI, when pronounced phonetically, yields the compc~ser'srnonograrn "D. Sch." Shostakovich makes much of this subject both here and in the finale, which begirls with a meriitative Andante introduction, tlicrl rather whimsically takes ofl' into realms of exuberance that could scarcely have been imagined at the symphony's start. By n~o\e~rle~lt's e ~ ~~d ,i he ~ timpani h hammering out thc motto tfierne, the emotional lantlscape 01' the piece has cliangetl. I'here is, llowever, nothing false about the Iestivity of thi\ conclusion: the joy has been had-earned, and i~ is even offset by a~iguishrecollected from carlier in the symphony. I t is the perfect balnrlce of these competing tendencies-the lack of finality in this finale-that niakes thc movcnient so giddy ant1 yet so convincing. I t is not hard to fincl the reason for this api proach in Sllostakovich's personz~lespcrierlces of
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~ , t o , , n ~ o r , r 5Pn,pdPclor ,l rr,,lr,sln,l t ? ~I \ ~ o P \\.or / ~ 11.
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the preceding five years. In 1948, again o n orcicrs from Stalin. he had been conclemned even rnore viciously than in 1936. T h e composer was forced into a musical cocoon-pressured to shelve his riiore serious projects for fear of further reprisal-and driven out of his professorship at the Moscow Conservatory. Not until Stalin's death, in the winter of 1953, did the darkness in Shostakovich's spirit begin to lift. So the Tenth, composed in the surnrner and autumn of 1953, was a score meant to settle a score. It received its first performance on December 17, 1953, in Leningrad with the Lerlingraci Philharmonic under the baton of Yevgeny Xlravinsky. T h e American premiere was given on October 15. 1934, in New York by Dimitri hlitropoulos and the New York Philharmonic.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestral Claus Peter Fior. RCA Red Scat 60448-2
Scottish National Orchestdeeme Jarvi. Chondos CHAN 8630 [urilh Ballet Suite No. 41
Flor's 1990 reading with the Concertgebouw Orchestra is incandescent in its inspiration. T h e young German conductor paces the work superbly, allowing the music plenty of time to unfold, always to extraordinary effect. T h e Dutch orcl~estraplays spectacularly, and the recording brings a burnished splendor to the whole affair. T h e Tenth is obviously a work close to Jilrvi's heart, and this account is one of the conductor's most successful. His approach is poignantly lyrical and comes close to the spirit of the piece. T h e Scottish orchestra produces a rnassivc sound, b~rt one that possesses plenty of intensity. T h e recording, rnade in 1988 in Caird N;r11, Ilundee, is superbly atniosphel-ic and well engirieeretl.
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IHELIUS LIVED in [his hnure numcd Xinola-ujler his ruiji., Ainu Jiin~$~lt-from 1904 iolfil itis death in 1957. T t ~ .rS I O ~ I P and fimher home k afitze m t n p l e of the nulic. .\lylu cltnmpioneii by Fintti.dl tinsetling cnnLe5 ar closv (1.7 (IIZ? to the ideal of all Fituu: lo lirtr i,r solitude in tire Jol-e~l.
SlBELlUS
( 1 865- 1957) found the i~lspiration for a number of his earlier works in the kTnlmaln, the national epic of his native Finland. T h e hero of the ticrlerlnln is I.emminkQincn, upon whose exploits Sibelills based a suite of sympt~oriic poems, which lie called Four Legrrlrls. The Swan of Tzro~relo(1893), the second of these legends. depicts a scene that Sihelius describecl as follows: "'l~uonela, the land of dc:ith, tlie Hxcles of Finnish mythology, is surroutidecl by a large river with black waters and ;I rapid current, on ~vhichthe singing Swan of Tuoncla floats majestically." Sibelius's scoring is appropriately soniber: no flutes or trumpets are userl, and of the clarinets, only the bass. T h e stvan is personi(ied by the solo English horn, \vhich intones a haunting solo against the sustaincd harmonies of' the strings. This is a masterpiece of' orchestral colorisn~, not kaleidoscopic but nocturnal-much like the canvassesJames lL1cNeill \tThistlerpainted in black and gray. In iu austerity and clarkness, i t forcshadows Sibclius's Inst rnnjor symphonic scores, the Severitll Syrrlphoriy and the tone poem Tal~iolcc. -
hen i r came to the symphony, Sibclius, like B~-ahrns,hesitated before plunging into the arena where he \\.oultl cveritir:illy win widespread anrl lasting acclainl. He was 32 hetbre he began work o n his First Symphony, in 1898, though by that ti~iiehis technique as an orchestr-ator was highly developed, thanks to t\\,o largescale syn~phonicscores inspired ly~the Finnish national epic, the Kalex~c~ln. Sihelius colnpleted his Sccond Sy~liphol~y ill 1902. Although its antecedents certainly incl~ldetl
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SlhPlill~5 18Y,. ,o,.ll,Ptltrdb, dtbh ( I I I I ~nfro1101.
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Brahms's own Secorlcl Symphony (also in L), arld nearly identical in instri~mentation)and Beethoven's Filth, Sibeiius's already quite individualistic tonal lan
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thrust. The movement itself-is a tl~r.o\vl);~ck to the Romantic tradition: with a broad melocly chiit verges on the singsong, it makes a triumph;^^^ assertion of D major amid the heavy \r*e;i~her 01' D minor. And again like Beethoverr, Sil~liusbrings back the transitional material a second time so that the victory of the major key can 1)e savol-ed anew, after which he concludes tlie \\.ark with a hymnlike peroration. This is the last rime Sibelius would wear the mantle of his pretlecessors; in subsequent works, he would single-mindetlly purs u e t h e formal concision and searching self'expression that characterize the first two movements of this symphony.
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IfOT0GR,-IPHS OF P S rbelirl~tuknl ufter uborct 1925 shout (111 c~ntturel o o k i ~ ~mun g u~hose~rro~t sfrikii~g ~ P ( I ~ I O . Pi s Ilk C O ~ I I plete bnldirtss. As Iris lrcrir hud . Y I ( I ~ I P~ ~I J11071 pel?, Sih~1itc.csrrrrifir~rlil lo IIIP M Z ~ t.(~/lrt-r I r11u11/PI ollters S P /hn/ ~ Itr ur1.5 rrgitrg.
f'ter his first two sy~i~pllonies, eacli of them a broadly pl.oportiol~etlli,urmovement essay calling for a largc ol.chcs~r;~ ;~ntl spectacular effects, Sibelius tur~leclhis back on the Romantic tradition and the rnainstre:i~il of contemporary symphonic thinking. His liest two symphonies were boldly esperimental. 'I-hc iclyltic, aphoristic Third sounds nco-Classical i l l spirit. while the grimly pessimistic Fourth enibr-aces ii dissonant language that brings it t o the very etlge of harmonic dysfunction. i V i t h the Syrriphony No. 5 , first performed on December 8, I9 15, at a concert marking his 50th birthclay, Silxlius rcconciled these seemingly disparate tlirectiorls in a work of stark beauty, economy. ;ind alfirrllatioll. If o n e work could be said to chal-acterize Sibelius's mature style, it is the Fifth Symphony. T h e organic growth o f t h e first movement-t'ronl nebulous beginnings and the majestic emergence of a theme of compelling b-indeiu-. through rntrsic of scherzo-like momentum surging with lik ;illti growing ever rriore fleet, to a final, eshil;lt.;iling rush of ener.gy-orfers a st~~rlrlirlg e s : ~ n ~ p lol c
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Sibelius's ability to lx~ilda s y n i ~ l i o ~ 11lo\~e11ie111 ~i(: on the dynamic development of a single idea, in i this case the first four notes of' the Ilorn theme that opens the work. Rather than using relatiorli ships among keys to drive the argunierit. tlie f composer uses terripo. creating an u c c e l l m ~ ~ across ~do i 401 measures, a vast span of musical time that i becomes dramatically conlpresscd as the tempo i increases. The effect is incantlescent: out 01' the i mists, Sibelills fashions a blazirig sun, in niusic i that seems to illusuate the very process of creatio~i. The remaining two movements fill out the cosmos brought into being by this extraorciinary openi~igessay. T h e Andante in G is a set of' f variations on a tvistful pizzicato subject delicately introduced by the violas and cellos. Except for a I H ELIUS n,corrled it! brief passage to\varcl the encl of the movement, Irk (limy /Ire irtsIir(~tiorr lvhcre the brass let loosc with a couple of snarlirig for llrr ' ~ ~ L ! N th~ine" II it/ hi> F911 Syrt~)l~~rtry: ''At lei1 lo outbursts, the variations are \var~nlyrhapsotlic. elatet~to(l(q . W I Z ~ I 16 .~ILI(III,T. In the symphony's breathless )t1or0 pf1rl)cp//co lirlalr, Cod, u11rat br.c~trlj!TILT cirSibelius introduces one of his niost ~ n c ~ i i o ~ - : ~ l ~ l c cled o.c1t8rrrrr f i r 11 lorrg (itrrr. ideas. a bell-like tolli~igof chorcls ;1111olig11ief o l ~ r Dist~/)/)rr~n~rl irr lke s o k ~ r horns that is said LO halve colne to l l i ~ i i;~fterIIC haw lilw m si1r1c.r ribbotr. Tlreir cnll tlrt*aoae uloodwatched a flight of slrans p;lss overlie;ld. l'his wirr(f lype as lIr(11 of crutres, "swan theme." which erllerges 1'1.omthe giddy rush but roitlroul troirrolo. Tirol of of the tren~olostrings, is the soul of tlic nioveniellt, surorr.\ closer lo lrtrmpet . . . cr and it is accompanied by a poign;tnt, singing low refrnitr, rrrnirriicetr/ ( f a subject given out in octaves by the \\.ooclwi~ltls child sobbirrg. Nott~re:rm p and cellos. Sibelius brings the finale to cli~iiaxIly 1iie;111\of a grand slolv-down, the reverse of the niethocl hc had used i11 the first moverncnt. ?-he last pages of the symphony offer a rnighty ;ipothcosis of' the "swan theme," capped by six isolatctl, po\\.et.1'~11 chords, so slow in cadence they scc~iiremovctl from any temporal frame\\.ork. *The ~vorldthat had been summoned out of the ether encls ;IS a succession of huge, nionolithic shouts o f Xrrien.
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@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Boston, Symphony Orchestra/Slr Colin Davis. phi lip^ 416 600-2 [.I CD3; Syii~plloriir~ NOJ.1-7 ~ r l d The Swan of Tuoriela, uritll Firilaritlia urld Tapiola] Royal Philharmonic Orchestral Sir John Barbirolll. CIwsh CD 3 [Sy~nflllot~y No. 21
Berlin Philharmonlc/Herbert von Karajan. Ileutsc.ll~Grai?lr?~opho~f 41 5 107-2 [.lyr/~phonyNo. 5 , wilh No. 71 anrl 413 755-2 [The Swari o f Tuor~ela, wtlh Finlandia, 'I'npiola, atld i'alsc tristc]
Da\is and the Bostonians are still tlic choice for a complete set of the symphonies. Sir Colin's approach is a Classicizing one, at rimes even inipressionistic, as opposed to t h e Romanticism favored by a good many other interpreters (and represented best by Karajan). But ~\.liilethese accounts lean to the objective side of'the emotional ledger, they arc illuminating a11d ~~nfailingiy expressive. T h e recordings a r e good niid-1970s analog, q~litewell remastered, though the sonic picture is still a little dense in places owing to Symphony Hall's ample reverberation. Davis's intimate treatment of Tiw Swan of Tuonela conveys not so much a sense of great space as one of an interior ivorld coming momentarily into view. Barbirolli's magnificent account of the Second Symphony ivirh the Royal Philharmonic is one of the greatest interpretations of the score on disc. It is a broad, burnished, heart-on-sleeve reacling, ivonderfully somber in the i-\ndante but neither self-conscious nor- o ~ e r l ysentimental. T h e splendid original recording, with escellerlt atmosl>her-e ant1 presence. has heen brilliantly transferred by the Chesky brothers. Karajan's mid- 1960s reading o f the Fifth S! rnphony is remarkable for its pacing aricl pointing of detail-ant1 almost SI-iglitening in the way it
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conveys a feeling of po\\.er- hcltl in reserve. -1'he account dates from a period \\;hen Deutscfie Grammophon was lliakirig cxcellerlt recorclings in Berlin-although the rernastering could ha\.(: been more pairistaki~ig.On a 1984 CI). Iiarajan tackles the tone pocnis for the last tirile, and does so in arresti~igfasIlio11. TIIPS~i)(iizof Tl~oilt'ltl.~\litll stl-ings brought to the fore, is urgent arid atmospheric, while the s~rbduedEnglish horn solo lelirls the performance a desolate cast. T h e sound of this CIS exhibits tlie typical high-gloss effect of mid- 1980s L)G digital, arid at less than 44 minu~cs thc disc is riot really a bargain-but those performances are compelling.
8
ven though Ge1-111anwas his first language, the Czech composer Snietana ( 1324- 188.1) saw i t as llis pri~iiaryduty to create a national operatic repertory for his c o ~ ~ ~ l t r y n l But e n . his desire t o cclebr-ale tlic history, legends, and latitlscape of Bohemia carried oiler irito symphonic compositiori as well. rrioti\.atil~gan epic cycle ol' six tone poems that Sinetana patriotic~llycallcti 1\16 V l ~ s (l M y Colt1tr1-y). Totla! only a few of Smetaria's ope1 CIS are Inown o r pcrforructi outside of the C ~ e c hRepublic, but concert audiences everyi\-here are familiar ~ v i t l i the second part of illrj I'lmt. Elltitled I'ltaiw (known t o English-speaking listeners :is TIIPi\/lolO(lll), this symphonic poem from 1874 depicts Boheri~ix's rrlost important river in a series ot cleftly connected vignettes, and is a masterpiece of' atrnospheric orciiestration. As clescribed in Smetana's explanatory notes, thc score begirls .it the source of tlie river, ivhere two springs Hot\. together. T h e unrlulatin~line heard here is onc of rnusic's most effective pol.trayals of \cater; starting in the flutes, it spreads
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to the clarinets and on through the strings, suggesting the ever-gathering flow. The river courses through the forest (we hear horn and trun1l3et calls, sounds of the hunt), past a village in the countryside (wedding participarils dance a polka), and into a moonlit glade (muted strings), where bvatcr nymphs delicately cavort. Keaching the Rapids of St. John-heard in heavy brass. turbulent strings, anti percussion-the river sweeps majestically past VySehrad Castle and through the city of Prague, finally passing out of sight on the way torvard its confluence with the Elbe.
T
HE REPERTORY nboutulr it1 muric ussociated with rivers. Smetnnai The Moldau is n porlrail of the Vltava in Prague (abovv): t h water in Hnndeli Water hfusic k lhnr of the Thaaes, while the Rhive r u ~ uthrough Schumann's Symphony No. 3 . But the most beloved of all musical tributes to a river i s Johnnn S t m w ' s uralti An der
Berlln Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan. Detitsche Grnrn~~lopholt 427 808-2 [with Liszt: Les Preludes, Grieg: Holberg Suire, and Sibelitrs:
Finlandia] Nothing compares with the sensuous textures and luminous sonorities of Karajan's cruise along the hloldau. The piece was one of his favorites. and he made several recordings of it. This midprice CD offers the best available couplings.
schorien. blauen Donau (By the Beautiful, Blue Danulle).
he music of Johann Strauss 11, his brothers t TJosef and Eduard. and their illustrious father has long been one of the mainstays oP the light classical repertory. While the intoxicating potency these scores once had as dance music may have faded-along with notions that a man looked best in the uniform of a hussar-they have lost none of their charm or popularity. For the better part of a century, from about 1830 to 1900, the Strauss family dominated the Viennese social scene. In 1846 the title of Hofballmusikdirektor (director of music for court balls)
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OHANN STRAUSS II became the Waltz Kiug baed 071 both the glu,ltj~y and !he qualrty of his work. Hk uast musical outpul, wtliclt runs lo 498 opus nl~rrrhrrs,inrlud~i18 stage works and nearly 200 each of waltzes and bolkas.
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was created for Johann Strauss 1, and between 1863 and 190 1 it was borne by either Johann 11 o r Eduard. T h e family's origins were Jewish, a fact Johann Strauss did his best to hide from the intolerant Viennese. 'Ihe senior Johann became an accomplished violinist ancl violist hefcwcjoining the dance band of Josef Lanner in 18 19. Follotving his marriage in 1825, Strauss struck out on his own. His rise to fame was quick: in four years. he was already a celebrity in Vien~la,and by 1833 he was touring with his orchestra to other countries. His career was unfortunately short, however. After catching scarlet fever from one of his children, he died in 1849 at the age of 45. Although he rvrole many waltzes that were popular in his time, Johann 1 is best known today for a single work-the Radetzky March, Op. 228, composed in 1848-still the finest musical ernbodirnent of' the once &Teat military might of the Hapsburg monarchy. Strauss's oldest son, Johann Strauss 11, became known as "The Waltz King" during the heyday of that dance in the mid-19th century. Born in 1825, he entered the waltz business officially in 1844, requiring a special permit to b6ve concerts, as he was still underage. His success quickly started to rival that of his father, and upon the elder's death. the two Strauss orchestras were merged and Johann 11 took over as leader. During the next five decades, until his death in 1899. Strauss corlclilcted and toured with the family orchestra and on his own. meanwhile turning out hundretls of waltzes, polkas, and quadrilles in a stream that reached its peak in the 1850s and '60s. T h e best of his waltzes-Emprror. Rlztr Danube, Roses jron &hcSouth. Talesfront the Vienna M'oodr, Viepzna Blood, Artist's L@. and Wine. Women, and Song-stand among the triumphs of 19th-century Viennese music. perfect crystallizations of the cultural milieu in which they were written. Joscf Strauss, two years younger than Johann 11, was perhaps an even rnore formidable composer than his famous brother. blelancholy and
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TKAUSS'S IVrlLTZ
By the Beautiful, Blue L);~~iube, u~c1.5fin/ Irearrl it1 1867-no/ iii /he shirtrrnrt-iiig urcI~llus/rcrlrolols fclirrilico /oduy bu/ iii cc inure folk? .\c>//iirg for batti1 and irreirj chorus. IVit11 its patriotic 1~x1,?'he Blue Danube u1cuitttertded to mire A 11.rlricr l\ spirits rifler i h defea/ 1 9 1 Pnt.rcia ii1 1866. ~!$tl! ;/ 71f(I.\ 1101 llll/i/ S/i'fl21.\5 crecrted /Ire O ~ C I I ~ S ' S verI~NI sioir, fior /Ire \\'orld Exposiliorr lit Paris, l l ~ /he ~l piece r ~ t ~ ( ~ ~ rEur@e e r e d uild I ~ rest P of the uforld.
THE STRAUSS FAMILY
iritrovcrted by n;Iturc, he revealed i r ~his \vorks a ~ x o f o u n dn~usic;~lity ;incl a sophisticatetl imlrgin;ltion. His best \valt/es. ~vtlichiricludc ~\lrcsir of I/IP Spheres ant1 I)c~l;riurn, combine poetic I~eauty \\,it11 an almost nettrotic espressivcriess. *Jose[may \\.ell have ghost-writ re sonie of the \v;lltzc.s CI-etiitetl to.Johann 11, ant1 1111. t ~ \ bn)tl~crs ~o :ilso rcalnecl 111' or1 several occ,asions, most notal~ly li)r tlic 1x)l)ular Pizzirmto I'ol k;~. Eduard Strauss, 1,or-n in 1835, tur11c.d to rntlsic aftcr receiving a cl:~ssicnl educatiori: the lilniily ~valtzbusiness \v;~sgoing so \\'ell that his p;~rtici~xttionwas virtu;~llyrccluired. H e rvas only a fiiir violi~iist,hut he bec:~rllethe best conductor of the three brothers. Not ;IS conipellir~ga corliposer as his two siblings, lie nonetheless cur~tributedmore than 300 works to the canon.
Berlin Philharmonlc/Herbert von Karajan. 1)rutsche Crarrrmoplroii .IOU 026-2 [Johanir Strarr.rs 11: Blue Danube utld Artist's 1,ife. u d h olher u!orkc]. 410 022-2 uohai~irStro~a,t11: F.~~~peror, Roses from the South, and \Vine, M'ornen, and Song, u~ilhother workr], nird 410 0-37-2 ~ o s e J ' S / r ( ~ ~Xlusic ~ \ s : o f h e Spheres 111rd I)eliriunl,.lohnitn S/r~r~s.s 11: T;~lesfro111the \.'iel~~ri~ \\'oods aird Vienna R l o o t l , atrd Joharlil S/rc!r~.ssI: Kadcr zky I\ [arch, utitlr otlrur ulorks] Vlenna Philharmonic/Her&ert von Karajan. I)CU/SCIIP Gramn~opl~on .I1 Y 6 16-2 [Joxef S ~ ~ ( I I L S S : hlusic of [he Spheres critd I)clirium, joltaitn Slmr~ct11: Iiluc. Danube, airrl.loll~rirti .S/rnll~sI: Kadctzky i\farr/r, rrtitlr other u~orkr1
T h e three discs \villi [he Berlin I'hilharmonic feature the better-known tvaltzes, polk;~s,a n d overtures of Jollarir~Strauss I1 arid t\vo of' tlle best \\.altzes by his brother Josef. iYith the wir~d of Gemiitfichkeit blowitig at their backs, I(ar.:!jari and the Berliners go ;it these works untlcr full
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sail, possessed of all the carefree elegance-if not always the lightness or lilt-that one generally associates with the Viennese temperament. 'l'he orchestra plays the music with an ensemble homogeneity that is simply breathtaking, and the Sabled silken string tone suits thc music to perfection. Biggest successes are the performances ofJohn1111 11's Artist's Life, as Vicnnese as the pastry at Demels, and Josef's iV1usic of the Splreres. T h e recorded sound is remarkably fine, with plenty of aLmosphere and an ideal, not-too-heavy resonance. For the lightness arid lilt, there's Karajan's offering with the Vienna Philharmo~iic,recorded live on January I , 1987. Playing to the manner born, the Viennese surnrnon every nuance out of' the music. Kathleen Battle sings Johann 11's Voices of Spi,ig exquisitely.
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Hero-to-be: Richard Strutwtc ut the time ht curnp~sedDon Juan.
he German cornposer Strauss (1864- 19-19) portrayed a different Don Juan from the one Mozart characterized in Giovcrn,zi-not the lusty, high-living rake but the idealist eternally in search of feminine perfection. Stranss's Don is Inore akin to Wagner's Flying Dutcllrnan, and closest of all to Goethe's Faust. It was not hfozart or his sources for the Don Juan character (going back to Tirso de hiolina) or even George Bernard Shaw who provided the original inspiration Ibr Strauss, but a poem by Nikolaus Lenau (which Strauss quotes on the scot-e's title page). C>nc of the unusual elements of Lenau's portrayal is that it is Don Juan himself-the seducer rattier than the seduced-who suffcrs niost from his ultimately fruitless quest. Strauss wisely does not overplay that card. The most his 1888 tone poem suggests is that things end uncertainly for Don Juan: he is unfulfilled, but perhaps not yet disillusioned. The elements
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The Oboe
Drflrzrd
"a treblr woodwrnd as in.tltscrnrnt uritli (I double rrrd a i ~ dcorricc~lbur e, " the o6oe is bcttrr known to mnsiciatzs u.5 "the ill wirtd that tzobody blon?r good." The irlrtr~cmetlti ttame comes fron the Fre~rclr haud)ois, meaning "high wood"-but higl~in tAc sfrue of "lotr(l" rather tlintl trig11pitrhed. 7'h~reare theoi-ies aborrt uflzat happens to those who plaj it: irriatzity, baldties.\, rtr. Still, real ohoiits wo~cl[lil,r'tthink of pk~yirzg nrtyllring. elrr.
of longirig and heroic pilrsuit are much more significant to Strauss. As in so many of his "heroic" scores, the opening motif is an ascendi~igonesy~nbolic,Irialiy a urii\.ersity professor has notcd. of the male libido. In this opening rush, it is not difficult to detect tlie seeds of similar figures that will begin Ein H ~ l l e ~ i l e h e Der n , R o . ~ ~ ~ i k a v a l iand er, the Symplzonicl Domestira. The orchestral writing in Dorz Jzlar~ is astoundingly brilliant and conlplex for a 24-year-old con~poser-stri~~gs,wind.s, and especially the brass are required to play passages virtuosic enough to belong in concertos-a~itl the co~itrolof form is remarkably sure. X lyrical reprieve is provided by one of the rriost estraordinaly oboe solos ill thc symphonic literature, before a reprise of the heroic opening material gives %cay to the ambivalent cncling.
"G
.I Arr,pl-r.Tpd T ~ EN
~(I~/O:I-3.
~IZP
~
~ot
RICHARD STRAUSS
om posed fbr large orchestra after the old rogiish manner-in rondeau Iorm" is how Strauss clescribes his 1895 sympho~licpoem 7i'll fi111er~rpieg~IS lwsti g Streiclle ~ (Till Ezlle~is/~iegel's 1\lei7v P r a t ~ h 011 ) the title page of the score. The orchestra calls for triple winds, eight horns, and an ~~nusually large battery that includes a ratchet. And the musical illustration is certainly roguish enough Sor the old days, or fbr any other time one might happen to choose. Till Eulenspiegel ([he last nanre means "Owlglass," a type of niirror that distorts an image) is a character out of' German folklore, supposedly a real-lil'e pt-acticaljoker and miscreant ~vhodied near Liibeck around 1350-in bed, not on the gallows as Strauss has it. Tales of his exploits he'gagan to enter the Solk literature around 1500. arid he came to symbolize the qualities of defiance and farcical iightness that are latent in the German I~ temperament. His Iiigh-spirited pra~lks ~ , ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ iricludcd ~ ~ i riding through the marketplace and upsetting (lie
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TRAUSS W \'ED lorrg nlotcgl~lo becotrct far~rloruit1 hrs nzur~lifetime. I trilcn fil~uncial!y pre.~.~c,[l hi, ulm ,101 abozlt. lr~irli?zg0 1 1 t f ~ a t f i ~ t by n e cuj?vn~gout f r t ~ own scores 4y frond and ~ t d l i?ig tfie a ~ n n ~ r s ccoprrs r ~ t to roll~ctors.
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stalls, dressing up as a priest, chasing after girls. and mockirig the good to\vnspeople, all of which Strauss characterizes here in the n-iost vivid manner. In the end. at least according to the composer, 'Till is caught and tried. T h e full orchestra. with the snare drum rolling ominously, iridicts him. He at first answers cavalierly, then whimpers for mercy. His judges, the trombones. condemn him to death with the fierce proclamation of a descending scventh-taken fro111the scene in hlozart's Don Gioz~nruliwhere Donna Anna and the other characters, having just captured Leporello. sing "morrh!" ("He dies!"). Urilike Leporello. who gets off, Till is harlged. But in a sweet epilogue, Strauss confirms that the rogue's spirit lives o n , with an echo 01. his theme in the violins. Whereas Don (2ui.vote marks Strauss's apotheosis of the variation form. and Eiti Helde?rlcben ancl Dorl Jiiciri represent boldly stretched sonatas, Till is the ~~ltirnate rondeau, i r l \r.hicti the hero's theme returris after each coritrastirlg episode accor-dir~g to tile scheme A-B-A-C-A-D-A-E. Till Eu1~rtspieg:c.l was corripleted in 1895 and prrmiered in Cologne that November, with F r a n ~M'iillncr conductirig.
Cleveland Orchestra/George Szell. CB.7 .\IYA' 36721 [Don Juan ~ r Till ~ dEuler~spiegel. wrth Death and I'ransfigurationl
'I'he listener enjoys a privileged r~iorrientsitting in on Szcll and his Clevelanclers at tlie peak of their game. Szell exhibits sovereign command of the n~usic,and the recording is estraor-dinan for its late- 1950s vintage, naturally balanced on this CD transfer. These arc fi red-up perl'ormances, full of tension, and distinguislied by standout work from the winds and brass. The tl-earmenr is bracir~glyunsentimental, though Szell's hort:itory grunts corne right through in rhe background of the cli~~~axes.
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S
TANLEY h (. BRICK ul)proprrolrd not on$ the uprt~ingof Also s p art] ~ Zarathustra for "00 1, b1r1 also the rnrcslc oJ J U ~ 11L I ~ Struu.\c, rn~moroblyj~c.xl~~/)oting tire Blue L);tnube IVmllwrth Ihu lersurely urheult,rg uJ a s p n c ~~lalronI ~ o~hlr. I KII bnck'~film nbu poprllr~r~wd the eerw S O I I ~ ~ujJ Szoid/ch comporer Karl-Br~grrBlo~ndalrli ' i p a c ~o p e r ~ "Ani'ird, wntletr 111 1957-58,
he spirit of Liszr hovers over Also s/)rnck Fricdrich Nietzsche, yet the music coulcl only hatre been written by Strauss. Like his close contetnpot-ary hlahler and his pi.edecessor IVagner, Stranss ivas fascinated with Nietzsche . . . for ;I \vhile. Zaraflltistrn is Nietzscl~e'sI I ~ O S Cpotverfiil tract, though not his most important one. Stra~isstook it with a grain of salt, happy to receive the inspiration of Nietzsche's heady prose hut smart enough to sidestep the rnore serious philosophical con\folutio~ls.His oivn note on the score's title page says that the music is only "Treely basetl on Kietzsche." He is known to have said that he wo~ild have preferreti, as a subtitle to his tone poem, the legend: "Symphonic optimism and fin-de-si$rlr form, detlicated to the Twentieth Century." Although the opening pages of. the score have now acquired a life of their own thanks to the Stanley Kuhrick film 2001: A Sj~ciceO d j s s q . they are but the prelude to one of Strauss's most profligate orchestral tapestries. full of large effects and clever tone-painting. Examples or the latter are Strauss's incorporation of-a thundel-ous Silgue in the sectioii entitled "Of Science" (the fugue being n~usic'smost "learned" form), the use of an opulently scored Viennese wait7 t o evoke thc "Dance Song." and the tolling of the midnight bell to introduce the "Song of the Night Itranderer" near the enti of the piece. Strauss saves one of the rliost striking el'fccts for last. To suggest the enduring riddle of the cosmos, and the antithelical relationship betweet, Zarathustra's enligltlenment of Sfan and the continuing, mysterious presence of Nature in the background. Strauss juxtaposes the keys of C a n d B, leaving thc end, and he resolution of all this Nietzschean philosophy, uncer~ain. aloiig with tllat of t 9 Zamllrlcslr~, -
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trauss is supposed to Ilave boastctl orice that he coi~ltldepict : ~ ~ i y t h i ning ~ri~isic, even a glass of' Ileer. Fortun;ltcly, this perichant for rnt~sicalportr;~iturewas I~alancedby :I keen scnsc of' architecture, so th;rt in the besr of his pieces, structure and imagery con~plemcrrteach other so closely that one cannot imagine another conilwxr attempting the same subject. Strauss's suprc~iicachievenlent in this regard is the 189'7 torre IIoem Don Qltisote, b;lsc:cl on thc flmous rorriance by ilfiguel d e Cerv;~~itcs and subtitled N STRALTSS'S "Fan~;rsticvariations on a tlierne of knightly Do11 Quisotc icw cliar;~cccr." t w ~ i ,/ C N I L I P i~ o t ~ v ~ dI)/(, ~to '1'11~ key worcl Iicl-c is "vari;~tio~ls." for in Ilorr cotrctert~nliotrumong /kt1c ~ i l Qtlisolr, Strauss subtly takes over an estal~lished ics, S U ~ I I P04u*lrurnfoutrd i1.q form and turns it to progran~maticends. Each of imageq rfrll~sticto llrp )oi)11 the clt~ixoticescapades in the score- Sroni thc of P.Y.CPSJ. Hut 11 s11rpri~it1ji renctioil cnrrrt*from 110 /r.\.\ ( I hero's tilting at wir~clrnillsto his attacking ;I flock rnastrr of v f j ~ c /hurl f Kit~~sky- of' shecp in the belief that tlley are a n clierriy Korsukoi~,lcjllo nrok: "I .\(IU~ arrny, and his final corrlbat wit11 the Knight of the I ~ scarp P of Don Quisotc. \Vllite Moon-is cast as a vari;~tionon L)on QuiIi'hrrl 11 shntn~less[epithul xote's own theme. 'I'here arc [ e n variations in all, &bled 1~ ( I Kilssiot~~ d i l o r ] /his Rirlrt~r(f Slri~zlwsis!" prefrlced by an i~ltrocluction:11lc1 the theme itself and followed by a n epilogue-style finale. T o further link structure and imagery, Strauss added a bit ol' the si?lfonicl concer/cr?rle t o the schenle: a nlajol. and a lessel solo part are created lor tllc cello and viola, the former instrument represcnting Don Quixote hirnself and the latter his squire, Sariclio Panza. With tllesc clcrnent.~in pl;icc, Strauss was fi-cc to lavisli his attention on the sonic realization of C:ervantes's tale. Nowhere is Iris skill as ari orchcstr;~torrliore evident than when he depicts the ble;~tirrgsheep (Variation I I) Ily having the lnuted brass flutter-tongue a series ol'dissonar~tilitervals. Strauss is even able to conjure a vision with the glory oSa full orchestra and deny it with a single note. I-lc does this in his por11.aya1of Don Quixote's flight through the air (V;II-iationVI I), sing
w
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a host of a t n ~ o s l ~ l i e r ieffects c in the strir~gs, \vhooshing fi gures in the winds, ,inti even a \\rind machine. But does the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance ever really leave the ground? 'I'he persistent low 1) in the basses ells the listener t h a ~ this is only a fliglit of fancy. DOTIQliixot~is one of Strauss's surest scores, as well as one of his most touching, especially in the finale's portrayal of' the Don's death. As the olcl man's sanity retllrns, the music grows hymnlike ;ind calm; the solo cello. marked I I I O ~ ~esprr~.\sivo O for the first time since Quixote's rapturous discourse on the meaning of chivalry (Variation I I I), so;irs one last time in an ecstatic embrace of the ideal, then gives up the ghost with an octave c D. glissando to ~ h low
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he title is rl l l ~ r o ' Li/e-;~~~cl s the hero, bur
IF YOL' L.lKl:' T H I S IZ'ORK, jotc ttriglrt sample Strauss's lml lulo symphonic poenu, Symphonia dornestica ntrd Eine Alpensinti)nie (An Alpine Synipllony). lrz t h p former, the hero of I
thinly tlisguised, is Str;~~rss himself. IZy 1898, when he coinpleted Eitl H ~ I ( f ~ t 1 1 e Strauss b~n. was only 34. Yet in the ten years he had been rvriting tone poenls, he had become adept at cliaracterizing tlic heroic temperillnent, whether in L)on Juan, Sul~crrnan,o r Don Quixote. Strauss devised an intriguing ~larrativefi-amework fbr Eitt Hcldc~lleben,found an effective formal scheme to accomniodate it, and put some 01' his nic~st unabashedly heroic niiisic into the ef'tbrt. T h e score, a l ~ l ~ o ~in~ ag single li continuous moveIllerlt, falls into six distinct parts wit11 descrip~ivc titles. Underlying the sprawliiig pictorialism of' the rnusic is a masterfully erectccl sonata form, exp;insive in its tlimensions ancl with a fa~ltasylike development. Strauss's port~.:iyalofthe Hero's struggles', triurnl>l~s,and revcries is bolsteretl 11y the harmonic action fundamental to the f c r ~ n . T h e opening section is simply cillled "The Hero." aritl his therne-full of vitality, glowing with selfconfidence-is proclaimed by strings and first
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horn. with punctuation frorrl the rest of the hol-11s. the bassoons, and the heavy brass. Thc key is E flat major, the heroic key since beet hove^^'^ Eroica. This nlay have I>eetlSt I-auss'sideal view of himself, but the ~~arodist docs not let it st:ind for long. In "The Hero's Atlversaries," nus sic critics are dcpictetl 1)y series of nlarvkish, strident, querulous solos in the r\.inds ant1 brass. Under the din, the riame of' the ponderous Doktor Ilehri~lg,one of Strauss's real-life ncrneses, is repeateclly intoned hy the tubas ("Dok-tor DEH-ring. . ."). Strauss acltis insult to ir!jury I)y having the tubas move in pa'-;~llelfifths, a voice-leading error of' the niost elementary kind. The scene shifts to a portr;lyal of "The I-lero's Cornl)anio~l."I-cl,reselitetl by ~ l l e solo violi~l-a fitri~igchoice, since in real lifc Str;tuss W;IS rna1.1-iedto the soprano Pauline de Ahna. [:or a while, the Hero seems a bit henpecked, so hecluently does his o\vrl tlle~ricget i~~terrupted by the violin. Love triu~nphse\.critually, arid the rnusic grotcs p;tssion:lte. T h e idyll is broken off by the sound ol.offst:ige trumpets, a distant tr;lll to arms. The I-lero ;tnd his adversaries clash mightily on ''*I'I1(! Hero's Battlefield," which ultimarely is litteretl with the corpses of the critics. T h e rnusic of the opening returns ;is the Hero parades in victory, 111tt it soon gives way to co~ltemplation.hIo~ives~ ( I I I Ia number of Strauss's pre\fious cornpositions a r e inter\vovcn in "The 1 lero's i'Vo~.ksof' I'cace," in which the Hero revels not only in his past triumphs but in his ongoing, ~tbsolutc111aste1-yof the orchestra. In ''l'llc Hero's Wit hdra\v;tl I'rorll the \!'o~-ltl," Strauss allotvs [he bourgeois side of hilliself, the rral Kich;~r-dStr-;ll~ss,t o 1.ra\rcthe ti nal ivorti. I .i lk's battles tl;rve been fought and \van, f'rccing the Hcro to seek tr;tnquility at home a ~ l dinncr peace. He ant1 Iiis conlpaniorl, notv cast in tllc roic of' friend and comfortcr-, find harmony ; I L last, a harrllony that tratiscc~lcls[lie firl:ll, briefly flicki eririg mclnory of heroism.
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@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Fritz Reiner. RCA L i z ~ i ~S ~/ ~gr e o6 1 4 9 4 - 2 [Also sprach Zarathust1.a and Ein Heldcnleben]
Berlin Phlihannonic/Herbert von Karajan. E1\,11 (,'D(,' 4 9 3 0 8 [Don Quixote]
Berlin Phiiharmonic/Herbert von Karajan. Deutsche Grurnmophoit GaUma 4 2 9 184-2 [Don Quixo~c.,with 1)ca~h;ind Tr;irlsfigur-ation] Eirl Mellenleben can occasionally sound like 30 minutes of symphonic poetry interrupted by a 15-n1inute violin concerto; it requires an iriterclmoii.\ /or hit .,arnll brrr/, preter with grip and a long view of the scorc to tpanrrg geslur~.~, huutklike g a z , u rld fiery /errzpt.t.. hold the piece together. Reiner does just this in Fri/z Reiirr*~ILYL) 11 .\lent his 1954 account. I t is a f o r ~ ~ ~ i d a reatlingble /askrtms/~rbrci alto n brilmassive, yet with an Old \Yorld expressiveness in li(1111Iy@fled n ~ ~ ~ ~ i rHi~t iari. the strings and gloriously transparent texturcs. recorrlitlgs ~11th//re Chicugo T h e richness of sound in RCA's rcmastering is .$yrrtphorl~(ulhen' /w wus staggcririg for a tlocunient ne;~rly40 years oltl. ~ I I L F d~ iCr t ~ ~frorrt o r 19536 2 ) have almost rtcquired Reiner's interpretation of ,4lso sprach Z a ~ - u t l ~ t f i t r a . c ~ l l.r/ul~u. / )'el Reirrrr:~rrro.r/ recorded at the s:tnle time, is equally impressive. i m p o r t ~ i tcon!ribrr/ion ~ lo /Ire 111 1975, cellist hlstislav Rostropovich ancl KaraCSO sunlizres irt lhr r ~ z r r k ~ u jar1 recordetl for EhII what is still the consunlrr~ate of)rinci/)(~lpluyer.\ he P N Don QIILKO~P. Rostropovich's cornrnand of tlie solo gaged; if Reinrr 7 1 ~ ~ 10t ! slep up lo t h podirrrn ~ locluy hr part is ovcrwheln~ing,but ever) more impressive ufortlls/iN r~rognizchis bond. is the imagination he brings, particularly his identification with the poignant, crazed side of rhe Don. T h e Rerlincrs give a richly cliaracterizcd reading and procluce a rainborv of orchestr;tl color. though the sountl lacks visceral impact. Rostropovich himself often hailed Pierre Fourr~ier;IS the greatest cellist of Iiis day, anti on the BerlinIKarajan disc frorri Deutsche Grammophon, Fournier portrays a morc delicate, soulful, and capricious Ilon than Rostropo\,ich \\lould a decatle later. This Don is a gcntlcrnan of'the olti school and a true Romantic-and the dreaminess of Fot~rnier'sconception is eclroed in a reading
F
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that sounds inipressi\~elyfresh. T h e coupling here is the gripping L)ea/h and TratLsfigurc~~io,~ fro111 1972, ~vhichniakes this budget-price Cl) a n outand-orrt winner.
68
ut for the impatience of the irilpresario Sergei Iliaghilev, the brilliant first ballet of St~iirinsky(1882- 1971) r~~iglit never h;i\~cbeen \\*ritten.Diaghilcv lirst commissioned An;~tolyLiadov to compose the score for his Ballets Kusscst but when the olclcr composer took too long on the project. Diagllilev turned to the all-l~ut-unkriow~lStravinsky, still in his twenties and fresh from studies with Kirnskv-Kor.s;ikov. Stra\finskyrose to tlie challcrlge, creating a ballet score that, while ~~addecl allti tliscursi\re in some sections, contained effects of' s~rcliincantlesccrice ant1 Ix)wer that it set the musical estaI1] I!,' - I irnent of 1910 on its ear. T h e scenario, by h1ikll;ril Fokine, offered sonle spectacular opportu~litiesfor pictori;llism, of wl~icl~ the yourrg composc~took L'trll actvantage: Iva~i,the Czarevich, captures the Firebird but spares its life in return for orie of its magic plumes, lvhich \\.ill sunlrnon the cl-e;irurc if the (:z:~revich is ever in jeol):11-dy. In i11c cncl~anteclpalace of the monster Katschei, 13 princesses are being held captive; Ivan hilliself is captt~rcd,and he surnrnons the Firebird, \vhich casts ;I spell over the guards. 'l'he Firebirtl then guides Ivan to a treasure cllest where r l l r egg contai~~ing Katschei's soul is liiclden; the egg is s~nashed.Katschei's sorcen evaporates, anti Ivan ant1 the 13 princesses rejoice. Str:~vi~~sky shows complete Il1:1stery ol'the exotic orchestral coloris111Rimsky-Korsakov hat1 usetl in works like The Coldeti Cockerel, ;I lid he carries even further the practice of char;~ctcrizingthe supernatur;ll world by Illearls of clil-omaticis~nariti the
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ti~rmanprotagoliists by diirtoriic harmonics. He also rnakes use of Kussian folk music. the most prominent ex;irnple being the main subject of the final tableau. 111 scoring 7'11~ Firebird, Strxvinsky dre\v on the resources of a gigantic orchestra, including triple winds-with :~tlclitional parts for t\vo piccolos, English horn, clarinet in D, bass clarinet, and two coritrabassoons-as rr-ell as f't11I brass ancl string sectioris, three 11itr.p~.ant1 ;in enormous army of percussion. Yet these forces are used \\,it11 econo m y and specificity. For- instance, to set the introduction's n~ooclof dark enchantmerit, Stravinsk? begins wit11 a stalking subject in the lorvest rarigc of the tlo~rblebasses, cellos, ancl violas. intoned j~arzu.\irr~oover a bass drum roll. But the score iristructs t\vo ~rnniutetlbasses to double the sul?jcct pizzic;~to,creating ;I sepulchral thump on each note. T / IFlrt'btrrl ~ tlebuted at tile I'aris Opera on June 25, 1910, ancl sv:ts the hit of the season lor the Ballets Russes. Strivinsky estracted a suite from the ballet in 19 1 1. which he subsequently revised twice. A11 three versions of thc suite are recorded, but the 1919 vcr-sion, \r~hichreduces the size of the orchestra. is pref'erretl lor its lxrl;~nceand concision. 'fhe rriost satisfying listenirig experience comes rvit h the full ballet.
avi~ rg discoverccl St ravinsky and given hirn his first br-cak, Sergei Iliaghilev, like a good Hollywood proclucer, ~\,astcclno time in putting together a sequel to Tile Firehird. T h e ricw creation, I'rtncslrka, emerged in 19 1 I , a ballet in b u r scenes set during hIardi Cras in St. Petersburg of' the 1830s. T h e plot revolves around a i'ttal mhlngt. il Irot.i, with a \\,rinkle: the three principal char-itctcrs-Petr11~11ka, a Ballerina, and a hloor-are puppets.
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EItGEI IIIAGHILEI' ~ 1 1 ~l 5h ~ f i ~ ~ ~oft d tlte er Balle1.q K w e s cictd otie of the lion of modern rult~rre.I t uus he ulho g ~ u edat~rerand
Fokinr thr tnru~ulo give birth to m&nl balle~.It uqache ulho g(iue I'asl~zv Sijituky, ballet's en fan1 rerriblc. Be o,+fiorlunity to shitlt. l ) i a g l r i l ~ hitut;tlct,s for fi tldiilg lit r-igt~ts~tbjurt nl the right lime, rri~d/he rornpo.trr best srrited for it, rusullrd in sottlc, 0 1thls cell/llI)':~ /!1 1 ~ !llll.\if11/ ~ f UIOT~S.
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Petrtlshko had its origins in ;I cancel-I piece Solpiano alld orchestra that Stravinsky sketcliecl after being inspired by the image of a puppet "sutldcnly endowed with life, exasperating the patience of' the orchestra with cliabolical cascac-les of arpeggios. The orchestra in turn retaliates with menacing trumpet blasts. T h e outcome is a terrific noise which reaches its clin~asand ends in the sorrol\*f'ul and querulous collapse of the poor pul)pet." Str-avinsky played his sketches for Diaghilev in the summer of 1910. T h e impresario saw the theatrical potential and persuaded Stravinsky to transform the piece into a ballet. The rrlusical language of P e ~ r i u h k c0111p;ired ~. with that of The Firebird, is audaciously iconoclastic. The score does i ~ ~ d e emake d a terrific noise, partly because the strings arc dominntetl by \virltis. brass, and percussion, procti~cir~g a h~u-ticr-, edgier sonority. Even more important is the cornposer's revolutionary treatment of rhythn~and Iiiirmony. T h e frequent shifting and mixing ol' meter, ;is well as the use of asynirnetric;~lphrases anti tlisruptive syncopations, goes fill- beyond ;~nytliing previously attempted in orchestral music. Already on the fifth page of the score, where the hustlc and bustle of the Shrovetide fair are nlar-\.elously evoked, two bars of superimposed 3 4 and 718 ;ire follotved by two bars of 214 and 518 ant1 one 01' 314 and 818. While all seems to he clash and clatter on the surface, the complexity of rhythm produces extraordinary animation arid arl irresistible drive. The result is that for the first time in i~~oder-11 V'estern music, rhythm rather than harmony becomes the primary force in the development of a line of action, freeing harmony to be used in IIC\+~ ways. And Stravinsky's next7methods a ~ -startling, c particularly so in his superiml>osition of chords of different keys at several points i r ~the score, an effect known as polytorlality. iYhile tliis eflcct had been anticipated by I1Iusso1.gskyarltl Kilr~skyKorsakov. it was Stravinsky tvllo gave it cilrreucy and brought it into the vocabulary of 201.11-century
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music. He later wrote that he 11:1cl devised tltc justaposition of' triatls in C m;!jor and F sh:u-p rniljor that permeates the score a means of' I-eprcscnting Petrushka's ins~lltsto the audience at the Shrovetitle I':~ir.T h e sou~tdis so distinctive i t hits been citlletl the "Pctrushka c:llor.d." In keeping with his masini t l i : ~ t "a goocl colnposer stcals," Stlxvinskp appropriates rrielotlics fl.oni Russiari f'olk songs. ancl the French tune "Elle azlait 11))' J(ON/)P PI^ bujS," and 11takesthem his o w n . BLIL ill tlie 111ircItableau, t l l c . t1-;rnsformatio11 of turtes from Josel)li Lanner's I)ir Sclro~zbr~oztrrr \Valtz and Steyiisrlre 7ii'rlre into ;I icaltz for the R;lllerina and tlie ai\rkward hloor is c o ~ l s c i o ~ ~ s parody. Here, Stri~vinskyhits ~ l p o ar ~process t l i ; ~ t rr1ar.k his itlio~nfor the rest of' his life. \\till
t F
liat Tlre I~-rlt. Never Ilcfore had subsicli;~~.y elements ofcspl-ession-rirost notably texture, tlpnamics, and 1.hythn1-bec11 brought so bolclly to the fore. What could be felt intuitively in 19 13 has beconie cle;~rin retrospect: niore than any work before it, 'I'll~Rite of Sl)ri)ig challenges the concept tliat ~iitlsichas its basis either in rarion;il tllought or i ~ the i higher emotions. For as co~ilplesas it is l'roln a techl~ical standpoint, The Itile of Spring comes across as a \~isceralespericllce of the most cle~~iental kintl. Subtitled "I'ictt~rcs from Pag;111Kussia," the bitl-
r
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xl roz,, rub.
,rr,r l ,
ron.\tnut~d111.~S C O I . ~ . S(11 the p t r r ~ r o .
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let was composed to a two-part scenario drawn up during the summer of 1910 by the Russian painter arid archaeologist Nicolas Roerich, to \vho~ri the score is dedicated. Where The Firebird arid Petrusltkn had enierged from fairly specific narrative frameworks, The Rite of Spring grew out of an essentially scenic one, with a great cieal of action centering around primitive sl~ringtimefertility rites (the focus of the ballet's first part, "Adoration of the Earth") and human sacrifice (a concession to sensationalism with no basis in anthropologcal fact, but rionetheless the culmirlatiori of the ballet's second part, "The Sacrifice"). Folklore was one of the hottest fashions in pre-\Yorld War I art, particularly in Russia. but while others were interested in it primarily for decorative purposes, Stravinsky tapped into the very essence of' the primitive in The Rite of Spring. hluch of the rnelodic material is clerived from folk song (at least nine specific songs), and the mysticism and animalistic vitality of the score seem to have been dredgetl directly from the barbaric past. Stravinsky anticipated a good deal of the Rite in P e t r ~ l ~ t l k aespecially . its preoccupation with rtiythrn as both a structural and an expressive device. Indeecl, rather than marking a total break with his past. as has often been claimed (even by the composer), the score represents a continuation of Str:~vi~lsky's development, although here the accumulation of dissonance reaches an all-time high, and metric complexity is pushed almost as far as it can go. For example, in the 17 rneasures on the very first page of the score, there :Ire nine changes of meter. And in the cxl~losivcfinal section of the piece, thc "Sacrificial Dance," there is a passage where the meter changes every measure fbr 15 rneasures in a row. Here, the listener is forced to abandon himself to the physical rush of the musican expcriencc that reaches down to the rnost primitive levels of perceptiori. Elsewhere, as in the introduction to the second part of the score i (where the stage is set for the ritual of the sacri-
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fice), constant metrical changes, syncopation. asymmetrical phrase groupings, and nebulous harmonies reminiscent of Llebussy's A'uages erase the sense of pulsc altogctl~er,cre:iting a rriootl of portent and mys~el-y.I n every case, the effect is precisely tailoretl to the aims of tlic scenario. Tlie orchestr;~ernployed in Ttw lcir~of Sjritrg is huge. generating moments of i~~lprecedcrited loudness. Stravinsky also calls for many ir~struments to play at the estremes of their range, 1"-ociucing tlle strangeness of solrnd that is olle of the score's I~allmark.\.T h e opening bassoon solo-which begins on a high C, includes several high D's, ant1 stays entirely above riiiddle C:-is a not;ible example, and the first of rnany surpl-ises contained in the score, some subtle, soIrle t~.uly shocking.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestral Sir Colin Davis. Philips 400 07-1-2 [.I-he Firc1)ir.d(complele)] and 416 498-2 [I'cLI-itslika u l d *l'hr Rite of' Sl~ririg] Montreal Symphony Orchestral Charles Dutoit. Lortdorl 4 1 4 409-2 ['fhe Fircl)ird (co,t~plelc),utilli Schel-70 fantastiquc and Fircir~orks] New York Philharmonic, Cleveland OrchestralPlerre Boulez. CBS .\lustcr~~orkcAlh' 42395 [Petrushka and 'fhe Kite of Sprir~gl
Davis gets the mystery of the opening pages of The Firebird ex;~ctlyright. He gives the score t ime t o unfold, drawing superlative playing ti-on1 the Llutch orchestra. The interpretation is ge~ltlcand expressive, but mornenturn never Ilags, and tliere is energy apletrty in the score's flashier scenes. Philips's 1978 rc.cortling is warn1 and nicely at-
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A btg as you can tnak I I . . . pirnr uoukzcalls /or more.
! !
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rnospheric. On another disc, recordecl in 197677, Davis brings the same beautiful pacing to Petmtl~ku.T h e account has jewel-like clarity ancl watch-like precision: this is chamber music on the granclest scale. T h e recording imparts a ~iatural concert-hall perspective to the piece. yielding excellent iunbience but plenty of detail. With Tlw Kite of Spring, which gets so much of its effect frorli the savagery of rhythm and the loudness of climaxes, it is dil'ficult to evoke chaos ~vithout succuliibing to it. But in Davis's account. the piece is played as music, not noise. Again arid again, new cletails in harmony, texture, arid voicing emerge; rhythrn is not the only important element. T h e recorcling, closely miked for clarity. retains a firm bass and lots of i~npact. Dutoit's 1984 recording of The Firebird is a marvel of atmospheric impr-essionisril: shimmering, secluctive, beautifully played by the hlontreal Symphony. T h e sound is spacious arlcl detailed, and the couplings are ideal. With [lie New York I'l~ilharrnonic o n its best behavior, Boulez uncorks a Petrutiikn that is vibrant and full-voiced. \\.it11 razor-sharp rhythm and erlse~nble,ant1 with solos illirniinaringly played by the likes of flutist Julius i3aker arlcl pianist Paul Jacobs. 'fhe sizzlirig sonics are typical of CBS's late- IIIGOs rnulti-track heyday, offeririg n closeup of the scure in this excellent renlasleririg. Boulez's interpi-elation of The Ritp of Spring emphasizes structure, clarity, and texture over raw energy and visceral excitemer~~, b u ~is potent tionetheless in the "C;lorification of the Chosen One" and the "Sacrificial Darice." Boulez arid the Cleveland Orchestr;~esrablisl~ecl here a riew st;lndard forenseml)lc virtuosity ancl idiomatic execution o f the rli~isic(a standiird they themselves 1.-'11'I to meet in their remake for Deutsche Grammophon), and this Rite remair~sone of the great acliicvemenls of the stereo era. T h e sound is rather dry, as one \\70ulclexpect from Severance Hall, and it lacks the in~pi~ct a digital recording might tiave provided.
,C/
is still lasl~ioriahleti)r critics to disn~issTch:riko\.si;y as one of' two t hings: ;I supel.lic.i;ll r n a n i l ~ ~ l a t 01. o r a sellabsorbed borderline hysteric \\,allon.ing in his o\\.n e~~lorions. 1 le was rlcither. 'fchaikovsky's preternat~r~.ally se~rsitiveI ~ ; I I I I I . Cant1 llis talent S ~ I self-esprcssion were appar.cllt early on. As hc grew oltlcr, his r ~ ~ u sbec:rrne ic increasi~~gly e~r~otiorl;~l, l ~ u tit rarely l.agcd out of' control. For 'Tch;~ikovskywas marc. 1l1:ln an ;~rtist1vi111 illtense ; I I I ~ often pailil'ul feelings to hare. He w;is also [lie most ~ ) r o f e s s i o ~ ~ a l Russian composer ol' his day-conse~.vatory trained, literate. as~utclycritic;ll of both his own work a ~ ~that t l of'othcl.~.and Iiighly dix-ipli~ied.H e kept a rigorous daily scl~edulcthat e ~ l a l ~ l cl idi l l i to sketch and score his \\.arks cluickly, though Ile resistctl the tcnlptation to rirsli thclli to corrll~lctioll,~ ~ o l i s h i n;i~id g rcvisillg those 11i;lt tlitl riot il~itiallysatisfy hill1 (in the case of S\,~npho~iics Nos. 1 a n d 2 and the fiintasy overture Rot~rtoc ~ t r tJli1ic.t. l several t ir~lcs). -. I chaikovsky crc;~tecla sizeable I~otly01' s o ~ ~ anti g s clramber compositions, many of' them quite lo\,rty. Rut i t \\.;is in t11c larger forms th;~thc esccllcd. Hcrc his o u ~ p ~\\-:IS l t cvcnly lallanced I)etween dr;~l~ratic wol-ks-ol)cras :111il I)allcts-;~~~d sy~ill)liorlico ~ i c s , the conlrllon deno~ninatorI~eingthe orchestra. L;nlilcc many of his colleagues, who PI-;irticetl orchestr;ition as i f i t \\-ere :I snrtoriill csercise, -1'chaikovsky thought dil-cc.11~ i l l tct.ms of ol.c:hestral color. Alitl though Itis r e s o ~ i r - c r f u l ~\+.it11 ~ ~ s si~ltlivitlu;ilirlstrunler~rs was unsurpassed, fix him i t was t11c 1'1111 01-cl~estra ~ I I ; I I had a sound-wllich is wily all 01' l ~ i sorcl~c.si~.al scores ha\!<,;I lustrotls sonority that can Ile immccliately itlc~ltified. Among the most beautil'ully scor.ctl of his works arc tlie three t
ballets, Szocl~~ Luke, The Slerting Beauty. and Tlie N I I ~ C ~ ~ 'l'chaiI~~PI.. kovsky was able to evoke a specific atmosphere in each ; ~ n dtl~.;iw liste~~crs into an enchanted world. But while the stories are fknciful, t l ~ eemotions in the music are profoundly huriian. .And i l l scekir~gto transform the music of the ballet fro111a grancl tlccor;itive gesture into an essential component of the drama on stage, Tchaikovsky revolutionized the art of cornposing for the dance. .As ;I syriiphonist. Tchaikovsky enriched the repertory and esertetl a vital influence on composers as diverse as Sibelius, I'rokoficv, and Shostako\,ich. Yet it \\*asnot until he set to \\.ark on his Fourth Symphony that Tchaikovsky discovered-in the espression of heated emotion-the key to both melodic inspiration arid mastery of form. Had it not been for mornentous changes in his personal life at the time he was \\.riting the Fourth, Tchaikovsky might \cell have developed into a different composer, one lcss trustilig of his talent and lcss inclined to deal with his feelings in an overtly corlfessional manner. Rut fate, that mysterious force whose 11atul-che would seek to elucidate in several of his works. intervened directly in Tchaikovsky's life. I:irst, in tic winter of 1876-7'7. had come the unforeseen ;illpe;ll.;lllce of a benefactress. the elusive Nadezhda von lleck, who was to ~)~.ovicle much-needecl financial aricl emotion:~lsul)porland a11outlet Ibr 'l'chaikovsky's communicative ~ 1 t . gT~ l. ~ c n i.l l the sprir~gof 187'7, he proposecl nlarriage to a young \vomntl hc barely knew. Antonina hlilyukova, despite the facts that he was hon~oscsualand she enlotionally unstable. He hopeti the union might bring at least a semblance of stiibility into his life. Instead, the short-livetl marriage was disastrous and 'I'chaikovsky trieti to kill himself. Inevitably, Tchaikovsky's music became the chief'outlet for the strorlg emotions that could not be expressed physically. Listeners recogriize that the sentirlient arises fiom a profound awareness of vulnerability and loss. Significantly, in his most emotional musicin scores like Rnnleo and Juliet, the Fourth Symphony, a n d the Pnthitiqlce-Tchaikovsky also shows his greatest originality irl structure. Like Mozart, whose music he admired, Tchaikovsky \\.as responsive to the challenge of characterization in both stage ant1 symphonic music. He tried to get inside the characters of his operas ;~rrdto create worlds o f feeling in his symphonies. In tlir acl of con~position.Tchaikovsky found the freedom t o emote, :inti ~ h 1nc;lns c to control it. that he sorely niissetl in his per.sor~;~l lifk.
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the conlposer hlily Balakirev sugges~edto Tchaikovsky the idea of writing a work based o11 Shakespeare's Ro~neoand Juliet. When the project stalled, Balakircv sent to Tchaikovsky a proposc-cl ou~lineof the score's harrrionic organization, even writing out four opening bars of his orvn. Tchaikovsky finishecl the fantasy overture six weeks later. But Balakirev had some criticisms, and after the hlarch 1870 debut of the work, Tchaikovsky realizeti that the comments were on the mark and thoroughly rewrote the work. 'I'en years later, still dissatisfied with the piece's ending, he revised K o n l ~ onrrd Juliet again. I t is this third version that usually is performed. Romeo und -Iuliel was Tchaikovsky's first masterpiece. In its tightly wound arprnent and insightful handling of the story, it reveals the balance between symphonic logic and expressive power that would mark Tchaikovsky's finest efforts and set him apart from his Kussia11 conternpol-aries. T h e slow introductioli is rich in therllatic material. and the characterization is sharply drawn: the sorrlber chorale in modal 1; sharp, its phrasing reniiniscerlt of plainchant, cloes double duty by establisllirlg the tragic atmosphere of the story i\.hile evoking the religious presence behincl the scene, that of the long-suffering Friar Laurence. Other motives suggest the enmity arid passion that will draw thc star-cross'd lovers to their doom. There is a buildup to the main Allegro, culminating in a repeated 13 minor chord that grows more intense with each reiteration. The martial therlie depicting the strife of the hlontagues and Capulets erupts in full fury, to be followecl, inevitably, by the music representing Romeo and Juliet in the intentionally remote key of D flat major. 'The idea of putting the young couple in a world of their own, harmonically distal11 from the warring families, hat1 been Balakirev's, but Tchaikovsky
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does his would-be nientor one better by for-ging a link between the strife thenie ant1 that of tlic two lovers, alloiVingthe fatal nature of the relationship to be felt on a subliminal level from the start. Tchaikovsky's cievelopmcnt of' the material is assured. and he builds the overtul-e to a climax niacle devastatingly effective in the revision of 1880: after the niusic of the feud oven\,helms that of Romeo and Juliet. a pained echo of the love theme, now wrenchingly recast in B ~ninor, issues from the strings. T h e rl-agic feeling forcshadows the end of' the Patlw'fiq~reSymphony, also in I3 minor, though Tchaikovsky docs not allow his lovers a quiet end. Instead, he summons :I series of tumultuous for-tissimo chords and closes the overture with a reminiscence of the pitiless violence that had driven Romeo and Juliet to their deaths.
Royal Philharrnonlc Orchestra/ Vladlrnlr Ashkenazy. i Londor~421 715-2 [utith Italian Capriccio. Frar~cescada Rirnini, ar/rl Elegy]
i
Ash kenazy's 1987-88 interpretations are solitl and superbly recorded. There is sua\ity in the playing, rather than all-out intensity, and polish in the conducting, rather than passion. Tile performers are a little slow getlilig off' the rnark i l ~ Roineo andJuliet, 1 1 ~ 1 1the piecc is well played. -1-he vivid irnagery and Kachmaninoff-like orchestration of Frat~cescada Ri~ninibring out Ashkenazy's Kussianness in a way the more lucidly arg~retl Romeo nrld Juliet tlocs not. In Francusca, the Roy:~l Philharmonic shows iiself for ~vliatit is: a youtl~f'ul orchestra of great ability, enjoying the ride up. T c h a i k o z ~ s hr~rnr ~ i in Klin, 5 0 miles from .\.lutcotc~.
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M E . VON MECK (aboue) expressed I11e zuzjh neaer to meef her Benefactor, T c l ~ a ~ k o vI s' L~~ . dtcring the 14 gearr nf thrir curiotis, ann's-length relotiot~~ltij) he frcq~~enf!)' fuun(I hinlself in close proximit-y lo her. Tltis could be exaperoting for Ilze composer; in 1878, during u joint bul separate sojolcni in Flore~ice, 11e noled /ha1 she stojped in front of lib villa e v e q mor~zirtg. " H O ~sl~ould IJ I bel~clve?" he wrote his brother Anatoly. "Should I go lo fhr window and bou~?"
TCHAIKOVSKY
currents that run through the Fourth Synlphony, ,especially its first movement. make it not only one of the great works of Romanticism but the first truly great synlphony by a Russian composer. In a letter to his patroness Nadezhda von bleck, written after completion of the score in 1878. Tchaikovsky confided the supposedly secret program: the subject was Fate, "that tragic power which prevents the yearning for happiness from reaching its goal.'' The symphony's motto theme-the implacable fanfare in the horns with \vhich the work so arrestingly opens, and which returns at several importantjunctures-is indeed a nlusical e~nbodiment of this coriccpt of Fate. With that in mind, one can see the first niovement as a psychological drama of escape. of reveries cut short and hope crushed by the weight of destiny, borne out musically by the use of a progressive key scheme that creates rnou~ltirlg harmonic tension. Specifically. the nlovenlent seems a succession of attempts to try t o move away from the oppressive F minor of the Fate motto. There is momentary escape in a delicate waltz in B major-a key as far removed from F as you can get. 'The waltz reappears in F major, only to he crushed by the return of F minor, and any hope of transcendence is dashed. The seconcl movement begins with an oboe solo consistirig of 80 consecutive eighth noles, extended by the cellos for another 83-the longest rhythmically undifferentiated subject in any symphony. The bleakness is meant, said Tchaikovsky. to portray lo~ielinessand nostalgia. Once again, escape is momentarily achieved in a climax of emotional ardor and balletic opulence before the dream vanishes and the plaintive solo returns. The third rnovernent, a scherzo played pizzicato, is just "elusive figures that flit past the imagination when one has drunk a little wine and feels
,
exuberant," the cornposer riocctl. 111;I gootl performance, the drunkenness can be delightfill, if the insouciant little wind solos that open the trio are adequately characterired, along with their reeling chromatic accompaninicnts. In the symphony's finale, Tchaikovsky makes use of the Russian folk song "In the Fields, -1'her.e Stood a Birch" and, as his second subject, a giddily trimpliant march tune. T h e writing is virtuosic in the extreme, and the contest between F niqjor, now the home key, and the F minor of Fate continues to the very end. T h e composer had suggested that o n e could discern in the mo\,ement's tumult a scene of popular merrymaking, but the joyful end is not easily won. 'I-he Fate motto returns again; its reappeararice unifies the symphony but also gives Tchaikovsky the opportunity to exorcise his demon. This tinie, joy, in the fol.m of the triurnpharit n ~ a r c htune, at last overcomes despair.
biography of Tchaikovsky, the English musicologist David Brown characterizes the Patutique as "the most truly origin;~l synlphony to have been composed i r i the 70 pears sirice Beethoven's Ninth." That is a n accuratc assessment, though it may not go far enough. For the Pathitique is also, in emotional terms, thc contrapositive of Beethoven's Ninth. :Is the hrst truly tragic symphony, concerned with loss. isolation, and despair, it projects a ncg'itive imagc of Beethoven's triumphant aspiration: in place of spiritual transcendence, it secks annilii1;rtion. Fr-0111 the staridpoint of aesthetics, this represents a fulldamental turning point in the history of' the symphony. Psychologically, tlic Pntl~Cliqrrc marks the beginning of n~oclerriism. T h e title was suggested to 'l'cliaikovsk~ I>y liis
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CHAIKOVSKY'S lust symphony was coinposed between February 16 and April 5, 1893, mul scored in August of that year. The premiere took place in St. Petersburg 071 October 2 8 , 1893, with Trhaikovsky co~ldzicti~~g. Nine day, later, he w a ~dead.
TCHAIKOVSKY
brother Modest after the score's completion in 1893-and it is indeed fitting if one considers that the primary 111eaningof "pathetic" in Russian, as in Greek, corresponds to the word's secondary meaning in English, usually rendered as "affecting o r moving the feelings." This symphony, especially in its outer movements, assuredly does that. It also embodies some remarkable formal innovations, most notably the choice of an Adagio as the concluding movement and the radical transformation of sonata structure in the first movement. In both its material and structure, this first movement is a departure from the rhetorical succession of ideas characteristic of Classicism and Romanticism. There is an extreme contrast between the exposition's fjrst subject, a skittish utterance in the violas and cellos that conveys agitation and dread. and its second sut,ject, a keenly poignant melody in the strings scored over three octaves-but what is especially unusual is the almost dreamlike way in ~vhich the latter evolves out of the former. The transition is searnless, yet there is a con~pletedisconnection between the ideas themselves. T h e convulsive beginning of the first move~nerlt'sdevelopment section still comes as one of the great shocks in symphonic music, exploding out of the extraordinary pppppp dynamic of the expositiori's final moments. T h e violence of this nightmarish episode, along with its breathlessly fast tempo, make it, too, seem to he disconnected from what has come before, even though it is based on the exposition's first sul~jecl.Acknowledging that behind these pages are thoughts of death. Tchaikovsky has the trombones quole a phrase of the chant "With thy saints, 0 Christ. give peacc to the soul of thy servant," drawn fi-om the Russian Orthodox Requiem. The recapitulation is also u~~conventional; l'ar from restoring he mood and material of the exposition, it extends the de\eloprnent and intensifies its drama in a searing climax set over an ominous tirrlparii roll. All energy spent, the first movement ends
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
T
CHAlKOVSKY'S death wrrs not caused b~ cholera, but by poisoning. The cata$rt was a letter written by Duke Stn~bok-Fmnorto the Czar, conzplaining about the a/tention Tclmikomky ular payb~gto his nephew. The le/ttr ular erltrust~dto Nikolui Jacobi, o m of Tcltciikovskyk classmates. Knowing its co?itenis would disgrace Tchaikovsb and the sct~ool. Jacobi c o t ~ v ~ na ~iribut~cll d of c l m ~ r ~ a tand e s friends, Irefore which Tchnikozaky wcrs brought. They rultd that Tchaikovsk~shoillil kill himself.
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with a quiet coda that again seems eerily removed from the reality of what has just happened. One encounters a surreal detachment in the second movement, a waltz subtly disfigured by its 514 meter, and in the ensuing scherzo as well, a movement that, with its fleeting images and manic energy, amounts to a march gone over the edge. The illusory lightness of these interludes makes the weight of desolation in the symphony's finale all the more oppressive. Marked adagio lamer~toso, this crushing valedictory opens with Tchaikovsky's favorite motive. a descending scale figure representing Fate. T h e finale's second subject, a hymnlike lament in D major that at first offers hope of consolation, builds to an impassioned climax that is soon stifled. Instead of a development. the first subject returns out of the fragments of the lament. Anguish mounts in a fcverish second climax, there is a solemn cadence, and Fate's final blow is delivered by a single. chillingly soft stroke on the tarn-tam. The second subject-now in the minor and nothing but an echo-sinks lower and lower, offering no escape but into oblivion. This finale. as simple as its message, - and the symphony's first movement, virtually a new species, reflect Tchaikovsky's absolute control of the nlusical process and were to have a profound effect on the likes of Sibelius, Mahler. and Shostakovich. dust as important, the Pntlle'tiqz~e's unflinchi~igtruthfulness of expression, including its rejectio~iof spiritual transcendence, changed forever the metaphysical framework of the symphony.
Leningrad Philharmonic/Evgeny Mravinsky. Det~iscJieGrur~~rr~opho~z 419 745-2 [2 CDs; Sy~nphoni~s hros. 4 and 6 , w ~ t hNo. 51
192
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
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Berlin PhilharmonicIHerbert von Karajan. Delctsche G'mmrnophon 429 675-2 [J CDs; Sj?~tp/tonirs NOS. 1-61
T h e recordings by hlravinsky and his Leningrad Philharmonic, taped in the autumn of 1960 in London while on tour, are among the absolute classics of the catalog. They arc readings of hairraising intensity; n o one else has had the nerve, o r ability, to play (lie ~ n ~ ~this s i cway. T h e treatment is vtrp Kussian: the passions niore feverish, the melancholy darker. the climaxes louder. I t has been said that the string musicians played as if their lives depended on it-and given the nature of those days ant1 that Soviet regime, it was probably true. Equally distinctive are the wind a11d brass timbres: those who heard the Leningrad Philharmonic in performance u r ~ d e rhlravinsky say that no other ensernble sounded remotely like it in piatiissi~noor forlissimo. These accounts leap out of the speakers as if they were being played in the here and now. T h e sonics are remarkably good for the time, though a little edgy in the loudest pages. T h e mid-1970s accounts from Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic are red-hot. There is grip in these interpretations, creating a feeling of undertow. The Fourth has both menace and suavity: Karaja~lexhibits masterful coriti.ol of pacing, and the cliniaxes are superbly judged. T h e Pathktique was always a Karajan specialty: on balance, this is his best recordi~lgof it. T h e sound for the Fourth and Sixth Symphonies is closeup, a little hard in the treble and soft in the bass, but with good ambience. T h e well-done remastering preserves a wide dynamic range with excellent clarity.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
I
TCHAIKOVSKY
193
N '1.1-1E NUTCRACKER
7'c/1(1ikovsky wos determined to prove tho1 as a colorirt he u v ~capable .~ of outdoing eve71 RimrkyKorsaknv. Having come across the celesta in Park, he imm~diafelyu r o t ~to his Publisher about ih "divinely w o ~ u l sorcnd, " asking that one be bur~ghtand sent to St. Petersburg. Tcltaikovsky ulorned that the instntmnrt should be kept undrr wraps, lest Rimsky find ouf about if and "ure iffor unusual effech before
G
ornposed to a detailed scenario Ily hlarius Petipa-based on an adaptation by Alexandre Durnas p k e of a story by E.T.A. HoffnlannThe Nlrtcracbr was Tcl~aikovsky'slast ballet. \Vorking with a trite story in which there is no real human drama, and following some almost measure-by-measure instructions from Petipa, Tchaikovsky was freed from having to worry about content, which allowed hini to indulge his gift for memorable melody and ignited his imagination as an orchestrator. While the feeling of the ballet can at times seem rather shallow-a chiltl's Christmastime vision of the Kingdom of Sweets-the skill with which Tchaikovsky dresses u p individual numbers in the most evocative orchestral colors still delights the ear. Even where his melody is not extraordinary. Tchaikovsky's treatment is. .l'lie lriair~~notive01' the Act 11 pas d e deux is nothing but a simple descending scale, yet the way it is Iiarmonizecl and phrased. and clothed in the warrncst of string colors, endows it with powerful sentirnellt. Tchaikovsky's orchestration transcends the Inaterial in the overture as well: scored without cellos and basses, and with violins and violas divided into six parts, it conjures u p the sound of a Classical orchestra with just a triangle and a piccolo added. A silvery, child-like, "play" overture, small in scale but full of glittering tinsel. it is just the thing for Christmas eve. The Nulcracket- is typical of Tchaikovsky's later music in its delicate use of the strings, which provide shimmering backdrops to many of the scenes. But it shows a literalism unusual for the composer, especially in the children's voices in the "Waltz of the Snowflakes" and the children's instruments for several other numbers in Act I. T h e writing for standard insrrurnents is marvelously inventive, particularly in t h e Act 1 1 divertissement. where chocolate is represented by
194
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
TCHAIKOVSKY
a Spanish Dance, coffee by an Arabian Dance, and tea by a Chinese Dance. But the most wonderful touch of all is the solo celesta in the "Dance of the Sugar-Plurti Fairy," which so charmingly suggests the drops of water "spurting from fountains" called for in the scenario. Nine months prior to the ballet's debut, Tchaikovsky extracted a suite from the score, which he premiered in St. I'etersburg on Xlarch 19, 1892. It is in this forrri that the most characterful numbers of The Nutcracker have attained universal popularity. T h e suite begins with the overture to the ballet, followed by the march from Act I and the "Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy" from the Act I1 pas de deux. Next are four numbers from the Act I1 divertissement: he Kussian Dance, the Arabian Danc:e, the Chinese Dance, and the Dance of the l'vfirlitons. T h e suite concludes with the "\Valtz of' the Flowers" from Act 11, one of the best known of l'chaikovsky's waltzes.
Berlin Phllharmonic/Mstislav Rostropovich. D~lcischeCrilmnzopltotl G a l l ~ r i n429 097-2 [fhc Nutcracker SIII'IP,with SUI'~P.T fro~nSjvan Lake and 'rhe Sleepirig Beauty]
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Around the time he recorded the three ballet suites in 1978, Kostropovich likened conducting the Berlin Philharmonic to driving a locornoti\~e. You get on, and you go where it takes you, he said-but in this case, the orchestra {vent where he wanted. T h e playing is magnificent, but what makes these accounts so mernorable is the chal-acterization, the things Rostropovich gets the players to d o that they wouldn't otherwise do. In the Nuicrclcker, for- example, the liberties they take with phrasing arid expression are telling: the way j the bass clarinet stretches its roulades in the "Darice of the Sugar-Plum Fairy," or the way the flutes
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195
seern to hang in midair in the "Dance of the hlirlitons." T h e analog recording captures it all in outstanding fashion.
8
PiccadilLv Circtu (11 the lznlv of A London Syrnpt~ony.
ngland's Vaughan LYilliarns (1872-1958) was 40 when he began work on A Loudon Sytl~phorly-no yourigster, to be sure, but still at the beginning of a real career as a symphorlist. For the notorious slow starter ~ v h oin 1908 had taken lessons with Ravel (three years younger than he), rhis second symphony marked a turning point. It confirmed his greatness as an orchestral composer and revealed for the first time his remarkable gift for investing deeply personal, even visionary expression in coriventional f o r n i ~ . But while the four-movemcnt layout is conventional, the treatnlent is highly innovative, particularly in the additiorl of an epilogue that echoes the mood and substance of the introduction. There is an especially nice touch as Vaughan \Yilliams, using the harp, quotes the half-hour chime of' Big Ben in the introduction, then the third quarterhour in the epilogue, suggesting that the intervening 45 minutes of music have filled only 15 minutes of real time. There is no actual written program to A London Symphony; it is purely impressionistic. seeking to convey something of the spirit of a great city. A nlolive in the first movement does go to the same rhythm as the word "Piccadi1ly"-proclainiecl fortissirrio in R flat major by the brass and winds, "Picca-dilly!" Tlie main body of' the rnovelnerlt certainly suggests the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Circus. T h e composer himself said that ihe melancholy sccond movement was intended to portray Bloomsbury Square on a November day, with all the somber gra) ness one would expect. In the end, A London Sy~npl~olzy stands out for
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VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
its own musical strength, rather than for the associatior~sit evokes. Though large in scale. i t is tvonderfillly coherent, a ~ i di u striking ideas are surely arid energetically developecl. Yet it relriairis a tribute to a place, as nobly emotive as IVordsI\ orth's sonnet Cotripos~dUpon IVafnlbls/er Bridge. "Earth has nor anything to show more fair. . ." than London. Indeed.
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
London Philharmonic Orchestral Bernard Haitink. Ed11 CDC ,19394 [will/ Fantasia on a Tlleme by Thornas Tallis] London Philharmonic Orchestral Sir Adrian Boult. EiilI CDC -17,313 [rrlith Fantasia o n a 'l'heme by Thorrlas Tallis]
I-Iaitink's 1986 reading of A Lotidon S ~ t / i p h o ~is~ g thrilling in its play of color, arid bracing-like the city itself-in its sudden, unespectecl turnings. No stranger to London, Haitirik insightfully evokes the pre-daw~istillness of the opening pages and the nielaricholy poetry of the second movement. Perliaps rriost remarkable is how successfully Ile conveys ihe syrnpliony's modernity; much of the finale. in its iritetisity and sharply chiseled gcstures. sounds surprisingly like Shostakovich. T h e London Philharmonic backs the Dutch concluctor haridsornely. ant1 Ehl 1's engineers get esccllenl sound from their familiar Xbbey Road studio. Boult's interpretation with the same orchestra. from the early 1970s, is li\,cly arid lyrical, a brisk view of London. If the approach is more Sancif~ll and rliapsoclic than that of Haitink thcrc is 110 shortage of power in the big moments of the ~ w o outer moLernents. T h e orchestra plays with idi~ ~ic,,rldc.d ~ lllc ~ lo,,K l ~,,lorl l u,lrh omatic fluency, and the recording is open and tttor~tnlsiclogger. i finely detailed.
i
CONCERTOS Iiough ,I child of the Baroque, the solo conccl-to clitl not come o f age until the last decades of the 18th century, t T largely t l i r o ~ ~ the g l ~efforts of hiloznrt. As both an outstanding violinist a n d the preeminent pianist of his day, hlozart was ablc to shape the concerto to his o\vn very exacting standards of tiiusicia~lship.In his hands-and in the works of' such contemporaries as Joscph anti hlichael Haydri. Giovanni Battista i'iotti. J a n Ladislav Dussck, anti Ign;~zI'leycl-it became the fhrm we know today, usually consisting o f three movements (in a fast-slo~v-fastsequence) and combining serious content \vith virtuosic display. In a h1oz:irt concerto, the first movernent is typically in sonata form. the s;irne form found iri the first movement of' ;I Cl;issic:~l s y r n l ~ i ~ othough ~ ~ y , in a concerto the structural demarcations ;ire often less clear. 'l'he exposition. introducing tile main then1:itic miltcrial (us1i;illy t w o subject groups), is generally the province of' the orchestra. (A passage tvhere the full orc11cst1-a plays is somctimcs rcf'erretl to :is a tutti. fro111 the ltalian tco~-dmeaning "all.") A 11-allsition passage l)r(:l>ijres for the soloist's enlrancc: this col-I-espo~itis t o the begirinirig of' the exposition repeat in n sympllolly's first
198
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movement. The solo instrument ancl orchcstra then engage in a dialog that recasts the earlier material. with the solo instrument frequently adding new material tailored to its olvn use. In the development section and the recapitulatio~i.icleas are further explored until the harmony comes to rcst 011 an unstable 1 ersion of the tonic chord (known as a caclential six-four cliord). setting the stage for an improvised cadenza by the soloist. This in turn is followed by a brief coda, and the movement ends. The second movement of a typical hlozart concerto has a slow tempo and is oftc~ilaid out as an aria (usually in three-part song form). This showcases the solo instrument's capacity fbr intimate expression and gives the player an opportunity to inflect lines and improvise ornaments as a singer would. T h c third Inovclrlent is usually a rondo or a hybrid of sonata form and rondo. and it is almost always fast, light, tuneful, and display-oriented. bfozart's finales, like his slow movemcnts, oftcn have an operatic quality: where the slow movements resenible arias of love, thc finalcs have the rapid repartee and exciting shifts of mood of act-ending ensembles. Beethoven built his concel-tos on this model, greatly expanding the scale and altering the relationship between solo instrument and orchestra. His first two piano concertos clearly follow Mozart. but with the subsequent concertos in C minor, CJ major. and E flat major, the balance bctwcen piano ancl orchestra is less the back-andforth shifting of a seesaw than a dynamic process in which the two forces are set in motion toward the same goal ancl must jointly shape the n~usicalnlaterial into a vast, ovcrarching structure. Remarkably. this transformation of the concerto. one of the great achievements of Beethoven's middle period, took little more than ten years. As his symphonies had done, Beethoven's concertos Icft the early Romantics with a dilemma: it was impossible to carry ~ h same c icieas further. So in the works of Chopin, Mendelssohn. Schumann. and Liszt, there is a new focus on virtuosity, with the soloist oftcn being treated as a heroic protagonist. These composers werc all preoccupied with conveying the impression that thc concerto had emerged from a single inspiration-not from the topical stage-play of hlozart or the constructive struggles of Beethoven, but froiri an elevated, rhapsodic state of fecling within which the listener was free to wander. Still, Beethoven's example did force his successors to think about unity. Thc connected movements of his Fifth and Sixth Sym-
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plionies, the 2'riple Concerto. the Violin Cor~cc~-to, ant1 tlic* Enr/)rror Piano Co~iccrtowere emulaiecl by hienclelssohn in his E rninor Violin Concerto and by Schumann in his Piano Concer~o.Lisz~.i l l his First Piano Concei-to. took the more daring step of c o ~ ~ j u r i;I~ i g multi-niove~~~ent structure from a sonata-form dcsign. Or~lyHralims rnanaged t o equal Beethoven in the scale of' his concerto str~rctures ant1 i r i his skill at casting their material into poiverful symphonic arguments. 'I'lie 20th century has been a particularly I-icli period fbr tlie concerto. Composers have posited new relationships bet\vccrl soloist ant1 orchestra, tlemanded a heightened virtuosity, and sho\vr~a nc\v eclcc~icismin their choice of material. Arnong the ideas alitl procedures explored have been jazz (in Ravel's piano co~lcertos),the 12tone row (Berg's Violin Concerto), and folk-inspirect rhythlns and melodies (llartbk, Kodrigo). '['he three-movement fi)rm has survivetl as tlie norm, though multiple alternatives have been tried successfllly. For all their variety. the best 20th-century concertos Iiave becn works o f scrioi~scontent and challenge that have remained true t o tlic characrer of' t 11e solo instrument. hlozal-t \z,ould have t,celi pr.outl.
200
CONCERTOS
1
EACH
J#g--
ost of Bach's purely instrumental
music dates from 1 7 17-23, his years as Kapelltneister at Ciithen. A considerable quanf tity of Bach's music from this period is lost; f-=4-,i nonetheless, what remains is extraordinarily rich i in conception and accon~plishedin execution, and one can justifiably say that as a body of work it represents the apogee of Baroque instrumental composition. T h e only concertos from Ciithen that have come down to us in their original form are the Violin Concertos in A minor and E major, RIVV 104 1 42, and the Concerto for TI\()Violins, in D minor, BWV 1043. (A t ~ ~ ~ ~ rofl bothers er can be reconstructed, or at least guessed at, on the basis of Bach's later arrangements of them as keyboard concertos. or from his subsequent use of parts of them in transcription for various cantatas.) 'I'here is a strong Italian Ilavor to these concertos that bespeaks Bach's familial-ity with ancl indebtedness to the concertos of' Vivaldi. But Bach shows a sophistication Sar beyond the Italian ~i~ociel, both in structure and in his treatment of material. T h e line of action is smoother, less episodic, and nlorc organic than with Vivaldi, and the t\.riting for the violin more substantive, less effect-oriented, thus anticipating the Franco-Italian gnlant style of i'vlozart and Beethoven. ACN IVAS NOT ONLY All three works are norable for their outstandthe p n t e s l orguni.~t( ~ t d ing craftsnianship and exprcssivcness. T h e slow kqrbourd tnluvian of his doy, movements of the two solo concertos, corrlposeci buf a n cicconzplithed violznut in chaconne style (over a repeating bass line). are and violkf as well. Hc particularly itnpressive-that of the E major Conhunted the string i~utnccerto for its poignancy. that of the A minor for mmb fi-utn his father, Johan 11 Ambrosius, ancl the its richly ornarne~ltedcantilena (a singing-style ktyboa~dfrom hic o l h r n~elody).T h e Double Concerto has an equally brother Jolrann Clzrisfo~~h. remarkable slow movement, a deeply felt Largo I n cotnpositron he was in which the lines ofthe two solo violins intertwine entirely sey-taught. almost vocally. F
B
CONCERTOS
•
BACH
201
Pinchas Zukerman, Jose Luis Garcia; English Chamber Orchestra. H(,X Rrd Spa1 60718-2 [rcilh Concerto in C ttrrttor, W Itr\' 1056]
Simon Standage, Elizabeth Wilcock; English ConcerUTrevor Pinnock. I ) P I ~ ~ C /Grummopl~o~t IP .~\rrhr~ 410 646-2 Monica Huggett, Alison Bury; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestral Ton Koopman. Erc~lo2292-45283-2
Zukerman's accounts are appealing for their emphasis on line arid phrasing, as well as tor their restraint. They are intelligently dra\vn, if a little dr;~wnout (ancl Kussianized. with url-itlio~rlalic slicles) in some of the slow tempos; tlicre is also a tendency to haste11in the Allegros. Bur rnost of the time, Zukerrnnr~scales do\\.n his gestures to fit the music. The largo of the Double Concerto is especially lovely. T h e 1990 recortling is excellent, the soloists ever so slightly forwartl. 'Textures arc lighter with Stancl:ige a r ~ dPin~iock,the playirlg drier :uld more articularc., though tonally less apprdli~lgif your focus is o n the solo instrument. Pinnock l>rovidcs the uslral straightnheacl acco~npanirncnt;his tempos iu the fast movements are br:lcirig but well mnn;tgetl. The 1 983 accounts ar-e recorded in typic:rlly bright, closeup fashiori, will1 itrriplc detail. T h e feathery clclicacy of Huggctt's playing tliro~rghout,ancl the intimacy of hcr toric and expression in the slo\\. rnovernents. m;tke her renditions highly satisfying. These accounts have more of the glo~vof chan~bermusic to then1 than the glare of the conccrt stage. Koopnna~l ant! his ensemble provide lively yet discreet st~ppor-t,and tt ~ c sound is esceller~t.
202
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CONCERTOS * BARTOK
N APRIL. OF 1942,
nlo1ll1r.v ufier Bartdh'c urriual lo the United Slrrle~, Bartcik's health begclrr lo rleterio,olu. His iNrre.~vzuac diag7tosed as polycythctrtru, CI cottditiorr sirnilnr to leukemiu. Despile ureahn~ssnvd long periodc of conunlescencp, Rartrik corrtinued lo c o ~ ~ ~ p ol o v ne furious pncr ttnfrl thr v e v end. AN of h r ~ medico1 bill5 were p a d by thc A mericnn SocteQ of Conlporers, Aulhorr, and Pl~bliSILrrs.
first two piano concertos \\.ere shocking, exploratory. and decidedly percussive, the 'I'liird, conlposed in 1945 during the final months of his life, has an almost hlozartean tenderness. Here even Inore than in the Co,zc~rto for Orcliestm, tliere is a sense of leave-taking as the music unfolds. An unexpected sin~plicityof line and a feeling of resignation, nostalgia, and spiritual tranqr~ilitycharacterize the solo part, all I~roughtinto relief by a softening of dynamics and a lightness in he scoring of Inally pagcs of the work. The melodic material itself is reminiscent oS Mozart in its graceful, sea~nlessintegrity, as is the free play of fantasy in Bartcik's dcvelopment of it. For all that, Bartbk's distirlctive voice can be heard throughout the work-in the niodal character of the melotlies (which often sound as if they hacl been borrowed from folk music), in h e vigorous rliyth~nicaccents of ii-rany passages, and in the p i q ~ ~ m ~ o u ~ ~ t c r Tp hoei nfirst t . nlo\ferncrlt exhibits all of these elements. The sharply chiseled main theme. given out in octaves by the pi~ulo over a quivering trcrnolo in the strings, is certai~ily folk-flavored, arid as it is extericlec1 it becoines pu~lchierarlcl more dance-like. T h e added piquancy comes ns ~ a r t 6 kbuilds a crescendo I,y means o f a graclu;+laccretion of instruments, creating a complex texture in i\.hich rhythms, accents, and melodic intervals clash bracingly. *The most touching and fantastic pages of the corlcerto are in the slow movement, an Adagio that Bartbk, a spiritual man but certainly no believer, rather suri)risingly marks religiose. The style of the initial pagcs is indeed ttlal of c h ~ ~ r c t i music, the feeling one of rigor and almost rapturous sadness. But the movement's central seclion is a wonderfully nnimatecl nocturne-a shimmering evocation of'the night chirping of insects and
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BARTOK
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birds. delightful i11 its freedom. I t is ;~lmostas il' BartBk is saying farewell to life and trying to hold it in his hands, all in the same nlovement. I'hilosophy is discarded i11 favor of the cl;~ncein ~ h c concerto's finale, a vigorous Allegro that draws energy from cross-rhythms and oftheat accents. Knowing of his inl~ninentdeath, BartOk composed the concerto for his second ~\.ifc,the noted pianist Diua Pasztory, probably in thc hope that she could help support herself' by performing it. Bartcik finished all hut the final 17 1)al-sof the orchestration, which were filled in from his sketch by his student Tibor Serly.
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDING
Gyiirgy %ndor; Hungarian State Orchestra/Adam Flscher. Sony Classical Sh' 4583.5 [with Currcrrtos Nos. 1 rrrrd 21
B
A R T ~FLED ~'
I:trrope oli~rrgulilli trurry otlrer a r h k and irr/eIIPC~II~IO d~lritlgthe 1 930s atld '40s itr rt-sponce lo /he riie r,/ fmcistn. As the iVaZiS touk cottlrul itr Cermatiy and ovemrt the corltirmrf, the Ultited Stute~becclrne the &s/ittrrtiotr for motlj, irrcllrdirtg H i t i h i l h , Schortrl~erg, Strc~vitlsky,Rrrchrr~ntrirrc~fjj Rnl?to \\'alter, and Thonruc l\felri~t.
S h ~ d o played r the world premiere of' this concerto in 1946, just a few rnonths aflcr 13;11-tOk's death. His deep knowletlge of the co~nposer's works and special insights into tlie s~ylemakc tllis 1989 account indispensable, even if' it is not as brilliantly played as some. The pi;i~iist is quite free with rhythm and accent, conveying not tlle otherworldly atmosphere thal rnore than a few interpreters have found, hut something very rnuc11 of the moment. There is a11 astririgel~ljoy to the perforn~ancethat is both refreshing and cluite i l l keeping with the mood of thc cornposer's other essays from the last years of his life. Fischer and the Hungarian orchestra do a s ~ ~ p c r l ~ .on j o btheir end, and he recording, while slightly tlistant ar~cl diffuse, is \\,ell baliinced and satisfying.
201
CONCERTOS
BARTOK
.6k's rwo-movcment Violin Co~icerto 1907-8 had beer1 a labor of love, composed for the violinist Stefi Geyer, with whom the 26-year-old (.omposer %\*as emotionally involved at the time. When [he two parted company, the manuscript of the concerto \vent with (;eyer. It was to be 30 years before Ra~.tok,in fill1 maturity, returned to the gerire to cornpose what is now tls~lallyreferred to as his Violin Coricerto No. 2, though 13;irtbk himself spoke of' it without llumerical designation. T h e idea of a concerto Inay have heen suggested to Bart6k by his countryman, the violinist ZoltAn Szekely, to whom the composer dedicated the finished work. Oripjrially. Bartok had wanted to compose a set of variations for violin and orchestra, hut SzCkely pressed for a Si~ll-scaleconcerto. In the end, both got their way: Rartok composed a concerto in which the concept ol'variatio~iserves as the guiding principle in all three mosrenients. Throughout, the rnateri;il is extremely engaging. The tirst movement's opening ~licme,g i v c ~out ~ by the violin over a \varm accompaniment in thc harp and pizzicato strings, is in tlie rhythm of a vprbtolkos, or recruiting march; thc chromatic seciV ICIARCH 23, 1939, ond subject, also introduced by tlie violin, is an ltss than six mott~lrcbeeerily espressive 12-tone thenie over a pedal A fore the outbreak of World in horns arid strings. The delicate second movelVar 11, Zoltdt~Sdkelq gavi* ment is an actual theme-and-variations, quite the first performai~ceof the atmospheric in feeling, and the third movement concertn 171 A m t e r h i ~ t with , Willmn hlejigelberg ro~ldz~rt- is itself a grant1 variation of the lirst, converting itig the Cuiuertgebmcw the rather broad ancl rhapsodic themes of the Orchestra. The score is pubconcerto's opening pages into folk dances. lkhed with two enditgs for The concerto is brilli;i~itlysco~.etland rcclilircs tht finnlr: Bartbk's o~igitral almost as much virtuosity from tlie orchestra as one uitli ifi s~rikingbras glissandi, which Szikely it does from the soloist. So rich is the conception found too "symphurric," and that at times the ideas almost run away with the (he more zriolinirtic etidirtg piece; Bartcik's energetic treatnlent, however, Bartbk urote to replace it, overcomes the inherently episodic nature of the which hnc become stntidard.
0
CONCERTOS
BARToK
205
Kyung Wha Chung; London Philharmonic Orchestra/ Sir Qeorg Solti. London Jubilee 125 0 1 5 - 2 [witli Corlctrto No. 11 Plnchas Zukerman; Saint Louls Symphony Orchestra/ Leonard Slatkln. RCA Red Seal 60749-2 [urith Viola Co~icerto]
T
HE KING OF SWING, clannetkt Benny Guudman moved in classical circles as well. HP comnzi~simled a number of imporlani works for his instrument, including Bart6k's Contrasts (for violin, piano, and clarinet) and concertos by Copland and Hindemith, and ma& several recordings as a clmsical artkt.
Chung's performance blazes with energy and commitment and is brilliantly backed up by Solti and the London Philharmonic. If the violinist errs at all, it is in trying to put swagger into the opening subject of the first ~novenlentby leaning into its accents. The result sounds uriduly Koalanticized. But in the rapt second movement, Chung is exquisite, and she turns in an electrifying account of the finale, abetted by Solti's energetic prodding of the orchestra. The 1976 recording is very closemiked and a bit overbalanced in Chung's favor. though it enables one to hear every nuance of this high-octane reading. Zukerman has been among this concerto's most capable interpreters for many years; in this 1990 recording. he emphasizes the lyricism of the solo part, playingit with a remarkable richness of tone. Slatkin and the Saint Louis are ideal partners in this interpretation, for they too have a burnished, deep sound and a knack for playing big scores as if they were chamber music. The recording is plush, though a little diffuse and lacking in depthtypical of this team in this venue. The tone is natural and the balance reasonably good-and as a bonus, the disc offers both the standard ending and Bart6k's original one.
206
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BEETHOVEN
PIANOCONCEKI-o N o . 3, OP. 37
t F
,!lozart ~trade~ h rmold (Co~rcrrto So.
2.1) and Hrrlharot broke rt.
IN
C
MINOR,
he opening bars of tliis concerto bcar :I much-noted resemblance to those of' hlozart's Co~icertoNo. 24, something Beethoven no doubt intended. At a performance of that \vork, Beethoven is reported to have told a coriiposcrfriend, referring to a haunting phrase at the erlrl of the find rnoverncnt. "\Ye shall never have a n idea to conipare with that!" Antl this is precisely the point Beethoven makes at the beginning of' his concerto, for in spite of ttic similarity, his subject is quite different from hfo~ar1's.I t is blurit. basic, unfinished-a gesture to he developed, I-;~tlier than a fitlly realized theme. And tlevelol>i t Hcethoven does, starting with a tutli lasting 110 measures. thc longest in any of' liis concertos. In this revolutio~iaryopening, one can cle;~rlyset> Beethoven's twin middle-periotl tcnclcncies, loward the enlargement of form arltl tile licightctiillg of expression. The extraordinary power and scope of' this symphonic prologue do something else: they creriii~st ate an imbalance that the solo instr~~riierit struggle mightily to restore. As ttic orchestrn is brought to a halt on three fortissimo C's, the piano launches a bravura counterattack in blazing octave runs, forte, a chandelier-shaking entry. In this confrontation, the piano is cast as a Promethean protagonist, answering the orchestra's superior firepower with daring feints and brilliant virtuoso fusillades. Much ofthe flavor of the drama tlerives from the key of C minor, \\*hich for Beethoven was associated with harmonic turbulence ant1 ~ l l e utniost intensity of expression. I t is in this movement that Beethoven. for the first tirrie in liis concertos, ceases to sound like hlozart, and here that the era of the Romantic corice~.tobegins. With the Largo, Beethoven goes about as 1;rr away fro111 C riiirlor and confrontation iis is pos-
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207
sible, to the ethereal key of E major and a meditative cornniunion between piano and orchestra. The solo part still contains an element of fantasy arld irnprovisarory brilliance, but the ~sritingfor orchestra is suffused with rapture right up to the surprising final chord. the only fortissirno in the entire movement. T h e main subject of the concluding C minor rondo has the feeling of a Turkish march, and for a while storm clouds seem to gather around it. But ensuing episodes are rnore jocular, and the weight of the minor key lessens. A presto coda in 618-skipping, dazzling. arid 1111reservedly showy-brings the concerto to a close in jubilant C major.
"G'
EETHOVEN hitn.ie.relf ayed thlr Piano Concerto No. 4 al its premiere orr April 5, 1803, in the Theater an der Wien. He hod revired the solo parts stwrtly before the pPtformnnce, to toke advotttuge of the latest extensions in the range of the pinno's keyboard, thus giving added brilliunce to the passagework and extm uleight to the bass.
BPI
od knows why my piano music still makes the poorest impressiorl on me," Beethoven wrote in June of 1805. It was rnore than just another complaint from the dependably self-critical composer. Within months, however, he was putting the finishing touches on the Appassionuta Sonata and had begun his Fourth Piario Concerro. T h e astonishing qualities of these tvorks-their affective power and the way they seem to fit the keyboard-suggest that in spite of what Beethoven had already written for the piano, he did have more to say. Even while he was being drawn to the extremes of pianistic expression, Beethoven was still concerned with lyricism and coherence, with thematic economy. and more than ever. with formal originality. In the G major Concerto, he achieved all of these objectives while bringing a new feeling of poetic elevation to his writing for both the orchestra and the piano. Although it is not a work of uprooting grandeur, the Fourth Piano Concerto is a work of unparalleled invention whose sustained How of ideas makes it one of the masterpieces of Beethoven's oeuvre.
208
'V
CONCERTOS * BEETHOVEN
OUR FORTEPIANO hm tunted out to be really excellent. . . . Bul I wuztld be lying were 1 riot to tell you that it iv loo good for me. Wlty? Because it takes away rny freedom to create the tone for myself. Do?zlt let this k e ~ you p from making all your pianos lhls wnythere probab(y aren't that many peopl~urho have such whim."
-Beethoven, letter to the piano builder Andreas Streicher
The piano has rhe first words here-nncl it speaks them piatlo and dolce, with sublime untlerstatement. Just as surprising is the way the first movement untolds not as a contest \citl~the orchestra ~ L I as L a partnership. The piano is almost constantly active, yet the ideas are so generous and the figuration so varied that it never seerns to he in danger of wearing out its material. Incleed, the piano's tone is one of the unifying threads of the movement: Beethoven e\en keeps the trurnpets and drums out of the orchestra here to give the solo instrument a weight more nearly cqual to that of rhe tutti. In the Andante, piano and strings (the rest of the orchestra is silent) turn in stark opposition to each other. 'They engage in a tense I-ecitativodialog that culminates with the piano spinning off a fierce. cadenza-like passage, leaving the strings spellbound anci hushed. A recent study has proposed that this concerto-long thought to be associated with a program based on the myth of. Orpheus-does in fact have an Orphic suhtext from beginning to end, and that here the piano is Orpheus, the strings the Furies of Hades. Few of Beethoven's finales arc as giddy or energetic as this concerto's rondo. with iw quickmarch tempo and surprise introduction of trumpets and drums. There is a pair of episodes where the chorale-like writing in the winds and strir~gs foreshadows the finale of the Ninth Symphony. h'ote\nrorthy, too, is a develop~rlerltalpassage beginning in E flat-scorcd for pizricato strings with light wind chorcls sounding above. pianissirtiofrom which hlenclelssohn almost surely derived the characteristic, elfin scoring of his scherzos. In its triumphant gcstitres and expression of profourld joy, this movement is decidedly of a piece with the other great works of Beethoven's micldle period.
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BEETHOVEN
PIANOCONCERTO NO. 5 , I N E Or. 73 E jnperor
FLAT,
he year 1809 was a trying one for the citizens of' Vienna. Nal~oleon'sarmies bet T sieged the city ant1 briefly occul>ietl it. Joseph Haydn, '7 7 years oltl and ailing, died two weeks after the French c;rlne in-and Uecthovcri's friend, pupil, and patron, Archduke Rudolph, was forced to flec the city, along with thc rest of the royal frrrnily, to avoid capture by Napoleon's agents. Beethoven himself; nearly deaf, spent hours in his brother Caspar's hasement during the bornI~artlrnent,hoping to protect the last vestiges of his hearing. "The whole course of events has affected me in both body and soul," tie later wrote. "M7hata destructive and unruly life I see and hear around me: nothing but drums, cannon, and humari rnisery in cvery form." I t was against this background that Beethove11 completed his fifth and final piano concerto, yet there is little hint of turmoil in the music itself. He used the key of E flat, with its noble connotations, once again in this triumphant work. intentled as a tribute and dedicated to Archduke Rudolph. though the piece would later beco~ne known as the Emperor Concerto and thus carry a title that outranked its dedicatee. T h e score epitomizes Beethoven's tendency at the height of his mitlclle period to enlarge on the Classical model ancl portray the relationship between piano and orchestra less as a dialog than an epic of struggle ant1 triumph. Beethoven achieves a synthesis of the heroic and the poetic that gives the Emperor a unique place in liis own o~ltputand in the coricerto literature as a ~\lholc. T h e opening Allegro, 5'78 measures long, is one of the largest sonata-form movements Beethoven ever wrote. I t takes roughly 20 minutes to perform-as long as some of hlozart's complete concertos-and i r cvery ~ respect its scale is mon-
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umental. Beethovc.ri's extraortlinary thernalic inventiori turns the march topic, traditionally ilsed to characterize nobility in music of the 18th century, into an engine of the lnci~lstrialAge. T h e niovenlent's principal subject is slveeping yet graceful. qualities that are developed with consummate skill in the pagcs that follo~v,resulting in an exquisite balance between the projection of strength and festivity on one hand and the play of fantasy on the other. Tllrough ir all, the piano somehow s~aridsfirm against the sheer weight of the orchestra. It is a magnificerit achievement, this assertion of the iridividual voice against a huge collective counterpart, a11d it fits well with Beethoven's persoriality. Having thundered granclly, the composer rises above the fray for a \vondrous moment of hymnlike introspectiori in thc Adagio. rI'inle virtually stands still during the meditati~ccourse of the movement, which is set in the lof'ty key of B major and so gently scored that the piano converses almost exclusively in thc sof'test tones. If Apollo seems the soul of this slow movement, Dionysus is very much the spirit of the concerto's finale, a dancedriven rorido that hurtles impulsi\,ely along.
@ RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Leon Fleisher; Cleveland Orchestra/Oeorge Szell. Sony Clarsical SH3h' $8397 / 3 CDs; cor~tplrttpiatlo
Sztll (right) and FIrishpr h r l e great rhemufq.
concertos, with Triple Concerto; Nos. I nnd 3 (SBK 47658), Nos. 2 attd 4 (SRK 48165). and (SBK 46549) also availabk separately]
,\lo.
5
Murray Perahla; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/ Bernard Hattlnk. CRS Alastenuorks M 3 K 44575 13 Clls; coinpkte piano concertos; Nos. 3 at& 4 (AfK 39814) and No. 5 (12.1h' 4 2330) also avoilu blr sepa rarely]
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211
Steven Lubin; Academy of Ancient Music1 Christopher Hogwood.
A Word About Music
Oirenu-Lyre 121 -108-2 [3 CDs; cornpk*rt.p m ~ i oconrerlo~]
T
he u o r k "cot~cerlo"urld "cuncert" n rt, holh derived from tire l~aliatl concertare, meatlitlg "lo ugree."
-
Lrrfntz used a r~phccrof G,.o~p,on~,(ubovp, from 1824.
Fleisher's fiery accounts of these concertos arc justly celebrated. T h e young pianist was at his peak when he made the recordings in 1959 and 1961, and while his part in them has been compared witli the action of a Swiss watch-brillian~. but ;I little too tightly wound ant1 mechanicalthere was and still is something electrifying about t l ~ eplaying. I n addition, Flcisher exhibits remarkable rhythmic flexibility and lyrical warmth, qualities that are uuerly witltlirig in this niusic. Hc is especially expressive in the slow movements of Nos. 3 arid 5, where he conveys a sense of thc geritler~essand depth of feeling in the music. l'hc chemistry between Fleisher and the leonine conductor Szell. in sovereign command of his Cleveland Orchestra, is son~ethitigto niarvel at. T h e recordings give a boltl, closeup view, and the sountl is at times a bit grainy, though appealing considering the vintage. Perahia and Haitink provide a wonderful, stylish alternative to the high-intensiry approach. Their readings are elegant yet full of p:uiache, witli tlie thoughtful voicings arid balances typical of good period-style perforrnance-achieveti without any sacrifice of virtuosity. Perahia's approach to Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 is Mozartean in its elegance andjewel-like clarity, his playing a ~narvelof cietail and deftness. In the bigger ivorks he delivers tlic requisite power, yet never sounds harsh. The i playing of the Concertgebouw Orchestra is gloi rious, and all five accounts are well recorded, with i the piano very close but not ovcrly promirlent. i The acoustic limitations of the fortepiano make i recording these concertos on period instruments j highly problematic. Nonetheless, several attetnpts i have been made, the most successf'~~l of which is j the 1987 set from Lubin and Hogwood. In :In t attempt to get as close as possible to the rig111
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BEETHOVEN
sourld for each co11ce1-to,Lubin uscs four different instruments, all modern rcl)roductions of Viennese originals dating frorrl 1795- 1824. Lubin's playing is informed and expressive; with the help of sensitive co~iductingancl engineering, lie is able to hold his own against the accornpanirncnt, which even on period instrun~entsis ofien powerful.
-
BE"
THOVEN indulged his love of putu in mixed languages by inscribing on the mmantcscript of this work, "Concerto par Clernenza pour Cle~nent, prirno Vioiino e Dircttorc al Theatro a Vienna, dal L. v. Bthvn., 1806" ["Concerto kindly meanf for Clement, first zioliti and conductor at the theafer in Viettnu, ly Ludwig van Beethoven, 1806'7. Me migl~t well have added "e pour Clenienti," for in 1810 the concerto urn published iti London by his frinrd arid colleague Muzio Clemenli.
was written for Franz Clement, concertmaster of the orchestra of' Vienna's Theater ill1 der Wien. Clement was an extraordinary virttroso, noted for his sweetly expressive tone, his skill as an improviser, and his phenomenal musical memory, faculties that were put to the test at the concerto's first performance on December 23, 1806. Beethoven, as \\,as typical when he was w o r k i ~- ~on g a con~rnission.had cornposed the piece in kverisll haste, b;u.ely completing it in time for the premiere. Clenlent was forced to virtually sight-read the solo part-and did so with little apparent difficulty. What sets the Violin Concerto apitrt from previous works in the genre is the integration of the solo part within the orchestral fabric, the fusion of violir~and orchestra into something far beyond the conventional 18th-century notion of the concerto as a mere solo-tutti confrontation. T h e violin is still given the opportunity to tlo what it does best on a grand scale-namely, to sing. Yet the concerto's most telling moments are its quietest. where Beethover1 speaks not as the thundercr. but as the "still, small voice," taking advantage of the solo instrumer~t's~narvelousexpressiveness in soft dynamics-as when the violin emerges from the first-movement cadenza playing the gentle second subject OII its two lower strings, over a hushed pizzicato accon~paniment. T h e opening movement is typiciil of Beethoven's festive style, as opposed to his nlore dramatic
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manner. There is an air of solen~nity: i ~ ~ rnystcl-y tl right from the start of this Allcgro, in thc sol't drumbeats that open i t so arrestingly, :inti in thc answering chorale-like thenlc in the wintls. 1.o11g stretches are devoted to soaring lyricism, ;~ncl Beethoven is not afraid to take repose in seemingly remote tonal regions-ivhel-e there is no hurry, no need to triumph, just a suhlime espansiveness icith the violin at the center. T h e majestic eloquence of the first movement is follo\oed by the soulfi~lrncditation of the I.arghetto, among the most elevated ancl I~eautifi~l ol' Beethoven's slow movements. Written in the style of a Komance, the typical middle movement in a French concerto, it is a series 01' v;iriatio~~s ill which the violin traces a delicatc cnibroitie~-)arouncl the theme. Having exhausted the lyric vein in the first two movements of the conccl-to, 13eetho\~en allows the extrovert side of the violin's p e r s o ~ ~ i ~ l i ~ y to emerge in a rondo finalc that dl-;~\rso n the hunting style so beloved of' hiozart ;~ntlf.i;~ydn. Here, that style is given new boldllcss a~ltlswei!l,. and the work ends o n R rlote of triu~nph;ir~t assertion.
C ~ n n o i i yduring tlre Tl~ircl ReicIr ulm 1 igI11y coi11ro~)ersial. )'rl he clrjird the Nazis ot curry opporllri~~ty. rujuriirg to ronrlircl it1 occu,bic,d ruuir~rit-s,obtni~riirgexit ZI~<(I.T fitr J?Io~.v/I ~II~LS~ I ~LZS~,I c111cl I ~ I W I irrsi.\ting I lhal oirc I I I I L \ ~ ~ I ( I ?ZLI/IO I / I C I ( ~ bee11 sf?zI to Dncllc~t~ br rusigtled 10 cob music, lherelr; saving his l f e . I\'hr~r Furtnfutlgler u 4 meilgageri a\ roi~ducforof the Chicago Symphony for the 1939-50 seacoil, o smenr camnprripr caused tlie o r c l ~ ~ s t rboarci c ~ ' ~ to u~ifhdruu~ k h a k Perlman; i b offer Philharmonla Orchestralcarlo Marla Glullni. GtlI CDC 47002
Henryk Szeryng; Royal Concertgebouw Orchestral Bernard Haitink. Philips -116 418-2 [with Romances. O p t . -10o l ~ d501 Yehudi Menuhln; Philharmonla Orchestral Wllhelm Furtwiingler. E~\.ll CDH 69799 [witlr lbfu~rdeLssol~ ir :Cotrr.c*rlo in E minor]
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T h e catalog contains n o finer recording 01' this concerto than Perlman's early digital r e ; ~ d i ~with ig Giulini and the I'hilharmonia. 'I'he soloist's playing is technically precise yet utterly frec ol' mannerism, deeply felt and gripping fro111 lirst page to last. With equal ease I'erl~nanenters into the first move~nent'ssoaring lyricism, the 1.arghetto's gentle reverie, and the finale's spirited exaltation. Ciulini, the steadiest of partners, is with him every step of the way and elicits a majestic reading from the orchestra. Very much like the performance, the sound is warm, spacious, ancl reassuringly natural. Szeryng and Haitink offer an 0lyrnpi;ln view, taking a broad tempo in the opening movement and buildirig climaxes of enormous force. There is an urgency to Szeryng's playing that verges on the incendiary, hut there is consitlerahle clelic;~cy and poetr) as well. T h e Dutch orcliestr;~pla)s with regal authority, atid Philips's a~liilogrccording is immediate and full-bodietl. hlenuhin and Fur~\vangler,born ;I g e ~ ~ c r ; ~ t i o ~ ~ apart and separatecl by a ivorlcl at w r , were nonetheless musical and philosophical soulm;~res. Their 1953 recording of the Ree~hovenconcerto, made seven years after they lirst met, is o ~ i cof the treasures of the Eh,ll archive, ;I testa~nentto a bygone era of spontaneous and s~il?jectivenus sic making. There is a nobility to the reading tl~at has never been equaled, an unforced passiori that ~vouldbe difficult for any of today's ~rii~sicians to duplicate. The n~o~laural recording is remark;~l~ly fine, with satisfying deptll and ab~rnclanrrlctail.
,6/
n h ~ early s twenties tlte Auslria~~ colilposrr Berg (1885-1935) had lxcome frie~itls\ v i t l ~ Gustav hlahler ant1 his wife, Al~lla.;~nclhc rcrnainecl o n good tcrms with Alni;~I'ollowil~g
CONCERTOS
66
T
HE GLASS DOORS
of Alma's mutic room afford~da view of a beatitif i t 1 lrrrate and of the garden beyond. I cart still see the tinearthly apparition Z I P beheld when we SUI there one day a f e r htncheotl. An angeliccrlly beuulfztl girl of about j i f k m apptc~rediii the door with a young deer o/ her side. Her h a i d on &tie animal's sleitder neck, she gave us art zlireinbarr~used lillle .rrnilcand diraMeared agairi. " -Bruno Walter, remernbering hianon Gropius
*
BERG
215
hiahler's death. Alma married the architect L'lralter C;ropius in 1915, and in 1916 they had a daughter ~ h o m they named hianon. "A4utzi" Gropius was the darling of her parents and their Inany friends, a young wo~nanfill1 of charm, beauty, and intelligence lvho seemed, somehow. to have come from another world. Her death from polio in April 1935, at the age of 18, was a deep blow to Berg. who had watched her grolv up. and it hastened him in the composition of what turned out to be his last finished work. Earlier that year, Berg had been asked for a concerto in the 12-tone idiorn by the American violiilist Louis Krasner. whose interest in contemporary irlusic had prompted him to seek out the composer. At first reluctant to interrupt work on his opera Lulu. Berg accepted Krasner's comrnission, though his progress on the concerto was initially slow. IVheri he learned of hlanon's death, Berg worked virtually nonstop, completing the piece on July 15, 1935, and inscribing it "To thc Memory of an Angel." The work's two movements are each subdivided irito two parts whose music, while in diffcrer~l tempos, is sea~nlesslyjoined. T h e first movement begins with a gentle Andante; as it unfolds, the meditative expression becomes more rhapsodic, and the writing for the solo instrument s11otr.s increasing animation. With the arrikal of the second part of the movement, a scherzo-like Allegretto in 618 meter, the pace of activity quickens. T h c clarinets introduce a lilting tune, which is taken up by the violin and transformed into a waltzing. macabre subject marked ~crie~re?-iscil ("Viennese") and a more innocent-sounding singsong rnarketi jwtico ("rustic"). From this point to the erld of the movemeIlt, the motives appear in a kaleidoscopic array ofjuxtapositions-much as they n~ightin a scherzo by hlahler. There is a brief, idyllic interli~tleas a Carinthian folk song is nostalgically quoted by the first horn and the two trumpets. after which the dance resumes more energetically than ever.
CONCERTOS
climuctir, onrushing events of Vienna and Austrin in /he 1930s. With the city's agitnlion, fennerrl. trepidatiotl, and sslffeelirlg ir~terlockedlo its spirilualif?, culture, idetllism, and intellec~uulity, Karl Krnuc railed it 'T/le provitrg ground for 7oorkd destntctiolr .' "
Alhnu Arrg in 1934.
BERG
T h e second movement begirls with an agitated confrontation between violin ancl orchestra. A crescendo built on an insistent, sharply etched rhythm leacls to the movement's first climrts, out of which the solo instrument crncrgcs t o begin an extendecl cadenza-like passage. (;radually, the entire orchestra becorrles involveti, leading to a hysterical climax that subsides into exhaustion. T h e teirlpo changes to adagio, and the second part of the movement begins with the violin's quiet introcl~tctiorlof the chorale nielod) "Es nt getziig!" from Bach's cantata 0 Euligktlir, Do,lrzmuolr-a melody whose opening ascerit of three whole swps has been prefigured in the coriccrto'~openirig nieasures. T h e chorale is picked up by the clnrinets in Bach's exact harmonization, the purity of which places an otherworldly halo around thc ~-c\t of the rnobement's material. Therc arc two variations followed by a transcendent coda in ~vhich the violin slowly ascends to the upper reaches and. in a passage marked clmoro.so, plays the final notes of the chorale lune. I t retreats into silerice and then ascends once more to an angelic I~igh G, which it holds in poignant serenity as the orchestra sounds a bittersweet farewell. One could listen to this concerto any number of tirrles and never be aware that much of its thematic content is derived from a 12-tone row. so s~~ioothly does Berg l\eave not only the 12tone material hut the piece's other quoted melodies into the evocative fabric of its sound. While t h a ~sour~dcan occasionally be harsh-in keeping with the anguished feelings that g;iw rise to the music in the first place-it is also cluite espressive. Berg uses ~t to create a po\verfill series of metaphors for life, struggle. and death. and what is, o r may he beyond it. Only days after firlishirlg the Violirl Concerto, Berg developed an infection that led to a fatal case of blood poisoning. Nc died before the premiere of the work, which became riot only a memorial for hlanon Gropius hut his ot\.n requiem as well.
CONCERTOS
•
217
BERG
Kyung Wha Chung; Chicago Symphony Orchestra/ Sir Georg Solti. Loridori 41 1 80-1-2[uith Bartbk: Coruerto iVo. I ] b h a k Perlman; Boston Symphony OrchestraISelji Ozawa. L)t-utschr. Grar~imophori413 725-2 [wzlh Slmviruky: I'iolin Coricerto]
Tenderness, spontaneity, and a certain fragility distinguish Chung's flowing account. Her playing is poetic and expressive, yct true to the music's intentions and riot overly emotive; her tone, intense yet slightly attenuatecl, has an ideal singing qualiry. The orchestral sourid is quite spectacular in its transparency ; ~ n ddepth, and London's ellgineering gives weight arid atmosphere to the 1 983 recording. Perlrnan is the more Komantic of these two interpreters, and here he is at his most virtuosic and co~nnianding,playing in a way that will leavc future generations agog, just as Jascha Heifetz did. Ozawa and tllc Boston Symphony provide solid support. This 1979 recording was one of the L~nestthat Deutsche Gramrriophon made in Boston, and the i~iipact,clarity, and close perspective on Perlrnarl have been retained in the rernas~eringfbr C1). T h e Stravinsky coupling is excellent.
.
.
PIANOCONCERTO NO. 1 , I N D OP. 15 PIANOCONCEKITC) NO. 2, IN B
MINOK.
FLAT.
OP. 83 -
of his piano concertos, Bralinis sought to combine emotional profundity i with ~.igorousform:~llogic, to explore the piano's
218
CONCERTOS
CCORDING TO os~ptrJoacl~im,the
expressed the atlg7tidr Rmhinr hrrd fell ott hearing rtrclr Rob(,r/ ~chtrit~r,iln Irclrl ttlrac~i~ hirt~seffit110 the Rhitw ill n suicide atle~npt.
BRAHMS
capabilities wl~ileengaging in serious sylnphol~ic argument, and to match the orchestra's weight 2nd range of color in writing for the solo instrument. Clearly, Brahrns hat1 in milid bridging the gap helween concerto and symphony. I'tle First Concerto, conipleted in 1858, actually evolved out of thoughts for a syrliphony in L> ~ninor-,rc~ainilig the sweep arltt prol>ortions of the origir~al~ O J I ception. The Sccontl Concerto, con~posedIxnveen 1878 slid 188 I , is eve11 longer arltl is divitled into four nio\.enients-co~iventional for a syriiphony, unusual for ;I concerto. Unlike most of his generation of Romantics, Rrahrns had little interest in pianistic display for its own sake o r in the concerto ;IS a vehicle for the virtuoso. He wrote botli of these concertos for himself, alld they directly reflect his t 'I- I ents as a pianist. For Brahms, the piano was the most suggestive of solo instruments ancl ;I versatile ar~tl :irticul;ite partner- in chamber music: botli roles are encouraged in thc two concertos. In the First, piano :lnd orcliestra are placed i l l classic opposition to one another-not t o heighten the piano's profile, but to put in sharper reliel'the erliotion:~l contrasts of. the music itself. By the time Ile conlposed the Second Concerto, Brahlns had t)anked the fires somewhat but fot~ntldeeper thoughts t o espress. In both works the writing for the piano is chortlal, tl~ick-textured,and occasiori;~llyu n grateful, calling fbr strength and staniina-qualities 13rahms himselt' possessed as a pi;~i~ist, ill lieu of a tiuid ~ecliniclue. T h e First Concerto's titanic o p e ~ ~ i nmovemcrlt g begins with a stormy orchestral prologue a n choretl by a series of long-held pccl;il tones in thc bass. l'lie fierce, sliarldy chiseled opening ~ h e n l c perfectly defines the storm-and-stress of Romanticism. '1-he pi;lno enters. ~neclitativcand gcntle ;II first but soot1 gro\ving agitated. After further thunderings and a brooding transition, the piano emerges f r o n ~the mists with the ~llovement'smdiant secorid subject, a hymnlike idea that is treated at length 11e1.cand in the recapitulatior~.
CONCERTOS
46
I
HAVE JUST finivhcd a tiny, tiny ptniio concerto roith n liriy, tinj 71!kfi of a scirerzo." -Brahms to I*:lisabct von
Herzogent>erg,J u l y 7, 1881 , i~ftcl-cornldeting the Piano C:oncel-to No. 2
BRAHMS
218
Rrahms composed the seconcl ancl third niovernents of the concerto following the cleat11 of Robert Schumann. In a letter to his widow, Clara. Brahms said of the D major Atlagio, "I an1 painting a tender portrait of you." It is a movement of Schumannesque beauty and gentler~ess.as much a memorial for Robert as a portrayal of Clara. for whom Brahms, at the Lime and for the rest of his life, was to feel an abiding spiritual arid emotional love. T h e main subject of the rondo finale is a turbulent D minor march with an overlay of Hungarian dance, and the coda, which corltairis two cadenzas. is graced by a lovely horn solo and some pastoral bagpiping before it winds u p in a race between piano and orchestra to finish first. B r a h ~ n sbegan work on the Second I'iano Concerto follolving one trip to Italy ancl finished it shortly after another. T h e music has a southern warmth and affability to malch the Olympian grandcur of its concep~ion.Yet despite the largeness of the score-it is longer than a n y of the four syrnpho~lies-ril~ich of it is in the realm of chamber music, with the orchestra and solo instrument in an intimate discourse usually niarked dolce. T h e concerto begins with what might best be called an invocation. a noble summons from the first horn that is graciously answered by chordal arpeggios in the piano. No sooner has a pastoral mood been established than the piano interrupts with a dramatic cadenza. This sets the stage for a grand sLatement of the opening h o r r ~subject I>y the full orchestra, and with that the vast symphonic canvas of the first movement unfolds. 'The D minor scherzo that follows, fiir more serious than playful, contains the concerto's most passionate music-yet it does have a jubilant trio in D major. T h e piano is not the orily solo instrument in this concerto. At the beginning and end of the third movement, Brahms gives a pair of extended solo passages to the cello. Two titanic outbursts lend drama to the movcmcnt's autul-n~~al espres-
220
CONCERTOS ' BRAHMS
sion-but \+.hell the piano joins with 'the ccllo ~ I I movement's e n d , all is calm, ;rntl 11ic listener is ushered into a world o f t h e n i o s ~s u l ~ l i ~ cnhe: ~ n ~ l ) c r rriusic. T h e same gentleness of' s11i1;il inf01-rnst l ~ c finale. which is breezy a n d ehullic~itin spite 01' its size.
Emll Gilels; Berlin PhilharmonicIEugen Jochum. Dncbche Grarnn~ophorr4 19 158.2 [2 (,'I)\: ;t-rth F;u~t;~.sias. Op. 1 161 Rudolf Serkln; Cleveland OrchestralGeorge Szell. CBS .\lnsleritork, !\lK 42261 [.Yo I , u~rllrR Strarc\\: Burleshe] clrrd Alh' 42262 [.Yo. -3. n*tth I'ial~o I'ic.cc\. Op. 1191
1 1 of ~ Ilrr ~ U Clo.\ I 1 14 K~~crinrr phrrirls. Errril Gileb 21rn5 n ~nnp,rlrrirrl irllrr/)relrr of Hrt~~lroz~orr. H rc~hms.and Trlroiko13k~. Hic rrcordirrgs arc3In~ldrru~rkc-bold, orlicrtl(~tr.oild compellirrg.
0
Gilels is magisterial in thesc c o ~ ~ c c ~ . l\'Vl~c~.c os. t h e \vriting calls for poetry, tic (::IIII)c gctitlc o11t1 rhapsotlic; where it demancls p;~ssio~i, lir cb~.ul)~s. Jochum and the Berlin I'hilharmo~ii(.man;lgc t o span Brahms's long de\~elopmental arches n'itli convincing success, giving the music:~l;Irgulnclit the feeling of a single impulse. (;ilels gels his share of irrong notes (especi;illy i l l No. 2 ) . but \$.lien h e plays there is never any loolitig a r o ~ r n t l : n o doldrums, n o p ~ i s h i n g01-dragging. -1'he orchestra, LOO, t l i o ~ l g hno1 ali$.ays i ~ i i ~ n ; ~ c u l aplays tc. at fever pitch f r o n ~first bar t o last. -1'hc I ~ o t t o ~ r i line is that in spite o f t h e Ila\vs, o n e \r.ot~ldlook in vain to find m o r e inspired accou~lts.*I'lic venue of these 1972 recordings, Berlin's Jcsus (:Iiristus Kirche, lencis a grcaL cleal o f ' a m l ~ i c ~ i cbut e , tl~ere's enough definition a n d presence t o Iioltl onto. Deutschc Grammophon's engineers do a gootl.io1) of capturing the pianist's ; ~ s t o ~ t ~ ~ toric. cli~lg Serkin aricl Szell give a n h o t i e s ~r, ~ ~ g g c:lccotlnt tl of the First C o n c c r ~ o ernotio~~;lllj' , somc~vli;~t 1111dcrstatecl yet very strong. It's a i.catli11g t l 1 ~ 1 1wcirl-s
CONCERTOS
!
HI:' CON(;I:II7'0'S
rettrrere 011 ~t~rz Y~(rr*\ Daj. 1879. ZLYL! 11 t~rxpec/cdIy P ~ I ~ P ~ I ~ I I I IPOI I I I ~it1 . IILY IIN.\/P lo get lo t/le Grulo r r d i ~ a r ~ ~ . Rrcrhnu jorgot lo fasterr IIL, srupetrrlers. As IIP C O I ~ ~ I I C I I Y ~ , Iht ~ ~ I I I I Sfell P ~ S/OU*CT( ~ t l d loavr-althurrglr, lo quo~r t'el~lidr~llettulrrtl,"the C O I I certo vtl(lrd befotr /he a~rturpcrtrdsartonul ~P~IOIIYINENI.''
BRAHMS
221
well, like good leather-and there's I I O question that both of these gentlemen were comforwble i r i this [>:wticular saddle in IStjX. 'l'hc Sccond Concerto, recorded two years earlier, is ti-eated as a Here, the real symphony for piatlo arid 01-chestr;~. Cievel;i~~d Orchestrn is arria-li~lg,playing like a cliarnhcr cnsemble on a grant1 scale. \\rith details ernph;~sizedby an esc-eptionnlly dry ~.ecordirlg. -l'tlougI~the violins still sound thin ant1 the winds sonlcti~llesseen1 untlcrnourislied, the CL)s are much I)ctrcr b;ll;incerl I han thc LPs ekc-1-rvere.
,c%)
Tp
•
rahms oftcrl sought the advice of cxperts \\.hen writing fix instruments otlier than the piano. 1-le was particularly Iuc-ky ivl~eri it came to the violin. From the I-iungari:~n\7iolirlist Eduartl RemCriyi, with \\fhon~ he tl-avelctl throitgh Europe as a teenager, Brahms learnctl about 11ot only the violin but also the gypsy style, \\.hich \\.;IS t o play a n important part in his l a ~ c rniilsical thinking. RemCnyi performeti an even Inore irrlport;lnt functiot~\$;hen he introtiucecl Iirahrns to the t i l l cnted and strong-willed Josel)h Joacl~irn.a fine composct- in his own right and one of r Ile greatest violinists of' the 19th century. I t \\*asto him tliat Brahms turried for advice in the suInrncr of 1878, several ~nonthsafter IIC had started writing lllis concerto. Joacllinl's generous assistance helpcci shape the solo part into one of the most challenging ant1 s;ltisfying in tlic liter:~rirre,allti contri1)uted in n o small measure LO the concerto's overall sltcccss. The lirst movement is in the \varnily l i r I)tn:!jor of the Second Symphony and is set in the same flotving :?Atime. A full-scale orc:hestr;~liritrocli~ction exposes the t\\,o sut~jecrgroups ant1 builds to a cliniax in D minor, at whicli point 111eviolin enters wi~ha tlr;~matic:illyarpeggiatetl treatmc-lit
222
CONCERTOS
BRAHMS
of the movenient's main subject. Things take a drariiatic turn i r the ~ developnient, which includes a passage market1 /~.ur~q~iillo where the violin plays a haunting subject fir11 of serpentine, Baroque turns. A convulsive climax in C sharp minor, which finds tlie violin wrenching itself by ni~itlis across a three-octave chasm, eventually leads to D major and the recapitulation. Brahms nods to tradition by not writing out a cadenza. Joaclii~~i's great cadenza, still the one most frequently played today, was to fully justify the composer's confidence in his soloist. T h e lovely 1; major Adagio has a feeling midway between folk song, lullaby, and h y m ~ It ~ .is prefaced by a lerigthy introduction given entirely to the winds, the oboe taking the melody. When the violin enters, it does not repeat the tune, but rhapsodizes upon it. .I'here is an interlude in F sharp minor. agitated yet subclued, in which rhe winds are tacit and the solo violin meditates with increasing urgency over iriterjectioris froni the strings. A return to I.' rnajor brings a reprise of the oboe melody, this time embellished from alx~ve by the violin and extended by both violin ancl solo RAHhfS SPENT the horn. month of October I853 in Diicseldmj, stapi~igzuith T h e rondo firiale has the character of a HunRobert and Clara S C ~ L ~ L garian dance. Not only was this a way for the m n n . While there, t1t joitwd composer to acknowledge the nationality of' his Scti~~rnann and hir pupil Alintended soloist, but it assured a rollicking good her/ I)ielric/i in compo.ting u end for what might otherwise have seemed a violin sonata for ~ o i e p h rather serious piece. T h e movement's robust rnain Joachim (above); it was bated on a melodic motif subject is announced in double stops by the solo cotukting of the notes I;. instrument over volatile strings. There is a SorceA, ( i d E, rrpresenting fui second subject in dotted rhythm, a lyrical Joucltitn's motto "Frei aber einsani" ("Free hut I o ~ I P ! ~ " ) . subject in \vhich the hard-charging 214 meter is softened to a lilting 314, and an episode in mockDietrich zlrote the first movemenl of the so-called I;-A-E chorale style. In a final display of exuberance, Sonata, Schtlrnann composed Brahms appends a vigorous coda. which quiets at the Infermezio and Firwle, the end and alrnost seems to be slipping away and Bruhm provideci the until three D major chords, fi~rte,bring the work scherzo. i to a joyous close.
B
CONCERTOS
H P I I ~ ~ I P S ~ P T(11110tlg ~ P T , the foret~rost z~iolorl\t.\of the c i q nnd n mustnnir k110i171for hn urtt. deln*ererl n celebrcrled
223
BRAHMS
ltzhak Perlrnan; Chicago Symphony Orchestral Carlo Marla Giulini.
Anne-Sophie Mutter; Berlin PhilharmonidHerbert von Karajan. Deu1~wlr1(;rn~nitluphn~t400 064-2
No one comes close to I'erlman in the broad, grand leeling he imparts to the music. I lis reading is Rorll;tntic, long o n sentitncnt ant1 slveetness of' tone, ;i~idfull of spirit. Giulirii's accotiipanin~ent has a warm-blooded, meaty substantiality, and the CI1icago;lns make ;I glorious sound untlcr his baton; theit- ~remolosfhirly quiver with excitcme11t. T h e 1976 recording establishes an excellent balance bettveell the participants, u p close but true. hlur~cr'saccount is filletl with electricity arld ;I devil-may-care vibrancy that conveys ;I real serihe of occasion. Keeping textures lean, tiarajan draws playing of hushecl intensity from tlie Berliners. T h e clicmistry m;rkes fbr a s~rspenseful,illtimately thriilirig performance. Dcutsche C;r;~niniophon's engineering brings ll1~1ttcra liltle t o o close-hcrmike seems to be positioned rigllt over-tlic stringcand the sound has the atialytic quality typical of the label in this 1982 vintage.
VIOLINCONCERTO NO. 1, Or. 26
IN
G
MINOR.
ruch ( 1 838-1920) was a melodist of the first rank. T h e popularity o f the German composer's works for violin anti orchestra. and of this concerto in particular, stems primarily frorri the fact that even though he (lid not pl:ly
224
CONCERTOS
BRUCH
the violin himself', he knew how to get the instrument to sing. Bruch made his first sketches for the G nlinor Concerto in 1857, when he was just 19, and completcd the score in 1866. Follo\ving the work's premiere that year. the composer sought out the violinist joseph Joachim for advice on how the solo part might be improvcd. J o a c l ~ i ~ i i , as he was to d o a clecade later for Rrahms. of'fered a number of suggestions that, without changing the character of the music. added an ele~nentof virtuosity to it. T h e revised version of [he concerto premiered in Breinen, with Joachinl as soloist, in 1868. T h e rhapsotiic cliaracter of the concerto is apparent not only i r i the unstinting lyricism of' the solo part, but in the fantasy-like fbrmal layout of the entire work. T h e first movement in particular is imaginative and unconventional. kg-inning with a slow introduction (the score refers to it as a Prelude) that sounds as if i t belongs in an opera rather than a coilcerto: a somber timpar~iroll is answered by a Sctv Iilorose chords in tlie winds, after which the violin enters with a dramatic recitative. T h e main Allegro gets under way with an impassioned solo in the violin, set over urgent tremolos and a loping pizzicato bass. Even here, at its rnost virtuosic, the writing for the solo instrun~entis essentially lyrical; in the tlclicately sentimental secolid subject, that lyricism is carried to new heights. A brief echo of the wincl chords from the Prelude sets up a cadenza. which leads directly into the slow movement and another tender melody for the solo instrunient-at first halting, then increasingly radiant. There is a consoling second subject in the horns, bassoons, a ~ i dlower strings, over which tlie violin weaves a scries of' florid en~bellishme~i~s. T h e movement builds in yearning to a rapturous climax, then softens. ending quietly. T h e rondo fillale opens with a short, suspenseful orchestral irltrotl~~ction, out of which the violin emerges with a springing tune. Soloist and enserrlble cavort u~itil;I warrnly lyrical second sul~ject
CONCERTOS
225
BRUCH
is anno~tncedby the full orct~cs~t.;~. 'l.lli\ is ~;rkcrt over and elaborated L I ~ O I I t ) ~tllc viol it^, \\tt~icl~ steers a flamboyant coilrse ~ h r o u g h[lie movement's rertiairlirlg episodes ancl its coda.
Jascha Heifetz; New Symphony Orchestra of London1 Sir Malcolm Sargent. RC.4 6214 -2 [aitlr Scottish Fantiisy. arrd l'rer~vlcvnp~: Corrcerto iYo. 51 Cho-Liang Lin; Chicago Symphony Orchestral Leonard Slatkin. CBS .\ln~tt~nrtorkr.\fK 4 2 3 I 5 [rrvll~Scot I iuh
1:;1111.iu!
] or
,\lDK 4 4 9 0 1 [ilvtl~.\ietidrl\,oh?r: Corrrerm 111 I:' wrrtror; arzd ilnnorls riicore pteccr]
Joshua Bell; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Maniner. Lo~rdotr4 2 1 145-2 [il~ith~\lr.rrde/.\~otrrr:(:orrn,t to 111 E rnznor]
M'ho Is Neville M a rri12er?
K ,\lnrlirc-rrc-!he-Fielrk
rroic*rr/or- /rn r-cror(l;rrg.~ illillr the .-\r(~rl~rn~ 1 4 Sl. u~trich ilfm rrurnud f i r IIIP I.orirlr,tr ch urrtr (abor,~.).lltc Englulr coridtrclor purr1 lke trrir!y yeun oj Iris rr~reernc n trioI I I I L T ioi//r ~ //re l'tril/rnrrrror~i(~ Orc/r~.\lr(r.Kr~igtrted111 1979, Al(~rrrrr~-r 11(1.\ ~rrtrrPrelecf trtcd reirrlrrprrlc7rflhr grrcit roorkt o/ dr, ISllr nrrd I 91/1r~,rrlr~rrt,.\ zr~itlr~irrgii/
T h e heart-on-slccvc erriotior~sof [his coticcrto, which some violinists are afr;iitl to \\,c;ir, t>enefit from the larger-than-life Heifetz tr.eatnlc.nt; the result is that a piece which of'ten sounds urlcorl~fortable, if [lot dull, emerges her-e as a glorious ourpouring of Romarltic sentiment. .l'he \.iolinist's approach is epic. virtuosic, anci I-e;issuringl\ f'rcc of mannerism. Sarger~t; i ~ l c i [IIc. New Sytnl~hony Orchestra keep up with the soloist, and tlte 1Sti'L recording puts it all in esccllcr~~ persl)cctive. I~.in'sis a straightfor\\.arcl reatlilig, \\.;irrnly phrased and beaurifully played. Slittki~~ and the Chicago Syn~phonyprovicle outsr;~rltlil~g s~~l)l>ort, and the 1986 performance is cal,tul.ctl iri ii 1.ecorclirlg ol' ideal depth arlcl sl~acious~lc-ss. *l'wo versions of' the accoirnt are n o w ;iv;~il;~l>le; tllc
226
CONCERTOS
CHOPIN
choice for most buyers is [tic ~riitll~ricc rcco~~plirig that pairs the Rruch with hlentlelssohr~'~ (:or~certo in E minor and encore pieces by Fritz Kreisler and Pablo d e Sarasate. Bell's technique is outstanding, even if his interpretation at times seems studicd I-iither than directly, convincingly rnusical. There ;ire so~iic lovely moments, especially in the Adagio, and there can be no question that Rell is soliclly in the grand manner. Tonally, London offers s vel-v satisfying recording fiom 1986, though the balance fa\ors the soloist to an undesirable degree.
G
hopin ( 1 8 10-1 849) composeti his two ~)i;lno concertos in 1829 and 1830, prior to leaving Poland on a tour of Europe that was to see him hailed as one of the preeminen~virtuosos of his day. He never again rcturncd to his native country, but Poland's loss was to become Paris's gain. During the final two decades of his life, in spite of emotional ups and downs and recurrent illness, Chopin produced a remarkable body of compositions for the piano, works ur~rivaledboth in their poetic feeling and in their sensitive esploration of the instrument's tonal capacities. Chopin identified with the piano more strongly than did any other composer in the history of the instrument, to the extent that he was uncomfortable writing for anything elsc, including the orchestra. And while his coml~ositionsfbr solo piano broke new ground both technically and formally, he tended tocling to established patterns when outside his element. Chopin wrote both of his piano concertos along convcritiorlal Ii~les,using as his model the concertos of'.Johann Neponiuk
CONCERTOS
I
T IS HAW) to beltez~ethrtt a sttigle I P U year span-llte years 1803 to 1813-suz~~the btrths of Berlio;, Alendelrsohn, Scl~umurin,Choptn, Lud, \Va'ag.ller, and Verdi, the ent~rrzratlgua~dof the Rornatitrc movement uditcl~ profoundly ojfected the course of miwlc hutmy. The decade of their birth cottlctded exact(y wtth that of Napo/eon9s y uest for entpzre and the beginrungs of tttr modem polltical age.
CHOPIN
227
Humrnel (he did not know those of hllozart and Beethoven at the time). Although it is designated as the second of these works, the Piano Concerto in I; minor was act~ially the first one Chopin composed; it owes its higher opus nurnher t o its later publication date. The concerto leaves no doubt where Chopin's sympathies lay: its heart is a poetic Larghetto in which everything of importance is said by the piano. and its outer movements provide the solo instrument with a series of opportunities to elaborate on ideas announced by the orchestra. Although dark passions are hinted at in the first movement's opening tutti, the writing for the piano has a rhapsodic brilliarlce [hat eludes the grip of pathos and invites the listener to soar. A feeling of elevated, almost escapist, reverie rrlarks the Larghetto. Beginning like a nocturne, it has a dramatic middle section that erupts into great passion arid subsides. ending in an almost dreamlike state. Chopin confided that this music hati been inspired by fond memories of a young singer and fellow conservatory student with tvhom he had fallen in love, Konstancia Gladkowska. The concerto closes with a n energetic rondo based on a melody associated with the kzijuwiak. a Polish folk dance. The piano, constantly occupied with flowing passages in eighth-note triplets, is once again the star. The concerto received its premiere at the National Theater in Warsaw on hfarch 17, 1830, and Chopin made his Paris debut with it, at the Salle Pleyel, in the spring of 1832. The Concerto in E minor utilizes the same template. The expansive first mo\.enlent opens with a grim, urgent tutti momentarily softened by an aria-like second subject. The piano enters in a meditative vein, and immediately the orchestra becomes alrrlost incidental to the further development of material. The solo part is discursive but rich in fantasy, and notable Sol- its r ad'lant treatment of the movernent's second subject. Once again, the heart of the concerto is the second movement, a Konlarlce probably also inspired by
228
CONCERTOS
CHOPlN
Konstancia and tlescribetl I)y <:liopin as having "a character." romantic. calm, ant1 partly melar~ct~oly .l'here is a brief orchest~llintroduction, after which the piano takes up a noctur~lalmelody that it extends at rhapsodic length. The concerto's finale has a Slavic I'eeling from the start, parily as a result of the coloristic modal harmo~iiesChopin employs. The solo part coni1,inc~ etude-like cnergy with consideral>le elegaricc, while working up to a virtuosic conclusioli. 'I'lie concerto I-cceivetl its premierc o n Octolxr I I . I H30,at Chopill's far-ewell \Yars;iw perforr~l:~nce.
Artur Rubinstein; New Symphony Orchestra of London1 Stanislaw Skrowaczewski. Symphony of the AirIAlfred Wallenstein. RCA Red Sen1 5612-2
lamas Vaskry; Berlln PhilharmonlcJ Jerzy Semkow and Janos Kulka. L)PIII.SC~PGmmmophon A1 trsikfi~429 5 15-2
R y the time he riiatle these rccordirigs i11 1958 a n d 196 1 , Rubinslei11Ilatl fi~rgolienmore about the Chopin coricertos th;ln 111ost pianists ever know. T h e na~ur-itlease \\fit11 \vl~ichthey emerge i l l tl~eseaccounts, the scllsc ol' inevitability t t ~ a ~ attclids every gesture. puts the readings in a class of their own. Rubinstein is the freest of piariists in this music, yet n o phrase evcr scerris bent out of shape, no point too he;lvily niacle. Everywhere is thal beautifill tone co~!jured f'rorn deep in the keys. Both conductors provide espert and sympathetic accompaniments, \vitli fire and passion f'rom Skro~vaczc\\rski i l l C o ~ ~ c c rNO. t o 1 and poetic rlobilily from Wallenstein i r l N o . 2. The recol-dings have been exc.cl~tior~ally \\fellreniastercd; [he
CONCERTOS
DVORAK
229
First Concerto sounds pleasalltly spacious, whilc the Second is somewhat drily I-ecortled on thc stage of Carnegie Hall. Vasary's interpretations are aristocratic and refined, exemplary in their blend of lyricisrn and keyboard brilliance. ?'he accornpanin~entsfrom the Berlin Philharmonic, under the direction of Semkow in the First Concerto and Kulka in the Second. are weighty and grandly symphonic. There is an excellent concert-hall perspective to the recordings, and the sound is vintage Deutsche Grammophon analog from the mid-1960s. At budget price, this disc is self-recommending.
,-7
he Cello Concerto was the I;tst of tlrc scores Dvofak cornposed duri~jghis thrccayear residence in the Uriitcti States, \\?hen he served as the director of the Nation;il Conscrvatory in New York City. In Inore ways than one, Dvoiak's experiences in the New World influenced this music. Early in 1894, he had attentletl a performance of Victor Herber-t's Cello Concerto No. 2. Herbert himself had played the solo part. and Dvoi-ik had come away inspired by the younger composer's skill in scoring the work so that the cello could be heard. As Dvoiak wrote his own concerto, the homesickness he had been feeling so intensely during his last year in Arnerica emerged and contributed a bittersweetness to the character of the work. Frorn a formal standpoint, the Cello Concerto is among the most assured of DvoMk's compositions. There is a symphonic sweep to the outer movements, as well as a felicitous tlevelopnient and linkage of ideas throughout the piece. 'i'hc rilelodic content of the score is ;istourldingly rich; in the first niovernent, for example. the second subject is a beautiful, exparisivc Iiorn thernc in 1)
230
CONCERTOS
DVORAK
major, wh~cheven DvoFik said he could not hear without emotion. C:louds of melancholy more than occasionally pass over the concerto's landsc;ipe, echoes perhaps of the dttmkn style of Dvoi-Bk's homeland. Whether the rustic sentiment of the slow movement owes its inspiration to Iowa (where the composer spent the summer of 1893) or to the memory of Bohemia's nieadoivs and fields tvould be impossible t o say, but there is an "American" quality to some fi~irlysimple, squarish rhythrlis and strongly diatonic ~hemes,clearly liriking this work to Dvoi-ik's Americajl Quartet and the Symphony From Ilre Nezcr Mlorld. There is also a good deal of Wagner's influence in the chromatic harmonies ant1 long-breathed rrlelodic lines, as thougll Dvol'ik could not help but think of T r k l r i ~ r~ c ~Isolde ui in a work where his though& t ~ ~ r r l etod lorigi~lgsfor- home and to the recollectior~ of [he passiorls ol' yesteryear. For while he was at work on the Adagio, Dvoi.6k received news of thc illness of his sister-in-law .Josefina KaunitzovA, with ~vhorrihe had once been deeply in love ant1 to whom he was slill enormously devoted. As a tribute to her, he includcd in the rnidcile section of the Adagio a refcrcrice to a song he had composed seven years earlier, "Lassi nich allein" ("Leave hie Alone"), which was one of her favorites. Josefina died shortly after D\ol'ak's return to Bohemia i11 1895, and in meniory of her he addecl a passage of about 60 measures at the end of the co~~certo's finale, this time literally quoting the song. I t is as lovely an eleg). as allyone has ever had.
D
V O ~ ? ~ARRIVED K at a11 ideal balance beiiieen orrhestra and cello. He put the el lo in its t f p p ~ r ra~lgem d then made pi,nary use of the i~lir~ds the orchestra, wliose color diffPrs enongh from that of the cello that tl~rreis never any danger of the latter's bving covered. Brahnls, hiding his admirntiolr behind ufucrfade of im.tatiot~,is S I I ~ ~ D to S P ~ have c~xcluimed:''Why on earth drdn't I realize that o~ze cuuld zctlik o cello co~lcerlo like thrs? Had I ollly know^^, I would Iuve conlposecf ol~t. long ago!"
Mstislav Rostropovich; i Berlln PhllharmonlclHerbert von Karajan. i De~ctscheC:ranmophon 113 81 9-2 [zuith Tcliaikoz~s~:
i
Variations on a Rococo Therne]
CONCERTOS
A
T THE SAME TlhIE
Dvoidk was writing the Cello Cotuerfo, Richard Straws wnr working un Till Eulerlspiegel. Mahler zurw composing hii Third Syrrrphony and Bncckner his Ninth. Debussy war finishing hi.5 opera Pelleas eL Melisande, and Pucci~ii ulas beginning La boheme.
DVORAK
231
Pierre Fournier; Berlin PhllharmonldGeorge Sze11. Deutsche Grammopho;~hlwikfest 429 151-2 [~oithBloch: Schelorno, and Bruch: Kol Nidrei]
Pablo Casals; Czech PhllharmonldGeorgeSzell. Pearl GEIC~AIC D 9349 [with Rmclr: Kol Nidrei, a d Bocclierini: Concerto in 5 pal]
Of the half-dozen accounts of this concerto played by Kostropovich that are currently on CD. this one is the best; indeed, it ranks with certainty anlorig the greatest readings ever. It is a performance of heroic size and intensity. notable for the soloist's expressive range and awe-inspiring command of his instrument. Karajan sculpts a powerfill, polished accompanin~entfrom the Berlin Philharmonic. The recording has the "hot" analog sound typical of Deutsche Granirnophon in the late 1960s: bright, a little light in the bass. but with good detail and reasonably clean textures. Fournier's ardent tone-so wonderfully seamless from bottom to top-and the urgency of his playing still sound extraordinary in this 30-yearold recording. Szell. no stranger to the work, keeps the score moving along but gives Fournier all the space he needs: this approach lets the cello keep its place at the center of the concerto. rather than being muscled out by the climaxes in the orchestra. There is a certain Czech inflection in the playing that comes in the rhythmic interpretation of small notes, lending an exultant feeling to the whole. DGs recording is open and weli balanced, \vith surprisingly solid bass. There is some grairiiness in the violin tone, but otherwise the sound is quite natural. No wrapup of this concerto would be complete ~vithoutmention of the hair-raising 1937 account by Casals and the Czech Philharmonic, conducted ! by the 39-year-old Szell. Here was the greatest Rostropov~chp/[~yniglrcr trmte; i cellist of the day. surrounded by an ensemble that ut;th brt,, endpl,,for extra pouvr arrd more re~o~tuncc.i had beer1 trained by the peerlcss Vriclav Talich,
232
CONCERTOS " ELGAR
some of whose musicians had actually played under the baton of Dvofcik himself. On the podium. a brilliant yo~111g conductor-and in the back roorn, the legendary producer Fred Gaiskrg. ?'he sound is good considering the Ii~itage,and Pearl's transfer and remnstering are outstantling.
E
L.GAR, IVHO HAD a keen inlerest ill science, roa.5 one of thefirst corrtposcrs to use the phonop p h to record his ou111 rnzltic. HP began recor(1ing for ttw ~ r a r n i p h o ~Com~e par~y(owner of the label His iklaster's Voice) in 1914. Among h k mosl celebrated achieve men!^ on dkc is his Violi?~Cot~terto,c a p l t ~ r ~ind Jtdy I932 with th8 16-ymrold Yehudi Alenuhi~tm soloi.~l.
so~llberprologue dies away, the violas intone the main theme of the cancel-to's first movement, a world-weary lament in gently s\vayirig 918 timc, and with it the melalicholy voice of Elgar himself takes up the tale. Completed i11 19 19, the Cello Concerto was Elgar's last major work for orchestra, and his 111ost confessional. In spite of fleeting nlornents of idyllic release, it is dominated by disillusionment, b) a sense o f s u f f c r i ~ ~that g at tirnes cries out against life, yet more often speaks in quiet anguish. Elgar had been 111, and he was deeply depressed by the Great [Var's clestruction of the ivorld he had known. A11 of this he poured into the urilikely vessel of a concerto for the cello-but perhaps not so unlikely, corlsidering the instrulnent's richtoned yet brooding personality and its searing, dark timbre. T h e four moverrients unfold from one anotller as if forming n single, rhapsodic thought-which in view of Elgar's ~ilasterf'uluse of his thematic material, they actunll) do. After the almost 1.11nereal beginning of the first movement, die clarinets introduce a lyrical second theme in 1218. which is treated in the gracefit1 manner of n siciliana.
CONCERTOS
233
ELGAR
T h e second movement is prei'aced by a pizzicato version of the ccllo's opening recitative; the main body of this movement is a scherzo-like moto Ferp ~ t t t oin G major. A meditative Adagio of great beauty reduces the orchestra to charnber size, and the cello sings through all but a single measure. I n the concerto's rondo linale. so~liethingoi' the pre-World \Var 1 Elgarian si\.agger can be detected, but only fleetingly. E'r:ig~ne~l~s of ~nelodp frorn the concerto's earlier ~ n o ~ e m e nare t s hir~ted at bei'ore a climax of anguish and resignation is reached, with an accompanied cadenza quoting a phrase from the principal theme of the Adagio. I t is as if Elgar were saying farewell to happier times and a tcorld that could never be retrievedbut the eleg). is cut short by a brief reappearance of the opening recitative, and with one last statement of the rondo theme, the tvork abruptly ends.
@ RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Heinrich Schiff; Staatskapelle DresdenISir Neville Maniner. Philips 412 880-2 [u~itllDvof6k: Cello Corrcrl.to]
Jacqueline Du Pt6; London Symphony Orchestral Sir John Barbirolli. Elill CIIC 17329 [i~lilh Sea P i c t ~ ~ r e s ]
Schiff possesses a superior technique, an outstanding n~usicalintelligence, and a rich, poi\,crful tone. His tendency to internalize the music he interprets. to put its every phrase and nuance under the microscope, suits this music pnrticularly well. blarrinerand the Dresden orchestra provide an o p i ~ l e n dark-hued ~, nccompaniment, and the 1982 I-ecording is superbly spacious and vivid. The coupling is an excelle~itaccount of the Dvoi6k Cello Concerto. R.ecorded in I Y(i5, the passionate reading from Du PrP and Barbirolli is one of the classics of the
234
CONCERTOS
FALLA
catalog. Both the pain and the tenderness of this valedictory work are captured in fill1 by the performance-and fitti~igly,there is always gentleness in the pain, always an edge to the tenderness. T h e sound, wllile sorne\vhat grainy, has remarkable presence arld weight, and the balances are ideal.
Ithough he went through several /clranges of style in his career, Falla C A always kept a connection to the n ~ ~ l sof i c his native Spain. He did not [ind it necessary to borrow actual folk melodies-he simply produced original material in the style, material that by its very nature seemed to be derived from popular sources. His music wears its Spanish costume very comfortably, and ncvcr seerrls contrivecl. Falla's works get rhcir vitality as much Srom vibrant imagery and direct ernotiorlal expression as from the coml>oser'sadmittedly well-developed craftsmanship. A~~iorlg his greatest successes ill the sphere of nori-theatrical music is Niglits in the Gnr0tn.s of Spairl, a concerto-like set of three symphonic impressions fbr piano and orchestra, compleled in 1915. In this suite, which captures the nocturnal essence of Andalusia, Falla's colorism is softened almost to the point where i t becomes perfun~e.I h a t is as it should be, for in Granada-whose Generalife is one of the settings depicted by the piece-the scent of flowers is lruly the color of' the night. The piano takes a role halfway between foreground and background in all three riiove~~ients, often playing matcrial thar is more coloristic than substantive. T h e result is a unicluely satisSying integration of the piariistic and orchestral personalities, almost as if the two \Irere engaged in a love scene-which is just what one \vould expect to find at nigh1 in the garderls of Spain. While this
CONCERTOS
235
FALLA
i may be a rather romantic notion, F;illa hi111sc.11'
i
indicates that it is the correct one when, a1 the climax of the first movemerlt, he quotes the f o ~ ~ r i note motive of the love potion from it-agner's j Trirlarl rind Isollp.
@ RECOMMENDED 'i
A""Q
II'I);ILUSIA. ~ ' I l f r f an' bonl* hnc lotrg held a spectal pluce iir (he hearts oj compuwrs. ~xulicn/i?sel o p u r ~ftotn E N rope. it U ~ U TI ~ preferred P locale for opera: i\Iozrrrl'h h'arriage of Figaro n t ~ dDon Gi~\~anni. Rer~ho~terr's Fidclio, clircl Blzeri <:armen are nll sf1 l h e ~ r . .Yparli.rlr compoo,r.c, lrkc Fnlln, ha:oe rewleit 111 the cololfrcl mi\- of Errropeart rrrrd Arabic elemerrfs lhnl mnrki A t ~ d a I i ~ t ~rni ~tlslc r t to !/I t.1
dq.
i
i i i i
REcoRDlNGs
Alicia de Larrocha; London Philharmonic Orchestral Rafael Friihbeck de Burgos. LorlCIUtl 4 3 0 7 0 3 - 2 /it,tllt El arnor brujo. nild Rodnco: Conrirno dc .mqjer,] Carol Rosenberger; London Symphony Orchestral Gerard Schwa=. deli^.^ 1)CD 3060 [iu~tlrEl sombrcro de rre.s picos] I)e Larrocha's latest account of this tvork is also her hest, fully capruring the score's Andalusia~~ atmosphere. After all, it's not rc;illy a work about lar~rlscapesand Ho\vers; it's about love. Friihbcck does a superb job of drawing color out of an Erlglish orchestra. -l'l~e1983 rccortling is vivid. -l'lte American ~)i;trlistRownherger is featul-ed in ;I fine account led by Schrvarz o n Delos's 1!)87 CD, ~vhichis generously filled and splendiclly recorded.
nly Grieg could have cornposed a wo~.k as tunefirl arid as pianistic ;is his Concerto in A minor. Yet sornchosv, one get5 a feeling th;r~ the piece was destined to exist, as it so perfec~ly surns irp the Ronlantir notion ol tile concerto :I\ t a tluality, avehicle tor virtuosic tlisplay and hc;irti melting senti~nerlt.For C;rieg, tvho kvas just 25
236
"W,.
HY HAVE songs oyed . suclr a pronriri~irl role 111 rny mtulc? Qlrile sirnpb beca~~re I , like o~herorlo lob, wm (10 w e Goe111~'s phrase) orrcc P I I douvrl willr getriu.,. Attrl Ihnr Jadi of genius way: luve. I lovrd cr pouirg wurtro?r willl o rtmn~clot~r voice ur~cl(111 eqroally rttlnn)eloru pjt ( l an ~ i r r l ~ r / ) r ~ ~Tlik e r . zuottrotr /IPcamr ,try wift ~ 1 l dII(IS rt.rnrct~rd111y life's ccr?trputlion to !Iris h y . " -Gricg in a letter abo~lt his wife, Nina Hagerup
(above)
CONCERTOS
* ORlEG
when he wrote it in 1868. the score was a special triumph. establishing him on tlic international scene and, fbr the remainder of his life, winiiirlg acclaim as the rnost successt'i~lof his large-scale concert works. Part of the reason for its success is that Grieg never betrays his essentially lyrical genius. He was f rst and foremost a composer of songs, and he keeps the r~lelodicflame alive o n every page of this score. In concept, the piece follows the lead of Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto in A nlinor. I t has a youthful vitality that makes its melodic generosity seem spontaneous rather than contrived. Ancl just as the warmth of Grieg's passion keeps the music moving ever forward, the brilliance of his pianistic technique-reflected in some of the most wonderfully idiomatic writing for the piano ever penned-makes the journey a challenging a n d ultinlately rewarding one for the perf'ot-mer. With the impetuous solo passage that opens lhc work, Grieg establislies a mood of' Iieadlol~gtlrgency that is sustained t h r o ~ ~ g h o u the t first movement. 'I'here arc sevcral distinct tlieniatic ideas in this spacious Allegro. a~irlwhile sonle of them are related to one anotlier.. the niovernent as a whole offers arriple variety arid contrast. A n intermezzo-like Adagio, in the l.etnote key of 1) flat major, provides a reprieve frorn the ternpestuous passions of the opening movement. Hut this is swept aside by the energetic arrival of the fillale. based on the hulling, a characteristic Norwegian dance. Here. Grieg holds in reserve one of' his best melodies for use as the second subject. I t is first heard in the flute, and just before the end of the work it returns in brassy splendor to set up the requisite triumphant coriclusion-a glorious unison between piano arlcl fiill orchestra in sunlit X major. The concerto is cledicated to Edniulid Neupcrt. who was the soloist at its premiere in Copenhilgel~ on April 3. 1869. Grieg frequcntly pcrformecl t he work himself. He revised the score prior to its
CONCERTOS
GRlEG
237
publication in 1872 and continued t o ni:lke changes in both the solo part and the orchestration up to the time of his death. 'I-he orchestral corliplement, large even by 19th-century s~aridarcls,calls for four horns and three trombones in addition to paired ~vinds,trumpets, timpani, and strings.
Murray Perahia; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestral Sir Colin Davis. CBS i!laslerirurks dlK 44899 [zlifll Sclrr~rnclntr: Piano Cnnrerfo]
Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich; BBC Symphony Orchestra/Sir Colin Davis. Philips 412 923-2 [rcrillr Sclrtr~nan~l: I'iano Conierlo]
Peraliia's account is utterly absorbing. T h e playing is brilliant, but the pianist's approachessentially 1)-rical rather than dramatic-keeps that brilliance at the service of larger espressive goals. The result is a per-fb~.manceaglow with understated intensity, o11c in which the prevalent feeling is often mclaricholy, at times even bleak. Davis draws a wo~iderfullyrefined accompaniment from the Bavarian orchestra in this live reading from 1988 in hlunic1~'sPhilharmonic Hall. T h e recorcling is esccllcr~tarid effectively captures the beautiful tone Perahia coakes fro111his piano. Although his pianism is nor as refined as Perahin's, nor his technique quite as sccurc, Bisliop evokes a dreamy repose in his account. I-Ierc, too, the conductor is Davis-and once again he proves to be a superb partner. T h e BnC Svmphony plays well, tliottgh it hns a peculiar-sounding solo oboe and its violins get somc\chat edgy 1113 high. On the recording, which is excellent for 197 I , t~he orchestra sound is slightly grainy ancl thc pi:lno tone not as trite as with C:US1s digital of'fering.
238
CONCERTOS
HAYDN
aydn composed this corlcerto in 1796 for his associate a r ~ dfrier~tiAnton Weidinger, the trumpet soloist of the Vienna Court Opera. CVeidinger had been working since 1793 on an experimental keyed trumpet capable of playing notes other than those in the natural harmonic series, to which the stantlard instrument of the day was limited. M7ith typical ingenuity, Haydn took full advantage of' the nets* instrument's capabilities: with typical good humor, he disguised the effort so that the novelty of what the trumpet was doing woulcl clawn on the listener only gradually. Thus the crisp fanfares that the trumpet interjects during the first movement's opening ritorrlello are entirely conventional, touchil~gorlly O I I the notes of the harmonic series. *The rcvclaliori 1)egins at measure 37, when the trumpet 1;lullches NTIL VALVES rverr into its first solo. I t takes up [he rnoven~e~lt's irttrociuced in t11e 19th marchlike subject-which co~ltai~ls all thc notes cnifruy, lntmpels ntrri /tont.s of the E flat major scale-and does so in its rnidtlle could sourui only the tlotes o j range, where some of those notes ought not to R ttatt~ralhannnuic svries. cotrtbrittg of a f i ~ t t ~ l ~ ~ m e t ~ f be a l playable. Then, in the 1 lth measure of' the trole ctnd iCr overfottes. '4 solo, Haydri throws in a brief' descending chroplnyrr could select the desired matic scale, another impossibility which to the ouertot~eby ~ t m y i t ~hisg lip judicious ear would have come as a splendid &trsiorr, btd undpr rlonrtnl shock. By the enti of the concerto, [he soloist has conditiotrs h t corild plly a scoie orrly ill the upper part been called upon to play every chromatic note of art instrumetrt's rarrge. across a two-octave compass, something that would Even then, C M ~ R ~overtotrt-s )I have been ~ttterlyinipracticable o n the niitur-a1 were itrevitab!~out-of-turte. trumpet. This demand obliged Ctleidinger to make further improvements in his instrument's nicchanism, and the concerto had to wait Sour years for its premiere, 011 hiarch 28, 1800. This is the only concerto Hayrlr~colnl,osctl i l l the final quarter. century of his lile, but i t shows a master's hand in every detail. M1llile the li)rmal layout and proportions owe sonieching to hloz;~rt, the writing is full of the hallmarks of' I-f:~ydn'slate
U
CONCERTOS
HAYDN
239
style. 'I'lie festive and robust scoring of the opening movement, with flutes prominently doubling the violins and trumpets and with drums adding their weight to the tuttis, immediately evokes the world of the London Symphonies. So does the Andante; short, sweet, and songful, it is an exquisite example of the composer's pastoral vein. The finale is not a gigue. as would have been likely in one of hlozart's horn concertos. but a boisterous quick march, full of the bracing, unexpected n~odulationsthat are another of Haydn's characteristic touches.
j Hakan Hardenberger;
;
Academy of St. Martln-in-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Maniner. j Philips 420 203-2 [with cuncertos by Hertel, I-Iurnrrtel, j atui Stnrrtitz]
i
'i Wynton Marsalis; i National Philharmonic Orchestra/ i Raymond Leppard. i CBS iCfu.rlem~orks.1fK 39310 [wilh Violin Concprto it1 C ; nttd Cello Concerto in Dl
Harderlberger possesses a polished technique, a clear tone, and a smooth legato. X few examples of questionable artistry (such as the undue stress he puts on the resolution of trills) reveal he is not yet fully educated as a virtuoso. One might prefer a somewhat more mellow and burnished sound. but Hardenberger's technique and control are not to be faulted. He offers an esccllent cadenza. true to the style of the period. Marriner and the Academy do a smashing job with the rest of the piece. Philips's engineering is excellent, though the trumpet is larger-sounding and closer than it should be, a small flaw. hlarsalis has an articulate style, a very tightly CW~II
240
CONCERTOS
LlSZT
a bit surprising corlsiderirlg his ur~bridledsucc-css as a jazz tri~rnpeter.His tone, holvever, is rather light\veight and sharp-edged for a classical soloist, and he does show a certain abandon with the top notes, his specialty; here they're a111iostscreamers. hiarsalis also succumbs to the temptation to play a Romantic-style cadenza. though he does it very well. Undcr Lcppard's direction the National Pl~ilIiarrnorlic proves ideally supportive. Its strillgs are notably good, but a tiiffuse rccortling robs the bass line of proper firmness.
F
ikc :I number 01- his other ~i-orks.Lis~t's First Piario Concerto rvenr tlirougli a long process o l cle\~elopmentbcfo~-ereaching its final forrn. First sketches were nincie in 1830, when the composer was not yet 20, arid additional material was drafted ill 1839-40. Rut i t \\.as riot uotil 1849, folloici~~g his retirement from active concertiririg, that Lis7t rurncd the sketches into a fini4hed J V O I . After ~. that, hc put the concerto aside for another lour years, revising it in 1853 and finally performing it t ~ v oyears later. T h c r c ivel-e further revisions in 18.56 prior to the scorc's publication. Iiather paradoxically, the result of Lisrt'h deliberate labor was a work of striking bravura. 'l'he brilliarlce of the solo part is appal-ent not only in the blazing octave runs and whirlwind passages of broker1 chords. but also in the variety ofvt o ~ ~ c h and expression callcd for i r i less s1101r.y monlcnts. Rernarkahle as ivcll is the originality of the corlcerto's construction, a f'ormat one can readily imagine di(1 take l.iszt a long tirne to figure out. To be&+ with, a f o u r - n ~ o v e m edesign i ~ ~ is compressed into a t hree-movemerlt layout, with the scherzo appendecl directly to the slo~crno\reriielit (and bridged to the finale as in Beethoven's 1.iCth /
I
Lk:/ r. 1848. duri~lg1/1(, com,busitio~ru/h& Fir31 Piuuu Concerto.
CONCERTOS
T"" AfOST
cltari.smatic performer of his era, arid one of its inost complex and worldly characters, Liszt was seen by cotitetttporariPs as the ernbodimnlt of both Fau~tiati idealisrrl and i14ephislophe[ecru menace. He t m b r tnarried, but lived out of uredlock wilh the Cotortess itfarie d7Agoult and the Princess Carolyrle SoytiI.l'iltget~~teitz, and brief7y look u hi, mistress itlane Duple5sis. Yet througl~otrtilk life, Catholicirn~was 1.uzt's anchor, urrd irz 1565 he look the four minor orders of I ~ P Church. He zucrs !hereafter refwed to as AhhP Litzl.
LlSZT
241
Symphony).And the linkages are thematic as \cell. The scherzo arid finale recapitulate ~iiaterialfroni each of the concerto's preceding movements, so that the whole work resembles a sonata Lbrm writ large, exhibiting the thematic unity of a single movement. Liszt pioneered this cyclical approach to form and gave it ulti~nateexpression in his Piano Sonata in B minor. Ctrhile the concerto is not as tightly argued, it succeeds nonetheless-as a showcase for pianistic ~irtuosity.as an cxploration of thernatic material, arid as a large-scale structure. T h e opening measures are pompous in the best sense. Flamboyant ancl assertive. they leave no doubt that both orchestra and piano will have something to say, while giving the misleading impression that their relationship will be antagonistic. After the piano has wrestled the orchestra into subn~ission-with a cadenza that comes just ten bars into the piece-the two in fact work hand in glove. The remainder of the first mo\ement is by turns dramatic and rhapsodic, drahcing a gallant display of athleticism arid delicacy from the solo instrument. T h e R major Adagio opens with a gentle, arialike melody. The reverie is shattered by a dramatic piano recitative over trcmolo strings, but the end of the rnovernent is cven more beautiful than the beginning. f'oreshado~~i~ig Liszt's late style and the delicate effects of his solo piano piece Les jeics dbau cj 11 villa d'Este. T h e schcrzo portion of the seco~ldInovenlent steals upon the scene to the impish tinkling of the triangle. Here the mood is one of' scintillating diablerie, with the piano an active participant throughout. As the scherzo ncars its end, there is a reprise of the first movement's grancliose call to actio~i. Grancl. ranibunctious. and clecicledly virtuosic, this last movement is based on a memmorphosis of earlier material, the Lisztiari process of thematic transformation. The marc11 theme announced by the winds is a sped-up version of the secondmovement aria, ancl themes froni the first niovc-
CONCERTOS
242
LlSZT
ment and the scherzo appear in new guises ;is the finale progresses. One other thing happens as well: Liszt cranks u p the tempo to a vertiginous presto, guaranteeing that the work's final cio~rhle octaves will astonish and delight. T h e premiere of the E flat Concerto took pl;~ce in M'eimar on February 17, 1855, with Liszt playing the solo part and Berlioz, having had just five days to learn the score, conductirig.
@ RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Santiago Rodriguez; M a Philharmonic OrchestrdEmil Tabakov. Elail CD 2228 [with Grieg: Piano Concerlo, errid Tchaikoz~iky:Coricerto NO. I ] HI.: TKI/IN(;l.t.:'S
Tp
rorriirre~tceitt ttrt, sclrerro rrnel Jitrcrle cnrrsrd such c o t ~ r t ~ n ~ e ~naong lion critics that Liszt fell it JIPCPS.rniy in roam the /~iclnht Alfred J a ~ l l who , urcu ylarfrrirrg (1 pefonnance of the ulork, to :'tcrke cclre that the triangle h a not too vulgar a ~ribrc~tion and thal the t r i m g l player ~ does his job delicat~ly,precisely, arid intellipnfly." The solo is but one e.ramplt of Lrtzt's imaginative scoring, in which rhe rrnpharic ic more often on chamber-like &licacy than
Krystian Zimerman; Boston Symphony OrchestrdSeIJlOzawa. I>eutsche Gramrnopliotl 423 571 -2 [wit11 Concerlo No. 2 arid Totentanz]
& b i n Kocsls; Budapest Festival Orchestta/hrhn Flscher. Philips 4 2 2 380-2 [with Concerto No. 2 , and Duh~rcinyi: Variarions on a Nc~rserySong]
T h e American pianist Rodriguez puts his breathtaking technique to good use in an articulate and exhilarating performance of the concerto. T h e rhythmic liveliness he brings to the solo part and his detailing of inner voices are a tribute not only to extraordinary fingers, hut to an equally extraordinary musicality. He is well partnered by Tabakov and the Bulgarians, although there are minor blemishes in tuning and ensemble. T h e 1990 recording leaves the orchestra sounding a bit recessed and is overly bright arid reverber;~nt. T h e coupling of Grieg and Tchaikovsky concertos, both exceptionally well playccl, is the most generous in the catalog. Zimerman's is a controlled reatlirig rather t11;ln
CONCERTOS
' LlSZT
243
a spontaneous one. He emphasizes light~lessof
touch a ~ l daccuracy, taking aini at 111~.filigree i n the writing, of which there is (:(!I-tainlyenough to occupy any pianist. He is superl~lyacconlp:~nietl by Ozawa and the Boston Synlpho~iy,whose contribution is highlighted by sonle \:cry line solos in the winds. T h e 1987 recordi~lgis typic:~llyovermiked and dry; the tone is reasonably natural, though shy in the bass. In a I-ecording from the fbllosving yca;ir, Kocsis is a bit grandiose in the opening of the concerto, a n d a bit kurmoynt~t in the metlitations, but irnpulsivc nonetheless. T h e Hungarian piii~listelljoys the athleticism of the score, and his perl'orrilancc of the finale really sweeps o n e along. ' f h c Rudapest orchestra does a solicl job in the tuttis. and the sound is rather good.
"4
mong the most freque~ltly~)c.rforr~~c*tl concertos in the li~cl-aturc,this ~vork owes its esis~enceto the frienclship bet\rcen klendelssohn and the violinist E'elvli~~antl I);~vid,\\.horn hlendelssohn engaged as conccrtm;islcr of the Leipzig Geivandhaus Orchestra after 1,econiing its director in 1835. T h e thct that the conlposrr was willing to entrust so mucll of the concerto's expressive content to his soloist suggcsts that David \\as not only a first-rate virtuoso but :I sensitive artist as well. That he was definitely the former is ol~vious from the solo part itself. Here, the f'ull range of a violinist's technique is challenged by \vriti~lgthat calls for lyricism and agility in equ;~lnleasure, as well as an ability to project nuirnce a ~ l delnotion in the softest dynamics. hIcndelssohn's li~l~led skill as an orchestrator is also apparent, i l l rlic lucitl textures that allow the solo instl-urne~~t to Ilc hcartl at all times and in the felicitous use ol' the ~vinds
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I F )'Or LIKE THIS WORK, yo11 ,r1igl11 mjny ~Zlendelstoht~'~ Pimro Corlcerlo~in C mirlor arid D minor, coinposed in 153 1 and 1837, rrspec~i~~cly. In spile of tlrelr tninor-k~y toutllily, but11 are \citrlillufirrg, 7lizrtlciou.c u ~ o r h1hu1 ~ p/ncrl u p r e ~ ~ ~ ion l ~ Jluultn finger~dnirtuositj.
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to color the tutti passages. But the concerto is most impressive for its coherence-thc way t l ~ e threc movements ilrifold as if ir~for~necl by a single thought, arid the way the solo part and the orchestra intertwine. T o achieve this degree of symphonic integration. hlendelssohn resor-teci to some rather daring forrtial innovations, including a linkage - of the first two nioverrierlts, tlie insertion of the first-movement cadenza not at the encl of the movement but as part of tlie development, and the use of a transi~ionalpassage between the second movcnlent arid ttie finale that recalls the thematic rriaterial of the opening movement. T h e idea for the concerto came to hlendelssohn in 1838. "It is running through rny he:ld," the composer wrote to Da\,id. "The bcgin~iir~g uf it gives me no peace." hlendelssohn's descriptiori was apt, for the opening bars :u-e nrnong the most haunting in music. They are also an ingenious way to begin a concerto. There is no extended orchestral tutti, n o prea~rible,no flourish froni the soloist-instead, just a measure and a h:~lfof restless accompaniment before the violin arirtounces the movement's pri~icipalsubject, a soft cry from the heart. One of the concerto's loveliest moments cornes with the arrival of the seco~id subject, as the violin drops to a low G ~;incIliolcls it for eight uneasitres while the clarinets and Hutes souncl the tr;inquil chordal melody above it. Only then does the violin itself take u p thc theme, and the effecl is rhapsodic. l'he high point of the development is the cadenza-and when the violin finishes it ancl launches into the recapitulatioll, il is playing the restless accomparlirnent and the orchestra has the opening theme. a clever rc\crsal of roles. A sustained B in the bassoon provides a link to the Xndantc, a radiant "song without \vortls" in C major with a tur.h\~lentmiddle section in the minor. A transiiio~ialrecitative i l l E minor, recalling the concerto's opening subject, sets u p the vivacious E major firiale. whose opening farifares and capricious rnain subject, marked pic~~zissinro
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and Ieggiel-o, recapture the spirit of A ~Cli~lszoiu~ler Siglzt'r Dreain. T h c writing for the solo instrument is unabasliedly virtuosic. a virtually unbroken stream of flowing eighths arlcl racing sixteenths. T h e orchestra provides soft-spoken fireworks before erupt ing at nioverncnt's cnd.
Kyung Wha Chung; Montreal Symphony Orchestral Charles Dutoit. Londo~t4 I 0 01 1-2 [zortl~Tchntkoraky: Viol111Cottcrrto] Nathan Milstein; Vienna Philharmonic/Claudio Abbado. D e ~ h c h eC;rnnl~~to/holi Gallrnn 419 067-2
, t l ~ l ~ t ede/1gl1tpii, i~l prob~r~g fot rneuttt~zgnltd nnotrotz usfhoul rzer 1os111gctghl of lnus~cnlorcI~ttei~111re. :I ulrtunyo u~hohad tornptht~~g lnore-n~// 11 wrrnntlt 0 1 f l l l ~ ~ ~ ~ - / t il t ?U S /hP CO~15tOllrnufe stylt~tc i a ~ o ~the ~ g20th rcnttrq's @rat Z I I O ~ I I I U I J .
Jascha Heifetz; Boston Symphony Orchestral Charles Munch. RCA Red Sect1 5933-2 [rclr/h Trhutkozlrly: i'iolitl Conrertn, Serenade mi.la~lcolique,ci~tdI\'ultz fro111Sererzadr for S t r ~ ) t g ~ ]
Chung's radiant lyricism and nrclent virtuosity make her recording of' the concerto especially appealing. Uuroit and the hlorl~realorchestra provide exquisite support, and the 1981 recording is transparent in its detail arlcl superbly balanced. tl'ith an outstanding account 01' the l'chaikovsky concei-to as the coupling, this disc is a winner. Ever the p:ltrician in his phrasing, tone, and manner, hfilstein brings warn1 sentiment to the nus sic. There is a continuity to his interpretation that allows [lie piece to unfold almost rhapsodically. as if it were taking shapc spontaneously under his lingers. Abbado ancl the Vienna Philharmonic crcatc a dark, burnished background against tvliich hlilstein glolvs in this fine recor-ding. In hiendelssohn as in everything else. Heifetz
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plays with an edgy intensity that gives urgency to the music ever1 in its most poetic moments. He also brings dazzling technique and heart-on-sleeve Kornanticisrn, and he is brilliantly backed u p by hiunch and the Bostonians. The 1959 recording is spacious. clean, and tonally quite accurate. though Heifetz is a bit closely rniked.
live in a country where m~isicleads a struggling existence," Mozart wrote to his friend and lrlelltor Padre Martini on September 4. 1776. The 20-year-old conlposer was already finding it difficult to conceal his contempt for Salzburg and the ordinariness of its ~nusicallife. Suddenly, a touring French pianist by the name of Jeunehomme burst onto the scene. Not nl~ich is known about her-not even her first namebut her appearance in Salzburg in .January 1777 elicited fro111 Mozart one o f t h e most remarkable works he was ever to compose. The brilliance. boldness, and errlotional maturity of the Piano Concerto in E flat, K. 27 1, are without precedent in Mozart's oeuvre up to that point and establish the piece as a prototype, delivered well ahe:td of schedule, for his sublime Viennese essays of the mid- 1780s. One can only marvel at the ideas and workmarlship Mozart brought to this concerto. I'ianist Alfi-ed Rrendel has called it a "wonder o f the world," and even iri the august world of htozart's piano concertos it is certainly that. Conceived on a much larger scale than any of Mozart's previoiis works in the form, it is also far more subtle and sophisticated. T h e writing is full of colorful. felicitous turns that manage without the slightest hint of self-consciousness to lift the piece out of the ordinary.
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HOUGH HE FELT co),/irwd itr Salzburg, bl oinrt ulrote scveml sy mfihonic works l h c r ~d u l i l z ~ Ilk inst years 111 the ~ r c h bishop's service that are 1111 ~ L T I L U I ~festi11~ J and outgoing, similar in spirif to the E flat Pimro Cortcerlo. Two of thjirlest are the powwftillly scored Posthorn Sertnade, K . 320, and the Symphotry h70.34, in C, K . 338. Both might be subtilled "Houi I Spent Surn7ner I'acatio~l."
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?'he concerto opens with a delightfully cheeky gesture, as the piano interrupts the orchestra's fanfare-like opening phrase in the second bar. From here Mozart develops a rich dialog between solo instru~ncntand orchestra that hinges on the piano's newly established freedom of action. ?'he Andantino, in C minor, begins with a somber passage in the violins' dark lower register. The entrance of the piano precipitates a shift to the major, leading the listener on a journey into the heart of 18th-century sensibility. Here. as the piano floats a delicately ornarnented singing line above it, the attenuated passiori of the orchestra's pleading-with poignant, nluted violins and plaintive oboes-looks far, fhr ahead torvard Koman~icisrn. A mood of festivity returns in the finale. tuhich begins with a brilliant exposition of the movement's rondo subject by the soloist. But as the orchestra is trying to work out its material, the piano pounces on1 that idea as well, snatching it away. The most striking break with protocol comes a little later with the introduction of a minuet as the rondo's second episode. Each strain of the minuet is repeated with florid ornamentation hefore orches~raand soloist resume their dash to the finish line, this time at a f~rllpresto.
fall h,iozart's concertos, this one, finished on February 10, 1785, ivas the fa\orite of the Romantics. Its turbulence and lyricisnl appealed lo the 19th-century view of Mozart as a pre-Romantic revolutionary and a forerunner of Beethoven and the other titans of self-expression. While Mozart's music is no longer viewed in terms of what came later. but rather as a uniquely adepr and insightful sy~lthesisof what was going . - on at i the time, this ivork does seem revolurionary; its
2111
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music is unlike that of any corlccrto Aloz;irl 11:icI written before, in both its gravity ant1 its s~~l?jeci tivity. \'Vi~h his concerto, the first ol' sis s u l ) r c ~ ~ ~ c : works in the form that he woulcl write i r ~just under two years, hlozart reachecl a new plateau in his developn~entas an i n s t r u ~ n e ~ ~composer. tal T h e first movement begins svilh ;I forebotling subject that is as n ~ u c haccompa~~irnent ;IS nielocly. At its heart is a subdued, syncop;ited figure in the violins and violas that seems ;in cnntwciiment of the opening fear. From this uneasy begin~~ing. tutti builds to a ferocious climas, in tvhich there is a hint of the furious D minor yet to conne in the opera Don Giorjclr~rli..As the storln clears, the piano makes its entrance-ancl it is ;in cstraordinary one, conveyir~gdeep agit;~tio~l in the ini id st of lyricism. T h e melody's wicle junips siguify intense feeling, and hlozart t.sp;i~itison this during the course of t11c movement. 'l'he sul)tlc play of major and minor helps create a ~nootlof rcs~lcssness and tension to the very e ~ ~ c l . A contrasting rnioocl 01' i~inocencech:~~.;ictc~,izes the start of the Ronlance, where ;I so~~glikc. s~~l?jc.ct is heard first in the piano, the11 i l l thc o~-cl~cst~.;i. "1l1ANNlfE11ll rock~t"U I ~ Ucr for~orit~ T h e sin~plicityof thc melody itsclfa~icltllc gc~illcn~raiccild~vtct-of r11t~Ilrr ness of hlozart's scoring, \vhicl~t.:~\ror.s[lie winds, 181h c~11111ry. It rP/Frs to n conspire to provide a welcome respite. T11e idyll tt~ernebrrill on 1 1 1 ~nol~s.of 11 is disturbed as the piano enters ;I ni;ielstrom of moljnr or miiror lrinci lhul oss\virling triplet figures. but tlne I-etlrl-11 of thr openc ~ n d crrrpuilv (1.e.. " r ~ c k ~ l ~ " ) ing melody brings tile movernent to a pl;icitl close. from iLs /he louresl ilolf to ils hiRJ(~st. Thu thzrnt- 110s oil T h e lightning bolt with wlnich the ro~ntlofinale arreslirrgly bold efict, and it begins-actually a "hlannheim rocket" lai~nched urn frequei111j I L ~ P by ~ I tlw by the piano ancl answered by the orchestr;icnmpocers of rht rtlnrrr~h~tm signals a return of the emotionally charged atschool. hlornrt r~ct-d(I rockpt mosphere of the first nlovenlent. Fiery p:iss:iges lhptnp 10 Iauirch [Irejitrolt- of hk Sympl~onjitr G mir~or, in the strings anticipate the d e n l o ~ ~penul[imare ic h'. 550, and Het-~ho~~tw scene ofDori Giovnrrni, and even the piano's lyric;il lorrcli~dorit oflc11 I ~ slnrl c second subject is \vrenched across wide i~ntcrvals. of hi.\ fir.~tplnrln sorlc~lrr. In the final pages, klozart allows the key of I) Op. 2 , No. 1 . major to supplant 1) minor-a slltlclen ant1 satl isfying relaxation of tension. EVCIIso, tlnc c ~ i t of the concerto is explosive and ; I I I I . I I ~ ~ .
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249
PIANOCONCERTO NO. 2 1. IN C, K. 46'7 completed on hlarch 9, 1785, stands out as one of the most elegant and imaginativeof hlozart's Viennese piano ( oncertos. Its openirlg Allegro makes much of the nir*rch topic ancl the trumpets and clrurns that go \\-itli it, ant1 \\rliilc that in itself is tiardly remarkable, what i~ remarkable is hlozart':, ability to fashion such a tightly con\trt~ctedsymphonic argument around a solo part \o rich in fantasy. Indeetl, fro111 its appearance-no strnightfortvard proI I O L I I ~ C ~ I ~of ~ ~ the I I L movement's tilain theme. but a series of flourishes hllo\ved \,v a long trill that hovers impatiently while the orchestra restates the tune-the piano is in constant motion, o n \+.hat seems a Ilight of pure fancy. I-[ere rtrld thcr-e i t alights, hummingbird-like, on a melody; clseliere, re, its part is an exuberant play of braswra passaget\ork and ornamental figuration. T h e celebrated Andante offers what Inay t\.ell be hlozart's ~ r ~ oethereal st at-ia-even though there are no wor-cls to go with it. Indeed, with its heartbeat of' soft triplcts, the tune is so lovely that hlozart cannot resist having the orchcstrn sing i t right at the start. T11e piano then takes i t u p in an improvisatory manner. s p i ~ ~ n i nout g a11 embellished extension full of stimng leaps ancl plunges that no coloratura soprano could ever liope to match. 'l'hc luminous accompaniment of n ~ u t e d violi~isanti plangent woodwinds, over a gentle pizzica~obass, leritls render emotion to the treatment, while the biuersweet clissorla~~ces a n d subtle shifts o f harmony and tone color anticipate the langi~agcof' Romanticism. T h e finale, a light-hearted romp full of operatic gaiety, begins with a niischie\~oussubject rliat shoots partway u p the scale and right back down again. By phrasing it so t h a ~it is alrvays off balancethe rhythmic emphasis falls at the beginning of the sucorrd measure rather than the first-hlozart gives this idea a liencllong thrust that ariirriatcs
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the entire movement. He further energizes the proceedings by inlroducirlg a subsidiary sul?ject with prominent offbeat accents. 'I'hroughout the movement, the piano keeps challenging the orchestra to follow it into new melodic territory, and the orchestra keeps trying to get back on a familiar track. T h e conversatiori becomes fairly argumentative in the central episode, where the first six notes of the main subject are tossed hack and forth, each time in a different key, but he movernetit ends in the brightest of spirits.
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the potenl feeling and tcnbridl~dfaillary of lhis co7~cerloifirstinovemenl is [he weight of grim for~hodirtg. Mozart hirru~lfm 1 ~ 7 1 have fell il: he filled it1 an empty bar of the trzun~ucri/t, just before the rnovement:~ coda, with a drawing of n grotesque face (a hove).
ozart finished this concerto on March 24. 1786, arid playecl the premiere two weeks later at a subscription concert in Vienna's Burgtheater. 4 look at the manuscript shows it was written in great haste: T h e solo part is sketchy in a riurnber of places, with many details of figuration either missing o r furtively encoded on empty staves above it. Also absent are cadenzas for the first and third movements. We will never know precisely how Mozart realized these things in perfortnance. Even so, this is the most conlpellirlg of his piano concertos. Here Mozart uses the largest wind complement in any of his concertos-flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, and two hornsplus trumpets and drums, giving the tuttis uriprecedented power arid richness of tone while opening up a world of nuance within the orchestra. T h e atmosphere is tragic, pathetic, hauntirigly grim-already apparent in the opening theme of the first movement, which combines anxiety (in unsettling chromatic tinges and poignant leaps of a diminished seventh) with severity (the rigorous dotted rhythm). Later. there are echoes of the church and fantasy styles in the winds. T h e piano
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makes a quiet entrance with a new thetile that is rhythmically related to both of the m;~intllenics. T h e writing for the solo instrument is remarkable not only for its varied figuration b u ~for its i l l ven~ionand seamless connection of ideas. T h e second movement, marked Lnrglrc~ttoby ;ill anonymous hand but written in the style of it Romance, has all the trappings of an aria of love, featuring serenade-style woodwind writing in sonorous thirds. T h e main subject is introduced by the piano alone, answered by strings ;111cl \\~inds. and then jointly embellished by all. I n the third movement, hlozart turns to the variation form for the last time in his pi:lno coricertos. T h e theme is funereal and ~narchlike,but Mozart's treatment explores ;iwide range of textures and emotional shadings. Two of the variations are in the major arid find the rvi~ids~;lkingthe lead: the fourth, in A flat, is pastoral, while the sixth, in C, subjects the thenie to playl'i~lcanonic treatment. Mozart returns to C minor for the shadowy se\.entli variation anti stays tlicre for tllc final one as well, which becausc it plays against the supposed lightness of its o w n rhyth~ii,a giguelike 618, is especially chilling.
@RECOMMENDED tiour rtrhn~to admire ntost, whether the rxtrciordirmq- compos~tiotls or . his rxlraorditlnty playing. . . . [H]ic ittrprorisatiov.c rxceecipn at~ytltittgthat cctt~ be irnngitzrd irt I& ulny of piano ployiczg, (LSht higil~st &pet- of the composeri crrt & c o ~ b i t v dzc~ithpnfectiotr of play ittg. '" -Czech n~usiccritic
RECORDINGS
Mumy Perahla; Engllsh Chamber Orchestra. CUS i2lnrttn1torkc AfK 3.1562 [Cortr~rlosNos. 9 n t d 2 11 atui 1k1K 42242 [No. 24, lath S o . 221
Robert Casadesus; Cleveland Orchestra and Columbia Symphony Orchestral George Szell. Son? Chsical Sl\i3K f 651 9 (3 CDs; Concrrtos Nnc. 2 1 and 24, urith Nos. 22, 23, -36. n ~ t d27 (I,I(!Cottc~rlo for Turo Pianos, K. 365; Nos. 21 nrrd 24 nl.vo c ~ ~ n i l n b l ~ separnt~ly011 CBS AlYK 385231
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Sir Clifford Curzon; London Symphony Orchestra/ Istvan Kertesz. Lo~rdon12'eekend Clrl~sics433 086-2 [Co~uPrfosNo. 2 4 . with No. 23, n t ~ dSrhuberl: Irnpmt~ip/rcs,Op. YO, No.$. 3 and -I]
Sir Clifford Curzon; English Chamber Orchestra/ Sir Benjamln Brltten. Lotrdut~417 288-2 [Conc~rio,Yo. 2 0 , with .Yo. 271
I'eraliia has I-ccordecl all of the hiozal-t piano colicertos, aritl his effortlessly brilliant accounts car] be recom~ricndedacross the board. T h e playirig is on the highest level: vibrant, unfi~ilingly t)cautil'ul, \voritieri'~~lly acute in its grasp of srylc arlcl espressior~.l;.qually outstanclirlg is tlic English Cliarnber Orcliestra, \vhich Perahia Icatis I'rom the keyboard. 'l'he recortleti sound, \\.bile not as ratliarit as the rll~lsicmaking, is consister~tlygood ant1 well halancctl from disc to rlisc. T h e energetic readings of Casadesus :rnd Szell set ;i standard l'or this repertory that 1i;rs yet to be surpassed. 1)ramaric aritl tightly \\.ouncl bur ricvcr unsmiling, [ h e accounts combine grace rind lucitlity with a11 almost opcralic lyricism. T h e sound is dry hut firm and tletailcd, and Sony has d o n e an escelle~itjob of rcriiastering these recordings from 1959-62. C;urzon was ;I very special hlozartean, a pianist of' exception:~l;rl,ility \vlio communica~ctlproPerforming found insights into the music arrd played \vith the Persorln lit1e.y utmost refinement. T h t s c readings of I ' O I I ~ of ltrre 11!t~s?lo 6i>//vr/)if~?riSI hlozart's grcatcst concertos, recorcled i~nctcrideal of i\lourt alrcl 110 fi~rvr circurnstanccs i l l 1968 near the end of Curzon's chambvr rnuriciar~it1 ~ t t y life, are among the most impressive in the catalog. reperto? that^ Cliffoo,-(1CurFor this a share o f the cretlit ril~rstgo to lierti'sz zov. Hr uac an arli'! of patririn tr taste cr trcl / / N I I I / I , S S ant1 Britten. ivliose sensitivity LO hlozart made ~ P c I I ~ ;and ~ I Iin ~ =I /, ~ I > ~ re~ I ! thern extraor~tliri:lryaccoml)lices. T h e playing of cardirrg~he made, fire rlt~/)tlr both orchestras is at a high level throughout, nrld of his rnr~ticaland spiri!rral the recordings sound ~voncierfullyalive, as if they insigItl.\ are readily . ~ P I I . ( c I / . were made yestcl-clay.
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OZAKT PLAYED his Violin Concerto rn G , K . 216, af perjformnnces it1 ill lcnich art11 Augsblrrg in October 1777. "I phyed as though I were the finest fiddler in Europe." he mote tiis father from Augsburg. "It ulent lihe oil, and euqbody praised ny beautifirl, pure ~OTIP.''And hopold i\lozart could cerlainly relate. As u joutig man Leopold hod beni one of tliefin~stfiddkrs in Europe.
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yourself tio not know how well you play the violin," Leopold hiozart wrote son in 1777. "If only you tvould do yourself justice and play with energy, with your whole heart and mind, you could be the best violinist in Europe." It was a c ; ~ ~ l d iassessmerlt d from the man who had written the most important treatise of the day on violin playing. Nor \\,as Leopold alone in thinking so, for while Wolfgang was undoubtedly among the best pianists in Europe, he was also a good enough violinist to be appoi~ltedconcertmaster of the court orchestra in Salzhurg when he was 16. Traditionally, the date 1775 has been assigned to all lite of hlozart's autheriticatcd violin C ~ I I certos. Recent scholarship has suggested that the first of these rnay have bee11 written in 1773. just after hlozart became Salzburg concertmaster. Four concertos in a single year is still an impressive tally, but it is only half the story. During the years 1773-76. Mozart also incorporatecl a number oS concerted movements for violin into his serenades-sometimes, as is the case with the Haffrter Sercn;~cle,K. 250, embedding an entire threemovement concerto within the score. Thus. Nozart's real output during this four-year span \\.as an in1l)ressive 37 movements for solo violin and orchestra. It is almost as if the composer had decided to occupy himself, between the ages of 17 ancl 20, tvith a master's clegree in the violin concerto. Just \vhy he tlid this is not known. T h e most popular of hlozart's violin concertos are those in G major, K. 216, a n d A nlqjor, K. 219, which date from September and Decernber of 1775. In each. the variety of rnaterial and the assurance with which i r is treated seem utterly remarkable for a composer in his teens. T h e Concerto in G opens with a cheery march borrowecl from hiozart's own musical play I1 rb
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paslore, corr~pletetlcarlier in the year. 'l'he topic is colored with a vibrant athleticism here, a coquettish daintiness there, ~~rotlucing a series o f animated exchanges I>et\veensoloist and orchestra that could alriiost be described as sexual encounters. A whole new world opens lip in the beautil't~l Adagio. with its tender pastoral sentiment and delicate scoring. I-lei-e hlozart ol'f'crs one of [lie most ethereal melodies for the violin, spun out with an elevated feeling that takes one's breath away. He brings things back to earth in the lively rondo finale, where he inserts a n unexpected cpisocle. It begins with the solo violin serving up an elegantly ornamented gavotte, then transfol-nis itself illto a nii~settc-stylerluotation of' a popul;~r tune known as "The Strassburger." The original rnaterial the11 ~-etul-ns with a sheepish grill on i ~ s AHOQL'E DANCES such as ttw bourr6r. face, and the concerto ends in bashful delight. guvott~(above), mrabartde, The Concerto in 11 has a broad opening movenrirruet, crnd g2grcc3pcnneotrd merit (hlozart clesigiates it an ,411egro uperto, literally the brrlnrnrenlal ia~lsicof thp an "open" or "spacious" Allegro) where rriaterial 18th ceirtrrq. The gavotte is treated in a n cspccially felicito~~s arid confitlent arid ortrcjr lively du~rcesI P I I ~ elegunc~and vitulity to manner. In a departure from convention, the solo music 111 fast tertrpos, ullrile violin introtl~iccsitself not with ;I reprise of [he ltrore courtly darrca 51~ctt opening thenie, but with a n arrestingly poetic sixas the sorubandp brought bar Adagio, as though it had been a~vakeriedfrom treigtt~er~ed expressive~r~'~~ to a dream. The sccor~clmovement, also u ~ i ~ ~ s u a l l y slow movements. The typical large, is one of Mozart's most inspired Adagios; Buroqrrt suite cotlsisted of ccn ovrrttrrp or prelude folnevertheless. Antonio Brunetti, hlozart's succeslowed a stnng of dances, sor as Salzburg concertmaster, thought the and by 1770 tht minutt movement too "s~udied"and asked for a replacehnd brerr adopted cu rhr ment, which b1ozi11-1generously supplieti ( n o w stutulard third rnovrrne~rtof numbered separately as K. 261). The concerto's Clursiral the forrr-inoz~~trr~nt synrpho~ry. rondo finale is a celebrated movement where Mozart inserts one of his most memorable allusions to Turkish rnusic. Cellos ant1 basses use thtr backs of their bows to suggest the snap of drums that accompa~iied Turkish marches. while tlie violin takes ol'f like a whirling dervish i r ~a spicy solo. 011ce thc episode is played o u t , the rondo's ! minuet-like sul~jectreturns and I)rings the coni certo to a gentle conclusion.
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255
Cho-Llang Lln; Engllsh Chamber Orchestral Raymond Leppard. CIfS i2.lnslen~~ork illk' 42364 [uvith Adc~gio.K . 2611
Arthur Grumiaux; London Symphony Orchestral Slr Colin Davis. Phi1ij1.c 4 12 250-2
Anne-Sophie Mutter; Berlln Phllharrnonic/Herbert von Karajan. D r u ~ c c l ~Cmmmophort e 429 814-2
L \ l ~ a n d ~ a r a j dwurr a,, i n ~ + t ~ i o n s ofn ronrtrto.
Idin'scombination of understacecl virtuosity and solid rriusicality is the perfect one for Xiozart. His accounts are superbly wrought, and they show remarkable insight and grace for a 26-year-old. Leppard arid orchestra back thcir soloist in superb fashion, with playing that is alert and deftly balanced. Leppard's stylish cadenzas are a joy. T h e 1986 recording is clean and natural. like the performances themselves. Grurniaux's approach to this youthful music is polished, patrician, rlegant. At ti~nesthere is just a hint of the grant1 manner, but no violinist has ever phrased a singing line more beautifully. With Davis and the London Symphony providing outstandirig support, these accounts are fiill of rewards for the connoisseur. T h e sound is excellent for its 196 1 vintage. Rarely in her teens. Mutter made her recording debut with these miraculous readings. T h e playing is angelic in its beauty and sweetness, and fill1 of warmth and sporitaneity. Karajan's accompaniment is, as usual in Mozart, like a suit of armor: highly polished if a bit heavy. T h e sourld is bright and close-miked, but balances are suitable and i there is ample detail.
256
CONCERTOS
.
MOZART
Ot< I\JO%,4RT llrr kry (4 I:' Jlr~ttmd n dun1 1 1 ~ trcrr. I~rinrcseof it\ ~ r c i t o b l l i ~ for tlrc u~oodu~rrrrL\, r\pecrrllb t h C~I I I ~ ~ ~ I he Y I , ofterr ~ ~ rt r d s used in the latter part of' the l X t l i for ronorolu mr~rir;i11 I .c century, the term sit~forrincotrcur/air~t n o l l c di Figaro, for meant any concerto-like work with more than one e.r(crirple, the first L I I ~ I I Jof Ct~ertrhrrronrld tire C O U I I I ~ S S solo instrunlent. hiozart's Sitlfoiri(~concertatrlr l i ) l are both r t ~E Pot. At ullrer Violin arid Viola dates from 1779, a n~iraculous t~rrrrsttrr key c ( ~ r n ~N dfestlzre time of turriirlg in the composer's life. lle 11ad corrrrolotrorr, crr 111 t/rt-first recently completed his ear-opening 16-111o11t11 inor~ernpr~ts of the Sir~lonia journey to 3lannheim and Paris, where the roilconccrrdntc, h'. 36-1, c~nd certante genre was popular. Even thoug11 this the S~nrphorrj111 I.: Pot,
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concerto was conceived for thc smaller fi~rces available in Salzhurg, iw polishccl orchestr.;~lwriti ing reflects the cosmopolitan inHuence and suggests i that he had reached a new height of stylistic :111cl technical assurance. hfozart's abilities as violinist and \,iolist :~rcevident in he challenging yet idiortl:ttic \\.ritil~gfor the solo instruments. And he shows Iris k~~owlctlge of the tricks of the tl-acle in his clever instr~tctiol~ ! to tune the viola a half-step slr;~l-l,to 11cll) 111e softer-toned instrument achieve ;I b;rlancc \\.it11 the solo violin. topic In the long first movement, the rn;~rcI~ predominates, ancl the influence of' hlannl~ciliiis apparent in the richness and r\.a~-mthof the scoring and the prominent use of the " l l a ~ ~ r ~ h c i l n steamroller" crescendo. hlozart has the trvo solo instruments traclirig off rvith one another ;~ncl weaving their way in and out ol the orchestr;rl fabric with supreme ease. T h e IVI-itten-outcadenza provides one of the best examples of lio\\~ a Classical cadenza should be cor~srructetl,usil~g motifs arid passagelvork rather than con~l)lete themes. The aria-like second movement is ;I solnl~clC: minor Andante tinged with poignant disso~~;~r~cc.s. XII ~ r n ~ ~ r ~ i emelody n t e d is taken I I i l~l responsory fashion by the ttvo solc)ists, the11 dilrttccl. I:oll~\\~1 irig a brief transition, there is :i I~uiltlul~I O ;I i radiantly scored climax in the mqior-, whic.11 rou~ltls
CONCERTOS
•
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257
out the first part of the aria. When the openirig material returris tolt.ard the er~clof tlie nlovement, hlozarr does not allow it to escape the grip o f t h e mirior mode. Festive spirits return in the finale, a gitidily animated rondo that offers plenty of opport~lrlity for plain old virtuoso fiddling. I n his treatment of the material, Xiozart shows much variety arlcl freshness, as well as that reni;~rkahle. seaniless sense of conncvtion between ideas he alone seemed to possess. 'The climax corries as the soloists rocket u p to a pair of sho~v-offhigh E flats-first the viola, then the \-iolin-to close the piece tvith a last surge of voltage.
Cho-Liang Lin, Jaime Laredo; English Chamber Orchestral Raymond Leppard. SUITClus~iculSK 4 7693 [ztv'rh C:oncct-roue i~r(; for Tzcru I'ioliru urrd Orclr~slrfl.K. 1901
lona Brown, Josef Suk; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. London J~thilee433 171 2 [rilith I'ioli~cCo~ir~rtoc .tro. 2 , h'. 2 11, a~zd,Yo. 4. K. 21 S] Thomas Brandis, Giusto Cappone; Berlin Philharmonic/Karl Bohm. Deutsc.lre Grammophon 429 813-2 [zli~lrSinfonia concertante it; Eflat for IVitld.~,K. 29761
For sheer esuberancc-to say norhirlg of their warmth and elegance-violiriist Lin ; ~ n dviolist Laredo ha\,e the field nearly to t hcrnselves. Theirs is an unusually close partnership of t w o strong, outgoing musicians. T h e detail-~vorkis esceptiorially fine, the ensemble breathtakingly clear^. Leppard and orchestra support the cl'lor-t wit11 playing of' real syrnpllonic weight, giving ;I higbonecl, rliuscular account of the scorc, yet oric
258
CONCERTOS
IF YOU LIKE T H I S WORK, you r t z q ee,zjoy other multi-instmmenl concertos that hove won a place in the r e p e r i q , includi~tg Haydn's Sinfonia concertante for Oboe, Bas.\non, Violin, Cello, and Orcl~estru, Beethoven's Triple Coilcerto, and Bra fims's Concerfo in A tnitlor for Violi~i.Cello, and Orchastra. Op. 102.
MOZART
that is wonderfirlly suave. T h e 1991 recording packs a punch, even if it is a littleebass-heavy. Brown and Suk take a similar approach, offering a stylish account with plenty of gung-ho fiddling. Tempos are excellent: There is a vigorous yet relaxed feeling to the Allegro, room to breathe in the Andante, and plenty of life in the Presto. T h e St. Martin players accompany with remarkable dash and power, and the 1'383 recording is spacious and beautifully detailed. Coupled with two of hiozart's violin concertos. this midprice disc has plenty to recommencl it. With Bohm presiding, Berlin Philharnionic pri~icipalsBrantlis and Cappone turn in a fluent interpretation, Their playing is polished ancl persuasive ancl is generously supported by their colleagues. T h e tempo of the first movement is broad, but as usual with Bohm the music moves with Apolloniari grace. Deutsche Crammophon's recording is cscellerit for its mid-1960s vintage, with ample presence and good depth.
MORN CONCERTO No. 3,
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his coriccrto was cornposed in 1787 o r 1788, around the tirnc Mozart was \+forking on Dot) Giovntttii. Like all of hfozart's horn concertos, it was written for the virtuoso Joseph Leutgeb, whom the composer had known from his youth. 'l'11e scoring. which calls for clarinets ancl bassoons rather than oboes and horns, is warmer and darker than that of hiozart's othcr horn concertos, the harmonic language richcr and noriceably more cliromaric. At times, the concerto's thenlatic material is almost ~nclancholy. T h e first movement is rerriarkable both for its sustained lyricisrr~ and Sor its seamless line of action, particularly through the dcvelopmen~section, where hlozarr traverses some rather tricky harmonic ground in extraordinary Fashion. T h e ensuing Romance is an amoroso aria of considerable charm that briefly touches on pathos, tvhich
CONCERTOS
MOZART
259
in its sophistication gives prima thcie evitlclicc that Leutgeb could not have 11ec1i tltc ";~ss,ox. and fool" hlozart had duhbetl him i r 1 tllr cletlication to the Second Iiorn Concerto. 'l'lic I i i r ~ i l fib'uresas the main topic of the conclutling roriclo. but the treatment is gentler ancl more rcstr.tiricc1 than previously, and the pathetic accellts tliat crop u p near the end suggest that a deeper Iceling 1 ~ 1 s begun to enter into the merrirnen~.
D
err r1i.t Ijri~jtris\ /Ire .rtiprc.ine Irorrt ~~irluo.\ir r,/ //ti\ crtr/urp. I V orrr ~ 1r11.c r ~ l r pi~.\~i,.\.\(~i/ r II c.o~npar(~rrbli, lotre or (It~xlcri!y.( I ird I L ~ L Y ~ ( hc peri.\ltr~d iir crtr ~ 1 1 1 0~ c c i dettl it1 1957, ( I / / / I I , nge 01 36, / h tt~toic ~ i[ti~/.k~l U V I . ~11.p irr d e . ~ p ~ iI.Ie r . lt(t(/ nrudr orrl~a Irotrdftil i!/ r~cordirrgv to durtiirrr~trlItis cirtiilty, ciirtl 21'0.5 .T~l7litl~ iL\ /kt' ,bntlcil)Ul hortt it1 t tvo of L~o~mhrr :\ lop orcl~r.slrcc.r,titc I(uyn1 Pl~illrnrt~rotrrc (rrd flt~ Ph~l/ii~t~~orii(~.
Dennis Brain; Philharmonia Orchestral Herbert von Karajan. E d l l CDI! 6 1 0 1 3 [ztith Cntrcer/o~.Yoc. 1 . 2. rrtrd .I]
Pride of place in this repertory \ \ r i l l :il~v;~ys Ixlong to Brain, the greatcst virt\ioso tllc horn has ever known. Here his It.gcnd;~ryagility, Iliritliry, etPennessof tone, ant1 niusicality ;ire ~.c:ttlilyapparent, ic~idirnn~ecl by tlic haze of' ;I 40-ycar-oltl monaural recording. Karajan tlrarvs elcgarit i\.ork froni the Philharmouia strings, tlioi~glithe rccording boxes them i r ~somewhat nntl Icavcs tlic basses sounding a bit light. I n this r c r ~ i : t s t c ~ ~ i ~ ~ g , EXll's engineers seen1 to have sh;~vecisomethi~ig off the top in order to limit tape hiss; cvcn so, the disc is a must.
ozart's love affair with the c-l;~ri~~et began i r i Xlannheirn when h e \vas 2 1, but it would be several more !'cars I)c.fi)r-c.lie met Anton Stadler, the clarinetist ~\.hoscplaying ~vouldirispire what many say is the rnost I ~ c . : c ~ ~ t i f ' i r l music ever written for a wind instrumc.rtt. 111i~on. second clarinet to his younger \)rother-.Joliarl~i :it the court opera in Vienna, hat1 :I keel1 i ~ ~ t c r cis rt ~ the instrunicnt's lower I-cgister a11(1l)la\rctl all
280
A
CONCERTOS
NTON STAIlI,ER was in debt to 12loulrt for 500 gulden at the time of the cornposer's a hfh. He also upas resporrsible for the loss of sevual i\.lowrt nran wcripts. Stadleri acquaintarrcus clainled he had pawli~d thetn. Sladler must hnue played like art angel, for in spite of his behavior illozurt loved him like n brother; the trrldc of this co~icertonnd fhc Clnrinef Qllitit~tshout what the composer tlror~ghtof his ortishy
MOZART
important part i l l the developn~entof the basset clarinet, which had an extended loiver joint that enabled it to reach A, a major third belo\+.the low C sharp of the star~clardclarinet in A. The basset clarir~etwas the instrument h l o ~ a r thad in ~nintl when he composed his two most important works for the elder St;idler. the Quintet in A. K. 581, and the Concerto in A, K. 622. T h e concerto was to be hlozart's last completed instrumental composition, and i t shows all the hallmarks of his late style. There is an impressive range of topical allusion, partictrlarly in the first movement. where church-style counterpoint, operatic lyricism. and symphonic brilliance coexist arr~idaspects of the storm-and-stress and serisibility styles, and ~ v l ~ c the r e most songlike melotly can he t ~ a n s f o r ~ n cinto d a march or a gavotte in the blink of an eye. T h e scoring-for two flutes, two bassoons, two horns, arlci stl-ings-is uncallnily refined, arid the solo writing is without parallel anywhere in the woodwind litel-;i~urc for the way i t remains subs~antiveeven in t l ~ en~ostvirtuosic passages. Like the quintet, the concerto inhabits a realm w h e r e fantasy and gentle pathos prevail. 'I'he fusing of these ele~iientsproduces extraortliriary richness and am1)ivalence of feeling. T h e o p e ~ i i ~ i g movement, bec;itrse of its kaleidoscopic variety of topic and affect, is especially hard to pin do\v11, but it has a bitterstveet sadness that haunts tile memory long after the music has endeci. T h e Adagio in D, written as if it were an ernbellishecl aria for the c l a r i ~ ~ eist .ineffhbly lender, rvhilc the finale, a hunting rondo on an exalted planc, has a wistful quality that belies its surface gaiety. While it is ;I ~r~asterpiece o n every level, the Clarinet Concerto is perhaps rnos~rerriarkable fi)r its sheer lyrical invention. Onc could listen to r lic opening melody of the first movcIilent a thousand tirries and never notice that the rhythm in each of its eight measures is different. Here, as in so much of the nli~sicof hloznrt's final years, the i means are sul~tlc,the end simplicity itself.
CONCERTOS
•
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261
Antony Pay; Academy of Ancient Music/ Chrlstopher Hogwood. Oiseau-Lyrc 414 339-2 [wilh Oboe Co~lrcrto,K. 3 1.11
Alfred Prinz; Vienna Philharrnonic/Karl Biihrn. Deutsche Crarrimophor~4 2 9 8 16 - 2 [uriltr Oboe Currrerto, S. 31-1, arm Basso011 Concerto, K . 1911
Playing a basset clarinet (a copy, niadc in 1984, of a period instrument), Pay gives :I splenditl account of Xfozart's most beautifill concerto. H c is right on the mark in terms of tempo, espressior~, arid accent. and his tone is cxquisitc, with t11:lt tvatery, plangent sound that immctii;~cclydistillguishes the basset clarinet fro111its higlicr-l~itcl~ctl siblings. Pay's shadings are soft ant1 11:1tur:11,his embellislin~entsand passagework simply marvclous. Hogwood and the ilcademy givc a boltl, dance-like reading of the score, Sull ol' verve i l l the tuttis and wonderliilly transpal-ent i l l thc cluiet pages. The 1981 recording captures i t ;ill \\,it11 OZAttT ill.4)' NOT excellent fidelity. Ircr~~r bren /he luuglrPrinz and BGhm take leisurely tempos in the ir~ghyt-~~il por/r(ryrd by TOVI concerto's outer movements, of'lering ;I ripe readtirrlcr irr lhefilrn Arnadeus, ing of the piece. With the Vienna Philharrnoriic brd he rrrlniirly trcrd a lighlrr providing lovely supporL in the tuttis, this :iccoulit side. t-le ZI'a.5 fond of ~ ~ I Z I P I I / itcg fiol~slru~orr1.v otcd still stands very near the top of the list. The phrcurs crird rtljojed n good reniastering of the original 197.1 release is esceljoke, e.rperially i/ it ulas oblent, and with three of hiozart's wind concertos SCPIIP or scalo10,rjCal. He packed onto the disc, all in first-rate perforlmd (1 specinl getriru for mances, this midprice CD is an outstantling valuc. prcr rrh-ns ut11etr he fooled
M
nrorrtlc! itlilh the gI~ker~rpiel fir1 nl cr perfur~rlcrr~ce of Die %;iuhc~~lliiic, furring the singer I:'tnnrrrceI Schihtleder lo c~d-lib.t f k pcr.\.tion for chrrcirrg ~rrelhilliardr kn~zcr no bororrls, crrrd IIP loverl good u~itreatrcl pip^ ~n101zi1rg.
262
CONCERTOS *
PROKOFIEV
t57-
he summer of 1921, which he spent in the village of St. Brevin-les-Pins in Brittariy, rvas a productive one for Prokofiev. Though only 30, he had acquired an international reputation and could affbrd to write music that plcascd rather than shocked. T h e rnajor work of the summer was this concerto, in which Prokofiev embraces a conventional three-movernent design, rvrites in an unabashedly melodic style, and slrives for rliany of the effecis traditionally associated with the concerto as a bravura vehicle. The work strikes quite a balance: on one hand, ethereal lyricisnl and an alrnost riostalgic sentimentality, and on the other hand, the humor-alternately wry, blustery, and caustic-and the athleticism that Prokofiev the etlfont ten-ible was known for. He wrote the piano part for hirnself, and it is not easy, denlanding fleet-fingered agility as well as rarv porver. The nonstop activity means that a player must have tremendous endurance just to achieve an even draw with the orchestra. The first niovernent opens andante, with a warm yet melanclioly theme played by the clarinet. A heady transition to allegro (heralded by Hying scale runs ir1 the strings) leads to the piano's introduction of the main theme-an exuberant, motoric idea that is then tossed back ancl forth between orchestra and solo i~lstrunient.Out of nowhere, a burlesclue second subject appears in the oboe and pizzicato violins, over a salty accompaniment of ir~inds.strings, and castanet. This is taken up by the piano ancl subjected to a bravura treatment until the tempo reverts to andntlte and the orchestra gives OLILthe solo clarinet theme fortissitt~o. Soon we're back to c~llpgro,and now the piano has the scale runs. In a recapitula~ionof' the first and second subjects, the elements of'grotesquerie and flamboyance are heightened, ancl the ~novement ends with a clashing crescendo.
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CONCERTOS
P"
OKOFIE If himeif recorded the Third Concer?o in 1932 unth the London Sympl~or?yOrcl~eslrc? and conductor I'iero Coppola. I1 was the cornposer's first encounter urith the recording micruphol~e,and he wrote to fellow composer Nicolai Aliaskomky, JILT^ think . . . I car^'! sneeze or miss any notes!"
263
PROKOFIEV
'I-he second movement offers five variations on a theme whose piquant character comes partly from the way Prokofiev keeps it from settling firmly into either the major o r the minor mode. After the theme is announced by flute and clarinet in a stalking rhythm, the piano applies itself to the chron~aticfirst part of the tlie~ne(variation 1 ) and then distributes tlecorative figuration around snatches of the theme in the orchestr-a (variations 2 and 3). The fourth variation is meditative. ant1 the ( i f ~ hat , first energetic and I~rassy,Lades magically into a restatement of the theme, now delicately ornamented in chordal filigree by the piano. T h e finale opens with a galumphing theme in the bassoons and pizzicato strings. I'his is incerr t ~ p ~ e by t l the piar~o-which, ;IS the composer Fr:incis Poulerlc aptly put it. "literally slaps thc strings in the face." T h e piano's cheeky behavior leads to what Prokofiev characterizetl as "frequent differences of opinion as regards key" betweell orchestra and soloist. There is ;I climas. after which a yearning, melancholy tlle~neis introducecl by the wood\vinds and tenderly taken up by the strings. T h e piano responds with an acerbic little tune, arid is mocked in turn by the winds. Piano ant1 orchestra settle clown wit11 the first of these tunes arid build it to a potent clirn;is. Stealing onto the scene one last time is the ~novement's opening theme, but the piano changes the g;iluniphery into a cocia of pyrotechrlics.
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Santiago Rodriguez; Sofla Philharmonic OrchestraEmil Tabakov. E ~ ICII I 2220 [wit11 Rncl~manirzoff:Co~trc~rlo iCfo.31
Vladlmlr Ashkenazy; London Symphony OrchestralAndre Prevln. Londun 425 570-2 1-3CDs; rumpltu pisno co~~curfor]
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CONCERTOS
PROKOFIEV
T h e small Elan label \vent to Bulgari;~i l l 1989 to record the Prokofiev Third with Rodrigi~ezand carlie back with perhaps the ~riostbrilliant and impudent account ever captured on disc. Heartfelt lyricism and high-voltage virtuosity ;ire wliat the piece demands, and Rodriguez delivers on both co~iritswith electrifying, seat-of-the-pants elall (no pun intc~itled).Tabakov a r ~ dtlie Sofia Philharmonic respond with some highly charged playing of their own-witness the piece's magical opening pages-e\e11 if they are c~casionallgtaxed by the writing. T h e recording is well balar~ced arid \\,arm, though [he ambience is reverberant enough to put sonlc rnurkiricss into the clirii;ixes. C o ~ ~ p l ewith d an outsta~idingperformance 01 the Rachrnaninoff Thi~.tl,this is a disc to seek out. Ashkenazy and Previn project a Far more deboriair irnage of the composer in their polished account-a vibrant and inviting treatment even if Ashkenazy's playing lacks tile hair-raising intensity and visce~.iil thrills of Rodriguez's. 'l'he London Symphony is :it its scintillating hest i~ntler Previn's e x p e r t direction. T h e recortiing is excellent.
IF YOU LIKE Prokojievi First Violtti Concerto, jou will probably find his Second, in G mitlor. appenli~rgas urell. Cast in I I ~ ~mowthe C O I I V P ~ I I ~ Othree menlr, it s e f m to hover b~twerlrtlrf shimmerirtg, gracef~11lyricism of Romeo arld Juliet and the acerbic gro!esqlr~riesof Love for Three Oranges. The piece was w n t h r in 1935 on a comrnksion from fiimlds of the Frrnch ~noliriistRobert Soelen.).
"4'
t the outbreak of the Russian Kcvo'lution in I9 17, the most ralketl-:ibout musical revolutionary in Russia was Prokofiev, :I recent graduate ol tlie St. I'etersburg Conservatory still in his rnid-tiventies. Like most of his colleagues, Prokofiev welcomed the revol~r~ion with open arms: he even took to ttie streets hiniself (hiding behind house corners when the shooting came too close). But Prokofiev was not to be used. After the Bolsheviks seized power, he made u p his mind to leave Russia; save fi)r a brief concert tour in lt)2'7,
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PROKOFIEV
206
i it woulci be 15 years before he retur~led.During f his tirne abroad, mainly in Paris, Prokofiev con! tinued to perform and compose, and the conductor
! Serge Koussevitzky becarne his publisher and
i
commissioned several ~vorksfrom him for concerts in Paris a n d Boston. I t was a t o n e of Koussevitzky's Paris concerts that the First Violin Concerto-actually con~pletedbefore Prokofiev left Russia-received its premiere in 1923. T h e work's blend of traditional and modern elements left both halves of the Parisian audience cold. After all, it was ten years since Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring had created a scandal, and the avant-garde wanted something really shocking. The conservatives. on the other hand, were put off by the concerto's unorthodox manner and unconventional structure, with a quiet beginning and ending, a fast movement in the middle, arid no cadenza. Neither camp fully appreciated the extraordinary imagination Prokofiev had brought to the effort o r the striking quality of his ideas, evident in the dreamy opening melody. the quicksilver scherzo, and the ethereal tenderness of the pages that close both the first movement and the ostinato finale. Prokofiev's light tone and other self-named "Mendelssohnisms" were noted by the critics-"not without malice," according to Prokofiev's autobiography. In spite of the chill that accompanied its premiere, the work quickly caught on, and over the years it has come to be recognized as one of the finest-and arguably the rnost lyrically enchanting-of all violin concertos of the 20th century.
/
@RECOMMENDED
: f
f f
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N A UTTI..'R written
to Natalia Ko~usmilzky, wife of conductor Serge Koussevitzky, ProRofiev off m d f h e remsurancesPrior lo lhp concertO'c Pnrirpre~nit-re:"Tell fhe maestro to calm down. This is not n s f r a u i n ssympho,l)--t,wrc ~ are no complicated meters and no dirty tricks. If can be preparatwtl; it is hard for the orchestra, not for the co~tducfor."
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RECORDINGS
Kyung Wha Chung; f London Symphony OrchestdAndrh Prevln. f London Jubilee 525 003-2 [with Concerto No. 2 , i and Strauinrb: Violin Concerto]
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CONCERTOS
PROKOFIEV
Dmitly Sitkovetsky; London Symphony Orchestra/ Sir Colin Davis. Virgin Classics b'C 90731-2 [icilh C o ~ ~ r r riYo. t o 21 Shiomo Mintz; Chicago Symphony Orchestral Claud10 Abbado. .&111sc/le Gra~~~rnop/rotr -110 52-1-2 [itill/ (:orlcerto !Vo. 21
Even if it were rlot available o n a generously filled midprice <;I), the account f'~.ornChung ar~tl I'revin \~ouldhe :I clear first choice in this repertory. Chung not only has the rccluisite dra~natic sp;~rk,but conveys the fragility anti mystery behirld much ofthe writing. She disl)l;~ysa rhapsodic legato, laser-sh;~rl)lorla1 focus, : t l i t l precise illtonation. Previn is tlie nlost knowledgeable of' accompanists, cal~turingthe piece's lriercurial shifts of mood with extraordinary aplomb. 'The 1975 analog recording is excellent, af'fi)rtling a natural image with gootl tlepth and b a l ; ~ ~ ~ c e . Sitkovetsky sees a darker side t u the concerto, drawing at times a n almost pai~ifulmelancholg oul of its iyricisrn. I-lis is a p r o b i ~ ~performance, g soulful and r:il>t i l l the more at no spheric p:~gcs hut sneering ant1 suggesti\te i l l the ;rthletic or~cs. D;~visand the Lolitlon Syrnpho~~y ;ire impressive if restrained part~icr-s. T h e 1988 digital recording is spacious and extremely solid. ' SIOll -The fantasy of (:hung and tile macabre \i. ' of Sitkovewky I I I ; I ~IJC l~iissil~g fl-0111 hfilltz's reatling, l)ut there is 1 1 0 lack of brilli;~~~cc or bite to I~is interpretation. 'Fhc playing is co~lfidcntand colorful, and the accompaniment l'rom Xbbado and the Chicagwrtns is virtuosic, if pcrhaps a bit too assertive for the ~>erformance'so\vn good. 'Tlic. recorcli~lghas rcln;trkable prcscrlcc and impacr.
CONCERTOS
267
RACHMANINOFF
PIANOCONCERTO N o . 2, Or. 18
IN
C INOH OH.
allowing the disastrous premiere of his First Symphony in 1 897-;I drunken
R
ACHdlAhrl~\'OW'.~ obs~sstoilcu N ptants( ulm ( 0 make Ihe rn~~stcal archttectrr rr co~ivtncrtrg.H P beltprred that in r z t q ptecehas oruir ulorh~~ncludedlhue urar A ctrlnrtiralt~cg mllrtcnl and ernot~onalmoment called "~/ie potnf." 11 tnrgh~come nf the nid of n ptece or rn the mtddle, but wilervver 11 canre, llte perfonneri job wcu lo arnvt, (11 il tn the rnme conrpelltng ruuy thnl a nrttjrer break ttte Jin~sh-h~re (c~pr(41 (he end of (1 ruce.
Alexander Glazunov had conducted and critics raked the piece over the coals-Rachmaninoff ( 1 873- 1913) became so severely depressed that he was unable to compose for the next three years. In despair, friends took him to see Dr. Nikolai Dahl, a specialist in hypnotism and a skilled amateur musician, whose efforts to restore the Russian composer's confidence and creative urge soon had phenomenal results. I n the s u m m e r of 1900, Rachrnaninoff began the composition of what was to become his most popular work, the Piano Concerto in C minor. T h e second and third movements stood cornplete by the end of 1900: Rach~nariinof'fperforrnerl them in h4oscow that Decernbcr and, spurred by their success, added the first movement the follolving spring. T h e completed work, detlicated to Dr. Dahl, received its premiere on No\,ember 9, 1901. In its progression from somber i~ltrospection to triumphant celebration, the concerto surely reflects something of its composer's journey out of depression. T h e opening movement is prefaced by eight stark chords in the piano, and Rachmaninoff adroitly builds on the tension between the movement's grin1 principal sul~jectand a soaring second theme in E flat, using as intermediary a nenrous repeated-note motif related to both of them. T h e word "romantic" is overused, I I L I ~ it is the orlly way to describe the concerto's second movement, set in the idyllic key of E major. Here, accompanied by muted strings and clelicate arabesques from the piano, the flute anti clarinet spin out a wistful. long-breathed rnclody fiill of attenuated passion. Rachrnaninoff tseats the idea with rhapsodic freedom, building to ;I fantasy-
268
CONCERTOS
RACHMANINOFF
like climax nntl entling with a screnely beautil't~l coda. The athletic writing for I>oth piano and orchestra in thc concerto's firliile echoes l'chaikovsky at his rrlost exuber-an[, though only K;ichmaninoff c o ~ ~ have l d conceived the "Oricntal" tint of the movcnlent's famous seco~idsul?jcct, popularized by the song "Full hloon and Empty Arms." From the rcstlessexcitability of itsopeni11~ pages, the finale I~~lilds LO a polr.e~-li~l conclusion. sweeping away all [race of C illinor in a rush of C major-. -
i RIIAPSODYON i 01.. 13
R
ACHLllAVINOI;F modP a snbst(11rlia1 number of recording.^ (of'hk Ow71 music. His /l(171ds-
werepou'nfioal'(f / large, wilh long, bunllt$r~lly ; i tapered fingers-wuw irlvarjablycool, so d l t n r l g recordings he wouki keep thon ularm it1 a s/)rcicll!?i ekrn'c r~L1lfllr'ltil i the 111omenlhe Z U ( I , ~ lo play. : Then out they wurrkd cntne in i and sooll uJ ,lie j parrage was cn,Pr, bock iil
J,"
A
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T H E ~OF I EPAGAKISI.
icolb 1';iganini \rras.thc protorype of' thc K o n ~ a ~ ~virtuoso, tic a glamorous. charis~llaticviolinist with such estr:rordinary ralcr~t that legelids grew up about his having maclc a p:ct with the 1)evil to auairl il. His 24 C;ip~-ices (c. 1805) are still considered the touchstone ol' the solo violin repertory for their sheer technic;il difficulty. The 1;ist of them, in A inor. or. has hat1 an i~ilpacton the piano repertory as well: SchuI T I ; ~ I ~Liszt, I~, BI.;II~IIIS, and Kach~~l:~r~inoff werc ;ill struck by its suitability for a set ol'piano variations. Part of the reason is rhnt the 24th Caprice is itsell' a ser of 12 vari;~tions,on a tune whose bass linc by the notes that fall 0 1 1 tlie beat) estal>mplc h i ~ r r n o ~progression-the ~ic pc.rf'c.c~ on upoll tvl~ichto builtl. f h e Rkapsotly otr a Theme of' f'c~gn~zi~zi-Rachninoff's last work for piano ;tnd orchestra, ing from 193.1-holds prick of place among compositior~sinspired by this tliabolically dil111 caprice. 'l'llere are 24 vari;lrions i n the or^), no doul)~a tribute to thc ,lumbering r)l' ini's origirlal piece. Thc actual "themc" is ted until ~Ifieran introduct ion and the firs1 n have heer~played-a~~cl i t appears, of in the violills. T h e erisui~~g varintior~ses-
CONCERTOS
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RACHMANINOFF
269
plore a scintillati~lgrange of pi~ulistica ~ ~orcl~est~il cl textures. T h e composer's sense of cli:il~lcrie is palpable i11the driving energy of \fariatior~s 8 ar~tl 9; elsewhere. particularly in the cavalry charge of variation 14, one recognizes the grand Korn;i~~tic sweep of the piano concertos. With the 18th variation comes one of Rachn~aninoff's rrlost cc.lel>r:~tetl melodies: t$.istful,yearning, it is no more than the theme played upside do\\.n with a slightly altcl-ed rhythm. T h e final variations build in nlolllerlrllnl to a conclusion that would ha\pe left even Paganini a hit breathless, and an excuse-lne ellcling that undoubtedly ivould have given him delight. iV VARIA7'10N.Y 7 , 1 0 , @RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS 24 of 11i.v Khapsotly. Iiorhrt~corii~oJJ quoles the Vladimir Ashkenazy; !heme r,/ the Dies irae /i.om London Symphony OrchestralAndrh Previn. the l,(lti~imoss / ; J T the Lotldon Jubilze 417 7 0 2 - 2 [Cnrlcurto 1Yn. 2 corrl de(~d-(i f ~ ( u o r i lcorri~osi~ tioil~l(lt~irk04 hi.! (it (IL~IJ j Rhapsody on a Therrle of Pagani~~i] appecits irr tltv Sy~~~plror~ic Darlccs arrd rhr IOJIP P D P ~ I I Van Cllburn; The Isle of r l ~ t sllead) trr~d Chicago Symphony OrchestralFritz Relner. ill llli.! ilul(i11ct~(4 ge!llIre that rrray mckilo~olrd~e P I I ~ O - RCA 5912-2 [Coiicerto No. 2 , uilh Tchnikuznky: Concerto No. I ]
1
!
Ashkenazy's 1970-7 1 perlbrmances ol the Second Concerto and the Rhnpso
270
CONCERTOS
•
RAVEL
the notes and leaves the listerler in no t l o u b ~ whatsoever that at 23 the lanky 'I'ex:~n was ;lll.e;~dy a master of the grand manner. Keiner arrcl o r chestra are rock-solid, and the couplirlg is still tlie best recording available of Tchaikovsky's I'iano Concerto No. 1 (with Kirill Kontlrashin ant1 [lie KCA Symphony). For 35 years this disc has never been out of the catalog, for reasons that are evident in both performances.
E ItlERE HAPPk', " W c u i l i l ~nteci.atid aggres.si~~e. . . . I cart .see Ru~feI r~ouf,like some ilebonoir wizurd, sirtirig rrt his currier u/ Le hoeuf stir le toit ~ellirlg nid1u.r.c .r~oriesthur had rhe sarrie elegunre, richtit~ss,orid clarify (I.{ his composi1ior1.s. He colrld tell u .ctory r ~ well r as he roirld wriru (I urrrllz or an Aci~~p'o." -Lkoi~-Paul Fargue, w l ~ owirli Rat-el bcloliged to ;I group ol' ;~rrists cal lctl 1,e.s ,~lpaclter
avel worked sirnultarlcously o n his two piano concertos during the years 192931. T h e G major Cor~certowas inrendecl fbr Iiis own use. Of it, IIC said, "[It] is a concerto in the strict sense. written in the spirit of h'lo7:irt ;111t1 Saint-Saens. I believe that a concerto can be 110th gay and brilliant, without necess;~rilybei~igprofound o r aiming at dramatic effect. I t has heen said that the concertos of sornc great cl;issical composers, far from being ivritte~~ 101-the piano, have been written agclllrr! it. Arid I thirlk that this criticism is quite justified." Ravel's writing for the instrument shows him to be as good as his word. T h e G major is a pianist's piano corlccrto, a succession of dazzling but not overpowering pages [hiit display the full range of pianistic Leybo;irtl invention. T h e scoring is colorful, with a j i t u fl.~vor to much of it that lends an especially sultry feeling to some of the quieter pages and a \\~o~itlcrful sense of vibrancy to the clin~axes. T h e Concerto in D, for the left hand, is cast i l l a single movement, with a more subtle internal division into three parts. T h e moot1 here is s ~ t b stantially different from that o f t h e G major. ~ f l i i s concerto's solemnity and power, and its ~ ~ r c t l o ~ n inantly dark orchestral textures, are i r i striking
CONCERTOS
F
OLLOIZ'INC, H'o~ld W a r I , the oneanned pianist Paul It'ittgenst~tn rebuilt his cnrper hv conmissioning N I ~ I ~ I I I ~ of PT composers to um'te ulorkc for t h lefi hand. 111 addition to Ravel's corrrerfo, there rcwrr pieces by Prokojlrv, Bnttr~t, Richard Slrrrtu~,and Fmrtz Schmidt, not all of ulhich I.i'ittgee,rrtein liked or plajerl.
•
RAVEL
271
contrast to the other work's airy, almost ricoclassical grace. Prior to Ravel, corriposers such as Chopin and Scrinl~ilihad writtell liiusic for the left Iiand as a challclige to pianists of convel~~ional abilit)+:the purpose was to train the left h;i~idto match the "dexterity" of the right. But in composing this concerl.o, Ravcl \\.;is wririr~gfor ;r pianis1 \vho had no choice. Paul Mrittgenstein, 111-otherof the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein and scion of' one of Vienna's finest families, hat1 lost his I-ight arm in Worlti War 1, fighting on the other side from Ravel. T h e piano part of this work is so con~plex that olie can heal- tlic concerto arid bt. elltirely una\\.are that only the left h;~r~cl is being used. T h e spans of large iiltervals, the use of t h u ~ n b melotly, and the frecluent arl>cggiation ccrr;tinly don't give it away. What's more, the orchestration is gaugetl so that it both supl1orts the 1,i;rno's sonority alld allows its melodic Inssages to sound through. All this l ' o ~a 111usicia11\\rho, likc Kavel hirnselt', had been deeply scarreti by the expcrience o f war.
Pascal Roge; Montreal Symphony Orchestral Charles Dutoit. Loncio~rJrrbilee 4-31 458-2 1-1 (:I)$;udtll rollertrcl orch~strcr l ~rorks]
K;1vcl1s concertos arc not easy to bring off in concert o r on disc. -1'hey rccluire corisiclerable fi~iessefrom soloist and orchestra alike. ).et each \vork rn;ikes er~tirclycliffercr~~ tlemarids i l l style ancl tccl~nique.All the more reason to admire \\-hat lioge and D u t o i ~achieveel in 1982 in this idiomatic, appealing iiccount. 1,l;iyed \\,it11 scnsirive hl-:~vuraand recor-ded in stilte-of-the-;11-Isound.
272
CONCERTOS
@
44
ONCIEKTO C D E ARAVUEZ
etlokrs a
ZJNI
(rrr(ry 04 color-
ful onuge? and feeli~tgs. Re111g(I hrstoty Iozrer, e ~ p e crnlly Spitrrsh hrrfory, urhc~r I cre(11ed I ~ C Icotrcerf~I hail it1 ttirtrd flre co~trtsof Charles IV, (1 Norobon kotg of 18thcrt/ttoy Sfmtn, rojlo.\e s~o~ttmer rc,sirlerrce w(15 1 1 1 ~pnlncc of rl rcrrrjrccz [(~bovr]. "
-Jo;~cluil~Kodrigo
RODRIQO
ver the years, Spain has given the \\~orld more than its share oT protligiously tatented i~idividuals,includirlg a Ie\\. \\rho have had to struggle with severe disabilities. In fact, it sometimes seems that adversity is necessary to I~ring out the best in the Spanish telliperament. One thinks of the deaf painter Francisco Goya, and of this composer. blind since the age ot. three, rvhose Concierio de Arnujuez is the rnost popul;~~. work in the history of the guitar. Borri in 190 1. Kodrigo is not only rhe last o f the great Spanish nationalists, I~utthe last representative of the wotlclel.ful crc.;~tivc;(xis that linked France anti Spai11 tluril~gtllc 70 years between Isaac AlbClliz's arriv;~li l l 1';lris atltl tlre death of Ravel. Kotlrigo h;~s~ l e ~ ~:~rte~l~l)tctl, cl;IS Falla did, to tap the emotive col-c 01' Sl)i~l~isl~ li)lk and popular idioms. Instead, 11c11:istried lo c~ltlow his works with a picturesque c1~1nlit)'-sonle1I1i11g that would give his music, \\:hicli is essc~~tially net~lassicalin cast, a Spanish Il:~vot-.1-lis style mixes some elementsof folk music: \\tit11 rhe rhytllrns of Renaissance and Baroque d;~nc:csant1 ;I I:renchinfluenced orchestral colorisn~. In the Concierio de ,4 ranjuez, \vhicll \\.:IS cotnpleted in 1940, Kodrigo \veilvcs a p;~rticularly effective fantasy out ofthese rn:itcri;~ls.-I'hc..j:~~tnty opening rnovelnent, rnarked Allegro cop1 .\Pirifo, retains a chivalrous grace atllicl t1;ince-like esuberarlce? a delicate balance between the guitilr's relaxed, almost improvisatory solos and tile orchestra'soften ehullicnt cor~imental-).T h e Atlagio starts with a poignant Englisl~ 11ol.11solo over ~ . . song (II-;ISVS gentle strumming in the g ~ i i t ; ~7'11~ nostalgia to the Ilcights of passiotl hefore cl~tieting to stillness. A lightly scorecl, viv;~cious Allegl-o concludes the wol-k.
CONCERTOS
RODRIGO
273
di~ionto b~itcgO I Z P of !tit, Carlos Bonell; ujorld's prc~rrniiretr!cla.csirrt1 Montreal Symphony Orchestral plitori.~i~, lrcs i~ abu ( I castit~g(171ci jlj-fishitlg Charles Dutoit. cham pi or^. trrr~~itrg u90trtire Lorrdott -130 703-2 [:t~rllrF[~llo:El ;illlor I)rt!jo Itr~emcrtio~rol Gulil Cup ond Nigl~rsin the <;;~rcle~ls of Sp;~irll Turpotr T O U ~ I I ~ Itrr ~IIPII~, I\'imbletlutr (411)-fishing. it; Islat~~arircicr. Florida. Christopher Parkening;
Royal Philharmonic Orchestral Andrew Litton. E.111 C l o ~ s i rCDC ~ 54665 [zcrillt I:i~lil;~si,i p;t~aun gentilho~l~bre and I\'all~u:FI:YRagn~r'llrsfur G111![11 and Orrtr~slra]
:
i
:
! i
i
:
Bor~cll's 1980 acc.ou~iris def't ; I I I ~characterfill. despite ;I few srriall probicrns \\*it11 the fingering of ral~itlscale passages. In fact, thcse blemishes make the perforrn;lnce seem nlore alive. 1)uroit and l ~ i charges s arc superb acc.or~lpanists.\vitli the hlontl-cal winds l~rovidingS O I I ~ C\\~onderf'ulsolos. Lonclor~'~ sound, trllile a little 1)right. is \re11 fotl ;~lmosti l l the de~rio~lst ration cused n ~ ~atmosphel-ic, class. '1'l1(! coupling \vitli Falla's lT1 ai~ror.bi.rijo and .\?ig/rts it1 the Gar(1~1r.sof Sp(iiir is ideal. I.ovel-s of the Cottriurto clc ,4r(lilj1it~breathed a sigh ol'~.clief lien I'arkcning niatle this recortling of it, his first, in 1!)1)2. T h e A~nericanguitiirist delivers a11 interprc~a~ion rich i l l leelirig ant1 nuance: Iiis playing. remarkable for its elegance. he astonisl~ingevennessof the finger\vork, and above all for I~cauryarlci variety of t o ~ ~ cfreshly ', ill~1111iriatcs :Ij ~ ~ s t kimili;lr. ly work. t'arkcning bl-ings the Ra~rlcrlcoelements of the concel~tionto tllc fore ant1 or1i;lments the co~lcerto'sslo\v movement in an esl~cci;~llp appe;~lillgmanner, ; ~ n dis bnckcd by a ~\.o~~tlcrfully alert reacling of' the scorc fr-orn Litton ; i r ~ t l rhe RPO. T'he s o u ~ ~ist lescellcrlt.
274
CONCERTOS
SCHUMANN
PIANOCONCERTO IN A
MINOR, 0 1 ' .
54
Y
c / ~ ,s( ,
~ r,,crs
",, /
inlrrprr~rrof Roberfi ulo,kr
\\:ice while still a teenager, Schunl:irrn nttempted ro compose a piano concerto. but both essays were left unfinishecl. He tried again in 1839, a turbulent year fillecl with litigation as Schurnann and his fiancee, Clara \\'ieck, sought to circumvent the opposition of' <;lara's f.'it I 1er to their marriage. 'I'he attempt at a concerto again proved fruitless, but the coicple's legal efforts succeeded. and Robert and Clar-;~\\,ere 1n;irried in 1810. This u~lionresulted in an enorlnous c~.e:ttive outpouring. Already in 1840-tllc co~nposer's"year of song"-Schumann had anticipated nl;trriage in a decidedly lyrical stare of I I I ~ I fi)c~isi~ig ~ ~ , all his pent-up erno~ionon vocal ~rrusic.Now, in a mood of' outright celebration, Ile tlrrnctl lo the orchestra. T h e works of 184 1 i~iclutlccltwo syrnphonies-No. I , in I3 flat (know11as thc Sj)ri~rg Symphony). ancl No. 4, in D minor-as wcll as the Overture, Scherzo, and Fitrcrle and a Frrntrr.vir in in A minor for Piano and Orcllcstra. Co~riposedin little mor-e tli;111 a single week in hlay of 1841. the firrta~ie \\'as p1:tyed t)y <;l:ira Schumann on August 13 ;it ;I rehearsal of the Ge~candhausOrchestra in Leipzig. - 1 ' ~ otvecks after that read-through. Clara gave I>irth to the first of h e Schun~anns'eight cliildren. T h e Fmrtmie stood alone until the suninler of 1845. \\vlicn Robert decided it should beconle the first niovement ofa filll-fledged piano concerto. He co~nlmsed the second and third mo\zcnlellts-;i clelic.:itrly espressive intermezzo in F rii;!jor :inti a tl:~shirig rondo in X major-in the span of' irboii~ five \veeks. The concerto recei\recl its premierr i r r 111.e~den on Decernber 4, 18-15, wi~h<:l;ira ;ig;rin as soloist. This is~ n marvelous of'~a ~ ~ concerto ~ ~ ~ esa~lrple ~ ! cor~lpositework that does~i'ts o u ~ ~like d :I c 0111-
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CONCERTOS
SCHUMANN
275
posite. Because the c w o conclutiing movements are cut fi-om the same cloth as the original Fantnsje in both thematic material and pianistic style, the work enjoys a unity that is rare even it1 concertos con~posedat a single stroke. The score's appeal resitlcs largely in its combination of drama, lyricism. arid dreamlike imagery-elelnents not simply cor~trastedwith one another but brought into a fragile, almost ephemeral, ever-changing balance. Scliurtlann's icritir~gimparts a surprisingly troubletl clu;~lityto the yearning of ccrtain passages in the first movemen(. yet p r o t l ~ ~ c eas glowing rapture in the internlczzo and an ardent fire in the finale.
I
N T H E EXCITEI\JENT of (I live pPlji~rtt~(r ilce, conductor Zubtrc hlehtn launclttd tnto the o p e i ~ ~of t~g the Schumatln l'tai~o Coilcerto before solotst Datlrrl Ilaretlboim had adjt~clerfhic h~itch.With oltly oite hpni to r~acl,the panis1 shot hrc hnirds out, and rnr~cedfhr f i r . ~two ~ chwak. Before the secottd tnmemetlt Bnrenboim beckoiled Alehta ovrr to him. Luokitrg hfrhta drarl 111 tlcr q e . Baretzboittl / I I I I J P ~t h ~ mozlenre~~ti oprniirg plrra.re N ,\letrta bounded bock to the podium to bnilg ttw orchestra in xr~tttttrr niuutrr.
Eugene Istomin; Columbia Symphony Orchestra/ Bruno Walter. CNS ~\l(i.~lrrctmrkc ~\fk'42024 [with H mh ir1.9: Do11hlr Cot~certo]
Murray Perahia; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestral Sir Colln Davis. CBS i\lastrrdrorkc .\lK 44899 [uath Cntg: Platlo Conc~rto]
Stephen Blshop-Kovacevich; BBC Symphony OrchestralSlr Colin Davis. Pht1ip.s 412 923-2 [u~ithCrieg: Piailo Cottcerto] I t takcs quite a musician-actu;rlly two of them, o n e at the keybo;i~-cland one o t ~111cpodium-lo bring off the heady mix of elelncnts in this concerto. Istomin a n d Walter succeeded in 1960. Iston~inis irlcandescent in all three niovernents, and his perforrniince crackles with life; every note is treated as rn~lsic.i111c1every emotion rings true.
276
Prcznt\l .'Lltrn(t~P ~ r f l l t i(111 ~~, (I(IP~ 111/ , S r I t t t i ~ ~ ( t ~ ~ ~ t .
CONCERTOS
SCHUMANN
LC'alter and the Columbia Symphony show a wonwith derful rapport witli the soloist, breathi~~g him, rejoicing witli him. The sound is dry yet thrillingly alive. Interpretations like this don't come along very often, and when they do it's nice to have therti recorrled so successl'ully. Perahia is one of'tlie best at making this clifficult score seem effortlessly appealing. His superb pianism and energetic engagement allow the work's greatness to show through; his playing conveys affection for tlie rnusic without a single trace of affectation. ?'railsitions are srnoothly managed in this live recording from 1988, and Davis ;\nd the t%;~varians provitlc warm support. Bishop's treatmellt is more volatile t l i i l ~ iPerahia's in the outer movements-equally lo\rly, but more passionate than affectionate. In the intermezzo, he seems ;I little more delicate, though less Srill, [her-e are plenty of subtle stir. spontaneous. :I rings arid shadings here, in both t11e piano and i tlie orchestra, :IIICI L);l\~ispresides in ~ii;lsrerfiil t;~sliionover this 11170 recording.
f all the works in the repertory, this one comes closest to being the violinist's violin concerto. As a first-rate player hinlself, Sil~elius knew the instrun~ent'scapabilities and how to draw from it the nlost idiomatic and esprcssive effects. As a first-rate composer, he also knew ho~vto introduce clements of virtuosic display into a work of scrious content. hloreovcr, he 1v;is ari original thinker xvho could conceive o S fresh ideas within a co~iventionalcontext. :Ill of these elernerits are evident in the Violin Concerto, Sil~elius'sonly essay in the concerto form. *Theco~npositiondid not come easily. Sibclius's Iieavy dririkirlg took its toll 011his creative capac-
CONCERTOS
S
IBELILJS TOOK up the vlolin ns a boy and slarted fo~nlalIessor~rat 14. Later, he :uould utrite: "The violin took me by stonn, and for the next te72 years it ulas 1 1 1 ~greatesl ambilion to become a great ztirtuoso." The young ~nan'.rdream dlpd hard: At age 26, he was still auditioning for a spot in the Vimnn Philharmonic. Bul by 1903, the year Szbelilu started writing hir owl zlio/in concerto, his Izupe3 of becotning a concrrt nrtisl had b u g bee71 abaniloned.
SIBELIUS
277
ities. Financial difficulties caused domestic strain as well, forcing Sibelius to schedule the premiere earlier than he would have liked. The concerto's debut, on February 8, 1904. was a near-disaster, and in a fit of self-criticism Sibelius embarked on a drastic revision. The first movement was thoroughly rewritten: certain purely virtuosic passages in the violin part were discarded, a rhythmically fussy subordinate subject was transformed into a far more potent motive, and the loose-limbed, episodic development was abandoned for a more symphonic and tightly integrated structure. The new version of the concerto received its premiere in Berlin on October 19,1905,with Richard Strauss as conductor and Czech violinist Karel Halif as soloist. One of this concerto's most striking features is the bleakness of its first movement. where Sibelius's starkly suggestive orchestration calls to mind, as one of the Berlin reviews noted, "the Nordic winter landscape painters who through the distinctive interplay of white on white secure rare, sometimes hypnotic and sometimes powerful, effects.'' This is certainly true of the opening pages (carried over from the original version), where the haunting principal subject is announced by the violin against a muted, slowly oscillating backdrop in the orchestral violins, as though emerging from the mists. In contrast, the Adagio possesses an ardent lyricism. while the finale exudes optimism. The final version of the concerto thoroughly justifies Sibelius's decision to revise the original, and it exhibits the same formal mastery and classical balance that were to mark the T h i r d Symphony, begun at roughly the same time. With these two works, Sibelius departed forever the tvorld of late Romanticism and began the lonely quest fbr self-expression that was to culminate in the later sy~nphoniesand the tone poem Tapiola.
278
CONCERTOS
SlBELlUS
Cho-Liang Lin; Philharmonia Orchestra/Esa-Pekka Salonen. GAS ~\lu.rtenvork\ AJK .1454S [iuitlr Niclsen: 17iolin Concerto]
Jascha Heifetz; Chicago Symphony OrchestraMalter Hendl. RCA KCI) 1-7019 [iuirh Prokofiuv: Violill Co~rcertohro. 2, and Glazuno:!: I~iolinCo~tcutto]
Clto-Linng Lin, tnuslrSrcf
soles.
111071y
Lin and Salorlen make a marvelous team in this evocative, powerlit1 rendition of the cortccrto, which fully conveys the emotional compass of the music. Lin's pl:iying is immaculate, and Salonen and the Pliilliarmonia bring just the right sense of desolation and visionar? expanse to their reading. The 1987 recording is excellent, with a solid image and an exceptionally live atmosphere. Heifetz shows b l a ~ i r ~speed g in all three movements and goes in for a bit of' circus virtuosity, perhaps too much for some tastes. Hcndl and his players are a l n ~ o sliard ~ pressed to keep up. 'The interpretation is Iiyper-Romantic:; particularly remarkable arc Heifetz's tone ancl control, :uld his warm vibrato in tlie Adagio. Thc stereo recording from tlie 1950s is coarse in tone, and there is some breakup in he loudest parts.
ltlioitgh hypersensitive by riatitre, Tchaikovsky was nonetheless an astute judge of his own work. He was understanclably shaken when in 1875 he brought the manuscript of his First Piano Concerto to his colleague, the pianist Nikolai Rubinstein, ~vhopronoilnced it
CONCERTOS
TCHAIKOVSKY
279
unperforrnable arid in need of wholesale revision. Yet Tchaikovsky refilsed to alter a single noteand no decisio~lever proved more sensible. From the day of its prertliere (which curiously enough took place not in Russia but iri Boston), the Concerto in B flat minor has in fact become the standard against \vliich all virtuosos rnust measure themselves. T h e grand flourishes of its opening, the gossamer passagework of its Arldantino, and the pyrotechnics of its finale are to pianists what Everest is to the climber. While the soloist gets little rest, the listener never wearies, as interesting- things are always happening in this concerto, thanks not only to the profusion of n~elodicmaterial but to Tchaikovsky's skills as an orchestrator. T h e approach to form is also quite inventive. From the sixth measure, the piano takes part in the grand opening tutti of the first rtiovement. Yet the entire passage-107 measures of majestic symplionism in D flat-is nothing but a prologue to the main body of the Inovement, whose propel- key of B flat minor is finally asscrted at measure i 14. 'l'he soaring melody i11 first violins and cellos never returns, though there are plenty of newr melodies to take its place. T h e structure of the second movement, in which a scintillating, scherzo-like interlude is embedded in a songful Andantino, imaginatively departs from the Iiorrri as \veil. Tchaikovsky wrote a second piano concerto and left a third unfinished, but he never equaled the range of expression of this oric, which by itseli' places him among the greats of the keyboard for all time. Eventually, even Nikolai Rubinstein recognized this and beca~neari eniinent performer of the B Rai rtiinor Concerto.
280
CONCERTOS *
TCHAIKOVSKY
Van Cliburn; RCA Symphony OrchestralKirill Kondrashin. RC4 Red Seal 5912-2 [rcliih Rachma~ii~ioff: Co:tcrrto 1Vo. 21
Santiago Rodriguez; Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra/Emil Tabakov. Elan CD 2228 [uri~ll(2%: Piano Co~zcerto,and I.iszl: Conce~-loNo. I ]
Performing Personalitzes Ize of the greale.%l ~ i a n i i kAmelica /)as p7oduced, Van Clibunt u:os catapulled lo fame in 1958 by hi^ victoq irc the fir71 Interna~ionalTcha~kovsky Cornfielition in hfosrou~ (above). His recordings, whiclt h u e sold in fonnidable numbers, are lasting rernindprs of plrying Ihnl combzned techtlical brilliance and emotional u ~ a m ~ tin lt unique fashion, us well cu power, se?uitirrily,a:d IfLTigtt1.
0,
With this 1'358 recording rnadc in Carncgie Hall just \+,eeksa f ~ e rhe had tvon the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in ;2.loscow, Cliburn established himself overnight as one of' the great interpreters of tlie piece. The account is played from the heart, with a spellbinding virtuosit) that seems almost effortless-a renlinder tliat the concerto is genuine music after all. not merely some flashy showpiece of fast octaves. Kond~ashindraws committed pla~ingfrom the RCA Symphony, arid while the recording shows its age, it also conveys every nuance of a tlirilling occasion. Rodriguez, a silver medalist at the 1981 Van Clibi~r~i Ititernational Competition in Fort Worth, also approaches the concerto as rriusic rather than fireworks. Thc ouler rnovemenw are taker1 at blazing tempos, yet tlie playing is magisterially cool. Indeed, this is one of the rnost arrestingly dramatic readings of the concerto since the celebrated 1943 account by Vladimir Horowitr and Arturo l'oscanini. And they arc far better recorded. The inclusion of brilliant accounts of'l>oth the Liszt E: flat and Grieg A minor coricertos makes the disc a decided bargain.
CONCERTOS ' TCHAIKOVSKY
A Tchaikorskyi mumuge to before it begun.
Antotiinn-over
281
fter Tchaikovsky's disastrous marriage to Antonina Milyukova in 1877. his younger brother Anatoly hustled him off to Clarens, Switzerland, where it was hoped the coniposer could work in peace and recover his emotional equilibrium. During the months that followed, Tchaikovsky journeyed to Paris and Vienna and traveled widely in Italy. He completed his Fourth Symphony and the opera Ezigene O t t ~ g i nand learned that his newi'ound patroness, Nadezhda \on Mcck, was willing to provide hi111 with an annual stipend of 6.000 rubles. While in Vienna, Tchaikovsky renewed contacts with Yosif Kotek, an accomplished violinist and former con~positionstudent of his, who had been responsible Ibr bririgirlg his work to the atrention of hlme. von hleck. Stimulated by a visit froni Kotek. Tchaikovsky embarked on the conlposition of a violin concerto. The work, begun on March 17, 1878, was fully scored by April 1 I. Although Kotek had helped him with Lhe solo part, Tchaikovsky offered the new work and its dedication to the well-known virtuoso Leopold Auer-who promptly spurned the piece because he though^ it unplayable. Kotek. whom Tchaikovsky had managed to appease with the dedication to his Valre-schmo, was then to present the concerto in St. Petersburg, but he got cold feet and abandoned his plans. So it was not until December 4, 1881, that the Violin Concerto had its debut, when Adolf Brodsky rather rashly played it in Vierlna at a concert of the Philharn~onicconducted hy Hans Richter. The audience demonstrated vociferously against it, and the critic Eduard Hanslick scornfully dismissed the work as an example of "stinking music." The concerto nonetheless made headway with performers and the public. Brodsky continued to champion it-and Auer soon took it up as ivell. eventually introducing it to his pupils (who would
282
CONCERTOS
TCHAIKOVSKY
include Evlischa Elman and Jascha Heif'etz). The work was published in 1888, by \vhich time it was being played all over Europe. I t has been a staple of the repertory ever since. The Violin Concerto is indeed anloIlg -1'chaikovsky's freshest inspiratic~ns.It is also cluite masterfully constructed, with a ~ ~ e a lof t hnlatelial ideally suited to the violin's lyrical nature. T h e first move~ncnt-by turns tender. capricious, and festive-is ~~rlfailiilgly lyrical. The aptly named Canzonetta follo\vs. where a characteristically gcntlc Tchaikovskian melancholy is pierced by ardor. 'This second movement was fashioned as a replacemelit for the original slou movemerit: sirice he had already con~posedthe concerto's finale, Tchaikovsky was able to provide the new second movement with a custom fit transition passage. T h e finale, thus anticipated, proves all the more satisfying. Propelled by a heady ~nixtureof folkish exuberance and dance-like energy, it builds to a breathless conclusion.
Kyung Wha Chung; Montreal Symphony Orchestral Charles Dutolt. London ,110 01 1-2 [wit11~tle~tiit~lssolin: (,'ot~certo i11 E mi~lor]
Nathan Milstein; Wenna Phllharrnonic/Claudio Abbado. Detctsrhe Grc~nlttzu/~I~otl Galleria $19 067-2 [wifh ~~fer~delssohn: Co,rc.er~oin E rtli11or]
Jascha Heifetz; Chicago Symphony Orchestra/Frltz Reiner. RC.4 L i v i ~ ~Stereo g 61495-2 [z~frthBrrrl~rru: Violin Colrc~rloj
Chung gives a beautifill, colnmunicative per~tl~o;t:spnrk~,lgnrrom~ontnrc.ll~ i formance of this concerto, her playing rnarked to thr T c h r k o z ~ s ~ .
CONCERTOS
I)y
TCHAIKOVSKY
283
: I I ~ exquisite
ser~scol' cletail. She is glo\\~ingly parttiered by Dutoit and the hfontreal S)nlphony, and the 1981 recording is brilliant. hlilstein's interpretation is reserveti, but still very \+*armin its exprcssiveness. and the \:ien~iese provide a sensitive :iccon~panirnent.The recordds distariced but is det:iilc.tl ancl ing s o ~ ~ n slightly wcll balanced. -l'lie "Living Stereo" reissue of Hcifct/'s 1957 account captures his high-voltage playing in all its incandescence. Xriyone fartliliar ~sittithe grainy so~iicsof RCA's earlier C1) release is i r i for a surprise: Heifetz actually sounds sweet at the top, ant1 the Chicago S Y I I I I I ~ produces I O I ~ ~ succulent, I'ull-hotlied textures I)c.hi~iclliir~i.
CONCEK-1'0s FOR VIOI,IN, S~'KINCS. A N D CONTINUO, 0 ~8..NOS. 1-4 Tlta Folr r Season,\ nown as "the red priest" bec:iuse of his hair color a r ~ dhis membership in the clergy. \.:ivaldi (1678- 174 1) was t l ~ c~ ~ ~ o s t original and inlluer~ti:tl Italian composer ol his generation. Though Iic. spent most of Itis lile in his native Venice, Vi~:iltlitraveled ~vitlcl)outside of I~aly.Thanks to this peripatetic rer~tic.~ir.y, ar1c1 to his extraordinary fitcundity, his rnusic became k~iow throughout ~~ Europc. Bach, \'ivaldi'sjunior by sevcn years, had ;I high regard for it. Vi\laltli wrote in a nurnber of forms, t)ut it is thc concertos-of' wl~ichhc composed more than :iOO-tl~;~t make up tile I>~rlko f his o u ~ p i ~hlorc l. than anyone else, Viv;~ltliestablisliecl 111~. tlirecrnoven~entforrn as t l ~ estandard for concertos. -1'Iie techniques he used to keep these \\-orksinteresting and lively-deftly varying the texture and figuration, arid Savoring angular. cncrgctic rhyt hms that packed ex1 ra punch-were atlol>tetl I)y corllposers all ovcr 111ccontinent, 1x11some-
284
CONCERTOS
VIVALDI
thing in the sound of Vivaldi's rnusic rer~l;lir~ed unique and impossible to imitate. No two of' liis concertos are alike. Vivaldi's Opus 8 is entitled I1 C ~ ? I I ~dell'tlnt~o~iiu W!O e dell'lnventione ( T ~Contesl P Belwcen Hontzo?~y(ind Invention), and the 12 concertos it contains are meant to illustrate the sin~ultaneousworkings of' the rational and imaginative aspects of music: form and fantasy. T h e first four concertos of the collection depict the different seasons of the year, beginning with spring and ending with winter. Published in 1725, these concertos are among roughly 230 that Lrivaldi wrote for violin and string ensen~ble.T h e wealth of effect and the quality ofdiversion that Vivaldi was able to achieve in The Four Seasons, using nothirig more than string instruments, still compels the greatest aclmiration. Their imagery-of birds in spring, storms in summer, huntsmen i11 autumn, and icy lanclscapes in winter-is as vivid today as on tllc day the notes were penned. Vivaldi wrote an "illustrative sonnet" as a guide to each of the concertos. Accorcli~~gly, Spritrg, in the bright key of E nia-jor. celebrates the sountls of ''joyful bird song," briefly interruptetl ;u "gentle breezes give way to a passing storm." In the slow movement, a shepherd sleeps in "the pleasant flowering meadow" while a dog (the solo viola) barks. Nymphs dance a gracefill gigue through the finale as the sun emerges frorn behind the clouds. Summer comes in with the brutal heat of the midday sun, whose rays "sear the pine" in the menacing key of G minor. T h e calls of cuckoo, turtle dove. and finch are heard, and soft breezes stir the air-until the north ivincl sweeps in. T h e second movement finds the shepherd in fear of "lightning's flash and thunder's roar," as i~isccrs ofall sizes are "stirred to a frenzy" by the turbi~le~lt air. T h e effects here are marvelous. 'l'he thunder is depicted by trerriolos in the low strings, played threateningly close t o the bridge, while the shepherd's trembling is suggested by the Il;tlti~igrliytll~ll
CONCERTOS
VlVALDl
285
the violins as they accompany the solo. In the finale, the storm brci~ks(descending sc;~lcsm d strings of violent trc~ilolossuggest the clownpour) and hailstones pountl t l ~ efields of ~.ipcr~c*cl col-11. ,411t1~~niz is set in the ~ a s t o r akey l of F rti:!jor. 111 irs openirlg movemerit, ;I Sarrrier sings a~ltld;rrices iri c:elel,~.ation of thc h;~~.\rest. Wine Ilo\vs. ancl soon the peasant revelel-s are fast aslccl~,their "sweet repose" suggescetl by thc concerto's sccorid movement. The finale depicts hunters at t l ~ Ijreak c of day; we hear- their horn calls and dogs and t;illyhos, and the din of gurifire as they gi1.e chase. 12'i?rln- brings a shil't to the desolatc key of I: ~tii~ior. According to the corllposer's s o ~ ~ ~ tlic ict, o p c ~ ~ i nITiOVemenl g clepicts our shivering ;tg;tirist thc wind (as he strings' edgy repeated notcs clash clissonandy with one anolher) and the stanlpitig of our feel (a more fbrceful passage \\.it11 sl~arply accented notes). I n tlle Largo, we "ri~usccontentetlly by the lire" \\vllile hose outsitlc arc d r e ~ ~ c h ebyd the min. Wc cautiously tre;~(l[lie icy pat11 in the finalc, the11slip ancl fall, get "1). :IIICI arc bartered by the wirltl. "This," \.'ivalcli [ells 11s. "is Winter, and such are its delights." ill
I
n spite of Ilk el~ttllienf persortali~.Scrlvalore Acrardo exhrbit.c rrmturit~. fhoughlfi~lt~esi. n t ~ dselfcotr~rolin lrir plc~~itrg. H e 17. at hir b~?till tlrr Poetic pagf,s of tllt r(!~)l~rtory, llrorlgll /no z1ioliiti.5k r(rrr ri11aI Irk surf~ I P S Jirr rllrplay /)n.ssages. ilccardo render.\ llre rnajor uforkr of /lip 18th r~t11113'a.y rapably (t,\ Iic dors those of [lie 19th atrd -3Otl1,and he i.r
Alan Loveday; Academy of St. Martin-In-the-Fields/ Sir Neville Marrlner. . 4 r p -1 1-1 486-2 Salvatore Accardo; Sololsts of the International Festival of Naples. Plrrlips -122 065-2 fivifh <;otrcc*rto\irr I.' und R mirror /or firer c~trdFour 1'iulirr.s. I< 1' 55 1 arrd >SO] Nils-Erik Sparf; Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble.
288
\'ivaldi-a
CONCERTOS
m n t ~for
all srcuons.
VlVALDl
Loveday's sweet tone and unmistakable finesse give his account the understated elegance of a Saville Kow suit. while the intimate accornpaniment of h3arriner and the Academy is the epitome of English good manners. T h e 1970 recorcling is nicely balanced. with a slightly soft-focused and distant pickup that allo~+-s a little extra warmth into the proceedings. Accardo and the Neapolitans offer Komantic. suave. full-toned accounts, notable for their lovely textures and dashing style. Accardo's playing is fiery but never merely flashy. and he procluces an even. exquisite tone on four different Straclivari instruments: here truly is a violinist for all seasons. The accompaniment is n o less impressive, and Bruno Canino keeps up a remarkable commentary from the keyboard, ingeniously filling things out. The 1987 recording is outstanding, with excellent definition and imaging. Sparf and his Stockholm-h;tseti cohorts give vital, sharply characterized readings. Sparf is a versatile fiddler: although not a "specialist" in the field of early music, he uses a Dutch violin (c. 1680) and a period bow in these accour~ts,arid he plays in a way that denionsrrates remarkable sensitivity to the style. The Drottningholn~players achieve articulatioris and tonal cffects that niodern instrumentalists find difficult, and in cloing so also manage to project the "contest" that the i music is supposed to represent. The continuo i work is excellent. and the spacious. full-bodied ! recording from 1984 does a good job of capturing i the fabulous tone of those Baroque strings.
C H A M B E R M U S I C
G
hamber music-meant to be played in rooms rather than in a church, theater, o r large public space-is the bedrock of the classical literature. As a genre it embraces everything from simple pieces for solo instruments to multi-rnovemcnt conlpositions for ensembles of a dozen or more. easily forming the largest anti the most diverse segment of the repel-tory. Nearly every major composer from the 17th century to the beginning of the 19th produced some chamber music. Xiany of the tnost important contributions to the repertory-the works of Bach and Haydn are the first that come to mind-\$,ere the result of princely patronage. Indeed, hundreds of composers had court positions and composed serviceable music for a variety of occasions. What set Bach and Haydn apart was the thought they put into their music, and the way they challengetl theniselves to be fi>rmallyin~entiveand emotionally daring when their noble employers would surely have been satisfied with something ~nerclypretty. It was Haydn who, more or less single-handedly, est;iblishecl the string quartet as the supreme chamber music form. T h e Italians had been the first to cxplore this medium for two violitls, viola, and
288
CHAMBER
MUSIC
cello, and their idiomatic feel for string writing quickly tnade it viable. T h e pioneering efforts of Giilseppe Tartini and Giovanni Batrista Sarnniartini, dating fro111 the mid-18th century. were elegant and well crafted if Sairly lighrivcight works, while the quartets of Luigi Bocchcrini, co~i~poscti in the late 1760s and early 1770s. show more finesse than Haydn's from the same period. tlaydn soon outstripped his Italian colleagues in the contrapuntal animation of his quartet textures. as well as in the clepth of expression he achieved within the form. By the beginning of the 1780s. wit11 his Opus 33 set of six quartets, he had perfected a rnodel that would serve him ancl s u b s e q u c ~generations i~ atlmirably. onc in which all f o i ~ iristrur ments had melodically substantive p;~rtsand were free to engage in a rich, conc~ersationalrepartee. T h e hornogencity of sound that coultl be achievecl by instri~ments of the same f'amily and similar tonal character playing without a continuo. together with the contrapuntal possibilities inherent in a four-part texture, was what made thc quartet the ideal vehicle for serious instrunlental composition. I n addition to a refined blend of sound, the quartet afforded composers unl>recedenred flexibility owing to the virtuosic capabilities of the insrruments hemse elves and to their five-octave aggregate range. Ilespite changes in construction ancl playing technique, the tonal qualities of' string instruments today are relatively close to what they were in the 18th century, so the brilliance of Haydn's quartets (and hiozart's and Beethoven's, for that mattcr) can still be fi~llyappreciated when rhe works are played on modern instruments. As the 18th century gave way to the 19th. composers wrote less for the privileged few, more for the rilusic-loving m ~ ~ l t i t u dThen e. as now. music was the most stimulating forrn of entertainment, and the enthusiasm of the bourgeois public for opera and symphonic music carried over to chamber nus sic as well. h4oza1.r and Beethoven, who preferred patronage when they could get it, adjusted to the changing reality anti aimed the bulk of their chamber- rnusic at the paying public. Mozart refined and improved on I-laydn's string quartet style in his six fanioi~sessays dedicated to t h e elder master, but he preferred the rich texture and more conlplex part-writing possible in the quintet medium (which added a second viola o r cello), and it was here that he achieved his greatest successes in the field of chamber music.
CHAMBER
MUSIC
289
Beethove@,on the other hand, chose to stretch the string quartet toward symphonic dimensions, while enriching its expressive context through the use of parody and a breathtaking range of textures. As with the symphony, so in chamber music: composers of the Romantic era and in our own century have had to acknowledge Haydn's invention, I'viozart's perfection, and Beethoven's vastness in one way or another. and most have done so by trying not to follow too closely in any one set of footsteps. Schubert. Mendelssohn, and when they applied themselves to Schumann were nlost successf~~l unusual instrumental combinations in their chamber music. Brahnls, too, while dutifully composing the piano trios (for piano, violin, and cello) and string quartets that were expected of Beethoven's successor, found other forms more congenial-particularly that of the sonata with keyboard accompaniment. With Debussy, Ravel, and Bartbk, the quest for new sounds and formal approaches reinvigorated the string quartet and carried over to works for other chamber complements as well. Today, chamber music is still the busiest classical genre. And today's composers and performers are drawn to it for the same reasons Bach and Haydn were drawn to it in their day: a love of pure music, a delight in conversational discourse among players, and a desire for intimate communication with an audience.
hMEER MUSIC
hese solo works, the touchstone of every art, have come clown to us in an immaculately copied presentation nia~~uscript in Bach's hand, t1:ited 1720. T h e sonatas and partitas appear in alternating order, though it is not known in what orcler Rach composcct them o r intended them 10 be performed. T h e three sonatas conform to the model o f t h e cllurch sonata, collsistir~gof four movetnents in ;I slotv-fast-slow-l'ast sequence. T h e o p e r ~ i n g movements of the first two sonatas have the character of a slow pl-elude, with an upper-voice melody supported by chortlal textures: in contrast, the Adagio of the thircf sonata is a study in imitative counterpoint. T h e Sast second movernetlts of all three sonatas arc fugues, the slow thirtl movements have an aria-like quality, aricl the co~icluding movements tent1 to he lively and unfold in an even rhythm. T h e strength and meditative depth of Sonata No. 1, in G minor, are apparent from the beginning of the improvisatory opening Adagio and throughout the I'tlgue. though the music 01' the fbllowi~igsicilian;~is almost Romantic in its lyrical warmth. The more ~jassionatecharacter of Soliata No. 2, in A minor, is reflected in the unrelenting drive of its fugue and in the throbbing n~elancholy of its Andante. Sonata No. 3, in C , grarld and imposing. is the most rigorously argued of the three essays, particularly in its tcn-minute Sugue on the chorale K o n m , heiliger - Geisl. T h e formal plan of this fugue, which consists of four sections and features concerto-like passages as interludes, is especially impressive, arid the music itself is a challenge to play. In Bach's day, the term "partita" could be used to designate any work constructed along the lines of a suite-that is, with multiple movements, some
violinist's t T
Curin for n car~oit?Bach willr o 6-/>nil ro~rt~d. 1746.
EACH
CHAMBER MUSIC ' EACH
T
HE CI-II.iCON~\'Ef ro,,r lhe IJartito in D rtzirlor is sucl~a maplificerrt leal of 11111siral arc11ilecture lhml i/ l i a ~elici~edtn111/1erow ar~angrnat~t.~ for other i t u t n ~ r r ~ eP(n-/tcuhrly ~~b. vofnble are /hose for piuno by Fenuccio Bzlsorli (dating frolti nrourrd 1897) and Brahnls (1577), in iuhich the co~zlrupuntalgauntlet i.\ 1-10? on i z r o ~rrrlher lhan gut, bul to great t$fecl orle lethe lei^.
291
or all derived from dance types. Because of the differing characters of the dances incorporated in these three partitas for solo violin. tlie pieces are more diverse in expression than tlie sonatas. Within them, Bach eniplo)s a remarkable variety of playing styles ant1 formal schemes: whereas the sonatas are exercises in concentration, the partitas, in their encyclopedic survey of violi~iistic capabilities, reflect Bach's urge to catholicize. Partita KO. 1, in B minor, corlsists of an allenia~lde,courante, sarabande, and bourree. Each is followed by its Doubk, a flowing. etude-like variation in f'ast notes. T h e writing throughout is extremely demanding and places a premium on the performer's sense of rhythm and articulation. By contrast, Partita No. 3, in E, is almost a divertissernent, offeririg a wealth of melodically engaging material. l'he librant aerialism of its rnoto perfietuo prelude, the brilliance oS its "Gavotte en Rondeau" (whose familiar melody is embellished 1vit11fi\e sparkling interludes). the charming echo effects of its houi-ree, and the exuberance of its concluding gigue ~riake this the most dazzling of the three partitas. The most daunting, however, is Partita No. 2, in D minor. As if to obscure its true stature, the partita opens with the traditional sequence of dances: allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue. Only then does the n~ountaintopconle into view. T h e cliaconne with which the L) minor Partita concludes 1s the most challenging single movement written for a solo string instrunlent. Alrrlost 260 measul-es long and taking about I5 minutes to play, this variation moverncnt is by itself virt ~ ~ a las l ylong as the f o ~ l previous r nio\7emeritsp ~ ~ t together. Its expression ranges fi-om tlie declamatory to the awestruck. T o build a satisfyirlg climax. the soloist must be able to sustain a grand line of develop~iient throl~ghto tlie piece's end. In a performance where this happens, the world outside melts away. and the world of the spirit is played out on f o ~ t rstrings.
292
CHAMBER MUSIC
BACH
Nathan Milstein. Deuhchu Cmmmophon 423 294-2 12 0'D.rj Shlomo Mintz. Deutsche Gmmmophon 413 810-2 [3 (.'I).(]
There is a patrician clcgarice to hlilstein's I-enditions. in which the all-but-ir~surrnour~tal~le difficulties of the music are overcome \r,i111 clcceptive ease. His hurnishecl tone has a \varmth like that of mahogany, and his lirlc finger\vork and flawless bowing make for- a n ;issurecl cotlnrcrion of ideas. In the chaconne to 1';lrtita N o . 2. hiilstei~izeros in \
CELLOSUITES. BMTV 1007- 12 here arc no known tvol-ks for- solo ccllo before t T these six suites, which were colnposed between 17 17 and 1723 wl~ileB;tc11 \r.;ls Kapellmeister at Cothen. 'l'ogether \vith the sonatas and partitas for solo violirl, [ he ccllo suitcs show Bach's enormous powers ol' inventiol~;itld counterpoint in a special light. Never 1)cforc ,tnrl never since have the elemerlts 01' rhythm, h:trnlony, and motive been so impressively intcgr:ctctl
CHAMBER
MUSIC
BACH
293
in rriitsic for a single string instrument. Each suite begins with a Rowing, quasi-inlprovisatory prelude (except for the Suite in C minor, \vhosc prelude is cast in the rigorous mold of a French overture), and each work incorporates the standard dances of alle~riancle,courante, sarabande, and giguc within a scheme of six superbly crafted movemenls. T h e interpolation Ofoptional dances arc also standard. ancl include gavottes, bourr~es,and rninuets. \Vhat is unconventional about the suites is t1i:tt such a wealth of content and treatment could bc worked into the "standard" Lbrriis. Four of the six suites are in tlie r~lztjormode, an ~ ~ n u s u proportion al for Bnch, \\rho preferred the more intense cspression customarily afforded by niinor keys. But [he C nlajor tonality of Suite No. 3 criables Bach LO write numerous Sour-part chords for I he cello, taking advantage of the lowelpair of open strings, (: and (;, as anchors for thc tonic and dominant harmonies. The resultant richness of texture and timbre is a distinguishing. feature of this piece. Suites Nos. 1 and 6 , in (; and D, similarly esploil the r~iiddlepair of open stririgs, G and D, and the upper pail-, 1> arid A. T h e character of the Sorrner is reser\fecl and elegant, that of the latter outgoing arid drarn:itic. The two minor-key works, whose souls are to be f u n d in their sarabandes, are among Uach's most profound creations. The sarabancle oSSuite No. 2, in niinor, exitdes a feeling of lieartbreaking loss, which the work as a \\.hole amplifies with inlrnerise gravity. For Suite No. 5, i l l (: niinor, Bach instructs he soloist to turie tlie cello's A string to G , a tvhole step lower, tlarkerlirlg the instrument's color. 'l'he grim c1i:iracter of the suiic is at its most pronounced in the sai.ahande, where ttie theme descends fi-om the upper to the lower reachesof the cello's voice like a nictaphysical sigh.
The ioclrtl\ nllennnde, n regcll dance ~ i rslou~tr~npo.
2-
CHAMBER MUSIC
BACH
Pierre Foumier. DeuLtche Gramrnaphon 41 9 359-2 [2 CDs]
F o t t n a i r r ' ~ p & ~a, pn,-ago,l r~~~~ of siyle and subrltb.
I
With his meditative yet conficlent .,pproach, Fournier opens up an emotional realm 'hat niere mortals have the good fortune to inhal it orily on very rare occasioris. He plays the low C at the elid of the C minor Suite as if i t were [lie alpha and Onlega of all music ever written for the cellowhich in a way it is. Such insights abound in this midprice set. The 1960 recording is gorgeous.
@
art6k's six string quartets are among the most important contributio~isto I hc chamber music literature after those of Beethoven. Like Beethoven's quartets, Bartcjk's I-cflcct their composer's growth and stylistic development over a period of three decades-and ultimately they served as the vehicle for his deepest, most intimate expression, revealing in microcosm the essence of his musical thinking. T h e six quartets embrace a wealth of styles and folk idionis and make use of a n extraordinary range of advanced techniques, including fierce "snap" pizzicatos in ivhicli the plucked stririg rebounds off the fingerboard (also called "Bartok pizzicatos"), haunting glissandos, dramatic rnutings, and extended passages in multiple stops. While all six works share these hallmarks of Bartok's sound, each quartet creates its own world of expression, in itself a remarkable achievement. The lush textures and tonal vagueness of' late Romanticism can be found in the First Q11;irtet ( 1908) alongside driving ostinatos and energe~ic rhythms derived from folk music. An almost ini-
B
ARTOK way one of the 20th c e n l t t ~ Sfinest ethnomtlsicolo~s.Aided by hi$ colkague Zolratz Koddly, Bart6k made a systemalic study of fitrtrgadn, Slovak, and Romanian folk music. He scoured the pustent I..vrropeal2 count~siilecanyir~ga portable Edison phonugrtlph, with which he dutifully cnplured the voice.t und melodies of incredulotu. peasants. By 1918, he had gatlwed more than 9,000 folk songs.
Borldk spices ltl, lhe Fottrlh
Qttnrtet ~uith"snnp"piuicnros in wltich a zioli?t string u
plrrcked.
pressionis~icplay of texture takes place just beneath the surface of the highly episodic Second Quartet (1915-1 7), which sounds alternately in~passioned and macabre in its opening two movements before ending in a nightmarishly ethereal turbulence. T h e Quartet No. 3 (1927) marks a forceful move away from conventional tonality toward an austere and sharply dissonant idiom, at the same time reflecting Bart6k's growing preoccupation with formal compression and the rigorous, almost molecular, analysis of his material. Bart6k \vould alter his course again with the Fiflh Quartet (1934), a dynamic work t h a ~makes heavy use of the overlapping meters. complex dance rhythms, and unusual modes and scales of Hungarian and Bulgarian folk music. In the Quartet No. 6 (1939). he returns to a constant in Beethoven's late quartets, the idea of variation on a theme, and closes out the cycle with a work whose four-movement design arid relatively strong embrace of' tonality suggest a reconciliation with the Classical ideal. But we must go back to the Fourth Quartet (1928) to find what composer Halsey Stevens saicl "comes close to being.. . Bart6k's greatest and most profound achievement." Particularly irnpressive for its compression of highly complex material illto the tightest possible framework, the Fourth Quartet is also a work of great expressive beauty, characterizecl by sheer rhythmic exuberance and a sensuous profusion of sonorities, most notably in the swirling ecstasies of the second n1ovenlent. One of the most striking aspects of the Fourth Quartet is its fortrlal plan: a palinclrorne. I'hc quartet must therefore be perceived not only as a succession of five movements, but also as a work that grows outward fi-on1 a central kernel. This kernel is a nocturnal Lento that errlploys sustairled tone clusters as a backdrop to recitative-like solos by the cello and first violin. Around this core are wrapped t\vo related scherzos: thc second movcrnent, a mercurial tour de force calling for mutes on all instruments arid spiced by glissandos and
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sttlpor~ticellohar~rior~ics, and the fourth riiovcment, played entirely pizzicato and full of offbeat accents. These movements are in turn surrountled by angular Allegros that share the same germinal motive, an ascent of three half-steps (from R to D flat) followed I)y a snappy descent of three (from C to B flat), which is first given O L I I I)y the cello in the seventh bar of the quartet. pl-llc energetic canonic writing of the first niovenient is mirrored in the driving virtuosity of the finiile.
Emerson Quartet. Dt-uhck Grammopho?r 423 657-2[2 CDs]
i\'u~netl f i ~ rthe 19th-cet~tu? poet, d e Etnerso~lString Quartet g'ttes trunrcetuhf ~ucountsof Bart6k's 20th-cent u q masterpieces.
These quartets have been well represerltetl on LP; the choice on CD, however, is limited to one. T h e Emerson players sho\v the kind of ensemble polish that causetl one European critic to label their performances ;IS "too smooth. . . . I like nly Bartok rougher." Rut awkwardness and rhythmic uncertainty, which have made marly another group sound rough in this music, should not beconl'used with expressive edge, which the Ernersons bring to the music in full measure. 'I'hey get all six essays onto two CDs, the odd-numbered q u a r t e ~ s on one. the evert O I I the other. T h e souncl cluiili~y is excellent throughout.
Kreutzer eethoven's ~>enultirnate violin sonata was composecl in 1803 for George I'olgreen Bridgetower, a noted interpreter of Giovanrli Viotti's music who happened to be visiting Vienna at the time. In one ol' his sketchbooks, Beethoven described the work as "a sonata written in a very
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fls . - - ! concortnntr style-alrnost
a conrcrto," arid the cornposition's huge scale and \,irtuosic violin part certainly bear him out. 'I'he Adagio i~itroductionto the first nio\Tenlent begins with an arresting gesture: a hyrii~ilike,fourmeast~repmclarriation by the solo violin, playecl in euphonious doul~lestops. T l ~ cniai~ibody of' the niovenient, a blazing Presto, is launched by a vigorous staccato sulject in A minor. The mood is scarcely lightened by the appearance of'a sereric seconcl subject, for ;IS soon as the violin has prcseriteti it, the piano takes it over- ant1 turns it to the minor as ivell. 3'he 1; major Andante is a grant1 variation movement that fills a cluarter of an hour with music of rhapsoclic Ixauty . The long-breathed theme is the height ofsuavity, and while its treatment in the ensuirig four variations is more decorative than proti~lg.Beethoven's mastery of the lyric utterance is everywhere apparent. An impetuous tarantella t~nalecap\ the work \\.it11 nonstop theatrics. Hritlgetower g ~ v etllc first pel formance of the soliata, with Beethovcr~at the keyt,o.~rtl,on hlay 24. 1803. in Vienna. 'There was a subsequent hlling out bet\veen the two, apparently over a woni;ilr, and Beethoven decidcd t o dedicate the ~vorhto the French violinist Kodolphe Kreutzerw h o :~ccordingto Hcrlioz found the piece "outrageously unintelligible." Kreut7er never played it or ackno\\ledged tlie dedication.
rnolher. George Bridgctoure~ 7rqcu bro~cghtlo Eriglntrd as a
chrld und enter~d~ h cr ~ n ~ i r e of the Priitce of 12'ak.r ul the i i a.,~ of r- t ~ n A . yeclr k~ler,k c I pluyed ill the ~~iolirr .rrrtio,t j for H(cyd71's Lortdorl cor1cer1.s i of 1791. He u ~ m at1 old mart 4 23 ulhe~tIre prei trlwred ~ I I EKreurzer So~tnfn. i
b h a k Perlman, violin; vladlmir bhkenazy, piano. f , ~ J ~ l ~410 k ~ ~j54-2 l [ilVl/l .~Ol!UlUttl F,
0 p . 2-11
Yehudi Menuhin, violin; Wilhelm Kempff, piano. L)e~r~schc Crnrntnophor~Gr~llena427 251-2
; [z~tithSo~intaiia F, 0 p . 2.f/
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Performing Personalitzes
P
crhaps the greatest Americun-born ~N'olinist, Yehudi h f m u h i r ~astounded the liI(~rkdwith prodigious accornplishrnents as u child. A mystical personulily and d e ~ p rnorul convictiuns h a v ~made hirrr o ~ i eof the greut spirik and co~tscienc~s in the jieM of ntzi.ric today. He has rPcorded prolifically si~icethe 1930s and remuir~~ active os a trclc/ier and w r i t ~ r .
BEETHOVEN
Perlman and Ashkenazy givc all accourrt of unrelenting virtuosity and symplioriic scalc. .l'he fingers and bow fly, yet P e r l m a ~never ~ loses conimand of his tone. Recorded in 15173, the rcadirig is closely miked-so closely, in fact, that one can literally hear the hair on Perlman's bow. 'l'he sound is weighty but clear, with excellent presence. In 1970. Menuhin no longer had the control of the bow he exhibited in his youth, and occasionally some rawness of tone and a\vkivarclness were the result. T h e approach here is nonetheless highly musical, and the reading testifies to a wonderful partnership that fuses Kempff's insight and elegance with hfenuhin's expressiveness and lyricism. The midprice CD retains the live tcel of the original analog recording, and the overall sonic detail is exemplary.
he best known anci most appealing of' was conlposed during the years 1807-8, thc sarne period that saw the coriipletion of the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies. It bears a dedication to Hcethoven's friend Ignaz von Gleichenstein, a n amateur cellist of exceptional skill who served as a planner a1 the Imperial war council in Vieriria. T h e sonata opens with a poignant yet noble statement by the cello, setting the stage for an impassioned first-movement dialog between cello and piano. T h e material is brilliantly worked out, and the movement culminates with a sublimely theatrical unison reprise of the opening theme. T h e scherzo-lengthy and almost symphonic in character-is built on a syncopated rhythmic figure and has a magnificent trio foreshadowing that of the Seventh Symphony. A short Adagio serves as prelude to the finale, where both lyricisril and kinetic energy propel the movement headlong toward an almost giddy conclusion. Beethoven's cello sonatas, this work t Y
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T
HI:' STIIAI)II/ARI cello on whiclr pi err^ Duporr playpd ttw prvrrrirre of Herthou en'.^ Sotrntn it1 A, Op. 69, ir oiw of ltrr fiirest it~stn~meirls in exirtnlce. Napoleon admired i b perfecliorr the sarne u q he adniirpd most rtritrgsjealotlrl~.He seized the instru~nentfrotrr iD ouvrer's hotrds and gouged it dowrr OIK si& with his spur, scarring it but foiling lo chntrge i ~ csound in /he slightest. Today. the Dllporl Slrad belongs to AlslirLuv Rostropovich (below).
Mbtlslav Rostropovlch, cello; Svlatoslav Richter, piano. Philips 412 256-2 12 CDs; cotnpht~c ~ l l osotintn.c]
One encounters a partnership of equals in the accounts of Rostropovich and Richter. T h e cellist's approach is rhapsodic, his aim very much an illumination of the inner spirit of the music. Richter is utterly amazing. tossing off runs and passagework with supreme elegance, conversing with Rostropovich in the most intilllate manner, surrounding and supporting the sound of the cello the way a crystal vase holds a bouquet of roses, so that both can be appreciated. T h e sound on -this 1961 recording may lack immediacy. but it matches the warmth of the perfbrrnarices.
PIANOTRIO IN I3 FLAT, OP.97 Archduke
G
ompleted in 181 1, this work-cledicated to Beethoven's friend and patron, Archduke Rudolph-still stands as the pinnacle of the literature for piano trio, a conlposition of unparalleled richness and imagination that exemplifies Beethoven's middle-period manner at its best. T h e spacious opening movement begins with a flowing subject announced by the piano-a march, in fact, though conceived in the gentlest terms. T h e nobility of this idea is counterbalanced by an animated second subject, which despite its jaunty rhythm is also a march. T h e grand development section takes as its point of departure the initial subject's division into two clearly market1 phrases, each of which serves as grist for the mill. A beautifully ornamented restatement o f the opening subject ushers in the recapitulation, ancl a brilliant coda rounds off the movement.
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ArrMrtk~Rudolph. Brethoile~ri father ronfpssor and patro~l.
i
IF YOL' LIKE T I I I S \tfORK, jolt uill proba b l y j ~ r dH P C ~ ~ O I ~ P ITrio L ' S 111 D. 01).70,IVO.I , appealing as uirll. 7 % I~I Y O . Eels , il~ t~icktrrrttrr,tlrr Ghos~,ftom its 11rp1bno1~\ D trrrttut Largo, ~ulrrclrrs full of eerie tnlk 111tcltremolos. )'on migill ako iiV??lllo ~nxrestlgale llrr Trios 111 R pat orrd E Pat, I). 998 u ~ r d9-39, ly Sclr lrbo 1.
BEETHOVEN
7
1 he ensuing s c l ~ e r ~with ~ o . its shnclo\vy trio section, is a splenditl (lemonstration of' tecl~rliclue and imagination. 'file bantering of' the ilistruments as they snatch phrases away from one another, together with Beethoven's side-slipping modulations, keep the listener guessing ;IS to ihe clircc~ionthings will go. T h e play of'high style (in the guise of fugal \Y r i irig) ~ against low (represellred by the w a l t ~ )is heady and exul)cr;~rltin a way only Beethove11 car] make it. An anlt~itiousvariation motvement follows, in the distant key of I) rn;tjor. T h e opening theme is broad and consolirlg, and the variations, each one progressively Inore decorative, arc masterf-~lllysustained. F'rorll the q u i e ~alnlost , ~l~otiorrless stirrir~gs of the rnovelilen~'~ final bars, Beetllovcn -iumps . directly into the finale, a dance-like ronclo that makes a game LO the very end of avoitling the home key of R Hat. T h e exhilaration niounts ro an almost unbear;cble pitch before tlic coda carries everything 01'1' at a gallop. .I'l~eArcIld~ik~ -1'1 io L\~;LSfirst perfbrmecl or1 April 1 1, 1814, with Bectl~ovc~l-whoby then \\,as riearly cleaf-at the keyboarti. Ignaz hloscheles, one of' the cornposer's young follo\vers, wrote of thc premiere: "In the case of' ho\\ many compositions is the \vord 'new' mis;~pl>lied!But never i l l Beethoven's. and least of all in this."
ltzhak Perlman, violin; Lynn Harrell, cello; Vladimlr Ashkenazy, piano. En11 cDc -17010 [ i i t l ~7.17~br H pat, \\'no 391 Beaux Arts Trio. I'hilips 412 591-2 [zcritlr Trio it1 I),
0 p . 70. .Yo.
I]
Perlman, Harl-ell. ; ~ n dAshkenazy coml~irle~iiajcsiy \\.it11 a splentlitl sense of f l o ~ cin the operiing rliovement, and t lley I rcat the \ ariations o f the third movernenl in 1 1 1 ~ . manner ot Iatc lkctho-
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ven-with an emotive pourer that is ;ill tlie rnore intense for being hushecl. T h e cligit;~lrccoi-(ling from 1982 is fairly dry but c1~1i1e ;~cccl)t:~l~lc. T h e Beaux Arts I r i o takes a contenil~l;~tivc view of the work in this 1981 recording, a reaction to the players' lighter reading froin the I!)(iOs. -1'11e) bring alrliost too much finesse and reli~iementto the opening movement. T h e Anclante holtls the key to their interpretation: wlicre tlshkenazy and company treat it as a reverie, tlic Beaus Artistes see it as a meditation, and take a fill1 t\vo nlinutcs longer to play it. T h e early digital recor-tlirigoffers good atmosphere and cxcellcri~detail.
y the time Beethoven apl,c:~rcclo n thc. scene, the string quartet Iiarl becornc an established, refineti genre, tlie only one \\,liose expressive flexibility and tonal ~>erfkctioncoi~ltl rival that of the human voice. \Vllc~-casi t 1 liis orchesttxl and piano ~ ~ o r Becthovcrl ks oPtcn fi)ugIit against the limitations of the metiiuni, his tvriting for string quartet is almost alwirys idiom:r~ic.He was drawn to the sound of' the genre, ;rncl I'ro~n the start he treated sonncl ;is a colnl>onent of' form, stretching out textures until they took or1 a value of their own. But the fact that I3crtl1oven \\-rote idiomatically docs not mean he \\.as ;il\\-ays graceful. I n his quartets, as elsc~\.here,12cethoven \\.as interested in difficulty. Beethoven composed the six quartets of Opus 18 before he reached his 30th ycar. (:o~isitlering their place in history-follo~ving close o n tlle heels of the supreme achievements of Haydr~and hlozart-and their place in Beetho\.en's output, they are works of tremendous accomplish~~ient. Rccthoven made certain the ground \\,:is c;rref'i~lly prepared, writing a pilot versiorl of the Quai-tet in F, Op. 18. No. 1, before starting tlie set. 'l'llougll these quartets thoroughly assimilate thc li)~.nial
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accornplishments of Beethove~l'sp~~etlecesso~~s, ~hry subvert the expectations of those I;~rnili;~rwitll the Classical style. For exan~ple,the Quartet in G , Op. 18, No. 2, opens with a near-parody of the galant style, the ornamental quality of the writing meaningfully excessive. Beethoven balances the superficial elegance of this posture by cornplicatirig the structul.e, by enriching the texture beyond that of the true galant, and by being already a little irnpertinentwhich he is again in the alln breve Allegro th;rt interrupts the quartet's slo~vmovement. Scetlioven's love of sharpening garden-variety contrast into something quite dangerous n~aniSestsitself throughout the six quartets. 1'0 cite one c;rsc, in the scherzo to the Quartet in R Ilar, Op. 18, No. 6, he lets the rhythmic scansion go wiltl, then "rights" the wrong by emphasizing the clownbeats in the trio. The three final members of Opus 18 ar-e particularly impressive. The Quartel i r (; ~ rnir~or(No. 4) opens with a tl~eatricalAllcgro whose p u l s ; i~ig, ~~ agitated style is more akin to tIi;rt of' early 19111century Kornanticism than t o anything the 18th century produced. As a counterpoise to this 110tent beginning, Beethoven offers t ~ v ol'airly I~risk sequels, a scherzo (here parodying a wirltz i l l its overplaying of the second beat) n ~ l d;I sentinlc~~tal nlinuet, effectively banking the fires of pirssion. The concluding movement, a French-style "couplet rondo," pulls up short at a number of e;~rly cadences but concludes i r ~a breathless coda. The Quartet in A (No. 3) has a taut, smoothly argued first rnovernent aritl a delightfully resourceful variation movement that esplocles ar the end with the panache of a nlilitary ba~ltl.-1.lie tongue-in-cheek finale begirls with a suggesrion of the learned style. but moves quickly inlo the realm of the lowly contredansc. I - h c Quai-let i r ~ R Hat. the final work i r ~the set, t>cginswit11 ;I itroto perpetuo parody of comic-opera style that is I ~ o r l ~ hurnorous and pro\.ocative, w11ilc tllc clockivork Adagio and schizol)hrenic scherzo csplore I I I O I ~ ~ I I
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in two entirely different ways. Beethoven prefaces his flowing Allegretto finale with a fantasy introduction in the dark ombra style, building suspense before brilliantly relieving it.
Alban Berg Quartet. EM1 Classics CDC 47126 (3 CDs] Quartetto Itallano. Philips 426 046-2 [3 CDS] Smlthson String Quartet. Deutsche Hunnoniu hlutzdi 77029-2 [2 CDs]
The Saithsotl Sl+ing Qunrftr of the Srnilhsonio~t.
T h e Alban Berg Quartet gives patrician accounts of the Opus 18 set, lean-textured and precise, with a characteristically Viennese blend of intensity and reslraint. T h e 1981 recording was made at a low level and puts the ensemble at a slight distance, but it offers good balance and clarity. If the Austrians appear at tirnes to take these works too seriously, the Italians, full of peasant heartiness. are almost too exuberant. In tonally opulent performances, they make Beethoven less the bad boy, more the genial, avuncular successor to Haydn-which in some ways he was trying to be. Kecorded between 1972 and 1975 and reissued i11 1989 at midprice, these handson~ely remastered accounts are close-rniked and have vivid presence. T h e Smithson String Quartet, resident at the Smithsonian institution in Washington, D.C., performs the set on period instruments. These revelatory accounts combine insight into style with a wonderful spontaneity, and the group's articulate playing allows textures to emerge with luminous clarity. T h e 1987 recording is warm, full, and beautifully balanced.
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Count Hazurnov.dy maintained a re51de1itquartet at his pu1(1cc.
HE AIIDDLE PElilOD T o / Brethoz!en's ouljlul ic nlarked ty ~ntcsicu~l~o.\e .tiinp l ~idras are put tugrtlr~r according to conlplex p1a1z.s. Oftpn t l ~ rromrno~~plncr u made ~ubstuntiz~e by being mer so slightly rnodrJied, crc when a likeness is t~~rrzrd iuto a cnricalz~re4 flze exaggeralion of a single fiatul-e.
three quartets were written for Count Andreas,Razumovsky, the Russian arribassador to the 1-Iapsburg court and an amateur violinist of considerable merit. His substantial wealth enabled him to maintain a resident quartet that included among its ~nernbersthe outstanding violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh and the cellist Joseph Linke. 'The Rarumovsky Quartets were commissioned toward the end of 1805 and cornpleted within n year. It is hard to imagine ttiat their initial reception could have been so discouraging, yet the compositions provoked consternation and ridicule, even among Beethoven's musically literate friends. At least one perceptive cri~icreported of these works that "the corlception is profound and thc construction excellent, but they are not easily comprehendedwith the possible exception of the third in C niajor. which cannot but appeal to intelligent lovers of nlusic because of its origi~lality.melody, and harmonic power." The Quartet in C is indeed appealing. It opens, much as Mozart's Disso,la~zceQuartet had, with an evocation of harmonic chaos. Out of this an Allegro emerges, at first unsure of its ke) ; orlly after a few false starts does Beethoven larlci on C rnajor, emphatically, with the jaunty ~narchsubject that begins the exposition proper. The ensuing 1211dante is a slow barcarolle in rondo form, the minuet a stt~clyin contrast between flowing and angular gestures. The quartet's finale takes off' like a shot with an electrifying solo f'or viola. I t is among the suprenle showpieces for string quartet, with a pace that would bring ever1 a dancing Russian to his knees. As a tribute to Razuniovsky, Beeltioven tveaves Russian themes into two of these quartets. I n the scherzo to the Quartet in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2, he quotes a tune that hlussorgsky would later
CHAMBER MUSIC ' BEETHOVEN
R
AZUSIOVSKY Quartet No. 1 perplexed even the muiciatrr for whotn rhe work was u?TI't~~ri. li'hen lgnaz Schuppanzigh and hu quartet read fhmtrgh it fhe Jirst llrne, Carl Czeniy recalled, "rhq laughcd arid upwe convinced thnl Reefhovrtl 711a.cplaying n j n k ~ ". A decade laler, al at1 enrly /~rrfornm~zcr 111 Si. 1'efet~burg. the assembled listrt~ws burst lntu In~rghterwhen ~lre cellist began the second movement with hi\ rolo O I I one nole.
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insert in the Coronation Scene of Boris Godunov. And in the finale to the Quartet in F, Op. 59, No. 1, he uses a Russian theme as the subject of what arnounts to a monothematic sonata. T h e rlietorical energy and expansite view of form that make the F major Quartet the Eroicu of Beethoven's string quartets are evident in the confident opening measures of the first movement, which set the trajectory of the entire piece. Through the first 19 bars the texture expands from three to eight voices, the dynamic increases from p n o to foltissirno, arid the rnelody rises from C in the cello to high F in the first violin. T h e remainder of the first movcrnent follows a vast sonata plan. with a development that makes a long descer~tinto the distant key of E flat minor. from which the climb back to F major is both eventful and exliilarating. T h e ensuing scherzo is the most original of all Beethoven's inspirations. It begins with an eccentric gesture, a series of repeated B flats in the cello that have a definite rhythm but seem to go riowliere-an accompaniment without anything to accompany, and a wonderful example of Beethoven's love of the scliematic. From here the moven~enturifolds as a rncditation on the clockwork textures of the 18th century, but with harmonic and structural surprises on every page. The Adagio, marked ? ~ e . ~("sad"), to shows great refinement of texture in spite of the essential siniplicity of its material. 'Timc is stretched out to great length in this movement, without the slightest loss of continuity or intensity. I11 fact, the tonal glue is so strong herc and in the transition to the concludir~g"ThLmt Rwse" Allegro that the third nioveriient's filial catlencc docs not occur u~itil35 measures into the finalc. \Yith that finale, Beethoven sets an exuberant cap on one of the graridest quartets in the literature.
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Melor Quartet. DeuLrche Grtl1rzrnoplro1l-127 305-2 [Oil. 59, .Yo. 1 , ulillr Qtcclrte~111 b; p a / , Oj). 7 4 ; co~npletc.)~~trlrile-p~nod qtcrzrft1r\ also nzrn~hhlt.O I I .f 15 342-2. 3 Cl)sl
Smetana Quartet. Detro~lC37-7095 [O). 59, Nn. I ]
T h e hIelos players turn in arl impressively propulsive reading of the First ROZUWOZIS~J Quartet. Their tempo in the opening nlovernent may seem quite fast, but they play with s ~ ~ accurilcy ch that nuances and articulations ernerge more clearly than in any competing version. T h e I985 digital recording sounds rather bright, and Deutsche Gran~mophon'sclose-mikctl pickup m;~kest h i ~ ~ g s seem loutler ;inti larger than they are, a freqi~enr tactic in those years. T h e Smetana Quartet's reacting of' the First Kazurnoz~.~kv is one of the highlights of the group's complete cycle for Denon. 'I'he playing is ilssured and rvontlerl'ully communicatite, the s o ~ ~ u cesl cellent-~~at~irally halancetl ;~ntlprecisely imaged. T h e only dr;irvhack is the lack of a coupling, in this case easily out~veighedby [he \\~arn~tli of the perform;ince.
S-TKING QUARTET IN C Or. 131
.StiII Iff
U ~ I /fi(/(//c I /tt~~(i\.
SHARP XIINOR,
uring his later years Beethoven's need to pose net\- challenges to his creativity was as great ;is it had been ;it any point in his life. H e Felt ol)ligrd, ;IS the nlusicologist hl;~yri:~l-d Solonloll has put i r , "to test his powers against the restr;iints of thc Classic motlel." it'hat Beethoven fount1 in the proccss was ;I 11ew rneans to cornnlunicate feeling and thought. I t is this c o ~ ~ l l n u n i -
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cativeness that lies at the heart of Heetlioven's late works tor string quartet. As Beetho\-en had to rely nlorc. and nlorc on what h e remembered, he increasingly ~ n a r i i l ~ u lated n1;iterials he had kno\\.n in his youth: cadential harmony, 18th-ce1lti11.ytopics, the innate soilrid of the string quartet, and stantlartl forms such as the sonata, the fugue, and theme and \.ariations. As a group, the late cluartets are m;trked by a tendency to~vardcontl-:tction; tor exanlple, there is not a single grandly scaled operting alovenient in any of the essays. Xrltl yet there is a paratioxical expansion-of expressive scope, of rhythm. harn~ony,ant1 color, and of time itself, which even in sllor-t rnovenlents can stand still. Con~posedin 1826, the Quartet in (: sharp minor, Op. 13 1, was Beethoven's thvoritc. It has the most involved roatl map of' ally \\,ark in the charrlber literature, antl i t is arguably tht* monumental work for string quartet. \Vith its seven n10\9enlents antl 14 tempo changes, all played without pause, the score presents a massive challenge to any who attc~npt it. T h e con~lcction betweer1 the movements is ~ i ojust t circun~stantial but organic, established through nlotivic relationships and also by a re~iiarkablekey scheme: all EETIIOVL'N pnlbr(~crd the prirrciplr qf themuseven n~ovementsare i l l sharp keys, arid there is ntrd-zwrintionr ir~hit late re no final cadence on C sharp minor a ~ l y w l ~ e in nttlsic. For him, Ihprp ufas U I ~ the piece. In effect, there is no irrrival, just a irr~porlnrllrlifferrrlc~6eti~~cen continuous, mind-boggling jourrley. 'l'he score r~(triatiur~ ntld ertrbroi[Ieq, as also has a I~idtlenplan: tlie sevc.11 niovcments /tic conf~ttrpornqJPrdtnpfollow the operatic scheme of'ar~~ \ ~ c r t u r;Ienunl. Joseph (If ~ L l o m i p ~mad^ y clrnr: "Vurinlior~is scierltific. her of ;rrias and recit;itives. and an ensemble ~ ~ ~ l ~1.v br~x.c~~fill." r o ~ ~ i ~ ~ finale-though because of the f'irgtre in the first A/$!yirlg tlrr scit-tlcr of vclrimovement, the closest r~iodelis probably that of cx1iot1 lo hi> rnnlrrinl Ufa.5 (1 an act from a n oratorio. I t is an act in which the ioc?yfur Hr,c//rozrctr to sail off participants play out the progression from f;tntasy u~twrnrer111simngitrotiorr rook him, uilhoirl Iosi~rgsight t o reality. of Innd. Fur n corttpo.c~rulho The opening fugue is noticeably ecclesiastic;rl, had lost hit ttearirrg, hazrirrg alrllost as iT patterned after a Renaissance motet. (I rrrtlsicol cortrpuss 1~1u.s In this contemplative nlood, Bcethoverl seeks to itrtpor?nr~t. achieve a vocal richness. T h e ensuing rlllegro is
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gunrtrt
ulcu
itguenred
6.; o/emlic styles of Ihr day.
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VEN CIrITH as serious a work as the Qttartef iitl C sharp minor, Beethoveil was not above making a joke. HLF publicher, B. Scholl's Sahne in hfninz, had told hint that t l r ~qltartel must be an "original" one, so Beethoven mote oil tlte mat#~firript,'Pltt together from piYenenttlgs from orw thing and another."
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an aria in the Italian style. T h e content, far [rom being elevated, is n u d e frivolous in a parody of the low-style pastorale. A recitalivc oblige' follows as the third movernent: only 11 measures long, it is a brilliantly compressed play of texture in which the tradeoffs between first and second violin have to be seen, like the wheels of a ticking watch, rather than merely heard. T h e central movernent of the quartet is :I set of six variations or1 an Andante contred;inse, pointedly marked 7tiolto carltabiie ("very lyrical"). Each variation represents a short aria in a different style; at one point, Beethoven even parodies the strumrned guitar chords of an Italian serenade. The following scherzo has a singsong quality, but its nlelocly keeps disappearing. . . fragmenting itself. . . and being reassembled in ncw ways. Ultimately the wheels fall off-and it is only then that Beethoven allows the tune a last, glorious dash straight into the next movement, an Adagio whose harmonies take on a Romantic pregnancy. T h e quartet's concluding Allegro. like a good operatic finale, makes much of unison performance. T h e layout is that of a sonata, and the driving rhythm of the opening subject bears a family resemblance to that of the finale of the Second R a z u m o v s ~Quartet. hieanwhile, the emphasis on incision counterbalances the concern for flow that marked the opening movement. And it is worth noting that in the heart of the developmertt, beet hove^^ inserts an ascending scale in whole notes, sustaining it for 23 measures as a countersubject and running it through all four instruments. as though he were going back 30odd years to his counterpoi~itlessons. I n more ways than one, then, Beethoven has come full circle by the enti of this extr;tordinary piece.
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Ouarnerl Quartet. Philips 422 34 1-2 [urirh QuartP~in E pot, Op. 741
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Tallch Quartet. Calliope CAL 9638 [zc~ifhKazumovsky Q ~ c ( ~ r tNo. p f 31
The G u u n ~ r nQuuriel, one of Amrncai prem~erenrrrnbles.
T h e Cuarneri players understand the profound lyrical inll~ulsebehind this quartet, and they manage the paradoxical feat of imparting a sense of inevitability to the music and achieving spontaneity at the same tinie. T h e recording for Philips, made in 1988, puts the pathos anti whimsy of Beethoven's writing in clear relief and conveys a crystalliric clarity and richness 01' sound. T h e Talich Quartet takes a dark, foreboding view of the fugue, bringing it close to the t\.orlcl of Schoenberg and post-Rornanticisrn-which is indeed the next place orie firids such writing. l'he remainder of this perlbrniance sustains the remarkable cension of the opening, yet the playing is full of old-world rvarmth and relaxation, deftly understated and distir~guisheciIy the luminous tone to which Czech ensembles alone seem to have the key. T h e account is captured in a very fine, naturally balariced analog recording.
STRING QUARTET N o . 2.
e T
IN
D
he illegitimate son of a Russian prince, Borodirr (1833-1887) clevotcd his life to the service of two muses. T h e first was chcm~stry. a field iri which he achieved distinctiori for his research illto acids arid aldehydes. At thc age of 3 1 he was appointed to ,I full professor-ship at the hfedico-Surgical Acadenry in St. I'etersburg, where he spent (lie rest of his life teaching ant1 living adjacent to his laboratory. Borotlin's second love was music, and on the strength of his t:ilent he became a leading figure. in Kussiari nlusical life, taking his place in the St. Petersburg group of composers known as "l'he hlighty Handl'ul." Rorodin excelled all of his peers in ~iielotlic
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0RODI.V (aborle) utuv 1101 the orrly rr~cmb~r I/ "The 1\1ighl?; Hnrl(ljic1" zrvi!h a r o r ~ e ruttlsi(1r of rrlt~vic.I ~ I fact, only .\lily Balnkirev utns u jirll-lime co~nposer. R~r~uky-Eiomkov 71US a r~uvrrlofficer urd cir~ilservarll, lZlrcssorgsky ulorked 111 llw Czanil rnirrklri~.\of cummu,licafiorls audforr.\t?, and C e u r Cui ular r~zu\ic crilic arid pro]'~.\sor4 military erlgirrem'rrg.
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gift-and his String Quartet No. 2 possesses a lyricism unparalleletl in the repertory. Alrhough he usually worked slowly, Borodirl raced this score to completion in just two months during the surnrrier of 1881, intending it as a present to mark the 20th anniversary of his courtship of arid engagement to the pianist Ekaterina Protopopova. Rarely has ;I roniantic idyll been more beautifully remembered. T h e quartet's first movement opens with one of those long-breathed cantilenas Borodin was so good at. a \\?arm, tender melody started by the cello, taken over by the first violin, and spun out ravishingly over a gently sighing iiccompariiment. It is the sort of' melody that would traditionally appear as a second subject; coming first it casts the entire rnovcment in a lyrical vein. Borodin mines that veirl with an arabesque-like secorid subject in the minor, introducetl by first violin over a pizzicato accornpanirnent. Both the second and third movements contain ~nelodiesthat have since bee11 popularized by the Broadway show Ki~tnet.T h e breezy scherzo holds its tune in reserve for a few moments, \\,hich only adds to listeners' delight when they recog~rizethe waltzlike second subject as "Baubles, Bangles, arid Beads." T h e ensuing Nottunlo opens with one of the greatest love songs e t e r pe~ined,the soft yet passioriate nielody that was to become "And ?'his Is hly Beloved." It is sung by the cello, Borodin's own instrument, in its upper range-and proclaims clearly cnough that the composer was still very much in love. T h e high point of- the movement comes when tlie theme is treated canonically by cello and violin over a delicately shivering tremolo accompani~nent. T h e only wcitkness of the qlr'trtet is irs finale, which atrernpts to mimic the dynamism of Beethoven's late quartets. Borodin, however, was not a dramatic coniposer. Still. the treatment holds interest, and three perfect and melodically rnernorable movements are more than enough to make this quartet one of the gernr of the literature.
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Borodln Quartet. EM1 CDC 47795 [with Quartet No. I ] Cleveland Quartet. Telarc C D 80178 [with Srrretana: Quartet S o . I]
K
IS bi ET, thp Broadway musical, rt~adra Top 40 lrlnP out of "Stranger irl Paradise," uthith ulas lfted from Borodit~'.rPolovtsian Dances, os were the numbers "No1 S ~ I I C Nine~eh" P a d "He's in L o I I ~ .TIM " sortg "Rhymes Have I" came fro111 Borodinj Sympltoi~No. 2. Thartks lo Kismet, Bordirr won the T o t v award for bes~ Broadway totnposcr in I 954.
T h e Borodin Quartet plays tlie ~ilusicof' its namesake as to the manner born. Here is a beautiful, lrlsh realization-polished, f~lllof nuance, and well served by [lie 1980 analog recording. T h e coupling with Borodin's First Quartet is especially attractive. Playing on a matched set of Stradivari instrurnents that once belonged to Paganirii (and are now in thc collection of [lie Corcorarl Gaillery of Washington. D.C.). the Cleveland Quartct shows that Americans can d o the rriusic proud, too. Their reading is well paced and thoughtfully phrased, and while their sound is lighter than that of the Borodi~iensemble, it is handsomely capturetl in Telarc's 1988recording. Smetana's E minor Quartet (Fronz My Life) niakes for a desirable coupling.
his instrume~italmusic tliat Hrahrns clearly dominates his centllry, and no one approached his mastery in the field of chamber niusic. T h e niatjor, and most successful, part of liis chamber output involvcs the kcyboard and includes the soniitas for violin and piano. Brahms's inflexible self-criticism resulted in the destruction of his first several ;itternpts at a violin sonata, but the efforts that everirually follo~ved produced three appealing works-the first trco intimate essays intended for the s:ilon, the third a public piece intended for the concert stage.
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N T H E SUl\IAIER
Hralrmc uloulcl r~frc~rrl to iitoutl/aircc or (I l r k ~ TItr . slrrnmers of 187 7 - 7 9 foultd ltitn crt Porkchach on /ltc Ct'ijrlhnsee it1 Curinthin. Irr 1880 rrnd again in 1882 lit ulcln/ lo Bad Ischl in Iltr Solzk(rrnrnerpt, arid irr I884 ortd 'X5 ltr, .clo,onerrd at l\liir,zruchlag irl 11rp Styr;(Itr Alps. Ilurirrg all I I I P S ~ sojr,ztnrc, Brrzhrn., rornposvcl aclive&y lkr
BRAHMS
T h e Sonata in G . Op. 78. was composetl during the sunimers of 1878 and 1879 at Portschach or1 the Wiirthersee, near the Carinthian border with Italy. T h e coul~trysidethere was so thick with melodies. Drahrns quipped in olle of his Ictters. "that one has to be careful not to step on them." T h e songlike operiirig of the sonata's first nlovcment certainly bears the composer out. as tlle violin soars over an ;mompaninler~tof softly voiced chords antl gentle arpeggios. 'I'he Adagio that follows is tiorninated by a marchlike subject o f funereal weight, and the sonata's finale is based on the melancholy melody of' Brahnis's song Regenlied, Op. 59, No. 3. whose three repeated D's also form a lirik to the opening subject of the first movenieIit. T h e sense o f yearning that builds as the finale ilnfolds is only partly satisfied Ily an ardent clinlax in E flat major. T h e real resolution conies when the movement finds its way back to G rnajol-, allowing the sonata to end in a mood of radiant tranquility. T h e Sonata in A, Op. 109. con~poseclduring the surnmcr of 1886 in the Swiss lakeside village of Hofstetten near Thun, lakes after the G major Sonata in its understated manner and is among the gentlest 01' Brahms's chanlbel- ivorks. T h e placid opening Allcgro begins with a consoling theme in the piano; the niovemer~t'seven mor-e tender second subject is derived from another of Brahnis's songs, CYie Melodien zieht es tmir, Op. 105. No. 1, ivritten the same year for the young contralto Herrnine Spies. Its presence is not accitlcntal, for Spies was one ofthe summer's frequerlt visitors to Hofstetten. T h e sonata's Al~dante,part slo~v movement antl part scherzo, begins as a meditation shared by violin and piano and PI-occetlsto alternate this n~aterialwith a Hungarian-flavored dance that becomes more schematic each time it appears, until it is no Inore than a wispy reminiscence of itself. T h e concluding Allegro opens with a noble subject announced by the violin a ~ ex~ d tended by the piano. Rrahlns's subsequent use of' dirninishetl seventh chords in the piano accorn-
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paninlent undercuts the harmonic stability of thc theme, but ambivalence eventually gives way to lyrical certainty as the violin warmly intones the subject for the last time. T h e Sonata in D minor. Op. 108, finished during the summer of 1888 in Hofstetten, springs from a more symphonic conception than its siblings. Its four movements are tightly constructed, and its textures are unusually dense owing to the virtuosic piano part-which may have been what allowed Brahms to dedicate the score to Hans von Biilow, one of the great pianists of the day. After a restless first movement, the Adagio exudes heartfelt poignancy in a way that is unusual for Brahms. T h e movement reaches a searing climax in its closing measures, as the violin rises to deliver a fervent lament. T h e sonata's third movement finds the violin and piano darting in and out of the shadows of F sharp minor. though this game of hide-and-seek is Inore mysterious than playful. T h e finale begins with a tempestuous eruption ant1 remains a turbulent, highly charged affair to the end. T h e heavy. chordal style of the piano part lends colossal force to the movement's unfolding, and no concessions are made to the violin, which must claw its way through the texture to be heard.
ttzhak Perlman, vlolln; Vladlmlr Ashkenazy, plano. ELCII Classics CDC 47403 Josef Suk, vlolln; Jullus Katchen, plano. Lortdoi, 42 1 092-2
i
Perlnian is the greatest living exponent of the
;
in these intensely eniotional accounts. It would
j Romantic style of violin playing, and he proves it
j be easy t o guess the first ~ w sonatas' o relationship i to songs from the way Perlmari plays them in a
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N A LAKESIDI:' stroll with illaltlr~rd ~ r ing the last year of ltic lye. Brahrns complainrd tlrcit the direclton.~cornposers W P ~ C fakirrg wotild lead lo tllr ~ t t d of r~t~i.\ir. illahler p b b r d him thr ann,pointrrf to the shoreline, and .rhotrtrd, 'Zook, Doctor, litere goes thr lasf UJ(~ZIP!'' Ii'earil~,H lahv~s replied, "Prrltnps tlrr rc8nl question ts whether it's Jlo111ing into tht hke, or itito a swamp.''
BRAHMS
single, sean~lessline, marked by soaring climaxes and tender, haunting piunissinos. In this 1983 recording (sonically superior to I'erlman's recent rerrlake for Sony Classical with pianist Lhniel Barenboim), the violin sountls slightly fo~.ward, though not ~~npleasantly so. Supportive, lyrical playing from Aslikenazy rounds out a nlarvelous offering. .l'lie Czech violinist Suk-grandson of the composer-by that name and great-grandson of DvoMkrecorded the sonatas in London's Iiingstvay Hall in 1967,just two years before the untinlely death ;it nge 42 of his partner, the .4nierica11 pianist Katchen. Their account rernains one of the unsung classics of' the catalog, and an especially good \ d u e at miciprice. Suk's tone may lack the opulence and glow 01' others rvho have championed this repertory, 1)ut his phrasing and projection of mood are masterly. H e is wonderfully accompanied by Katchen in these rhapsodic, effectively ~lndersta~ed reatlirlgs. T h e sound is gootl, though somewhat grainy in the treble and a bit shallow in the piano.
II in 1862. [lie Sonata in E minor was not only RI-ahlns's first for cello and piano, i t w:is the first of all his so~~iltas for a solo instrument and piano. I n its brooding pcssimism. it is cli~ssicearly Briitims. T h e long elegy of' the opening rrloveInelit verges on the lugubrious. its more agitated passages coming closc to [he stormy pathos of the Piano Concerto in D nlirlor. Brahnls's treatment ol' the cello part is curiously vocal tl~roughout the sonata, and tie keeps the instrument in its resonant lower register, surrenderir~gbrilliance for tonal richness. TIie weighty Komanticisrn o f the first movement is lifted in the ~ninuet-styleclllcgretto but returns
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in the sonata's fugal linale, wticre in spite of his preoccupation with demonstrating compositional technique, Brahms achieves a forniidable urgency. T h e Sonata in F was composed in 1886, by which titile Brahrns llad the confidence to take the cello out of its lo\vcr range ant1 allow it to balarice the piano in a register better suited to lyrical projection. From the first bars, the sonata strikes a dramatic pose. sweeping the listener along with bold, soaring gestures arid pages of spirited interplay hclween the t w o protagonists. While there are more intimate moments-in which the tvarmth and tenderness of Brahms's later music come to the fore-the writing favors the intense over the idyllic, impressing the listener agnin and again with its irnpassionecl eloquence.
Jacquellne du Prb, cello; Daniel Barenboim, piano. I.:IIIIStudio CDA1 6 3 2 9 8
Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Emanuel Ax, piano. lii~glashcellkt Jacqtifltru dtl Pri, ruhharc career and llfe nurc clrl ~ragualtyshmi rntrl~tphsrhma.
Sony CI(~~sirn1 SIC 4 8 1 9 1 [with awaiigeir~trrtof Violirr Sorrata in D millor, Op. 108, for c ~ l l oand piano]
DLIl're and Rarenbirn were married in 1967. One of the first things they did as a couple was make this recording of the Brahms sonatas (when it was finished, in 1968, Du PI-6 was only 23. Barenboim an old man of 25). Their collaboration is an intense one, both in the dark E minor ~vork and in the passionate F rrlajor Sonata, which receives a fulrninant performance here even if its scherzo sounds rather elephantine. L)u PrC is quite rough niuch of the time, but her tone is huge and she wrings incredible expressiori out of every gesture: Barenboim is musically and sonically in the background, which under tlie circun~stances is fine. Excellently ren~astered.the analog recording has striking immediacy and depth.
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hla and Ax are srnootlier and rnorc lyl-i,ci~lin their approach anti compar.atively untierst;~redin their expression, ihough there are interestirig i l l terpretive touches from both. 'l'he recording establishes a concert-hall perspective with good balance and a solid, rvell-focused image.
9
n 1890, shorily after conipleting the String Quintet in G , Op. 1 1 1, Brahrns decided to give u p con~position.On his 58th birthday the following year, he rnade out his rvill. Then, that very summer, he succumbed-not to illness or infirmity, but to a new onset of' creative fervor, largely stemming from his frierlclshil~with Kichard hliihlfeld, the first clarinetis1 of tlie renowned hleiningen Court Orchestra. hiiihlfeld's extraordinary virt~~osity ; I I I ~CXquisite tone inspired Brahms to write some of' the most beautiful music of his c;u-eer. Or~lyonce NDER THE H A TON before had Brahms used a winti i~istr-umentin his (,f How v o ~ Biiloro, t its chamber music (in the Trio in E flat for Violin. rnlcsic director frolrr 1880 to 1885, llrc hleininge~~ Co~ul Horn, arid Piano, Op. 40), but from 1891 the Orchestra beccime perlrnps the clarinet rvould figure in several works, inclutling bes! band iri oN the G ~ m n the Quintet in £3 minor for Clarinet and Strings, land$.Adoup twirled tlw orOp. 115. and the two Sonatas for Clarinet and chestra to p l q from memory, Piano, Op. 120. T h e latter pieces, written i l l 1891 ntul I@ made o speci(1lty of for Fraulein Klurirle~t~. as Brahrris had come to call the mlltic of Brcilrtns. the instrument, were the last soriatas h e would rcrite, and they also served as his fi~~-ett.cll to instrunlental composition. The Sonata in F minor, Op. 120, No. I, firrds Rrahms at his rriost rhapsodic. The opening Allegro, as its appa.ssioi~ntomarkirig suggests, is an irnpassioned and turbulerit essay, w~liilethe A n dante is a subduecl utterance i l l Ior~g-t~reatlied phrases, alrriost inaudibly soft ;it t l ~ estart. 'l'he I Allegretto is a typic;~li~itermezzoi l l the resrr;lined style Brahms favored in later years, while the
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finale is a lively and virtuosic romp. 'l'liroughout the work, the piano plays an equal role with the clarinet. T h e Sonata in E flat, Op. 120, KO. 2, is among the gentlest and most ingratiating of' RI-ahms's instrun~e~ilal works. Once again, the opening illlegro lives up to its designation. which in this case is al?iabi/tl("amiable")-an unusu;tl term for Brah~lls but aptly descriptive of the music's placitl. warnily lyrical nature. Following the morc heated lyricism of the second moveniellr. Bral~rns'slifelong love of the variation form manifests itself for the last tirrie in the son;~ta'sfinale, a set of six variations on a tender thenie that sounds like a folk song. all capped by a stirring coda.
to tell when listening ro the late c-liamber music of Rralinls, a n d to rhis work in particular, wherher the composer should be t h o t ~ g l ~oft as the Iicir to S c h u m a ~ oi ~r ~[lie fbrerunner of Schoenberg. For as much as Brahrns admired Schuniann's lightness of touch, it is the warm texlures and hyperespressive harmonies of Schoenberg's Verklarte Nacht that he anticipates in this autt~rilrialessay. con~posedin 189 1. What is immediately rloticeable is tllc resigned nature of the piece. It begins in a mood of darkness, glows fiercely with passion and ~lostalgia, and ends despairingly. 'l'he thenlatic connections of all four movements and the strong 13 minor/ 1) major. liar-rnonic schc~llein thrcc of thcm create an inner cohesion that contributes much to the er~iotionaleffect. T h e richness of the clarinet's sound and its vast array of tonal shadings are exploited to the fullest, as is the instrument's unique ability to fit rvitli the stl-ings o r stand out ' from them. T h e two opening ~novemcntsare both quite
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HE GYPSY STYLE wns adapted by B rahrr~s
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Prim to touchJna on it in the slow movement of his Clarinet Quintet, he hud made use of it ;n tht Hungarian Dances and in thefinales of the Violin Concerto and the Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25. The lalter, rr particular~~flambqyant exeicis~,so intrigued Schoenberg t h a ~he rolle(1 out a colmful arrangement of it for large orchestra.
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large. The first manages to express gentleness and longing arnid deep gloom. Its writing allows an extraordinary play of' color, with the clarinet at first soaring over the strings and later, to launch the development, sounding a niellow founclation beneath them. T h e serenely nocturnal world of the B major Adagio's opening and closing sections encapsulates a wild gypsy fantasy, in which the clarinet gets a rare opportunity to exhibit its virtuosity over passionate string trernolos redolent of a Hungarian ci~le. T h e serenade-like intermezzo also has il contrasting middle section. a slender scherzo that Brahrns instructs the ensemble to play con sentimento. The q ~ ~ i n t c lfinale 's is a set of five variations on a theme of near-Baroque formality; arnorig them, the agitated second variation alludes once again to the gypsy style, the third opens a capricious dialog between clarinet and first violin, and the fifth unfolds as a shadowy waltz led by the viola, at the end of which Brahrns slips effortlessly into his coda. With astonishing sureness and economy, he repeats the opening thenie of the first movement arid imrnediately recaptures the melancholy feeling with which the work began. T h e clarinet plays a last, poignant cadenza, then drops slowly to its somber final note. An intense B ~ n i n o r chord in the strings, played fort^, is echoecl by one marked piano. and the quintet ends in the depths of regret.
David Shtfrln, clarinet; Carol Rosenberger, plano. Debs DCD 3025 [Clarinet Sonatas, with Schumanrc: Fantasiestiicke, 0 p . 731 Davld Shifrln, clarinet; Chamber Muslc Northwest. Debs DE 3066 [Clarinet Q u i n ~ ewith ~ , String Quintet in G,Op. 11 11
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Karl Leister, clarinet; Arnadeus Quartet. Deubrhe Crrimmophott 4 19 875-2 13 CDs; Clarittet Qt~iittet.~11thcomplete strirtg qninteb and s e x ~ ~ s ]
T h e account of the sonat;is fI-om Sliifrin and Rosenberger brings unalloyeti pleasure. Shifrin's limpid tone and unforced lyricism, together with his appealing gentleness, hint at the fr;igility that caused Brahrns to describe Richard hiuhlfeld's instri~mentas Friilrlein Klarinettc.. Delos provides a closeup recording with a lovely salon ambience-ill keeping with the theme of the disc, the re-creation of a musical soiree of November 13, 1894. at the home of Clara Schumann. Despite its name, Chamber Music Northivest is an assen~blyof New York regulars. They offer a subdued rather than searing account of the Clarinet Quintet, with leisurely tempos anti a feeling of point-to-point navigation through the score. T h e ensemble is excellent, with sisters Ani anti Ida Kavafian remarkably \\.ell matchetl on violin, their u~lisons,octaves. and thirds uncannily together. 'Tlie sir~girlgquality of Shifrin's playing is admir-able. and he shows an inter-pretivc restraint in keeping with his view that the clarinet shoultl not he treared as a solo part, but as one strand among five. T h e 1989 recording is intimate and highly satisfying. At the opposite expressive pole from Shifrin and company is the high-intensity reading from Berlin Philharmonic principal cl;irinetist Leister and the A~nadeusQuartet, recorded in 1967 in a reverberant and dramatic acoustic that lends syrnphonic proportions to the account. Yet for all the hair-raising passion here, no performers have better- conveyed the restraint, sadness, and surrender of the quintet's slow movement, or more Sully captured the work's overall leeling of melancholy bordering on dejection.
I ) a i ~ dShIfnil takes m bow wrfh c l t ~ r i ~ n~ t dr baser clnritvt.
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Clotrdv f)rbuc(?(11 tlrr litne 01Qtrnrlrt tn (3 mitlor.
lht
T
H E PIZZICATO um-ittirg of the schurm lo the Quartet In G rnir~ormaj urell IWULW bretr i i i J i ~ i ~ n rb~~ dthe schPrzo to Tchalkovskyi Fouilh Ssmphor?y, 1olrich Debus). k ~ z m from hovtng play~dthe piece wtlll Tchatkoz~sky'spalrolzess Nadezhda votl Aleck. Engagrd by her to renrr as platlrr~d u n r ~ gthe three summers c f l 1880-82, 1)ebr~x.s~ leanled much Russmn mlltrc at [he kqyborrrff.
his is the only work of Debussy to be publishetl with an opus r~uniberant1 a key designation. In view of the fact that the piece was composed in 1893 anti is a relatively early work, its title can be taken as Debussy's nod to tradition. But it would be wrong to assume that the score is traditional, for here Debussy radically reinterprets the string quartet gelire. Structurally, the Quartet in G minor is based on the concept of cyclical fbrm that had I~een articulated by Cesar Franck in his Quartet in D, composed four years earlier. I n 1)ebussy's treatment, the work is in fact rnonothematic: the n~elodic niaterial of all four movements is derived from a motto theme a n ~ ~ o u n c eright d at the start of' the piece. A mosaic of repetition and variation rakes the place of conven~ionalthernatic development. a n d a process of intensification-whereby climaxes are protl~lcedby "crescendos" of activity and pitch ;IS well as loudness-often supplants the goal-oriented action of traclitional harmony. Both procedures owe somethirig to late 19thcentury Russian music, witli which Debussy was thoroughly conversant. Throughout the quartet. tile iniplicatiol~sof traditional tonality are weakened by Debussy's use of archaic nodes rather than conventional riiajor and minor scales. T h e quartet's first movement, laid out as a sonata, opens in the Phrygian 111ode and offers subsidiary ideas in both that mode and the Doria11 mode. T h e ensuing scherzo, with its guitarlike pizzicatos, subtle cross-rhythms, and rapid shifts of texture, is a hedonistic romp Inore concerned with aural effect than with matters of form o r argument. T h e slow rnovement contains the most rapturously beautif'ul music ever written !'or string quartet. T h e main theme, announcetl after a quiet preface from n ~ u t e dviolin and viola, is almost religious
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in feeling and has a ht~shedtenderness reminiscent of the N 0 f f ~ n lfrom 0 Borodin's Seco~itlQuartet. j Two chant-like interlutlcs set ol'l'the more arclertt i second theme; introduced by tile viola and taken ! up by the cello, it flares into a I~riefclimas. At i movenient's end the first theme returns, ineffably i gentle, conjuring up the i\.arnith and s\\.eetness i of a starry night. ..\ recitative-style prologue sets the stage for the quanel's vigorous tinalc, a kaleidoscopic fantasy i in ~vhicltthematic ideas succeed one another with dizzying speed. Following a series of climactic buildups, the qu;i~-tet'smotto tllenie is dramatically repl-ised. A fast-n~ovingcoda I~ringsthe niovemellt to an eshilar;iting co~lclusior~.
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RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS
Orlando Quartet.
Krrrrrl: Qzrarl~I in I;I i Plrilips 4 I I 050-2 /i~ritl~
i Guarnerl Quartet.
Drr~ch-I~c~.\.\rd atrd mrrl~itta~io~rcrl : Suitc I~ergani;~sque, arrd ( l i b she^ oil,, [he orlanclr, j liC.4 Silvrr Seal 60909-2 /rc~i~lr (luarit~.~prr~aliz(I I I I delir~eririg i liavel: Qrrorlel it1 F] high-ockctrre perfiwtcr ~icus.
T h e Orlando suartet came out of no\\.here 1vi111 this recording, and : ~ l ~ h o uthe g l ~~ I . O ~never III really hit thebig time, its readings remain ; ~ c c o u ~ ~ t s of reference. T h e rnootls of both quartets are rightly gulged: the Del)t~ssyis hot-blooded, tile Ravel lar~guorous,reserved. 1-etc.rru. Both are captured in a superb digit;~lrecording. The C;uarneri Quartet's 1973 recording, sounding a little woolly but norletheless quite lovely o n (:D, conveys the niusic with endc;rring sweetness i~ntlrvarrnth. N o group has ever gotten closer t o the spirit of Debussy's slo\\. rnovrment, or more beautifillly captt~redits f'r;~gran~ :ttmosphere arid attenuateti, almost heartbreaking sentinicnt. First violinist Arnold Steinhartit is escluisitc Ilere, ant1 the grou11's playing overall is elegant.
STRING QUARTET I N F. OP. 96 American
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e r e is an extraordinarily polished con~positiorl,generously endowed with memorable tunes and full of the animation that characterizes Dvoikk's music, particularly the works from this period-his American sojourn of' 189295.T h e nieloclic rnateri;il is somewhat simplified and artificially rustic in character, similar to that of Dvoiak's Symphony From t h New ~ Pt70rld. But as in the sy~nphony,the tunes themselves are original, not borrowed-except for a brief motivic cell in the scherzo derived from a bird call Dvofik had heard. T h e piece makes prominent use of the pentatonic scale, common to many folk musics and a feature Dvoi-Ak had noticed in both rlrnerican Indian music and Negro spirituals. Yet in IF YOU LIKE tlrr spite of his attempts to imbue his rrieloclies eqgoirrg t t l n e f ~ ~ l n ~ s s with "Americanisms." the inflections a r e still of DvoMki American Bohemian. Quartet, you will probably DvofPk composed the quartel while he was find its conrpaiticin piece, the vacationing in Spillville, lowa. home to a sizeable Qr~itrteti71 E Pal, 0 p . 97, appealing as well. The quillCzech community. Being among his countrymen tet is clct from [he same kept him in high spirits, and work 011the quartet melodic clofh and is even proceeded at a rapid pace: the score was skc~ched riiorr opulenl itr S O I O I ~ . and cornpletecl in 16 days, June 8-23. 1893.
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he ~nelodicand rhythmic vitality of this quintet are remarkable even for D~roiBk, and few of his works exhibit more clearly his skill at fusing highly divergent ideas into a unified line of action. T h e element of' contrast is central to the first two rnovernents. At the beginnirlg of'the piece, over a gentle accompaniment in the piano, the cello introcluces a warm melody that somehow can't keep I'rorn turning itself to the minor and a
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mood of pathos. Once the turn is made, the ensemble erupts in a fit of minor-key virulence. What follows sounds like a slew of new ideas but is really a series of different views of this subject, an alternately elegiac arid stormy exposition that calms down just long enough for the viola to intone a plaintive second subject, again in the minor key. T h e development is turbulent, and after a dramatically telescoped recapitulation the movement ends with a fierce coda. T h e second movement is a dtrmka, a Slavonic song form that Dvofak utilized in a number of' his compositions. This one has the sectional layout (A-B-A-C-A-B-A)typical of the form. in which a minor-key lament alternates wid] dance-like material in die major. Here, the contrast is particularly striking. as the graceful but tnelancholy melody of the A section, stated by the piano against ;I countermelody in the viola, is answered in the B section by an ecstatic little duet in the violins that soars above a bubbling pizzicato accompaniment. T h e ensuing furiant is really a fast waltz, exuberant in its outer sections arid idyllic in its trio, where DvoiPk utterly transforms the character of the main subject and modulates with delectable abandon. T h e finale is a breezy rondo in which the gruff initial stamp of the principal subject gives way to niuch good-naturcd fiddling and frolicking. T h e notes whiz by, especially during a fugato episode in the development, and the niovement ends with all five parts engaging in a mad dash to the final chords.
A
wizard of tho keyboard, Artur Rubtrurnn ulnr oile of tire most tnc/)tred mzrstnanc of the 20th cmfrrly. Celebrctted for hk Cliopltl, ur utell as his glowing tntcrpre((ttrorrc of ottlpr 19th- and 20th- ceiltuq repertori (hu scope W(lJ PllonnufLT toclay's standards), Rub~iutern cuncertrzud for morr t h i i 80 years.
Artur Rublnsteln, plano; Guarneri Quartet. RCA Gold Seal 6263-2
Emerson Quartet. Deutrche Grammophon 429 723-2 [.4merican Quarte~,with Srn~tarta:Qzrar!rt No. I ]
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Rubinstein was a youthful 84 when he sat clown with [lie Gi~arneriplayers in the spring of 1!)7 1 for this recording of the DvoMk quintet. His lovely tone arid lively phrasing, the clarity of the textures that enlerged li~iderhis hands, and most o f all the instinct he possessed for the si~igirigline pro\ed infectious arid spurred his colleagues to one of their best efforts. A year later, the Guarneri musicians were back in the stirdio to record the Anletirnn Quartet. turning iri :I srnooth. aniriiated performance notable for its light touch ancl eleAll Aboard! gant phrasing. These two olcl-fashioned, highly espressive readings make a wonderful coupling. v o z k t ~ ~fi~..\cit~nfr~tl rs by railrouds atzrl locotnoT h e sound, while not the best, has good presence. lives. Ite ictmat1 rrr&ht~.tinstic 'The Emcrsons offer what is h;~ndsclow~ithe lmi~~-rt~atcher uilh a kern best account of' the Arnericarz Quartet on disc. It ktlori~lerlgeof rtlgit~r1ypp.5 is exuberant, persuasive, and right to the pointa i d a passiotr for rt~ettrori:: I well-paceci re:~ding full of r.;ivisliing details like iiig tiittrfabl~.~. Hb sojonn~ in Arn~rictiocca~io~~ed .some the duetting of the violins in I he sloic nioverrient. of llrr g m t ~ d ~Ircriu s t rirlec. of Heaut ifully recor-detl for the 12ook-of-tile-11Ioritl1 his l+, canyir~ghim to .YIIC/I Club in 1!)84, the account was picked LIP by rrril cpnlels as Hl!/Jolo, BosDeutsche (~ramniophoriand released in the U.S. ton, St. Paul, anrl C:l~irago. in 1900.
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ranck was 63 and ;it tlie height of his powers "lien he completed this sonata in 1886. T h e I)reacIth of its conception anti the density of its tcxtul-es, as well as tlie hea~eclchromaticism of its l~arniony,remind many of Wagner. Spiritt~allyant1 philosophically. ho\\.evcr, Franck came closcr to the orbits of Dcethoven and 1,iszt. Though well acquainted tvitll the revolutionary harmonic language of Tnitair und Isol~fc,he re~nairiedmore o l an architect than a sensualist. As po\\~erful;is the emotional ulidercurrenw of this sonata arc, it is essentially tlie wol-k of a tliiriker whose niain concerns are with contrapuntal and i Ibrmal matters.
A,
S GIFTED cr teacher ns was an urganist and a composer, Fronck taught o 711h0k grneratiu~iof French composvrs (his org(rn class at the Park Consmaloire ulas really an advanc~dseminar in cmnpusilion), ctrnung them Vincent d'lndy, lfrnri Duparc, Ernest Chawon, Paul Dukas, Gabriel P i e d , and Albinc iblagnard.
Franck composed the sonata as a wedding present for his countryman, the Belgian violinist E u g h e Ysaye. who received the manuscript on the day of his marriage and immediately set 10 work to learn the piece. Thanks to his championing of it, the sonata caught on quickly-and proved so successful with audiences and performers alike that it was soon appropriated by cellists and flutists, and today serves as one of the foundation works of their repertoires as well. Like a number of Franck's other works, thc sonata is cyclical, the thematic material of all four of its rliovements being derived from a single germinal motive. T h e operiing measures of the first movement introduce the motive, a serene, arpeggio-based theme in the violin that crystallizes out of an ethereal four-bar rneditatio~iin the piano. Restrained, then increasingly inlense in its lyricism, the subject is developed at poetic length. In contrast with this reverie, the passionate D minor ~novementthat follows seems all the more turbulent-though it, too, contains passages of idyllic languor. T h e third movement, designated HecitativoFantu.rii1, opens with a sornber preface in the piano answered by a brief violin cadenza. At first, the dialog recaptures the dreamy mood of the sonata's beginning, but soon the violin's improvisatory arabesclues become more probing, the piano's flourishes more dramatic. T h e final Allegro, in A major, begins with the gentle carionic presentation of its main subject, a marchlike yet flowing version of the motto theme. During the course of the movement, the writing runs the gamut of emotions from beatific to cataclysmically troubled, but the sentilllent at the end is resolute, heroic, and transcenclent.
Kyung Wha Chung, violin; Radu Lupu, piano. London 421 154-2 [with work by Debussy and Ravel]
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Shlomo Mintz, violin; Yeflm Bronfman, piano. Derltschp Gmrnmol~hn):4 1 5 683-2 [zr~rflrtonnt<~c l)ebusc~ c~rrrlttaz~el]
(:hung and L.III)LI co1lahor;tte on the most musical account of tlle Franck sonata in the cat:ilog, one that restores to the \\.ark its Gallic clegancc, a qt~alitythat ~ x r r l ysurvives tile passio~i01 most performances. 111 Churig's pl;~ying,the tlreaminess of the score is beautif'ully evoked. L L I ~ Xwith I, his t)rilliartt tcchl~iq~te ancl sparing use of the l~ecl;~l, manages a rrvelation of detail in he piano part. .l'he 1977 l.ecordi~lgis \\.arm and ;il,p~-oachable. At midprice and genero~tsl\fillet1 out. this is as tlcsinble ;IS a disc cart gct. hlintz's brooclir~ginterprct:~tio~l benefits I'rom his powerf~tlyet i~llrnacul;itelycontrolletl playing and his ren1arkal)le purity of'rone. At ti~llesalniost Russian in its n~elarlcholy.the account generates consiclerable war~nth,\\:itho~~t ever souncli~lgl~earton-the-sleeve. 'fllc ~ ~ a r t n c r s l i~vith i p B ~ . o ~ ~ l ' ~isi i a n a good one. bilsctl on a shxred understa~ldingof . Granimophon's recording, the I ~ L I S ~ CDc~ttsthe from 1985, is vcl-y (.lose ancl Ixilances XIi~ltzrather he;~vilyagairist I ho piano.
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oniplcted i l l 1'781 i i ~ i t known l as rlie R~rssinrt Quarters because 01' their cledic;ttion to Grand Duke P;I~II of Russia. the six \+.arks of O p ~ t s 33 show H a y d ~ ieffectively I~ringingtlic (:lassical string quartet illto its niatirrily. I-Ie coml)osed tlie set after t a k i ~ ~;Ig ten-ye;~~. sal~l>aticalf'rom the genre (his prior \corks \\.ere called dive^-tinlentos"). ;t~ldhe ~iotcdat the ti~ricof their put)lication tllat the six pieces had beer) writ ten in "a11entirely
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dk'UAr WAS the first conlposer lo ure ".rcherzo"-(I fi1.51, dulrcr-like rnmemet~lin triple t~me-in pluce of a rnirluit. Beethovnt adopted [he sctterzo R( the standard "darlce" mo~rert~ent in his sorlatur and q m p l ~ o irirs. "Scherio" does nmeu 11 'yoke," brrt plot (111 scherzos 11re light-hearted or fnrrtmy; some, like the scherzo in BeeIhouenk Fifth, are posit~uely grim. lves had some misrhitf urith thk in his Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano, ermtitling the scherzo "TSIAJ," "This S r l ~ m o Is a Joke."
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new ; ~ r i t lspecial way." 'l'he~nestend to be constructed out of riiore highly contrasted elements than before, opening LIPnew possibilities i r i their develol~rnent.111aclditioli, the balance of the partwriting is more even, with the four instruments engaging almost as equals in the unfoldirig of the n~usicalargument. Haytln does not abandon the concertante manner of some of his earlier quartets; in Optis 33, No. I, for- esample, there are many exposctl passages for first triolin. But his tvriting is marked by greater finesse, ant1 by a sensitivity to sotrnd that enables hirn to achieve effects of feathery delicacy in the most cheerful of the six essays, the Quartet in C, Op. 33, No. 3 (Tlir Bird). For the first time, Haytln substitutes the livelier scherzo for the conventional minuet. T h e Quartet in E flat. Op. 33, No. 2, even carries the new term as its riickname: T h eJokt.. In this c:ise, though, the ':joke" cornes at the conclusion o f t h e rondo finale, when first a sentimental .Adagio interlude and then a series of agonizing pauses interrupt the final stillernent of the main thernc. T h e last bit of the theme makes it out, the quartet appears to end, ant1 there is a long silencc-until sirddcnly the first part of the tune cornes one more time. And only then, u p in the air, does I-Iaycln really end the piece, leaving his listener with the funniest delayecl double-take in all of music. l'here is nothing laughable about the quality of Haydn's craftsm;lnship in this tvork. T h e ideas of the opening movement are lucirlly developed out of the material of the initial four measures, the third motement has a man-elous bmvity, and the scherzo balances rusticity with grace in a most satisfying manricr.
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he late clunrtets of' Haydn, togetfier ~vith quartets tledic;~tccl to t i ; ~ y ( l ~ r , represent the ultilnale acl~ievenic~~t in the gc.1ll.e in the 18th ce~it~rl-y. The sis quartets of Opus 76. written for Count Joseph Erdijdy alid dedicated to him when p~~hlishetl i l l 179!), arc \\,or-ks of freshness aricl s~rhtlety.llaycln sho\\ts he is still willirig to expcriment, still capable of' finding new ways to treat form1 and t e s ~ u r eant1 , readier th;in ever to express person;ll feeling, in a way th;lt frccli~entlyanticipates the music of' Hectho~~eli. For esarnple, in the Adagio of the Quartet i r ~ E flat, Op. 76, No. 6, Haydn's ly~.icisrnacc111il.e~ the sustainctl i~ltcnsitytllought to belong to ;i much later pcriod in music. Here tlie writing I~as a rno~iument:~l tenderness-ivhile i l l the qu;lrtet's finale, the motlulations strike tvith a pungc~lcy that rriust have wrenched patricic~ncars ant1 left if so~nethingstrange had haplisteners I+-ontler-ing pcrictl to Haytlr~in his old age. l'hc Quartet i l l B flat. Op. 76, No. 4 (Su1rris~).so 11ic-knametl1.01the crescent-sh;~pecIprofile of its opening rnelotly. is t\.ithout doul~tone of I-iaydri's finest creations, though scarcely :I more consoli~lg~vork.Its :lstonishingly bleak Aclagio plumbs e~ilorionalclel)tlis rarely sounded in the 18th (or for that rnntter, the 19th) celltury. But Idaydn as :ilways achic\.cs a balance, ant1 t1.w warm opening ~iiovcrlierll,tllc rustic minuet \\.it11 its musette rrio, iind the cvcrquickening ti nale lend a sense of'co~r~pletencss to thc \\rork thxt is t\.cll gauged. Tlie best k ~ i o ~ vof' n the Opus 7(i qiiartets is tlic thirtl, in (: major, nickna~nedthe E~np~ro)-bec;~usc the theme of' its second ~nove~r~ent is that ol' the anthrm fIaycl~rwrote f'ol- Ern peror I:r;inz I I ((;olt e l h a l r e F r ~ r t r z r l Kaiser), ~~r which became the national anthem of both Austria and Ger111;tnyand is also the tune to the hymn "(;lorious 'I'llings of' 'l'hee Arc Spoken, Zion City 01' Our C:od." I'he dccply
t 9 hIozart's -
Al'D.\l 1.S ONE of rhr eul p e a l cot~rposers ~uhoactuall~ttr(1de hi.^ liuitrg a\ n slreel ttr rcsicicr n. Tussrd O I I ~of'flre choir of SI. Step/)nr's Ckthedrnl itt liieirtru (11 rhe age of 17, I I ~ P I hi.\ I voice r-lrunged, hc ,joi~tnl(I gro11p uf ititrm(rrr1 t~~u.\icio t1.r u~tioplayed .scmrc~desin rltr streels for pockrl chnlzge. f l e cotrlittrcrd m sitlg rrttd / 1 1 r t ~ the viulitr arrd org(ztl in vorio11.r churches, (itid l i - i ~ t d j i r .sev~r~iI years it1 n 11 tcn/terite(i g11 rrrl.
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touclring theme is subjected to four val-iatiotis, all of excluisite beauty. T o compensate for the extra \\?eight of this ,\tiagio, H;~ydngives the work a son~e\vlratlightel- than usui~lopening Allegro a~rtl a straightfor~val-tlminuet. T h e powerful finitle, which spends much of its time in the minor, serves as the cluartet's other center of gr'cvity and balances out the lofty sentimc.nt of the Adagio with something close to dramatic angst.
Tatrai Quartet. Hur~g(~rolorr HCD 11887/88 12 CUs; Opur 331 Takacs Quartet. Loi~dott421 360-2 [ O ~ L I76. J Nor. 1-31 nrrrl 423 467-2 [ O p ~ o76. .VGS.-I-h]
7 % 7irkrirs ~ ~
Z ~ I ~g I -I nI ~ ~ ,I~
P V J ~ ~ P I I OO~C!O I I I I J I S I /
H~yd~i.
T h c 'l'iitrai pl:iyers address the 0p11s33 qu:wtets with a sense o f long familiarity, yet thcir ~ C C O L I I I L Sare in 11o ivav routine. 7'lre effortless gathering of the li~lesat czldcnces, the do\~etaili~ig of thc voices, ancl tllc coml~lcteabsence of esccssive rhetoric make for elegant, \r.arnily persuasive readings. If one could distill the essence of Classicism, it \could come out sounding n ~ t ~ like c h this. T h e rccorded sound is typical Easter11hloc-.just some\\~liatbetter than radio quality. By tllc time Haydn wrote his late string q~lartc~rs, his m:lstery of corr\-cntion 1i:ld gro\\jn to the poi~rt \\*hereIiis imagination was utterly unfettered, illustrating Robert Frost's famous clirtum [Ira1 freedo111is "\\.hen you're c8;rsy irl yo~11harness." T h e ?l':tkAcs Qi~;rrtet,a flamboyan~enseml)le founclcd iri 1975, plays the Opus 76 essays in that spirit. 'l'he highly profiled accounts ;ire interrse but never rowdy. These more public esprcssiolls of Haydn's gelrius have hccn capturerl in revel.berant spaces-tlle Schubertsaal of Vie11rl;i's i Konzerthaus ant1 London'\ St. Bar~rabas'-ant1 i the rcc.ortlings have striking presence.
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' MENDELSSOHN
OCTETFOR STRINGS. IN E
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ANhV r\lendelrsohn, the cotnposer's sister and o superb pinttist, srcnttnrtl up the efjict of the oct(,/:c scherzo: "The iuhole piece Is to be phyed staccaro and pianissi~no,the isolrtlvd tremolundos cortting here a t d there, the triILcflashittg with the quickriess of ligh~ttingall is I I P U I , strange, a ~ r dyet so ingrotinling, so pitasing: o w feek so c h e to the worlrl of spiril~,SO lightly crtrried tcp into /lie a i r . . ."
F1.A.r.
OP. 20
wonder composed his Octet for Strings i r 1825 ;it thc age of 16. - ~ 0ctohe1As striking as i t is. both for freshness of inspiration and confidence of treatment, the piece is not quite the spo~~taneous manifestation o f genius some have assumed i t LO be, hut a natural successor to the four string symphonies hlendelssohn had \vritte~~ in 1823. It is a I~rilliantscore, hut one for tvhich the grou~lclivorkllad beer1 ~horoughlylaid. T h e octet was penned as a 23rd birthclay present for Edu,iltl Rietz, a valuetl me111ber of ~ h c hfendelssohn family circle ant1 an outstanding violinist. It was probably first performed eftfamille, at orle of the Sunday morning ~llusicale\in the 3fendelssohn home irr Berlin, with Felix I~imself taking one of the viola parts. At the head of each part in the score, hlendelssohn cautions: "This octet must bc played in the style of a sy111phony in all parts; the piano.\ and fortes must be very precisely differentiated and be more sharply accentilated than is ordinarily done in pieces of this type." T h e music of the opening Allegro makes it clc;rr that the composer mean1 his advice to be take11 seriously, for here is a sonata movement of tt-illy symphonic proportions, olle that reveals a c o ~ ~ s u m n ~coniate mand of form :ind argument. hl;~rkedcon fiioco, it is indeed fir11 of Romantic fire, \vith a soaring first stlbject that exudes optirnisril and a cotla that has all the fit/ of a summery shot of seltter. T h e Andante, mela~ncholyand senti~ncntal,stands in marked contr,lst, its tlecorative imitation early testimony to hlendelssohn's delic;~(ecrafism:u~ship. T h e scherzo is gold drawn from the purest hIenclelssohni;~~i vein. Illspired Ijy the procession of spirits depicted in the Ii'alptirgis~zacll~scene of Goethe's Fatist, it can be recognized as a precursor to the Overture to A Afia!wni)~irr hiight 5 I)rc.anl. L$'ith the Iinalc. hiendclssohn's y o i ~ ~ l ~st~icly f i ~ l of
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Bar-oclue counterpoilit pays 01-1' handsomely. The movenlent begiris ivith a j u b i l a ~eight-part l~ iugato that rumbles u p from the bottom register of the two cellos and rockets aloft. I:rom this poiri~on, notes ;Ire spun ofl'likc sho\\.ers of sparks i l l ;I tour de force of inner-part writing that rnust have made the work's first perlbrmel-s absolutely giddy. The scl~erzothenie steals hack onto the stage for a quick boil. n~iciw;~y through, and the mo\.c.ment ends full of life and f'un with all eight players scrubbi~igaway at the limits of'sourld ant1 speed.
Academy Chamber Ensemble. Philipc ,120 400-2 (ritith (Ittintc.~I r l I{ Jlat, 01.
?'tie chamber group froni the ricadem!. of' St. hlartin-in-the-Fields gives a Ixacing account of the octet. The playing is polished, thc erlsc:rnble tight-and the style and scope of the intcrpretatiori ;Ire genuinely symphor~ic,as I\fendelssohn desired. The analog recordir~g,from 1978, has a pleasing immediacy and ('resl~l~ess.
conip~setln ~ o r ethan ;i clozen i l l his youth. so111r of tliem quite excellent. \Vitll the six quartets dedic:rteci to Haytln (K.387. -12 1 , 428. 458, 464, and -l(i5), written between 1)ccember IT82 and January 1785, Sforart addressctl the for111in full mati11-ity-and in possession of ~ n u c h\\.isdon1 gained from the elder master's quarlels, specifii cally rlieil- conversatiorla1qualily and their variety
'string quartets
pngt 9uarlrh.
o/
.\lou,rl,s
nsfit,,.rc
332
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of texture and topic. Here then are hiorart's finest quartets. characterized by a rich sense of melodic and harmonic invention and I)y a remarkable degree of contrapuntal sophisticat ion. Two of the six pieces have proved especially popular and merit a close look. T h e Quartet in B flat, K. 458, is knotvn as tlie Hurl1 because its opening thenie alludes to the 618 rhythm and paired-horn I';~nfaresassociated with the hunting topic in 18th-century n~i~sic. I'he exuberant tonc set at t h e beginning is kept throughout: indeed, this quartet as a wliole, notwithstanding the poignancy of' its slow nio\fenlent, is the most extroverted of the sis I-laydn Quartets. i T h e first movement's robustness o\ves much to Haydn, and at the end of the movement thc hornlike writing is brought back over a drone bass, a favorite touch in Haydn's music that Mozart appropriates with his usual grace. In the minuet Mozart introduces a rhythmic imbalance that makes the proceeclings suddenly seen1 more serious than one might have sul~posecl. But he brings things dotr.n to earth in the trio with a frothy, ebtlllient country dance. T h e slow movement, in I.: flat, is the only true Atlagio in the Haydn Quartets. There is a touch of uncertainty in its opening phrases; as the discourse H E N THE SIX gradually fincis its direction. the movement unquarich were pubfolds with striking melodic beauty. T h e harmony fished, ~tfozartattcrched a shifts from major to minor, clia~~girlg the context dedicntion to Hayrlt~tlrctl in what for hlozart is an i~nusually troublir~g way, rpad it1 part: "A faflier u~ho until a poignant leave-taking is reached. T h e bouncy had decidpd to smd his sonc moot1 of the cjuartet's opening is I-estoretl in the out it110tht world clt large breakneck finale, over which the spirit of I-laydn (hem to the protectioti atzd once again hovers. Yet even here, amidst the guidntrc~of a mart who was hustle and bustle, one finds the lyrical expressiveriess that hlozart alone could comman
W
CHAMBER MUSIC
A
I T E R H.4 )'/IN I f i l )
o .r~cvrtdoPynrlur1t1~10 heor 1117re a/ ~ I I F I Cqticrrte15, he p ~ l dthe folloiirt~~g conrplrrrrerrt to hforarl'\ [olher: "1 tell y 1 1 6tfore Cod orrd ar or1 honrsl man, tlcat ?our so,, u (he p ~ o l e dC O I I I ~ O S ( , I ulhom I kr~ourpcrtor~al!,' or by rep~rlol~orr. Ilr 11s lnstr orrd, wltar 1s morr, thr g~uutuslR~zvitlledgrof the lrcl~r~rqri~ of cor~t)2P0silror1."
i
MOZART
333
so bars, an ambiguity that ni:tkes the ultimate co~lfir~llation of C major all the more i~iipressive. Having wountl 1111 thc spririg, hlozar~lets fly in the Allegro with an impetuous opening subject in the first violin whose energy is reiriforced by a steady rhythmic pulse in the second \qiolin ant1 viola. -1'lle I-estlc.ssnessof'the mo\renlent inrcrlsifies to agit:~tion in the developmelit section, where the lintrs take on a jagged clualiry rernirliscent of the sharp intervallic cl:tshes of tlic illtrotiucrion. In the ardent yet gr:icio~lslysustainetl lyricism of the Antlante, hlozar~hints a1 what is about to i n almost g come in 7-IIP 12lrrrring~loJ'Figrrro. I ~ ~ ~ i l d:In operatic scene out of a duet bet~veenfirst violin and ccllo. .l'here is a Soretaste of' Beethoven in the br~tsclue,scherzo-like elicrgy alld s ~ a r kcontrasts of. the minuet, wit11 its brigllt (; major outer sections ant\ overcast C minor trio. 111 tlie finale. hlozart tips his hat ngaill to Haydn, uncorking a heady ~nixrurcof virtuosic displ;ly ancl melodic thc marerial is transformed razzle-dazzle, thougli by hlo~art'sunique sense of tillling ant1 corilplesity.
@ RECOMMENDED
RECORDlNGS
Melos Quartet. Deukche Gramalof,hoti 4-39 818-2 [corrrplrtc Hi~ydn Q~rrrrtetscrlso az~nilubleorr 41 5 ,770-2. 3 Cllr, rrrtdprrcr]
Salomon String Quartet. H~periorlCIIA 66 1 70 [l)issonallce Qriorlr~l.utilir Q~i(rrtet in I) rnrrror; h'. 4-31]
T h e hlelos ol'feritlg is thc recording of clioicc for these quartets. l'he Sturtgart-based fi~ursome offers inSor~necfreadings, rernarkahlc. 1.01.thc aptness of' tempos and rlie smoothness of enserlible; the accounts are buoyallt alltl dclivc~-edwith the kintl of polish rhat allows o11e to see be~ieatlltlic surthce irlto the expressive gr-;)in 0 1 ' the tllusic. The recorcli~igs,matie (luring 1976 slid 1977. arc. close b11t well balancccl, aricl tlry cr1o11ghto let the
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f instrun~eritssound as they d o in a real chamber f environment. 'l'his allows the substantial tonal dif'fererices between first and second violins to register, as t h o u g h t h e two were d i f f e r e n t personalities. T h e Salomon String Quartet, one of the best pcriod-instrument groups on the scene, offers an excellent perforniance of the Di;rso?tanceQuartet. For this 1985 recording, the players used "real" authentic instruments as opposed to modern copies. T h e warm [one and satisfying blend that result are readily apparent. 4
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STRING QUINTET IN C. K. 5 15 i STRINGQ U I N T E ' ~IN G hllNOR, I(. 5 16 ith these quintets for [\co violins, two violas, ant1 cello, written during the 7, hlozart reached the pinnacle of ent as a chamber composer. One of otewortl~ytraits is the way they conciuce the unexpected and make it le, [estimony both to Slozart's comment and to the striking nature of A vit-UP O/ ~ * i P ~ t t t(;rrrhrn a'~ ciistt-ir~,u ~ h ~lfozrrr-i e sl~erct some meia rtcholy yea 15.
T h e expansive opening subject of the C niajor f f Quintet's first nlovenlent fincls the march topic f and the singing style juxtaposeti, much as they i would be the Ibllowing summer- in the first movef ment o F the J ~ l p i l ~Symphony. r 'I'hc cello strides f confidently upward three tirnes, while the first j violin sings delicately ornamented replies. After f a measure of silence the violin hegirls to rnarch, j but unexpectedly in C minor. Now [he cello answers with the singing figure, and the third reply is this time extended dramatically, by 23 measures. Through all of this, there is a subtle disloc;~tio~~ of the scarision. as the dialog is put into 1ii.e- and six-bar phrases. T h e dynamic balance of uneven phrase groups and the surprising shifts in tonality that rnakc this opening so exciting contribute to
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the movement's long-range effect as \\.ell: in its breadth, symmetry, anti sense offlo~v,this Allegro of the C mcjor Q U ~ P UI ~ P I is one of 31ozart's grandest conceptions. pari of /he rn~riiccollectio~~ Because of the pagillation in hlozart's nianuat the Library I$ Congress, aid whun errsen~blescome to script, there is some question as to which movement petform the pie(,? at the liof the quintet cornes nest. >lost perforrnarlces brary's Coolidgr Auditorizo~, opt for the minuet. which seems to fit better than /he staff leave the srorr by the Andante after the long first mo\!ement. There the entrari~efor a 1 r ~ 0 7to~ e is a relaxed feeling to the minuet's beginning, but set (u. they u~alkin. 11 LI a soon a note of pathos creeps in: the trio, after nlarvelotcc piece of hazltlg for the play~rs-nnd sonie questioning from the violin and a brief humbling to listrr~ersand chroniatic excursion, breaks into ajaunty Liindler. performers alike to reabze Both the counterpoint and the sentiment of the that i\loz.art tried desperulelj Andante are remarkably complicated, and its melto sell copies 4 111iipiece to ody twice experiences a rapturous, ornamental the public, wrthout avail. flowering in the first violill answered with equal expansi\cness by the first \.iota. In a n Allegro finale full of brilliant f~ddling,hlozart creates a skipping ligh~heartednessnot far from that of the finale of E i w kltine Naclttnztuik,though more coniplex in both texture anti tone. T h e description that musicologist Alfred Einstein gave Syrnphony No. 40, in G minor, is even more apt to the second of these quintets. for if ever there was a "fatalistic piece of chamber music," this is it. T h e unmistakable anguish of the first movement may well reflect hlozart's state of mind in hlay 1787, when the piece was written. I-Ie \\.as then begir~ningthe conlposition of his tlarkest opera, Doll Giovanni, knowing full \cell that his ~vorkswc1.e losing their hold 011 the Viennese public. And as he wrote, his father lay clyirlg in Salzburg (Leopold's death on hlay 28 followed by 12 days hlozart's completion of the quintet). L\'hat niakes rhc Allcgro of tlle G ~ t i i r ~ oQuintet r so remarkable is that it seems to realize, in purely niusical terms, the anxiety these circilrnstances niust have caused. 'The rtiood remains dark in the ~ n i ~ l u eand t , the angry. offbe;tt chords tllat pierce the opening measures create new shocks that the trio cannot dispel. T h c ensuing Adagio at first seems to retreat from the turmoil i l l search of consolation.
T
H E AUTOGRAPI-I
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I
.I! D.ECE,\IBEIt OF 1790, loteph H(~y(llt brought Iris :ti011 lo I . ' i ~ ~ l ~ t n 111 porlicIp(11~it1 (1 re(l(lirrg of l/lt-(,t# of ~'lloznrlislritlg y~ti~rtet~-tI~e trtto i ~ ~ rfrom k.~ t11e.cprirtg of 1787 ( K . 5 1 j (irld 51 6), and tlrr jr~vl-cormpIete(1 Qz~iritt-1I P I D. K. 593. .\lomrl pull~doul his viola ac uvll, and thr troo jiirttrls look 11rnrsplaying lit(,firs1 pa "1.
MOZART
?'he strings ;ire ~ i i ~ r t e da ,n d there is a n almost prayerl'ul quality to the ~novelrient'sopening. Hut shado\vs soon retlrm-the music e ~ ~ t e the r s key o f B flat millor, as a poignant melody in t h e first \violin is accornl)al~ietlby agit;ltetl sisteenth notes in t h e o t h e r insrrumellts-ant1 t h e uneasiness eventually iicquires a Ileethoven-like intensity. O n e last surprise I-cmnins: after a slow inrroductio~i that suggests a halel'ul entl is in store, [ h e finale unfi)lcls as a s u l ~ n yr o n d o in (; major-an u n ~ i s u a l tur-11 for h2lozal.t. ~vliu1iorn1;llly kepr his minorkey works in IIIC minor. X l t h o ~ l g hsorile h:~ve criticized this entling as inipl:rusibIe, there a r e sketches th;it sIio\v hlozart trietl, a n d rejected, a linale in G minor. Clearly, Ile intentletl to t:lkc the listener o u ot'the ~ d;irkness :inti into the lighr.
@ RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Franz Beyer, viola; Melos Quartet. DPU&CIIP Grartimopho~~ -119 773-2
Marlcus Wolf, viola; Alban Berg Quartet. EhII Clnstics CDC -19085
~ ~ l e l l r.dlboli lc,~ f011~1dtd 111 1970,
Q
~
~
O n e imagines hlozart i v o ~ i l dhave h e e n dclighted by tlie winning performance both q ~ ~ i l i t e t s receive from Beyer a n d t h e hielos Quartet. en^p o ~ t r ea p t , t h e e n s e m b l e crisp, t h e playing energetic a n d gr;~ntllysustai~letlby a sense of'the ~ n ~ t s i c aline. l T h e techniqur o f these ~ n u s i c i ; l ~ ~ s comes t o t h e f o r e repeatetlly in these 1986 accounts, particrllarly tlie supel-b intonation a n d elegalit ~ ) h r a s i ~of~ first g violil~ist\.2:ilheln1 h,lclcher. T h e recortlecl sound is a little analytic b ~ l tpleasingly balancetl. T h i s is c h a ~ r ~ b emusic rplaying o f the niost glorioils sorr. In :I rccorclir~gfrom t h e salne year, the I3er.g enserilblc givrs perceptive accol~ntsof botlr !corks, full of sweep ant1 confidence in the C; major o f lyricism , ! ~Quil~ter ~ ~ a ~n d, with a n appealilig ~ n i x t u r e i a n d rxpressive ~ ~ n t l e r s t a t e n ~ einn tthe (; minor.
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MOZART
337
T h e sound is \\.arm arid resonant. Notwithstantling the track listings given in the booklet and on the back panel of theje\vel box, the Quintet in C is played with the Anclantc as the second movement, il conjectural ordering that does not work as well in practice as it does in theory.
rior to this composition, hloz;~l.t'ssr.orks for solo wind instrument and strings had been pieces of considerable charm but modest scope ant1 intensity. With the Clarinet Quintet in .4, however, hlozart revolutionized the genre for himself ;lnd for all who came later, writing a piece that not o~ilyrequires real virtuosity fro111the solo instrunlent but also remains a true, substantive chamber work. T h e quintet was completed on Septemlxr 29, 1789. as hlozart was composing his opera Cosi fun trifle, arid the parallels bettveen the two works in their melodic beauty and delicate scoring are worth remembering. T h c Clarinet Quintet is characterizetl by a deft, almost imperceptible alternation between gentleness anti pathos. It exhibits the highest degree of polish iri its counterpoint, as well as hfozart's custoni:t~.yflair for concerlunte writing in the clarinet part and, to an almost equal degree, in thc part for first violin. One of the most reniarkable features of all is the utter transparency of the texture, which alloivs the clarinet to bc absorbed into the harmony at certain points \\.bile subtly colorir~gthe sountl of the string erisc~nl~le. The first n~overne~it opens with a radiant though gently subdued series of singing lines in the strings, rvhich the clarinet answers with trial flights of passagework that scrve later as the basis for the development section. T h e second m o ~ ~ e m e is n ta suprenlely tender Larghetto with the violins muted throughout, the third a lightly scored minuet with two trios. For the finale hlozart oflers five varia-
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tions on a sunny rune, to \vliicl~lie I~ririgs;I toucli of the roriclo by allowing tlie tlienlc t o ~ . c ~ i r r n , ebullient, at thc end.
Antony Pay, basset clarinet; Academy of Ancient Music Chamber Ensemble. Oiseou-Lyre 421 429-2[~cfithO b n ~Qr~clrlt-1,K. 370, urid Honz Quinfe~,K. 4071
hfozart composed this qui~itet,like the 1:rter Clarinet Concerto, for Anton St:tdler. 130th works \\?erewritten for the basset cl;~ri~iet and g.'1111 ' COIIsiderably from being played OII that ir~strir~llel~t. Here. Pay uses a period basser clar-incr, ; i ~ i r leshibits cxceptiollal niastery of' ~ c c h n i c l i ~;ind c expression. His coliorts, also pla)$irig ~ ~ c r i o intl struments, psovicle a rich, stylish contrit)~rlio~~ of' their own; riot long ago, one woultl 11;tve heen hard pressed to characterize tlie tollc of' periocl strings as "silken," but tlic term is al)pl.olwi;ire here, particularly for the first violili of h i o ~ ~ i c a Huggett. This is a yearning, wihtflrl accoullt, f ' ~ r l l of character- and life. T h e 1987 recorciing is i l l ) mediate and beautifully balanced.
avel attencled the I'aris Conser\fatoire froni 1889 to 1895, left briefly, and returned in 1897 as a lnernber of FairrC's cornposition class. He wrote the Quartet in F, his sole essay in the genre, during the winter ancl spring of 1902-3 in his final months of sttrcly. R I I I the work's fluericy ancl consummate comm;rnd ol' Fol-rn mark it as a procluct of Kavel's c:rrly ln;~ti~l.i~y, not a student cffosl.
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RAVEL
Thc opening Allegro, in sonata form, begins with a broad subject played by the entire quartet. Kavel spins several ideas out of the theme, includirig one in the first violin over ii featl1e1.y innel--voiceaccon~paninlen~, before the arrival of the sultry second subject-a haunti~igmelody played by tlie violin ancl viola two octaves apart, markccl pianksirtro and tr8.r ex/~ressi/.Later, i r i :I gesture testifying to the already remarkable sophistication of his technique, Kavel recapitulate this sul?ject at ex;ictly the same pitches as before. but will write the cello's pizzicato acco~iipanime~it so th;it it shifts the harmonic contest from D minor to F rnajor. T h e huovant scherzo is in nlixed nieter a ~ ~ t l features a rich interplay of parts: the first violin and cello are written in 314, the secoriti violin and viola i r i %/a.There is a la~iguorouscentral trio. callirig for mutes, in which an expressive themc is announced by the cello in its highest register and taken over by the viola. Gradually, an idea emerges that sounds like a variatiori of' tlie seco~itl subject of the first niovemel1r, and over whispered tremolos it is conibined with the pizzic;~tosubject f r o n ~the opening of the scherzo. A feeling of ecstatic yet nielnncholy meditatio~i pervades the third movement, which again calls for mutes. Kerniniscences of the first movement's o p e n i ~ ~theme g are interspersed with ideas that pass like fleeting visions. T h e quartet's energetic finale opens with a violent passage in 518. A subsidiary itlca in the first violin has a nervous fragility to it, a ~ there ~ d is even an ur~settledquality in tlie more lyrical secorid subject. Fragments of the work's opening tlieme are once more woven iri~o the tapestry, ant1 the nlovelnent ends with :III exultaril crcscenclo. ~ + y i l l
R
A IfEL and 1)ebwy
were acqtiotiited with eucli otlter bttt wrt- IIPWT cloru. Ravel heltl DeblLssy arid his music i t 1 high regard, but Debtrr\y's respect for Rtrvel ulur trr~iperedby aloo/~~t~ss atid (i tolich of troriy. lt'heri,follort~itlgthe prt-tniere of R N I I ~ quartet, I'S some of th critic, tirged rev~riotu,Deb~myIS siipposed to have sald to hcr joutlger collerrpce, "In the ttame oj the gods of 111 tl.\~c,arid tn ~nttre,do tiof lo~ctti( I si?igle 1101e."
;
Orlando Quartet. i Philip.\ 1 1 030-2 [urilh ~ e b ~ c s s(1t~nt-ld y: if1 C; ~~iinor]
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RAVEL
Guarneri Quartet. ItC,'A Silver Sen1 60909-2 [uilh D e b t ~ ~ Quarfet s~: i~f G' 111inoratrd Suirc i)erpmasque]
QuartettoItaliano. I'ltilip 420 894-2 [ztri~ltDebtlsq: Qtrc~rt('/in G tni,tor]
I n this 1983 colrl~lingof the Ka\~clarid Debussy works, the Orlalldo Quartet niirtle its debut with characterful, war-r~ilyatmospheric r>erformal~ces. 'I'lic Ravel is irrll)~letlwith a ~~ost;~lgia ant1 a p:tssioiiate reslraint 111:tt pur i t in tllc same \rrorl(l ;IS Debussy's Pre'lude d i'npr2s-s-tnidi d'tcs-trjiaus-tze,and the recordirig is top-liotch. The Guarneri Quartet's 1!)7:3 recording h;ls long been one 01 ~ l l eoutstnntlirrg :~ccou~lts ol' the Ravel, rlotahle I,otli for the finesse of the pl;~yirig and for the artlor of the iriterpretation. T h e c:olorfill perforrna~iceis a marvclo~rsblend of polish and spontaneity. Although the :~mbienceis dry, the sound itsell' is solid and \vell li~cused. The Italian I'ou~-son~e respo~~tls to Ravel's ;Itrnospheric ~vritilig\vitti sorile 01' its most galvanic playing in this l!)tj5 account. 'flie interpretatiori throws the lariguor and incandescence of the score in \veig.l~t. into sharp relief. ;uicl is nearly syrnl)I~oriic
VERKLARTE NAC:IIT, OP. 4 he title 'I'r(rt~~f;girrd Niglrl comes frorl~a poeril by Richard Dchmel that appears i l l t T
Antold Schortihrg. h, Ego" Sclt~eb
tkelrhcd
the collection 11'Ieib iind \i7el/ (1Vottlntr n n d Il'ork(1). 1)elimel's transcc.lirlent, intensely spiritual vcrse ;rl)pealed to a ri~rrnberof Gerlii:rl~post-Rol~i;tir~ ic: composers, aniong them Slas lieger, I-Ians I'fi~zncr, and Richartl Srrauss, all ol'\vl~orr~ made voc:;~I sctririgs of it. Arid i t deeply affcctecl the . ~ u s t r i a ~ i j composer Schoctlt,crg (1874- 1 !I51 ), who in ;ltItlition to scttil~gcighr other I)c.l~mclpocti~s:IS i songs, usetl \~rrltliir/rhT~~cirt ;rb tile basis for [his
CHAMBER MUSIC
S
CIf Ob..:'il1l
\'el
I,l'll
LC
sac Ill.
SCHOENBERG
341
work, his most c ~ ~ d u r i nc h g a ~ l ~ l )co~~~l)ositior~. e~Scored for string sestet-two violins, I \ \ ~ Oviolas. ; I I I C ~two cellos-I,'r~rkliir/r~ ,Vacht cornhir~csrhe cl~ronlaric h:~rrnonyof \Vagner's Tri.\/atz~cttcll.\olde \\.it h the lush textures and ~ ~ a i n s t a k in~oti\*ic ~lg developrnenr o P Rral~~ns's 1;irc- charnljc-I.~vorks.I t closely li)llo~\rs I he espressivc curve ol't Ile poem. in which, o n a nloonlir night ;inlong t11c' trees, ;I i\-onl;cll con1essc.s to her lover that s l ~ eis pregnant IIV another rnan-ar~d he reassures lier th;it through their love Por c ~ ~ other, ch the cl~ilcl\\fill be as his. 'I'he first piece of program music in the chamber repertory, Iki-kliil-te .\lrrcizt is i l l essellce a symphonic IIoeln li)r six string i ~ ~ s t r u ~ n eIts ~ ~five ts. sections (corresponding to the stanzas of' Dehn~cl's poem) l i ~ r ~t\\.o n large slxins. *l'lle first, rootecl in 1) minor, conveys the ivoman's tlespair and tllc turbule~ltemotion of l ~ e rcor~l'ession.\\.bile [hc sccontl, i l l 1) n1;ljor-, evokes t11c. trar~sliguratio~~ that the couple's love hits brought to the night. Schoenberg \\,as an ;iccomplisl~edcellist \\,ith ;in insider's kno\vlcdge of the c h : ~ ~ n b ercperrory, r and his writing for the strings here is itliorrlatic ;111dcoIo~.f~~lIy effective. Nonethclc:ss, li)llorving its cornpletion in Ilccembcr of 18!)9, the sc'xtet \v;~s rejected by the Vienna Tonkiinstlervcrein. O n hlarch 18, 1902, rhe f~rstperlbr~nance\\Ins given l ~ yrhc Rose Quarrel and two collcag~~es.
Jiri Najnar, viola; Vaclav Bernasek, cello; Talich Quartet. (,'rrlliopt~( : A L 921 7 /u*it/r I)t!o,'rik: S~slr-tiri A . Op. 481
The Raphael Ensemble. Ilypt~riorr(,'[)A 6 6 4 2 5 [i~fit/rh'orrigol(1: Sextet
op.
~ I D, I
101
The '1';ilich Qu;~rre[;111cl [heir C:rech colleagues play ivarnlly througho~~t, in a Ix.isk rc.;~tlingthat s~~stains irs tension to LIIC end. - 1 ' 1 1 ~ o p e ~ ~ i nnote$ g
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[>eatlike a Iici~vyheart, arlcl the final piigcs glotv \\.ith emotiori. 0 1 1 this 1989 recor-cling, the souritl is close and cstrenicly vi\,id. T h e work offcretl as the coupling, Dvof5k's thoroughly er~jovablesestet, seems a l i t olvlinary next 1 0 Verklii,?~Nac/r/. but the musicians play it in tlie best Roherni;rn manner. 'I'hc playing of ?‘lie Kapliacl Ensemble is wonderf ully polished, and the account of \'~~-k-kliir/e I\~QC/II these young musicians cleliver has lots of voltage beliind i t . 'I'he opening is estremely atmospheric-where the Czechs are alrnost voluptuous, the Kapli;iel musicians are haur~tingly stark a r ~ dsu1)dued-but tlie climactic pages that come later have r ; ~ r e l yI x e n ;is i ~ i t e ~ i s e lprey sented. Hyperion's 1990 recording is ourstandi~ig, and the coupling, Korngold's exccller~tD major Sextet, receives a manrelous performance from the group tti.rt rcdiscovered it.
PIANOQUINTET I N A, D. 667 The Tro161
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chubcrt's icle;~of partying was to play music w t h friends, and to that end he conlposed the ?'mu/ Quintet in 1819 \vhile lie and they ~vere enjoying a surnrrier vacation in the "inconceiv;~l,ly lovely" town of Steyr. in Upper Austria. During t l i ; ~ t s u n ~ m e r ,musical evenings were spent at the I ~ o m eof Syl\ester- Paurngartner, a n amatcur cellist ant1 chamber music enthusiast. I;or one of the giltherings, he comniissioned Schuhert to compose a q u i ~ ~ t especifyi~ig t, 0111) that tlie instrumentation be the same as that o f Jollann Nepornuk H~lmmel'sQuintet i l l E Hat. Op. 87, and that it contail1 a set ol'variations o n Schubet-t's song Die Fol-elle (7'11~ Tt-ottl),written in 1815. \Vhile conceived of as I-Inrr.cmtlsik, inte~ldedentirely lijr pleasure, the resulting quintet slio~vsremarkable resourcefillt~essin the way i t handles the uni~sual
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TEI'K, 20 rrrib solrthmost of Lirrz, lips nt tlrc junctior~o j the S I ~ atrd Y the E I ~ I L~ T- t - i fitr~ srt~rric r~ (!/)per Atotrin. Tlre wrpkc that Ire sperrt here it1 1819 iifitir 1ri.c fii~rrd,lire burilorre Johattn i\licIiclel I'ogl, were clrnottg the Ir(~j)j~ie.\t of Srhziberl'.)
urrd e~~ntirtgs. O r r ~of thertr, ]ose/)lrn, kirrclled tlre~arneof' loz*enr uaell. She surrg arrd pluyvl thr pic1 no f i r Sclr 11bert, arrd he dedicnl~du soncrta to Irer.
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343
co~nplenlcntof string trio with adtletl piano arltl double bass. .I-he quintet's serc~~acle-like character is clearly reflectetl in its five-movement tiesig~i,ant1 its esseritial leisureliness ilnderscorecl by tile fact that two Antlantes frame the lone dance nio\:ernenl, a revers;~l of the usual pattern. T h e opening Allegro 1,egins with a hold chord from the full ensemble, rounded off by an arpeggiiited flourish from the piano. T h e strings d~.eamilyintone the mo\lemen~'sprincipal sut~ject,which rapidly transforms itself from a meditation to a quick march of viola and over the galloping accompanir~~ent cello. iZ s o ~ ~ g l i ksecond e subject is treated i l l duet fashion I)y the violir~and cello, and briefly turnctl to the minor \\*it11tc*llingeffect. Schubert takes a shortcut, perniissible in a work of such inforrnality, by riiaking the recapitu1:ition :I vcrbatirn repeat oftheexposition, transposcdso that it begirls on the si~bdominanland ends in the tonic. I-Ie does something similar in I he first Andante, cast in soliata f i ) r n ~without decrclop~ncnt.T h e exposition takes up three distirlct subjects: the first a placid theme in F 111ajorprescrited I)y the pia~lo in octaves over a stririg acconll~anin~ent. the secontl a n~elancholytulle iri F sh:crp millor- playetl by viola and cello. ancl the third, emel-gingdirectly fro111it, ;I jaunty, offbeat capriccv in I) 111ajorfro111 the piano over a pulsating bass. T h e second part of tlie Ino\'ement repcats the l i ~ s ta minor third higher, cycling back to F by way of A flat major ancl .A millor. T h e erlergetic scherzo, i\,ith its upbeat opening i sul~ject,sets the stage for the hymnlike beginning i of the fourth nlovement, tvhere Schubert placcs 1 the vari;rtions on Die Foralle recluestetl by Paumgartrier. Schubcrt's treatment is ~nostlydecorative, clearly p~.eservi~lg tlle rnelody in four of the sis variations. In the first three, the theme is taken u p i l l turn by the pi;lno, the viola and cello. ant1 the double bass. Tlic Lbirrth v;~riationstarts as ;I teml~estuous,mirlc>r-key rendition bur is humorously g e ~ ~ t l e \vhile d, the lifth ;~llol\.sthe cello a
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truly specu1;ttive tt,eatment, almost creatirtg a Ile\v tune. I n the final variation, Schubert has ttie pii~rio finally play what everyone l ~ a sI~eenwaiting to hear. the fluid accompaniment so familiar from ttie song. while lhc violin ant1 cello alternate with the melody. An energetic finale in the Hungarian style, full of' the highest spirits, brings the qiti~itct to a boisterous close.
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CHUBEH T composes a/ /he piatlo while the baritune Johant~,Michael Vogl sings itr a typical Schuh~rriade.The fTj~t~d.idip bet wen^ the two ulas close, and thpir artistic unrlrrstandiirg even closer. "The way . . . in which Vogl sing.$ and I uccompatry, so //rat we seem it1 such a moment lo be OTZY,'' wrote Schuher~to hic brothtr Ferdirmtd, "13 sonietlrirrg quile new l id utrheard of."
Rudolf Serkin, piano; Jaime Laredo, violin; Phillpp Naegele, viola; Leslie Parnas, cello; Julius Levine, bass. Sorry Clnssrcul SiCIK 46252 [with Alomrl: Claritret Quitltet, K . 5811
T h e recordi~lgby Serkin and a contingent of his Marlboro Festival proteges, dating from lY(i7, is still a gem. Kiglit off the bat the group settles on a perfect ternpo for the Allegro, and the loving way they shape the music here holds u p for the duration of the piece. T h e give-and-take is itnimated, the individual contributions brilliant. Serkin is masterly in the way lie balances the piiino part against the others. T h e glorious playing of Laredo, one of America's great violinists, is a continuous delight. T h e analog recording has been well transf'erred; at midprice this is a Iiighly competitive offering, especially if you like your Trout with the spots played ol'f it.
G
omposed in September of 1828, tlic Quintet in C lor Two Violins, Viola, and Two (:ellos was Schubert's last instrutnerital \\fork a ~ i dranks arnong his greatest accomplishments. Schubcrt's decision to use a second cello, rather than the second viola ch;~racteristic 01' Mozart's quintets,
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~ ~ e r n i ihim t s to explorc the string trio testtire i l l the micldle of the ensemble while rnaking enibellisl~incr~ts with the "1)ookend" comhi~ia~ion of first violin ancl secorld cello at the estrernes of the quanet range. T h e presence of a second cello also aclds to the overall richness of the piece, contributing a darker souncl. Schul~crt's~vritingfor the in s ~ l c htlet:~ilsns strings is symphonic, re\reali~~g the frequent fanfare rh>thms and repeated-note patterns, touches of- "orchestration" that \r.oulcl have been assigned to wincls and brsss in one of' his symphonies. 'The espansive first Inovenlent is in sonata for111 with an exposition touching on three key areas. 1'11c prir~cipalsut,ject o P the first o ~ l cin , C: ~liajor, grows out of the quintet's pregnant opening prog r e s s i o ~and ~ gradually gains impel us tvit h brisk calls to :~ction.T h e sccond key area, E flat rnajor, is annor~nced\vith a menior;rble thenle, poigrla~itlycluetted by the ccllos in their upper r.cgister and fill1 of desolate beauty. A warmer feeling 111arksthe rhircl key :Ires, C major, ~vhichis introducctl by a singing subject from the tirst violin. g (A-13-A), the vast Cast i l l ternary s o ~ ~forrn E major Adagio opens with a tentier, almost 1110tionless 11ymn in the thrce niitltlle voices, erhercally ornamc~~recl by the first \~iolin~ \ ~ ac pizzicato r foundation. The middle section of thc mo\rernent, i r ~the nlinor, comes with a sutltien o ~ ~ s l a ~ ~the gli~: intense pain and darkr~cssseem to belong to a \vorld ~rtterlyremoved from tlic rno\~erncnt'selegiac opening. 'I'he ensuing scherzo esults in joyoi~s hunt-like figures in its outer sections-but with the n~ovement's trio i l l L> fl;rt major, Schuhert once again induces a change in the emorional current, and the listellcr hovers halfway I>ct\\.een clegv and despair. Ol~timismregains the upper hand with the quintet's spirited finale. Ttvire durcocl;~,Schuhert ups the tempo. ing the n~o\fen~ent's so that the strings arc going at it hammer-andtongs by the enti. Eve11 so, not all the rlcmol~sarc exorcisctl: the tlramatic presence of D fl at in the 1:lst rnolnents ol' the cl~~intet, darkens the liiliil C.
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@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Mstislav Rostropovlch, cello; Melos Quartet. 1)euhchr Gramrt~oplroirGalleria 4 15 3 73-2
Helnrich Schlff, cello; Alban Berg Quartet. E,tII Classics CIIC 4701 8
It svould be difficult to imagine a filler account of this \cork than that of the hfelos Quartet and its distinguished guest. 'I'herc is a sporltaneily to the playing that complenlents the profound \chimsicality of Schubert's journeys to remote tonal regiolis, alorig with a sensitivity well suited to ihe meditative quality ofthe co~nposer'sIyricisni. T h e recording ih spacious, richly nu;inced, aiid admirably bala~~ced. Schiff throws thc considerable weight of' his tone behind the Alban Berg Quartet in ail impressive reading, notable for its energy and lyrical beauty. The recording is first-rate. except that the players omit (tie exl)ositioll repear in tlic first rn~\~errient, tlcprivi~igit of tlie "heavenly length" it s h o ~ ~have. ld
i !
kno\vn songs for solo voice with piano ;~ccompnnirnenttotal 634, of which nearly 400 were p~~blished after his deatll. Schubert revolutionized the Liecl in a very real sense: he was amolig the first to exploit the possit~ilities of song cycles (within which a continuous Ilarrarive thread unifies the cexts), and he brought a new level ol' sophisticatiori and insight l o the setting of poetry. The perfection tvith r\yhicl~melody and accompaniment s u i ~the text in so Inany of his songs Ilas rarely bee11 approached. Schuberr was quick to c;~pitalizeon the new tonal and dynamic flexibility of the 19th-cci~tury
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r(~ter\,1 1 Jholl~(jI; k ~ p 111 t m ~ n dlh(11he set 55 pourr~t1 9 Goethe, 46 by Sch~ller,a11d s u by hk cot~fettlporav Hetttrich Hertre. Hrc turo rnosl 1111porlat11 sotrg cycles. Dle sch0ne lli~llerinfllld \Vinrer reise, ate rtrdeed trt to rcrther p111rtl rrnd S P ~ I I m~11rnlte.rrs 4 I\'tlhelm ~~lrrller, ncsr~redlytrot o great poet. Mu1 the ziark ofler plnlty of t r n n g q ru gnst for Schrrhert i ~~ery productrur mnncr11rntll.
.Sclrtrhc,r/ nild fiir*~rcl.~ .st./ ufl for Ilrr~rotritlty-n Hlrcic.r~rrric~rcrlr oi11i11g.
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347
piano as an instrument of accorrip:irli~rrcrrt,rl~:rkirig it an equal partner with the voicc. I-lc 11;itl a deep and innate unclersta~idir~g of poctr-y, along with the skill to achieve i r i rriilsic what a poeni achieves in language. For him, writing a song was not a matter of setting the wortls to nus sic, but of' translating the poetry into n~usic.His \villingness to set poems of great emotional intensity was niatchecl by his ability to conjure up harmonic twists and melodic turns that conveyetl emotion with remarkable simplicity and force. so that without overextending his rhetoric he could in a few lines of music scale the heights ol'elation or probe the depths of suffering. Die scho~le~lliilleriri(Tile Lozre(v i\Jill-~\,l(iid), consisting of 20 songs conlposed tlu~-ing Octot>erand November of 1823, is a springlike idyll of unrequited love tvith a tragic ending, in ivl~ichthc brokenhearted young hero, spi~rnedhy the maid in favor of a hunter, drowns hin1selS in lie millstream. Schubert makes the sot~ndof' the strcani a continuing motif of the cycle in 111c pi;~rlo's rippling. arpeggiated figuration. The 24 sorigs of Fri?~terni.reilVinLer J O Z I T P I P ) ' )which , Scli~~l,erc set between February arid October of 1827, stantl arnong his masterpieces in thc art of song. I n this desolate winter trek, the musical treatment is heavy with misery. particularly noticcablc in the way melodic lines tend to drop at the ends of phrases. T h e more out\\.ardly expressive natur-e of the songs in Book I1 of thc c ~ c l esho\vs Schubrt on a n e w plane of inspiration, capable of re\-ealing, even in Lhe gloom, marvelous en~otionalvistas. T h e first song of Book 11, "Die Posl." illustrates Schubert's insight into lyrics, as ivell as the economy of his musical means. T h e arri\.al of the stagecoacli carning the day's mail is signaled by posthorn fanfares and a galloping figuration in the piano. But in the song'snmiddle section, when the hero finds no letter from his belovetl, a simple shift in [he harmony frorn E flat major to E flat minor conveys with \vonderf'~~I sucltlcrl~lcss his plunge from anticipation t o tlespair
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Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Gerald Moore, piano. Ileufsclre Cr~innropho~r -115 186-2 [Ilic schonr hlirllcr-in] Peter Schreier, tenor; Andds Schiff, piano. l.onflo~l-130 414-2 [Die schone Sl iillcrir~] Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Alfred Brendel, piano. Pltrlips f I I 463-2 [\\'interreisel
For more than 90 years, Fiscl~cr-Dieska~l's Dip scl~iirlel\liillerin with hioorc has been a s ~ a p l cof
~ ~ l , . t l l r ~. ~, l, r ~ l t . , ~ ~ ~ l , , ir,t,h c~irrrr~ ( ; t ~ l i ~ / ,i \/~ O O I I
III IIII
/II(IIIO.
i
the catalog. O n balance the fi~restol'the baritorre's interpretations of the cycle, this is a re;~tlingof bethrilling directness and impeccal,lc I~ala~lce tween the partrrers. T h e e s c i t e n ~ c !in~ ~tlic ~ song "Unged~~Eif"("Impatier~ce") is ~~all);iljle, :IIIC~ \vherever Fischer-Dicskau soars, bloorc soirrs 1.igl11 along with him. Origi~iallyrele;isctl in 1!)72, l l ~ e analog recording holds up \veil O I I (:I), ol'li.~.ilig sharply focused souncl. Only a few other sirigers bring ;IS much inletligence to Schubcrt's songs as Iiischer-l)icska~~, and one of them is the tenor Schseier. In 111is highly profiled readilig, Schreier in\*ests cvel-y phrase with emotion. T h e Saxon accent is sollietimes a little hard on the ears, hilt each \\lord comes across At the piano, Schil'f sings every hit as insightfully. illuminating the 11;lr.t in unisterly fashion. T h e recording, riiacle in \'iell~ia's Ko~izerthaus in 1989, is \\~onderfullylife-like. 111 his 1985 recording of \\'itlte~~e~.~e \\*itti 1%1.endel, Fischer-Dieskau can be heart1 ~~tilizing all his art to overcome the erosiori of his instrur~ic~i~and bringing a theatricality t o the cycle that makes this the most engaging of his inte~.l)~.et:itio~rs. I.:vc~r though there are signs of strain i l l his singi~rg,his expression o f senti~nentis tl-uly rcriiarkaI)lc. 'flic results here o\\c 11iuc11to l$~.entlcl;I\ \\,ell, svlio
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without ever reminding us tll;it he is Brenclel. never lets us forget that the piano part is by Schubert. T h e way the pianist presses the augmented sixth chord on the wort1 "dra7zg~f''("surge") in "Die Post" is just one example of his artistry.
PIANOQUINTET
IN
E
FLAT,
OP. 44
his melodious, outgoing score. like so much of Schumann's chamher production, bet T
Schumntrt~.fhc quintesnitinl Romatrlic. q have bem a munu-deprrsrv~.
longs to the year 1842. It is a seminal work, the first in a long line of Romantic piano quintets that includes essays by Brahms. DvofPk, arid Franck. In its effective integration of the piano and string quartet, it set the standard that subsequent works in the genre have had to meet, while the lively interplay among its participants gives a perfect exanipie of what any piece of chamber music shoultl aspire to be. Perhaps because he was a pianist and thought so often in pianistic terms, Schumann keeps his instrument at the forefront, establishing a balance of opposition between it and t l ~ equartet. After the enserrible has leapt into action with a forcefir1 statement of the first nioven~ent's main subject, the piano softens the impetus and adds a warmly reflective quality to the discourse. Nothing if not a gracious partner, the piano dcfers to the cello and its cornpanions in the s e c o ~ ~subject, d a quintessential evocation of reverie. T h e development is stormy. but the passionate optimism of the opening pages is restored by movement's cncl. T h e slow movement begins in the style of a funeral march but opens out to an elegiac second subject in which the string texture and the piano's rolling, arpeggiatecl patterns foreshadow Rrahms at his most poetic. An agitated ri~iddlesection that finds the piano exercisirig in brisk octaves leads to a reprise of the march, proclaimed in ghostly tones by the viola over a tremolo acconlpaniment. -
IF YOU IJKE THIS WORK, you ufill probabh enjoy Ikterri~~g to Schurriaiiti's I'inno Quccrlef in E Put, Op. 4-1, and Brahmsi Piano Qulnkl it1 F minor, Op. 34.
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T h e scherro rhar IOllo\cs Iias t lrc :rr~im;~tior~ oric associates with similar motlenlcllts I)y hlcl~tlclssohn, but it also possesses an arhletic streligt 11. T h e concludirig illlegr-o begins t'igoro~~sly in tlrc tninor key, a surprising touch, ;~ntlentls \vitli ;I spacious coda consisting of t ~ f~rgal ~ o episodes. the second of which combines the main subjects of the first movement and the firiale in a n~itgisterial three-voice treatmcrli.
CII cledrcnled P~orroQtlerllcl S uflfeClrircl, rllrre~~ PIYU,!IA,\'I\'
the
lo
Dolf Bettelheim, violin; Samuel Rhodes, viola; Beaux Arts Trio. PI~ilips420 791-2 [~oithI'inrlu Qrcurlel, 0j.471
hu
6/11
L ~ P N I P/ter ~ ~ T O I I Ipcrr1tc1-
patrrrg 111 the work's first perfir trrtrttce otr Ilecerr~ber6. 1842, in Lerpzlg. 1 I ~place i ot 111rkt-yborlrrl 7vm loltrrr 6y I:el~x ~\Ierulelssolrn,rrrho Ircrd beerr rrtvtlvrl lo nllrrrrl llte utrvc,~lrrrg, nrcd gcrtrtr~l~ ~ig111reclrl Ihr plere.
Emanuel Ax, piano; Cleveland Quartet. RCA 6498-2 [7L~i//lPiorlo Qlcarter. 0p. 471
T h e approach oi' the Beaus Arts Trio ar~tlils associates is essentially rcflcctivc. 'l'he ~~l:tyc.r.s :ire in perfecr balance, givi~iga poisetl l~c.rIor-ln;~t~ce wi~ha lovely dotetailing of voic cs. '1 lie ;rrritlog recording, made in 1975, is \ V ; ~ I - I I I ;LIICI clct:~ilecl and has beer1 optimally trallsfcrrcd t c ~C:l). A s and the Clevelanders take ;I (11-amatic srarrre, making theirs a good counterp;rrt LO tllc il~tel-pretation of the Bcaux .Arts Trio. -1-liis is a I~ighcontrast perlbrmance. in ivhich t l ~ eparticipitn~s push the assertive clement of Schutnann's writing as far as it tt.ill go, arid milk thc seritirnerrtal. 11s is a fine chamber musician, but here hc is still a soloist. T h c recording dates I'rom 19Xti arrtl is almost symphonic in weight.
i
f Goethe represented tlrc clini;~s01' <:l;issrcisrn ant1 0lc arrikral ol' t2om:tnticisrr1 in German letters, riruch :IS I
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is to ~oritufur (he zroice comzuitlt irrslnr rrtenlal rornpo.\itiorl-ctrt(1 /low lhb rages arid ulelk up uitt~inme whet1 I sit do~tntto ulork." -Robert Scl~~~rnann
pared
Thr I I I O I I I ~oIf ,\f~~-/loure~ T, \ ~ l l l l l ~ l f ~ 111111 f ' . WIIIR.
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Heinrich Heine was rhe poct of choite fi)r tlic later Romantics owing to the ren~arkablc.intensity and subjectivity of his work. Above all, Hcine was direct-terse, yet rich in expressive coritcnt. This attracted composers from Schubert, who was his direct contemporary. to Grieg and Richard Strauss. It is hardly surprising that Sch~lrnannalso responded to Heine's poetry, for it ernbodied the turbulent eniotions he himself felt. Schumann's Dichterliebe (the title literally means Poet> Love) is his best-known song cycle and a supreme achievement in the field of German Lieder. T h e music was penned in a single week at the end of May 1840. tlle "year of song" that saw Schumann's marriage to Clara Wieck over lier father's objection. While the underlying theme of tlie cyclelove's joyous awakening and painful loss-had autobiographical connotations for Heine. Schu~nann'slove for Clara scarcely went unrequitecl. Rut the sincerity of the con~poser'sfeelir~gsmid the agitation of this period in his life undoubtedly contributed to the musical intensity of ttic settitigs. T h e songs exhibit a tremendous cornl~ressionof' emotion into the tightest musical space. 'l'he piano is an active participant in the process, conveying much of the message and contributing consiclerable nuance as well in the astonishing variety of its figuration. Most of the 16 songs of Dichterliebe are brief cameos. a few more thoroughly worked tableaus. "Im u~underschB7loziClonnt illai " ("In the Lovely hlorith of May"), which opens rhe cycle, creates an extraordinary impression with its rarified piano accomparii~nentand yearning harmonies. This is the moment in a man's soul when he becomes aware that something is happening to him, and Schumann. in a niere 26 measures, captures it perfectly. T h e scherzo-like third song, "Die Rose. die Lilie. die Taube, die Sonne" ("Thc Rosc, the Lily, the Dove, the Sun"). has all the giddiness of'puppy love, while the martial, angry seventh. "lrh p i l e nicht" ("I bear no grudge"), seems to exult in the sadness of rejection. T h e downward course of the
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firial song, "l)ic n/teil, busm Liedrr" ("The old, evil songs"), effectilcly recaps the final half o r the cycle, fi-om sarcastic rage to heartbreak. 'I'he piano has the last worcl, a tender envoy that seems to say, " 'Tis better to have loveti and lost than never to have loved at all.''
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RECOMMENDED RECORDINGS
Oiaf Wr, baritone; Geoffrey Parsons, piano. E1\3l Cl(~s.siaCCUC 47387 [with I.iecierkreis, 0). 391
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, baritone; Alfred Brendel, piano. 1'hiliP.v 416 352-2 [u~ithLicderkreih, OP. 391
Olnf-Riir btga~lh& nscr,~r/lo .stnrrlo~>~ ud/h tliis r e r o d i ~ ~ g .
Biir ancl Fischcr-Dieskau recordecl these c-yclcs in the same month, July 1985, ancl the influence of' the latter upon he former, stylistically and interpretively. is readily apparciit. Bgr not only sounds like the young Fischcr-Dieskau, with a lustrous timbre and a velvety sr~ioothiiess1'1-om bottom to top, he sings like Fischer-Dieskau, with a commanding yet intirnatc delivery and superb diction. Yet Bar has his cnirn poi~itsto make-and he does so eff'ectively, \r.ith outstanding support fro111 Parsons in every song. T h e recording is ideally balariced ancl transmits the full impact of the voice in a natural ambience. By the time of this recording, Fisclier-Uieskau was \\.ell past his vocal prime. Mc is forced to croon many of the high Iiotes, ancl a number of' phrases are broken for brcatli, but his expressiveness is liltlc c l i ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ ihis s l ~ pointing ecl, of' the text as sharp as ever. Brendel's playing is :I I-eirelation; the way he darkens the tone in the second phrase of the lead-in to "Irn r ~ ~ t i ~ / d e r . ~ c Alonal l~ii~ze~~ Alai'' fbreshadotvs the dircctioii the entire c!lcle is LO take. I t is artistry of a higll order, joir~etlto : i singing of profo~undinsighl.
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hc literalure for solo keyboard is surprisirlgly rich, particuli~rlyif'one considers that both the orgall and the harpsicho~.tlwere originally regarclecl as foundatioli instruments whose ~ n a i npurpose 1v;ls to accompany voices o r other instr-uments. Until abo~rtthe mitltlle of the 17th century, felt- stylistic distinctions were made t~etwccnorie type of keyboard instrument a n d another. Players would use \vtiatever \\.as airailable or. if a choice existed, the instrumerlt that best suired the music-the organ if the nus sic was vocal. called for sustained notes, or needed a sonorous underpinning: the harpsichord if the music \\.as instrumental o r required a clear articul:ition of rhythm. Thc cnlcrgence a r o u n d 1600 of a new musical style, that of' the early Baroque, brought a polarization of mciod\. (in the u p p e r voices) arld I~nrniony(in the lower ones) a n d established a n irnportant riichc I'or the Il:~rpsichord. Alone o r in combinatiori \ v i t l ~other instrulnents, i t coirlcl sound the bass line ancl fill in thc inner voices of' the I~;irnloriy,a function know11 as basso continuo. Reca\~scof its rangc. the Ii:~rpsicl~orcl was also tvell suited to playing riiclotly : l ~ i d a c c o r n l j ; ~ r ~ i r ~~li~ ~i ilit~ I t ; ~ r i e o which i ~ s l y , made it partici11ar.ly ;tttracrivc
3S4
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as a solo instrulnent. T h e full-size harpsicllol-ds made by Flemish and French builders. often magnificently clccorated. \+,ereunescelled for their sonority and tonc and were PI-izctlb y solo performers and music lovers throughout Europe. 'I'he heyday of the solo harpsichord c:ime during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Suites written for the in strum en^ typically consistctl of an improvisa~ol-yintrotluction (:I prelude o r allema~lcle) followed by a variety o f slow and fast tlance movements (courantes. sarabandes, gigues, min~rets,gavottes. ant1 bourrCes being the most popular). During the 17th century the lilerature for solo harpsichord greiv rapidly, with major contribur ions from iVilliarn Byrtl. J o h ~ iBull. and 'Thomas l'omkiris in Ellgliilid, Jacques Champion d e (:hanit1orlni6res and Lollis Couperin ill 17~-i~lice. Girolamo ]:I-cscobaldi and Bernarclo Pasquini in Italy. a ~ i drhe Gerrna~i-bornJohann Jacob FI-obergei-in Austria. But the supreme works for the harpsichol-d date from the first half of the 18tli century. \\.hen Bach, Handel. Jean-Philippe Kamcau. Franqois Couperin, and Domenico Scarlatti produced a matchless body of' m ~ ~ s ideally ic tailored to the inst~.irnient'scapabilities. Music for the organ also flourishecl ( I t ~ r i ~the i g 13aroque era. I t , too. often placed all emphasis on impr.ovisatio~i.But instead of' dances, which required rhythmic accents not easily achieved on the organ, composers favored stricter fornis such as the passacaglia and filgue, taking advantage of the instr~~nicnt's remarkable ability to sustain a polyphonic textilre. T h e Danish-l~orn1)ietrich Bustehiide, who served as organist at the biarienkil-chc in 1,iibeck horn 16ti8 to his death in 1707, was thc preeminent colnposer of organ ~ n ~ r sin ic the 17th century. He was also the single greatest influence o n the most important master of the 18th cclilirry, Bach. T h e piano was developed in Italy early in the 18th century, usinga mechanism invented by Bartolomeo Crisrofori. Its major advantage over the harpsichorcl was that it coultl PI-oduce dynaniic graclations fi-om soft to l o i ~ d hence , its original narne offiinrioJorl~,. T h e piano's rapid growth in popularity \\.;IS a phenomenon of' the late 18th and early 19th centuries. fueletl both by social forces-the piano was the ideal instrument of the hollrgeoisie because it stayed at home-and by the start of the Industl.i;~lRevolution, Ivhich permitted significant improvements in the construction of pianos. among them the dc\~clolxncntof a stccl I~-:l~ne.
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'I'hc efforts of hlozart. Beethoven. hluzio Clcrnenti. ant1 other pianists to provide themselves ant1 their instrument \vith a repertorywllich m e a ~ i something t c1uite allitrt frorn aris\veri~igthe cnornlous demantl lor music the piano-owning public could play-led to the piano's establishment as n vehicle for soloists as \\.ell as for the matrons ancl daughters of the rnidtllc class. Abollr 1750. as the piano \vas replacing the harpsichord, the sonata supplanted the suite as [he genre of choice for solo keyl~oal-dmusic. T h e typical Classical keyboard sonata, rather like a sy~nphonyfor solo instrument, consisted of three o r four movements in colltrastirig tempos, affording the performer rt \vide range of expression. T h e opening movenlcnt. the most substantial antl rigolv)usly argued, was in key-area forrn (also krio\\,n as sonata form). I t was follo\ved by it slow Inovement in song o r variation fi>rnn and then ; I dance-like finiile. Whereas Mozart fashioned most of his sonatas for the home market. the composer-pianists of thc 19th century-led by Schumann, Chopin, hiendelssohn, allti most imposing of all. Liszt-intendcti nearly all of their keyboard music for p ~ ~ b lperformance. ic For them the piano \+-asthe perfect estensio~iof self: In the hands of Chopin a ~ i dSchu~iiann,it was the soul of poetry, though Liszt could make it roar with Promethean authority. T h e sonata, ~ v l ~ istill l e an important genre for these composers, sharccl the spotlight with a host of smaller forrns o r pieces patterned on dances. In the piano music of the Koma~ltics.atmosphere and color are of prime importance. and the process begun by Beethoven of treati~igthe piano as a n orchestra is carried to breathtaking heights. 'I'he 20th century has seen the literature enriched in a variety of \zrays. Ilebussy antl Bartbk, among others, inlagi~lati~ely csplored the piano's boriorit! ancl its status as a percussion instrument, while Kachmaninoff, Scl-iabin. Ravel. and Prokofiev expanded the L irtuoso technique of 19~11-centurymasters.
3S6
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THEWELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER. BWV 846-893
T
HE 24 PRELUDES and fugues from each book of Bach5 The WellTcmpel.ed Clavier are
heyboard literature illat anrong n~usiciatr~ and rnwicokogists, especial(y in Europe, they are ofipn referred to as sinzply "The Forty-Eiglit."
Bach composetl the 24 preludes and fugues of The \Veil-Temperer1 Claviur. Book I (some intended as instr-uctional pieces for his son Wilhelm FI-iectenianri), to prove the superiority for keyboard rriusic of the tuning system known as equal temperament, which clivicles the octave into 12 exactly even half-s~eps.Uncler the irregular ant1 mean-tone temperaments then widely in use. which called for unevenly tuned half-steps, keys with more than four sli:~r~>s or flats-such as B major or E ilat minor-could often souiid out-of-tune, and they usually had to be avoided on organ 01. liarpsichord because of the ins~runient's fixed luning. In contrast, equal temperament made all keys sound equally good and allo\ved nioclulatory frcedorn of unirriagined scope. While several composers before Bach had sought to investigate its possibilities, Bach's exploration in The \VelL-Terripered C l l v i e r was of surpassing brilliance and thoroughness, i\vitli each of its two sets covering all 24 of the rnajor and ~nirlorkeys. I3ach's writing in Book 1 elicolripasscs a hugc variety of styles and contrapu~iraltechniques, ant1 the expressive range of the material-consiclering that every piece is a l>relude or a fugue-is remarkably vast. The justly celebrated opening piece, the Prelude in C major. uses a broken-chorcl that is ~.erniniscer~t of lure figuration tlirougho~~t style, while the Prelucle in (: ~ninorhas the character of a fantasy. Frequently the nature of a prelude contrasts rriarkedly with that of the fugue in the sarne kcy, as wheri the ebullient D major Prelude gives way to a fugue with stately rhythnls typical of a French overture. I n the more rerriote tonali~ies,Bach shows I~eyoncla doubt that at least hts fingers knew their \
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357
are thrce- or t'our-part settiiigs. Sctreral havc chromatic subjects, anel ;I nurnl~erm;lll;lge to wol-k i r ~~i~elotlic coun~crsul?jccrs.'I'l~cFugi~cin I ) sharp minor brings illto play the theme, its in\.ersion, its ;i~~gnientation. and its doul)le a~~glilentntion in a series of' brilliant o\.c.rlappiligs, tvl~ilethe final fugue of the collectiot~,in B illinor, lias a tlicn~e that incl~~tles all 12 notcs of tile ch~-olliaticsc.;~le. Book I I of Tlie I\'eN-Tc*~~i,b~rerl Claz~ic~r dates i'rom the years 1738-42 aricl was assc~nbletlf r o n ~110th newly coniposecl pieces and v;irious existing preludes ant1 fugues going back ~~urnl)cr 01' !,ears. There is e\.en greater V;II-iety 11e1.c:Dach esl);inds sorne of the preludes to almost ~ ~ i o n ~ ~ r i i c111-ontal portions ancl writes others in 1)inar.y form and aria style, lieither of i\.liich h;ltl beer1 utilized in the first t)ook. I n a few ~)ieces.inrlutli~~g the linal fugue, he even tips his hat to thc new galant style.
Davitt Moroney. Iln~nlorziuA l n 11d1HhIC 901285.88 1-1 C.'Dsl Andras Schiff. L O I I ~-11-1 UI~ 388-2 1-3 CDr;/look I ] (112d417 236-2 [2 (;l)s; Book II]
Harnionia hlundi's larger-than-life 1988 recording nl;ikcs i t seem ;IS if onc is seated llest to hloroney-not a bad w;iy to 1le;lr the nlusic. The instrurncl~the plays, a Jolln I'hillips Ii:~rpsic-llord built in I!)XO, has a stu~~ningly bright sountl and rohust to~lc.At times i l seems to project allnost too forc:el'ully, l ~ u tit tvcll suits hloroney's lively style of playing. His articulation is superb, his selise of shape \vonderl'~~lly ac111c. Schiff plays tile \\'T(: on the p i a ~ ~ to\ ~, i t l ithe utmost sc.~isitivityto voicing a~irito tllc phriising of counterpoint. He co:lses a lovely scouricl I'roni his instruinent (better captureel in tllc 1983 recor-clirlg of Book 11 ~ t i ; i 1 1in thc preceding year's
'
358
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takes of Book I), ant1 the experience of followi~lg hi111 as he explores each piece is exceptior~ally rervardi~lg.
GOLDBERG VARIATIONS, RWV 988
G
Frcr~or~orcrs A Sftisic
L.~SSOI~.
ount Keyserlingk, the insomniac Kt~ssian ambassador to the Kingdom of Sasony for \\.horn Bach r~layhave I\-ritten the Goldberg Variations, supposedly rctcarded the composer with a golden goblet filled with 100 Louis d'ors. I t \\,as a small price to pay for the crowning achievement of Baroque keyboarci music. Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, thought to have lxen one of Bacll's pupils, was i l l ihe ser\rice ol Keyserlingk-l>resurnal)ly to play music during the small hours of the night. when his employer- had dil'ficulty getting to sleep. 'I'here remains sonle doubt about the connection between the music and the Co~intbecause Golclbel.g was ollly 14 years old when the variations were publishecl. in 1741-42, as the Iburth part of Bach's Cl(zvicr~ b j c n !literally. ~ "keyboarti practice"). Ariother paradox is that throughout his career, Bach showed relatively liltle interest in the variation form, this being the only large-scale set he wrote. I t is nonetheless an impressive one. Intended for a harpsichortl with two manuals. it iises ;IS i ~ s point of' departure a two-part aria in G major from the second notebook Bach wrote (1725) for his second wile. Anna hlagtlalena. The thrme's richly ornamented bass line gives solid harmonic support. and diiririg the course of the variations the only changes Bach niakcs in the har~nonization are ch;~ngesol' mode fro111 m:?jor to minor. The piece is arrangcd as ten groupings ol' three variations; in each group, ttvo variations are in free or ch;~racteristicstyle, one is a canon. Often an obbligato line i l l the bass accompanies the i canon, producing a three-voice texture.
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UODLI HET rrtea~t "icrhntpvrr pleases." 112 music, a quodlibet is (1 pwce iri wlr icli d f f e r ~ t t pt o ~ ~ k a r nielodies are sottrtded either pol~~ho~iically or I ~ sl~cc~.cI sion. Itt thefirial variatiotc of the Goldherg I'anrrtioru, the tl~nrs"Ich bin so lang nichr bei dir g'\vest" ("It's Been So Long Since I Saw You") uiid "Krali~und Riiben" ("Cabbage and Tun~ips")are played it1 courrterpoint ufitt~the thettcv of the aria. Bmlrm's Academic Fesri\ral Overture trundles out one stua'erit sorig rfter another, ending uith "Gaudearnus igirur" ("Lpt us ttierefore rejoicr")).
BACH
389
T h e 30 variations Sunction not only ;IS a brilliant investigation of the theme, but as a rnastcrly comperldii~rnof style and a stitdy in hoiv to write idiomatically for the keyboard. T h e fifth variation, for instance, calls for crossecl hands, while the seventh is a siciliana arid the tcnth a filghett;~. Variations Nos. 13 and 25 arc both embellished arias, while KO. 16 is a French overture. 'The final variation is a quodlibet in which Bach weaves t\vo popular German songs irito the texture. After this variation, he repeats the aria, going fir11 circle; it is a wor~dc~.ful touch. and the final denionstration of Bach's art. For try as one might, it is impossible to hear the aria the same way N f t ~ rthe \nriations as before them.
Andr6s Schiff. Lorulon 41 7 116-2 Ton Koopman. Erato 45326-2
Glenn Gould. C B S hlYh' 38479
Schiff.'s playing is notable for its rhytllrriic Hesibility and for the clarity it hrirlgs to thc \cork's contrapun~altextures. His manner is scrlsirive, genial, and graceful-and while he has ;I tendcncy to be pretty where Glenn Gould would be piquant, he can also Ile remarkably insightful. Schif l'brings sporitancity anci ariirnation to thc faster \. a~.iations, compelling directness to the slower ones, ;ill in ;i perfornlancc of exceptional be'iuty and spirituality. T h e recording. matic in London's Kingsway tlall in 1)eceniber of 1982, is excellent. Playing o r 1 a wonderful harpsichord. Kooprnan takes the aria as a real sarabande. He emphasizes
360
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the variations' rhythmic and contrapuntal elements and is miisterly in plir;~sing,orn;~rne~~tation. and articulation. At times the labor sho\vs, as it should; tl~ismusic was not meant to be easy. But to hear tlie tiance-like sl~rirlgth:it Koopniill~imparts to sorlle of the variations is to know they call indeetl be fun. Erato's 1987 recortlir~g is stuunil~gly gootl, . vi~.t~tally itleal i r its ~ wcigllt, presence, and ambience. \\!hen it comes to Gould, one is either ii great ol'a fa11 at all. U ~ r tthe Ci~nacIi:~n fan or not 111ucl1 pianist's insights car) be so valuable that his tletractors \\.ill put LIPwitl~his idiosyncrasies. This is the i.ecortling ivith which (;oultl made his clel)ut in 1955. Where Schi1.f takes more than '72 nlinutcs with the ~ ~ ~ u sand i c , Kooprnali more than (32, (;oultl gets througl~it in all astountling 38:25. The Eist tcrnpos arc breathless, though c:leanly negotiated. Gottld does not botl~erwith the re11e;its. In rllc elld, in spite ol' its clryt~ess,his is a I t is Romantic view of the Goldberg Varintic~r~s. instincti\.c, "piiinistic," a c o m n ~ ~ i n i o01't ~ a very subjective sort-;~t~d valuahlc f'ol- that. T l ~ c recording is close-n~iked,and olle gcts plcrit!. of noise fro111 Go~tldIlimsclf in his hummi~lga n d foot t : ~ ~ p i t 7'hel.t. ~ g . are a few t ~ i ~ i i nariomalies, g as \\.ell as sornc tape hiss, hut tllc piano tone is decen t.
-e ar-e Beethoven's gifts as a coin-
A E T U j grcater th;111 i i l llis S O I I ; I ~ ; ~ S 101. (rn~oilgItre mo.s/ pvpulnri n w;~s.frorn tile sriirt, .so~rrr/o.~ i11 Rt~r~//rov~rr'c ~ ~ r / r l - ei tile pi;tno. m l l ~ ecyo ~ ~ t a what
T""'
his 111ost personal n~usicalexpression. T h e piano was hi\ inst ~.urncnt,;lnd he was c.onstantl!v p~1~11irlg its capivities-1)arricuiarly its range a n d tlyn;~li~ic gi.adations--as far as t11ey woultl go. Berthcnen corltinuecl to clo this eve11 \+.henIic~coulcln o lollgel-
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H E C All,\'OR
KEY
h d a speaal s~gnrficatrce for Heethovetl. cojuritlg r~,b rnusrc of utr rltual velremertcc and rlrarnu. I.bllorc~rr~g tire Pathktique S o n a ! ~/re , ulould frtrther explore thrc vern rn the S l n t ~ gQuartet 111 C trrr?rot ( 0 p . 18, 1Yo. ?), the Thtrd Prono Concerto, and t h Flfih ~ Sytttpitorlj. H e vrr~Lrthe kg afinnl ttme rtl the turbulerr~first tno.~ernerrt of the Sortcrtrr rn C inillor, Op. 1 1 1 , hrc Imt /or tht pla710. No longer i~rneed if exorcr~rr~g I& dttnurl, he allours rt lo rage.
BEETHOVEN
361
hear the results; had it not been for his deafness, he undoubtedly would also have remained the virtuoso interpreter of his own works that he was as a young man. It is ironic that Beethoveri was both a brilliant improviser and a composer who habitually sketched and re-sketched his itleas before committing them to a work. But both elementsthe spont;tlieous ancl the structured-are present in the sonatas, giving them strength and vitality unp;iralleled in the keyboard literature. Even in his early pieces for the piano. the touch of a master can be heard. Among these works is the Pathe'tique Sonata, completed in 1798 and published thc following year with a dedication to Prince Karl \,on Lichnowskp, \vith whom Beethoven had lodged upon arriving in Vienna in 1792, and ar whose house his music was frequently played. 1,ichnowsky would become a formal patron in 1800, and the P(ithk!ique, the most innovative of the coniposer's early sonatas, ~voulcldecisively establish Beethoven's reputation in Vienna. T h e integration of ~notivicclernents from thc sonata's slow introduction into the rriairl bocly of its first movement, along with the daring modulations there and in the rondo lirlale, marked a bold departure from 18th-century norms. T h e gloomily dark tone and somber slrength o f Beethoven's writing lend the first movement an intensity that foreshadows some of his later treatments of the key of C rni~lor,inclutiing the opening ~novementof the Fifth Symphony. 'l'he Adagio offers a reprieve of lyricism; melodic invention of screnc I~eautyvirtually conceals the rondo framework on which the movement is built. T h e turbulence of the first movemen1 returns, somewhat muted, in the concluding Allegro.
362
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BEETHOVEN
PIANOSONATA IN C Or. 27, N o . 2 ~Cloortligl~t
SHARP M I N O R .
g-
he two sonatas of Opiis 2'7were published in I802 with t he descriptive legend "qutr~i utla funtarirr" attached to each. 'l'he secorld of the pair, composeti in 1801, hears a cledica~ion to Countess (;iulictta Guicci;~rdi,who \\.as then 17 and whom Reetliover~somewhat furtively hoped he might rnnrry. The \cork has heen known since Beethoven's day as tlie ~\loor~ligh~ Sonata-a title hestowed o n it Ily tlie poet Kellstab. who likericd the first movemerit's eerie calm to a moonlit night o n the o l ' l , ~ ~ c e r ~But l e . the sinlplicity of this openirlg Adagio is decepti\,e, for the sonata's concludirlg Allegretto and I'resto rnovcrlierits are a musical Scylla arltl Charybdis. In placir~gtlie slow rnovenicrit first, follo\\ring it with a scherzo, ant1 concluding with the tr-tit. sonata-form tnoiernent, Beethoven begar] an inIliiential experi~ilcntin shitting emphasis totvat-ci the errd of' his \vorks, one he would carry further in later conipositions (and which ~\.oultlculrnirlate in our own century in works by hiahler a~rtlShostakovich, anlong others). So the opening movement of the l\lootrlig/i~ Sonata is really more of a prelude (whose repeated three-note figure most likely was inspirccl by the Act I trio of hlozart's 13un Giovarr~ri),while the movements that follo\v, rrlore thor.o~~gl~ly worked out, present t l ~ econ]position's main argulilenr-complete with treacherous tests of any performer's skill.
~ soon after corrlpletirlg w l ~ awas to be the last of his ti)ur-movement patides .sonntr.i for piarlo, the Opus 28 /'(i.s~o,nl,Beethoven
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383
remarked to die violinist iYenzel Krumpholtz that he \vas "only a little satisfied" with his previous \\-orks. "From today on," he said, "I \\dl take a new path." T h e first of Beethoven's piano \\forks to reflect his neiv thinking \\?as tile Soriata in C , Op. 53, co~npletedin 1804 and dedicated to his good friend and patron Count Ferdinand iValdstein. T h e IVnld~tei~lSonata conles ;IS close to formal perfection and total mastery of materials as any in Recthoven's canon. Its Iiarmoliic daring and sheer energy make it a shiriing example of his middle-pel-ioti style, as outstanding in its thshion as the First Rn:urnovsk\: Quartet and the Eroica Symphony. T h e first movement opens \\*ith a pulsating 44 EAR Bb:.:ETHOI'I:'N! progressiol~ that approaches tile home key by YON(Ire going to indirection, at the same time taking advantage of Vienna in ftrlfillmer~t of pour the strikingly resonant sound q11;llity i l l the lower long fructra~edurishes. Tht* range of the early 19th-century fortepiano. ConG e t ~ i t ~ofr r\lomrt is rnotrnltrast ancl momentuni a r e the esserice of' the i r ~ gant1 weeping 07~erthe deu~hof her pupil. She movernent; an enormous amount of energy is four~dr & g ~ hut )lo O C C I I , ~ X I -released as it unfolds, the impetus of C rnajor lion icith the ii,re.xhnurtibk gaining from each harmonic tligression. BeeIfujd11;throlrgh hi711she thoven originally intended to place an Andante xishes 10 form a urlion u~ilh next-the celebrated Arrdunte favori-but thought ano~her.It'ilh the hrlp of nrsid~rolulabor yorr shall rebetter of it, substituting an Adagio introduction C ~ ~ Z '.\lozurI's P spirit from : to the finalc. This brief' prelude I~eginsto spa\\.n If uydn 's ltcr rrtls." i a melody in the warm nlicldle range of the in-1nscriptioll in Bec! strument, but its devclopr~lentis interrupted by ~hovcn'sautograpl~album j a return of the Adagio's oper~ingphrases, as (below) by Cour~rFerdisets the stage for the work's conclusion. liand Ernst \,on\~V;ildstei~l j Beetliove~~ i T h e rondo ti nale begins out of the mists, with the emergence of a consoling tune that builds by repetition into a paean of triunipll. T h e intenenirig episotlcs set off the sul~jectin a coritr-ast of dark and light, until tlie movernent ends. prestissi1110, in arl exult;lnt dcliriu~nof sound.
D
384
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BEETHOVEN
F
he F 1ni11orSonata \\.as completed in 1805 aritl pul)lishetl i11 1807, \vi~lia dedica~ion to Bcethoven'.s close friend (:ou~it Fr~in7von I%rurrs\.iL.Kno\vn as the ..ippas.\ionatn, it is among 13eetlroven's most popular and I'~.eqt~ently p1ayc.d sonatas, in rhe same company as tlie Puth&tiqrr~, the i\loorrli~ly/rt,alrd the H'ulnSteitr. I t is also one of the ~riosti~r~rne(liatcly rccogni~:thle of his tvorks for the pi;~no,rlianks to the si~ristersubject tliat issues sotto uocr :II the start of tllc \vork from tlie depths of the keyboard. In the opening Allegro there are precil)itoirs changes of rnootl-f*ror~i somber to elegiac to darkly furious-typical of l%eethoven's minor-key cxpressi\rencss. Ir~tleed, the accents anrl conrr;wts here ;Ire so intense that the piano itself sometimes s e e m to cringe f'ronr the t;~skbetbre it. If the opening niovenrent is as to\\.e~-ingan essay as Hc*ctliove~iever pen~red, he ensuing Xndarite is trancluility itself: a nr:rsterful evocation of contemplatite i~lirction,i v i ~ l r fbur \~;triativ~ls apperidetl to :I therne of surp;tssing gentleness. -Ishe finale hre:iks upon the conclusiori of tliis movement rvirlr terrifying sucldenness. Its ir-resistible onrush ;end pained illtensity sweep tlie tvholc son:rla ~o\vartlan errding in near-lrystcria, remiriiscel~~ of tlie hotvlirlg of the shades in Dantc's Infertro.
I'IANO SONATA I N E: Les Adierrs
Arrtlrazrrt hrd~(1 ~toi.ctrrrI f u r e i ~ ~roe /~r i r~polmfr.
FLAT,
Or. 8 1a
of the 1.itle refers ro [lie fh~.cetll~arti~rg of Iketlioven from his patron and sl.trrlent the Arclitlukc Rudolpl~i l l 1809. i tllthoi~ghthe score of the soliata, complered the i tbllowing year, does 1101 explain how N;~l)oleo~~'s
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' BEETHOVEN
siege of \.'ien~~a had I'orcetl the :\rchtl~ikearid the rest of the royal li~~nily to flee tllc city rvhilc 13ecthove11stayed behind, the first page of the m;in~rscriptdocs show the syll;~l~les of thc 1vo1-tl " L P ~ P I L ~ ("F;irervell") OII~" tvritt en over the r h recnote o p c ~ ~ i niotive ~ i g of the Xc1;cgio i ~ irocluctio~l. t Groundetl in Beethoven's nohlc and heroic key of F. llat rnajor, what follo\\~sis music of extraordinary por\-er and imagination tleali~igrcith the emotions of selxrration and, ulti~natel!.,I-eunionmi~sicmeant t o be listencd to rvith the eyes and heart as well as the c;trs. A sense of ~iostalgiapervades the o l w n i n ~ measures. an effect achieved u:rrtlv, throurili Becthoven's use o f deceptive rather than authentic caclences. 'l'he rnair~I~odyof the movement plays u p o ~the ~ "faret\.ell" motivc. but i l l music of' casygoing faniiliarity, suggesting perhaps son~ctliing of the n;iture of the relationship hetrvee~~ Beethoven ;111d the Archduke. 111 t he ~novement's final measures, as the motive is softly sul~crimposed Lipon itself', one c;in al~iiost ~ ~ i c t u rthe e Xrchdukc.'~co:~chdisappearing arou~itla ),end. T h e sloru niovemerit, subtitled ".+\bzi~t~.\~~iI~eil" ("Al)sencc"),, is a stucly in sul~tliieclgrief. ivitli restlessly shifting sequences i r ~tlie r~iinorrnode offset by a consoling scctiori i l l tlie rnajo~..\Irith characteristic suddenness, 111efinale, suhtitleti "l1c1.3 Ii'iedpr~~hp))'' ("'l'lie I~CLLII-11").t~l-eaks[lie sl~cll01' sadness. In a flourisli of escite~~ient, the joyous music takes of'f at a tempo n~;r~.ked \'ivcri.issi)trnrnente, replete rvith brilliant passagetvork h a t recalls the ii~ialeof tlrc Emperor (:oncerto. t\t the movcmcnt's cli~nas,one can e;isily iriiagine the* Arclidukc's coach appenr.i~igat the snllie bend in the road \\'here last i t \\Ins seen, this time on a homctval-tl course. : r ~ r t l taking tile curve o n tttro \\-heels.
.
T
H E ARCf1DC:KE
Hrrrlolph, corr of the 1lapst)rtrg ~rtrpmor,b~cntrri~ a pic111o s/tcdc.~r/of Bc.i./i~oz~r,rr POTI! ill 1804.nrsp;te tiltrlrrst tlij;ri.rt.trce in tlreir sociol stai~rlitrg,t l r ~botrd ~ P I U - P P I I stu~l~trl rrtrd /enclco~rillns m .ctrottg nrrt. 771ecortrpost2r dedzrnl~clmcrity of his Jitr~.\/ .scurt~.slo Rrrrlol/~lt,itrcluding /kt- lJi(~tlu Soiinfo itr E pnt, l~!ho.wtill^ rtfers 10 /he forc~tIpartircg of Hpp1ho;ren ntcd I/;.\ pn1rot1.
365
C~ ?
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BEETHOVEN
PIANOSONATA IN B Hammerkluvier
FLAT,
OP. 106
J
i
Beethown's-eye view
G~UI piano.
ltir
i
;
Iso dedicated to the Archduke Kuclolpli. this sonata was the first ot the nlonumentally large works to occupy Beethoven in his final decade (the others being the Alissa Solem?iis, the Ninth Symphony. and the Diabrlli Variations). Its composition. which took nearly a full ycar from the aiitun~nof 1817 to the autumn of 18 18, marked Beethoven's full recovery from several years of crisis. T h e Ha?~rnel-kl~vier's exultant opening h a ~ s in , which fistfitls of notes are literally hurlcd at the keyboard, coritair~the chordal building blocks out of which this assertive work is constructed. They set in motion a brilliant study in contrastbetween what Beethoven might have described as the "unbuttoned" manner and a Inore courtly, well-behaved style of playing. 'I'he potericy of the various ideas, the unusual vehemence with tvhich they ;ire projectetl, and the linkage between them are all typical of Reethoven's late period. The ensuing scherzo s1ioir.s how l%cetl~ovcn coitld create music of reniarkable complexity out of quite simple material. Its subject, consisti~~g of -just a couple of notes, outlines the inter\al of a third, a pattern that links it to the opening 01' the sonata's first movement. Beethoven manipulates the figure with such skill ancl imagination tllat i t seems utterly inexhaustible; it appears rhroughout the sclicrzo itself in dotted rliyrhlt~,ant1 in the trio section it shows up in augmentatioil and in dctached eiglith notes. It is even hitldc~iin the right-hand triplet figures that accolnpariy a statement of the tune in the left hiulti. The violent disruptions of rltythm and harn~onythat happen during the course of the ~novc~nent, inclutling the hearty Brons cheer that precedes the return of the sche~.zo,serve not to break the movemerit's flow bur to energize it. Now comes the ~Itiagio,whicli has beell de-
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' BEETHOVEN
367
scribetl as everything fr-or11 a "n~anil'cstation ol' sublirrrc heautv" (French conlposer \'iricrnt d'Indy) to a "nnausoleurn of collcctivc sor~*o\\f" (musicologist Wilhelm von Lenz). -l'lle marking A~krgigro sosttn~tlo,c~ppasiotrc~lo e con noito senlim(~t110serves ~ i the g perfor-nier, in pianist Alt'retl as a \ ~ i i r ~ l ito Brcndcl's \vortIs, "rrot to see the pain i l l the music from a position of calm. rcrnote resign;a~ion."l ' h c movenlcnt opens in contenlplation and builds like a g-e;lt hyr-nn;just when Beethoven secrns t o reach the l i l r ~ i tof spiriti~;~lity, he goes off \ t i l l further, into a quite ethereal realm. An eritire line ol' developn~cntin Rornantic nlusic-passirig througll Schubcrr, Chopin, Schumar~ri,Urahn15, :und ever1 Liszt-springs frorn this nlusic. The Irnale begirls with ;I niystcriously schirophrenic introduction, a series of iilternately rnedir;itivc and violent asiclcs. -L'liis sets the table for a three-voice l'ugue so c1;ihorate :u~deventful it scerns more like a fantasy, in t\.hich long arcs of invci~~ion are sustainetl by brilliar~t irnitativc tvriting. 'The mar-king cot1 mlclc~re lic(~t~zp ("\\.it11 occasiorial license") is a reminder Srorn I3eethovcrl that the iicademic s~ricturesof the fugue are hcrc relasctl. But the reason for [lie esp:~rlsion-the almost volcanic espression i~lltierlyingthis ~liusical oiitl)oi~ring--niore than justifies t l ~ cliberties that arc taken.
Irecrllhy red, lric qrbroua zfrq thick hltd Ilk broil, lout. Hi5
thick 11nirurcu>lrrnclj part1) grc1.y orrd s~ooclI I from ~ hi5 ficv. flis tulrrcli were conrsr N ) I S~ ~ O I I lri'/i~g~~:\ ~, shorl . . ." -Carl Friedrich H i r x h , debcril,ing B r r t l i o v e r ~ ' ~
J
Ithougli they have sep;lrare opus
,' nirn~hc~-s and \\fcrcpuhlishc~lindivicl-
!
ually, Uvethoven likely conceived of his final thrcc piano sonatas as ;I group. Ibr they bear noticeable resenlOl;r~~ces to oile anothcr-eve11 ~hough,as the piitr~istDenis hlatthews IILIS pointetl out, eacll \cork rcr~~ains "a la\\. unto itself" The power of Reetliovcn's late style had beer1 confilmed in the I - l a t ~ ~ ~ t ~ ~ r l iSonata, i r ~ , i r r but riot\: it foullci espr-ession in even greater works.
368
SOLO KEYBOARD WORKS
BEETHOVEN
The Sonata i r l E, Op. 109, was completed in 1820, and it exemplifies the increasingly private direction his music was seeking, along with the remarkable co~~rpression of idiorrl he had 11ow attained. Although cast in three movements, the soriata is nonetlic!lcss highly original in form, partly because of the way its individtt;il movements are constructed, also because it closes with an Andallre rather than the expected rondo in lively tempo. t\t this stage i i r liis career. Beethoven's tentlency was to compose Inovernents r l i ; ~ t evolved orgailicslly from a basic, often simple, cell. But the first movement of Opus 109-in which sections rnarked Vivace and Adagio alternate with one another according to a frccly adapted sonata form-is actually Inore Megclia~rtIla11Darwinian. \'Vithin its tlialcctic of contrast tllere is rernark;~bletension. which allows Beethoven a particula~.ly \vide range of expression. T h e second rnovernent, a fierce Prestissimo in E niinor, serves as a scherzo: the fact that its energy is cornpressecl into a tightly wouncl sonata forrn n1;lkes it seem th;rt much mol-c vehement. The finale. wid1 its potent al-ia-like thelnc. is not just an Andante but ;I set of variatior~s. 'There are six of'tlieni, several of'which are doul,lc variations, and they are followed rather exceptionally by a ~.cl)riseof the original thcnic-a vanishing act through \+.hichtlre \\forkends. The Sonata in A flat. Op. 110, was completetl a year after its predecessor and shares with i t a pl-edilection toward intense dl;llnii within a lyrical franiework. Its opening rnovelncnt clings to Heethoven's desig11:ltion ca?ztabil~s("singing"). ~ \ l I ~ ; r t contrast there is coming not so much ti-or11 the new ideas spaw~ietlby the opening subject as from differences i l l rhythm and figuration that ;Ire explored t v i t l l i ~ thern. ~ T h e second movenielit, another substitute scherzo, plays csterlsively o n [lie device of c o ~ ~ t r amotion, ry in which thc hands move across the keyboard in opposite directions. o ~ ~a s,rollr , / ~ljrrl/,ovr.,r ~ ttr ,,,p i And the finale Ibllows a highly complex, subjecltcrl, skrlchrd lq r8o11 N I I P I I ~ . i tive, even icliosyncratic plan. An Adagio in-
SOLO
KEYBOARD WORKS
•
BEETHOVEN
369
troductiol~corisisting of a recit;itivt. and arioso (bot11conventior~sborrowetl f r o n ~opera) 1e:tds to a fugue that begins ronficlently in thr tonic key of A flat. cl-lle exposition of' t l ~ cI - t i g ~ ~iseinterrupted by :I return of the ;~rioso,no\\. con~pletely I'ragrnentctl, a hillf-step lo\\~er--~narkcclby I5eet h o v e n p ~ r d e ~ t r iIoP f o r i f , d o l ~ r ~ t("we;irily, e larncnting"). There is ;I s~ldtlen1.csi1111ptionof the H E PIAi\'O'S SIZE, fugue, a r ~ dfrom h e r e the rnovcmellt takes a o ~ r t t dnrrrl . cott.~rr~tctio~~ t r i u n ~ p h a l ~ new t trajectory. A series of modulacttarrg~ddrclrnntically duri~rg tions leading back to A flat prepares the n~o\~enient's Beelho~ren'sli/plittr,lc.,lunrirtg ecstatic cor~clusior~, a 11 yrrir~likepassage in which rohut ltnd bt~erra sop-spoken Beethoven almost rurls out of keys at the top erld drauvircg-roonr ir~tlrtrrttenl into a th uizrleri~rgclrradof the piano. ~zoughfof the cultct.rt stage. T h e two-rnovemer~l Sonata i l l C rilirlor, Op. I r t I81 7 , Beethn~lt*rrreceizfrrl 1 1 I, dates Srorn 1822. T h e taut. fiery first rnovens a Kifi a six-octaz~egrand ment is c;lst in n highly schematized sonata forrr~. from Joltll Bmahoood and There is i11credil)lecompression of matel-ial I~ere; Soru, fhefirrcrt in.tlninren1 Ire u7cuto oujrt; itr /tenvier conr~ectionsare rnade wit11 no w;~slednlorion, yet octiolr and powerftrl torte the bonds that hold the rnoveme~~t's striking gespla~eda reroprizable par1 irr l ~ Tlie finale, i r l tures together are a b s o l u t ~ sure. thp ~ ~ * I I LofI .rhr S ~ .I-1iimmri.Y which the searing C rninor of thc first ~novcment klavier Sonclta. is t r ; t l ~ s n ~ ~irito ~ t e dan ethereal C ~~l;!jor,was given the extraol-dinary design;~tionArieltn by Beethovcr~.A set of variations of inel'lilblc heauty and brilli;int in\lention, it remains a touchstone for the intel-prctcr of Beethoven :~rld;)Is0 foresl~;~tlo~vs much that is to come in late Ro~llanticisrn,especially in thc works of Rri~cknc~-ar~tl hlahlcr. Thornas Slanrl !\,as s o taken \+richthis visionary ~novelner~t that he d r c ~ > t c;Id rer~~;~rknl)le passagc to i t in 111.. Fntlslw. As \2'entiell K~~etschmar says in that novel. this is a n ;tltogcther exlr-;~orclir~:~~y Ic;~ve-~;tkirig on Beethoven's part. ";~nerltl \\.itl~outany rett~rn."
T
Wilhelm Kempff. L)etrtsche Gionrmophon -115 834-2 [Patl~t.r~quc. n~td hloonlight. ulrrl~Pastoral So~mlarn D. Op. 28, ~ r t d Solrciln PI F \harp. Op. 781
370
SOLO KEYBOARD WORKS
BEETHOVEN
Emil Gilels. Dert~sclr~ Grarnr?tc+hotl 419 162-2 [\V;lltlstein. .Appassionata, c~trdLes Adieux] atrd -119 174-2 [OF/). 109 and 11(1/
Maurizio Polllni. Det~tscheGrattl~lo/thoti41 9 199-2 12 (XI.\; Hamnicrklavier und Opt). 109-111. ~irilllSot~cllotn ..I.OP. 101: ulro ui~utlablesc~/)nrateIyntt 429 569-2 cltrd 429 570-21
Kelnpff w;rs n ~vonderf~~lly resourceful pl:~yer-, and he brollgl~ta marvelous sense of theater to these 1965 accounts. In the Pafliktiqrre. he uses a \vide dynan~icrange, yet his pl:iying is elegant ancl lyrical. Where othcrs convey an almost funereal quality in the first movement of thedloot~lighf, Kernpff suggests sometl~ingmore veiled and atmospheric; liis readirig of thc lillale is also less frenetic ~ h a n\\:hat one tends to ellcounter. 'l'llis is a gentleman's Beethoven, a philosopher's lleethoven, but also the Beethoven of'n Illan of feeling. I(empf'f"s integral recol-ding of' : ~ l l 32 sonatas. on nine midprice CDs, could be recommeridecl \\.ere it not for the extreme sonic glare from whicl~the late works, recorclecl lirst, seern to suffer. There is a percussive hardness to Gilels's cone th;rt is fitting in Beethoven, as well as a softness that is arnazing-qualities few other pianists have cultivated as skillf~rlly.A n d there is ;itways :I I'eeling of power in reserve. .As for technique, his rhythm is cleadly accurate, his scales evenly tveighted. But wliat is tl.uly ext~.:rorclitiaryis the lively. leonine quality of- the playing. Gilels's accour~tof the IVnldsfeiri has the appl-opriate energy ant1 gruffness, and his renditioll of I-es Adirrix is arnong the rnost imaginative eve1 captured. 'I'l~e analog recortlings, from 1972-74. are solitl, dry, ancl tightly focused. On a disc recorded in 1!)85a fxirly good tligital effort with only a to11ch of glare-the Ktrssian pia~~ist is even more ilnpressive in n\.o of' the late sonatas. Kight fro111 the start of O p l ~ s109, one car1 tell that something rer~~arkahle is aI.(oot. Ant1 intleecl, 111ereadil~gsare
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BRAHMS
371
O l y ~ n p i a with ~ ~ . buildups, cliniases, a ~ l dclosings perfectly gauged. Even \\hen (;ilels opts for a slo\c~ tempo. his unerring sense of'pulse arid his shaping of line create a feeling of lift. In short, his readings arc unmatched in profundity, humanity, ant1 beauty of tone. Pollini's accounts of' the. late sonatas are both heated arid steely-outgoing interpretations tvith a sure grip of structure. In them, the pianist never seems to I I L I S ~11isliniits, which Ilia). be a drawback consideringthat Beethoven wanted to suggest that very effect. Still, Pollini leaves o n e deeply ~ I I I pressed. nowhere more so t h a ~ iin the finale of O p ~ r s11 1: here is no great leave-taking, but a vision of Beethoven soaring heyonci the bouncis of song. 111 these recordings 11.oni 1975-77, the piano seerrls to have been miked from about six inches off the strings. yielding a clangorously aggressive sound.
,ike nearly every important
4 44
H
E LOOKED an OM man," Florence iVluy x o t e of Brahms r Q i zrisiling hirn in Viettn(i in 1888, the year of the D minor Sonafa. "His /lair wcis nearly u'hi~e,and he had groua, v e v slout. Rut he wore llte h o r n , sunstii~tylook of onr who had realized Irk purpose urul wnr co?tlent wifh hb share in lye."
19th-century composer, Brahms y a s a pianist-yet he focused on the piarlo as ;I solo i n s t r u m e ~ ~only t intermittently. Three sonatas, the only ones he would write, were all finished I~eforelie was 20. Beethoven. Schumann. and Liszt are the models here, especially in the Sonata No. 3, i r ~F minor, composed in 1853 and the most compelling of the three works. I%rahmsnext turr~edto the variation form as the one best suited to his pianistic idcas. Uet~\.een 1854 ant1 1873 he wrotc. six scts. includiiig the celebr-atec-l two-piano Variutions or1 a Ttwrr~e6~ H q d n , Op. 5611; t~uobooks of Varintio?w on a Tlrenre LJJ P a g ~ l n i n i .Op. 35, interpreting the sarne caprice that inspired Kachmaninoff's concerto-like Rhnpsody but offering more technic:11 challenge than musical re\carti; and the imaginative Variation.\
372
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KEYBOARD WORKS
BRAHMS
and Flcgue on (I TIiettre by Hatrrlel, 01).24, the Ixsr of the sets. 1 lowever, Brahrr~swoultl ultimately discartl the v;~riatior~ f o r ~ n ;IS , h e hat1 the sonilta. Except for a couple of isolated instances, it \\.asn't until the last decade of his life that Br:~hrns returned t o cotnposirig for the solo piano-yet these \\.arks, in freer Lornis, a r c among the composer's most persorlal statcnients. T h e seven I : ( I ~ I ~ ( I . SOp. ~ ( I S ,I 16, the Ttlrer It~/~rttrrz:os.01). 1 17, and the ten 13inno Pieces, Opp. 1 18 and 1 19, all date from 1892. I n lilcir for-nial usage, harnlonic function. ant1 expression, they are intrigui~igeven progressive, as Schoenherg was right to point out. 'l'hese I;ISI piano works ;Ire perhaps the I)ur.est sublimation of Brahrns's nlelancholy and amhivalent genius, pieces in ~\.hichpassion gloicfs in the midst of' resign;ltion. like the embers of' a dying fire.
Glenn Gould. Sorry (,'lnsstral SR12K 5265 1 [2 CDs; I:an~i~sia, 0). I 16, .Yo. 4 ; 'I'hree I ntcl-mellos, Op. 11 7 ; and I'iano I'icces, Op. 118. h'os. 1, 2, and 6 , and O/I. 119. S o . I ; uritlr other ioorkq
P
LAYIiVC; THE l'lAlV0 rtlns o111y(1 snrctll port of urlutt Glen~r(;auld rclcr abortt, and after 1964wlrrn, at thr (IRE 14 3 2 , he retoed from roncerttzorg-I! bern~rrreveit onaller. Go~rid p~c[lurredthe hernrrttc clrtar11lnent of tlre rerol (11lrg .ot~cdtoand t11e e l e p ~ r r rof tlru r(tdiu scnpl lo tlre rnncert sktge. H E lrwd his Irjc crs a reclrlre, keeptizg in totrrlt wrfh (1 feu~frrends4 pltone n11d ~ntenirror?cghrt~~ccdj to U Z I U I huznrrg ~ to talk ~rttllr sonreone eke.
Van Cliburn. RCA Gold Set1160419-2 [I:ant;lsi;~s,Op. 116, Nos. 3 orid 6 , arm 1'i;lno Pieces, Op. 118, Nos. 1-3, i~rit11 .l'i\.o Khapsotlics, Op. 79, arm Hrethovrn: P I ~ I I U Concrrto No. 31 a ~ t d794-3-2 [Intermezzos. Op. 11 7 , .Vos. I and 2. c~udPiatlo Pieces, Op. 119, .Vo.r. 1-3. urirh I'in~ro Cottcc~~r/o No. 21 (;auld's accotlnts, recorded in 1960, a r e among his rnosl al'lkc~ir~g statenierlts. H e rnanagcs to halarice the rntrsic o n the edge of an alniost unbear~tbleemotional intensity. without falling into salon sentimentality. .fhe result is tioivnright tlepressing-but few pianists have so successfully distillet1 Rr;~l~rns's I:~tcstyle as Gould has here,
SOLO
KEYBOARD WORKS
CHOPIN
373
conveying painful passion held in check ant1 maintaining a sense of fluidity t\+itliinrriusic that seems to be the ernbodimer~tof stasis. Sony's net\. 'LO-bit remastering has brought unexpected life and richness out of these an;ilog recorclings. I t is a pity that Cliburn's various recordi~igsof this rnusic have not been consolidated oiito a single CD, for they are among his best efforts as \+-ell. There is warmth in his manner, which comes out in supple, graceful phrasing a n d remarkably beautifirl tone. These arc lyrical readings that project ;I deep sense of ~~ost;rlgia, even if thc melancholy is not as bleak as in C;ouldYsutterly northern :tccounts.
of Chopin's works \\,as \\.ritten either for solo piano o r for a corribi~latio~~ that included the piano. And of the virtuoso pianists of the day, it was Chopin ~ v h ohad the most impro\isatory approach to performing, ne\.er playing ;i piece the same way twice. It is hardly surprisirig that a taste for improvisation s l i o i ~ l dlie ;it t h e h e a r t o f Chopin's compositional style as well. His long-breathed melodies are fluid and asyn~metrical,anti his forms a r e mostly derived from the improvis;it ional principle of departing from set 11iateri;il and subsequently returning to it. h1;11iy of Chopin's compositions are in genres whose very titles underscore tlieir irnprovis:~tory rlaLure: ball;ides, nocturnes, and prelucles. Ballades-'l'he four h:~lladesof 1831-42, the mosr subst;rntial single-movemerit pieces Chopin wrote, are also among his finest creations, notable for their wealth of content a n d their formal rommand. There is no precedent for Chopin's use of 1829,H~ 1~1, , U ~ I ~ , , ~ ~ i the term "ballacle," and while lllc allusion LO a I/W jollou~c~rg >mr.
374
SOLO
KEYBOARD WORKS
CHOPIN
specific kind of poetry is clear ellO~1~11, there is nothing strophic about these works. Or] the contrary, in each of them Chopin fashions an episodic narrative honi :I pair of 11iert1;rticitleas thal are spun out and varied in ;in unbroken flo~\.-so that \vhile the n~oodis constar~tlychanging. the line of action is continuous. l'lte \\*ritingcinphasizes variety of texture and is full of rhapsodic digressions thro~rghremote keys. The first two Ixillades, i r i G rtlinor, Op. 23, a n d in F, Op. 38, hiiilcl fro111 irttrosl)ective beginrlings to highlyc11:trgctl climaxes. 'The clr.:~n~a at the end of the forn~elwork is particularly sa\.age; to achieve the same trajectory in the latter, C:hopir~casts the e~rclingin .+Iminor. '1-he A Hat niajor- Balladc, Op. -17. is almost wholly lyrical, though Chopin creates a satislying inner tension through its remarkably coniplex harmonic scheme. T h e most tightly constructed ancl grippi~tgof the l i ~ u rballatles is the final one, in F minor. Op. 52. where Chopin masrerfitlly uses a repeated-note figure Srom the ope~iir~g ~nelodyas a unifying device througltout.
s/)ecifi.owirrg its or-;girl 10 [Ire Irish pinrrkt Jolrri Fielil. ~olrupt~hlktrrdhi.)first )roc-
Nocturnes-The texture explored by <:hopin in his nocturrtes c.onsisls of an or.namentnlly clecorated melocly over a steady left-hand accoml~aniruent, itsu;illy cl~osclalor in broken figures. ( h o pin sho~\.sincreasing resourccl'i~lnessit1 his later nocturnes, whicli on the i\,hole ar-e more sl~ccuI;rtive and elaborate. He docs thia by enl-icliing the harmonic content, extending the left hand across the entire rallge of the keyboard (as in the Nocturne in (: sharp niinor, Op. 27, No. 1dating from 1835 and a work o f rernarkable complexity ant1 power-aricl the piece in I< flat, Op. 55. No. 2, from 18-13), even allowing the accompanirncnt t o take on :I melodic cha~:ictcr itself. Elsewlie~.e,as in the Nocturne in (;, 011.37. No. 2 (1839), 11e transforms the right-liantl material into etude-like figures, saving the ~rtor-c coni,entional melody for the cor~trastirlgnticldle sectio~t. The expressior~of rriost of these pieces is truly
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"nocturnal": soft-spoken, mctIitati\.e, sometimes sweet ancl caressing, more ol'icn melancholy. I n a few, Chopin approaches the transcendent, only to p ~ d b:tck l at the brink of ecstasy. And in a very few, particularly the Nocturne in C mitlor, Op. -18, No. 1 (1841). 11e shows :1ti altogether more dramatic side of the genre-storrny. passionate, in a way that Liszt f'requently is. l'ct in all of them, the emotion is fleeting. \\.hich makes the music particularly precious and leaves the listener with a floating quality itkin to C~ecliautl~orhlilarl Kunclera's "unbear;ible lightness of beirig." Preludes-In their variety o f form, figuration, and lexture, the 24 I'relutles, Op. 28 ( I 836-39). present a tnicrocosrn of C:hopiri's art. T h e idea of composing a set of preludes in each of' the major and minor Ley comes tlirectly out of B:tch's T t w \\'ell-Tenrp~rt-d C l a ~ ~ r u rand , rrr itch ;IS Bach did, Chopin uses indivitlual ~,relutlesto exl,lore the principle of building pieces out of specific textures or motifs. 'The reseti~hlaticeends there. Chopin makes no attempt to imitate :in earlier keybo;l~-d style, sticking confitiently to his own. And his preludes are quite specif~ciri their esl,ression. 'I'hough sorne are 110 more than a ferv ~neasures long, they are all distillations of ;t p;trticul:~rnrood, brief tlights of Romantic fancy capable of standing on their o\\-n,n o matter Iio~vevanescenl. Chopin'.\ aim in writing the set tvits to produce not only conmast, but graclations within ;I continuous utterance, so that while each piece car1 be heart1 as a unique expression, it remains an integr:ll part of the whole. sl'lle trealrnellt ranges f'rorn the single-motif stucly of the Prelutle No. 1, in C major, ro the estended rltapsodizi~lgof No. 15. in D flat. The el'fect can be comparetl to that of all exqttisite necklace, strung ti-om prarls remarkably different in she, shape, and color.
George Sonel (clbor*~,) rir 1111, fa// ilird 7 ~ 1 1 1 l / P l uf 1838-39, tire Ire~glrtof 111~ir~loritij loire U ~ ~ I I II\'hrle I. 011 the
i i ~ o i l a s t eHPTP, ~ ~ . hr a cozy 11111,~~ l l / l , 111al , O~~Plleel on (1 gnrdeir , Chop111 comple lei1 IIIP Pr~lrc(les,Ojt. 28.
i
Waltzes-"-I'he C'ierinese waltz is not fbr me." Chopin's remark should be understood in terms of ~vhattlle waltz was at the tinle o f his visit to
376
Choj9iii's rrollws:
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Vienna in 1830-3 1 : not the elegant, sophisticatecl dance made memorable by Johann Strauss I I (who was then fivc years old), but soniething closer to cafe music. I n his own waltzes, Chopin sought to 11e both more elegant arid expressive, and he rras able to render the dance in a variety of moods. Few of his rvoi-ksare more gracious than the Waltz in E flat, Op. 18 ( 1 83 I ) , o r niore dazzling than the W;11tz in D 1 1 ; ~ ~Op. . 64, No. 1 (1846), the celebrated iZQil~ztteWaltz. But some of Chopin's most convincing waltzes are less flamboyarit. Of the other Opus 64 pieces, No. 3, in A flat, is ivonderfully refined and rhapsodic, and No. 2, in C sharp minor-the greatest of Chopin's \\.altzes--conveys ;I sobel- resignation tinged with vulnerability. Polonaises and Mazurkas-Although he was of pure French descent on his father's side and spent the latter p;irt of his life in France, Chopin remainecl proud of his Polish birth arlci artistically true to the tcmperarnent of his honleland. Both the fiery and the melancholy aspects of the Polish character ;ire reflected in his polonaises a n d mazurkas. T h e former are among his most direct works, though even their character ranges substantially, f r o m a l m o s t pensive t o utterly triumphant. T h e triost f a r n o ~ ~of' s them is the Polonaise iri A flat, Op. 53 (1842). hlajestic, outgoing, and virtuosic, it is a quintessential exarnple of the flarnboyan~approach to the genre. T h e niidtllc section, with its grand crescendo bi~ilton dernonically fast left-hand octaves, is a touctistone of technique and endurance. T h e mazurkas arc harder to characterize. Chopin wrote more than 50 of them; there are 13 sets, ;ilong with :I number 01' separate pieces. Nearly all display the clear sectional layout characteristic of his dance pieces in general, ant1 most exhibit the distinctive accent on the second or thircl beat 01' the measure. which produces tile syncopated feeling typical of the niazurka as it is danced. Ye1 Chopin's subtle feeling for ~.hythm
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and I~arrnonytrirnsfi)rms the I I I ; I L L I I . ~ from ~ a peas;lnt dance into the most p r c s c i e ~and ~ t rariliecl of the genres in which hc w o t e . :\ number of his later mazurkas a r e ciccply felt reflections of both the composer's natiollalisrn ancl his lebrile innelse~~sitivity. Among l l ~ cbest arc 1u.o that Chopin wrote in 1842 and 18-16 in his much-loved kc! of C s h ; ~ r pminor: Ol>us 5 0 , So. 3, \\.hicli is at once elegiac and troublccl. arid O p u s 63. KO. 3. \\.hich begins as if it were a \valtz but grows increasingly questioning and surprising, \\.itti ;I remarkal)lc cor~cluclingcanon. Eclually fine is the Mazurk;~i l l C minor, Op. 56, No. 3, which s c c ~ n ssuspended betureen agitation aritl sultr! ycarnil~g..A Polish pianist put it best w h e n she said of Chopin's m ; l z ~ ~ ~ . k"This a s : is o ~ r bloocl. r LYc are up, down, volr;il~ic-ive have splcen, nosr:~lgi;~."
Artur Rubinstein. RCA liCD 1-,-I56 [H~~llr(les, 2~1thSr/r~r:os],5613-2 .Voclunl~.t],5615-2 17 I'olori~~irr~~], 5614-2 dfa:urkuc]. RCD 1-5492 [ I 4 I\'al~:rr], and H C A Gold Seul 77-35-2 [Ct~oprrlt~rrlrll]
1-3 (,.Ds; I9 1-3 (:Dr; 5 1
D e t ~ ~ c hGrurnmophori e 423 090-2 [Ballclclc.~,zo~llt Barcarolle arzd Fant;~s\rrr F rnir~or]
Vladlrnir Ashkenazy. Lurt(lon 4 14 564-2 [2 (,'I).\; 21 Noclrrr rtrc] Dmitri Alexeev. E.111 Emiri~nceCDi\l 6-1117 1-36 Pr~ltrdrc]
..lTllk,.,r o, drra (.'ho~pi~r ~ioctrtn~o:c.
firp,l 111
<,,
,.c.,
: i
11' ~llcrc'so n e sure I ~ e tin this repertory, it's Kul>ilistein. His recol-clings of'Chol>ili can be reco m m e ~ l d c dwithout hesitation for their warmth, lyricism, a n d e s p r e s s i v e p o i n t . Ne\.er o v e r wrought, the music emerges t t ' i i l ~spontarieity and fresh~iess.Rubinstein's fiery rentlit ions of the bal-
378
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i lades arid polon:iises combine t l r a ~ n ar~cl ; ~ poeisy in mesmerizing fashion, while his readings 01' the nocturnes. mazurkas, and \valtzes are not;il)le l0r their hlediterranean color and it~~cl-ring sense 01' i mood. The sound of the 1960s stereo reco~.clings ! rrlay occasionally lack depth arid seem slightly i veiled, but it holds up \\fell enough to collvey f unmistakably the tone and the touch that milde Rubinstein one of the greatest piiinists of'all rime. i In addition to these separate CDs for each genre, i there is the Rubinstein recital disc (a sa~nl>ler ! drawn from the stereo recorciings that arc part i of RCA's Tile Chopin Collection), offering every! body's favorite everything on onc (:D, except tliat there are no preludes or etuclcs. Well over 70 minutes of music, all of it ravislii~iglyplayetl. With Zimerman's accounts ofthc h;illatles, ~ ~ o t h i ing is throlvrl away, and the piariisl brings energy j and elegance to the music, alorig with ;in excellent i sense of color arid Ilow. Sonictin~esthe touches i seem applied rather than inevitnl)le,I~utthe ilrter! pretations are, 0 1 1 the whole, persu;~si\~e. .fllc. I!)87 i recording is solid and captures a good ;i~~ll)ic~ice, i though the piano tone gets a little h;~rcli l l the i heavy going. Ashkenazy recorded the nocturnes ;it various times in the 1970s and early 1980s. 'I'he accoullts i are lorig on virtuosity, and while the interpretstions are straightforward, they go directly to the ! mood of the pieces. London's recordings-some analog, some digital-are unifor~nlygood. Though little encountered on the American i concert circuit, the Russian pianist Alexeev is a i remarkably astute interpreter of Chopin. His in! tegral recording of the preludes, made in 11)8G, i is thoroughly impressive, with pcrfor~n;t~lces that are as sensitive as they are brilliant. The sountl is ! first-rate.
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T
FIE TERM CAMELAN r f f e ~to s etlse~r~bles coltsrrtz 11g of zlanou.r tlclzed bro~zzrgongs atzd other 1 1 1 slnr?nlr,vzD,orzp~zalhplayrd rrz Jaz~a.The Itldorzesran 111Jlueltce uf gnmelun sound on Drbzis~y'sulnltng for lhe piano 15. appar~nlit1 a 1111111ber of work\, partrculurly in the pentat~ztrscalrs and bngltt, clnrlpng chords of "Pagodes," the first piece rn Estarnpes, and ill thp lolltrtg ssoliontres of "La ca~hedraleengloutie" ("The S~otkeitCathedral").
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379
ebussy was slow to develop as a cornposer for the piano-this despite the fact that it was his instrument. But the works he did write are extraordinarily important. In their inno\.ative treatment of sonority, in their use of unconventional modes and scales, and in their succcssful avoidance of the cliches of 19th-century "virtuosity," they. open the door to an entire new world of pianistic possibility, a world that composers today are nowhere near finished exploring. From the time he was a conservatory studeni. a central element in Debussy's thinking about the piano was that it should be a sound resourcenot, as in the Romantic era. an i~~strument for "singing" or a vehicle for the clisplay of dazzling fingerwork, but a means to achieve tonal effects chat are engaging t o the ear. He wanted the piano to sound as if it had no hammers, and following the lead of Chopin and Liszt he sought to create the illusion of sustained tone, through pedaling. figuration, and the use of harmony saturated with non-chord tones. In 1889 his notions of how the piano could sound were profoundly expanded when he heard a Javanese gamelan at the M-orld Exhibition in Paris. T h c floating. elusive quality of much of Debussy's writing for the piano-derived from a constantly changing yet agreeably static texture of hell-like tones overlapped and gradually decaying-is but one characteristic of a very conlplex style. Equally important is the way these compositions are structured, not according to a process of argument but in a highly improvisatory fashion. At times Debussy resorts to a kind of cinematic cross-cutting in order to connect one idea to another, in a way that creaies a profoulldpsycl~ulo~cal. as opposed to a purely logical, relationship hetween them. In one of the best examples of this
380
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technique-the final pages of "La sol~ieclcins G ~ N node" (from the E S ~ ~ IofI ~1903), E T where fragnenu of distant revelry cut into a sultry habanera-the effect is so atmospheric the music almost seems LO levitate. T h e LIVO sets of' Intagrs. from 1905 and ItIOT, are Dehussy's most substantial works for piano. Written at the height of his maturity, they show an astonislli~lgmastery of technique and keybo;~rd imagery. Each set contains three pieces, thus rcsembling a conventional sonata i11 layout if not in purpose or effect. 'I'he first series begins ~vith "Reflets darzs I'ea/iV ("Keflections in the Water"), one of the greatest pieces in the entire piano literature. These "reflection\" arc incorr~plete echoes or subtly distorted repetitions of therrlatic figures, just as Rfonet.5 paintings of water lilies show reflections as fragments of color and shape. The main theme consists of'just tllree descerldirlg notes, around which Debussy creates an imaginati\ e play of texture, at first gently dappled, later swirling. ancl then breathlessly still. I n "Honlrtlage ci Raneau," the second piece in the first set of Imng~s,Debussy sought not to sound like the great French composer of the 18th century but to ofier s tribute written "i11 the style of a sarabande but without rigor." Graceful and clignified, hut also very \\-arm ancl nostalgic, it is a brilliant rneciitation on the austere melody given out in octaves at the start of the piece. The toccatalike "Alouvernent"ends the first het of I ~ N ( Lwith ~PS a n~arvelouschallenge to the perfomier's touch. as Debussy calls for notes t o be sustainecl in the ~nidclleof a lluicl sixteenth-note texture, and f o r a chorale to emerge from a pointillistic ha7e. T h e \econd set of Ivmgrs begins with one of the most aphoristic of 1)ebuss)'s pianistic utterances, "Clocltrs ri travrtr les fhuilles" ("Bells Through the L,eavesW).Here, the shimmering right-hand figuration ancl delicate middle-\ oicc rnaterial are wonderfully set apart from each other, creating a tonal richness that is almost orchestral. The music of the ensuing piece, "Et la lrrne clesceizdsztr lr lrt7tpIe
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' DEBUSSY
381
qzli flit" ("And the Rloon Descetitls or1 tlie -1-eniple
That it'as"). evokes the Oriental worltl of which Debussy t+as greatly enamorctl. with ;I drearny stasis and the delicate use of parallel fourths and fifths. "Poisso~u&or" ("Gold Fish"), inspired by a Japanese lacquer panel in L)ebussy's war-kroorn showing two carp swimming beneath the branch of a tree, concludes the set svith tonal smears t t i ; ~ t suggest rapid, darting movement, and with trills and arpeggios to depict the glint of light off the flowing {cater and the shiny forms underneath. T h e sultry, almost tactile imagery o f Debussy's preludes embraces everything from dancing fairies to surlke11 cathedr-als. There are 12 preludes in each of two books, publisl~ediri 19 10 and 19 13, respectively. Allusions to a variety of popular musical styles are a feature of' tlie firs1 book, and in thc case of "hlinstrels" anti "I.PJ coiiitzrs dd;l(tcapri" ("The Hills of Anacapri"), they ;ire brougtit off with particular aplomb. Det>ussy invests sornr of these settings with a pastel kvarnith, as i r l tllc first book's oft-played "La f i i i ~r11t.x clrnu,rrs rlr /ill" ("'Ile Girl with the Flaxen I-lair"). Hut others. notably Book 11's " F P Z ~d'(~rtl/jcc" X ("I;ire\\~orks") and Book 1's "Ce qu'a v u lu vrnt d'ottnt" ("U'ti;it the West Wind Saw"), are arnong the tilost incandescent of his pieces.
Paul Jacobs. Elektralh'oiwuch 71365-2 [Images, rc~illit:sr;~mpescrncl I h t lrnages of 18941 arid 73031-1 [ 2 CDs; Preluhs]
Claudio Arrau. Philips 432 304-2 [2 CDs; Images nnd Prelil(les, uv~h Estampes; also azailabk suparo~elyoti 420 393-2 arid 420 395-21
Jacobs was a specialist in the piano literictur-c of the 20th cenrury, which Debussy coulcl be said to have influenced more than any other figure. Thcsc
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Pat11Jacobs ilvrc olro pritrripll luybocird pln~trof [he Nrur York Philhrirmo~ttc.
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recordings of the conlposc.1-'s m:!jor \\'ol-ksI.CIII:L~II exemplary. T h e playing is technic;tlly ll11c111 :~r~tl musically irnnginative, ancl the ;iccounts ;IIT I I O table not orlly for their penetr;ili~~g insiglrl IIIII also fbr a suavity that brings each piece to scilitillating life. T h e piano sound is slightly vc-ilctl. but warm and resonant. Arrau's 1979 readings find hiln in spec.ti~cular form. They rnay not bc the last ~ o ~ -inc ls l ~ o ~ i taneity or electricity, but they possess si~lccrit\' and beauty in full mcasu~-e,along ~ c i r l iill1 :IIIpealing tonal richness. "Reflpt.s (ln11.s I ' P N I ~ " is extraordinary water music, limpitl arid cooli~ig, while "La caihidrule e ~ ~ g l o n temerges i~" as ;I colossi~l sonic sculpture, full of nobility, scnsiti\.ity, sc.litimcnt . . . and heavy breathing that 111;tkcs I he experience of hearing it that much more ilnmediate. The sound is vivid.
Y-
f one looks at the Romantic periocl :IS I I I ~ era 01' the soloist-of' 1'1~ometIiet1s LIIIbound-then Liszt \\,as its liero, ant1 his I'i;~no Sonata in B minor the greatest \vo~-kof tlie age. In this vast, single-movement cor~il>ositio~~, I.iszt achieved a synthesis of s!.rnpho~~irant1 soli:it;l forms that has never been surl~asseclth- its cogency, scope, and imagination. He man;igctl lliis in a \vorli that demands the utlnost 1'1-OIII [lie perfbrmer in t~ltcsicalas \cell as technic;~lternis. ;I work that in the hest of' accounts can sp;~rka transcendent emotional experience in the lisrcl~cr. It is sometimes difficult to see [lie 1.01-cstli)~. IIIC trees in this piece. The \vritirig is so vil-tuosic lhal the long-range relationship of motives alltl II;II-nionic regions to an overall pl;111ICIICIS 10 I)e it~distinguishable.But the plan is there. ;iutl it is superbly well executed. On one Ic\*cl,the \+forkis a single-movement sollata I:tstillg I~alf'all I I O I I ~ ,
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OR T H E FIRST F t t t n e nl rtly. lye 1 bp. lwld rc>alitlspirotiorr-fur 1 1 1 /ir.s1 ~ lime I 1tc8arcllllr lnte torles of t11(,/)iatro. HP pla~r(1one of 11i.cown cott~positiot~r,. . . Ilk marziprrlnliort of t h I~' I L \ / T ~ I N I Y ~ I ~ u6acqtiirt and cPn\j,atrd hi.\ face 110.5 sitnply gr(111d. . . . It%c,rr 11re tttu\ic rspressrd q~rii,/roptrrrt7 or d~~lotioti, n .czllc>et.\tr~ilejillr*rlover hk f~olrrrc..c;u~lletr11 uqa
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with :rn exposition in tlrree hroad key arcas, a development, a recapitulation, and a coda. But it can also be perceived as a four-rnovcn~eritsylnphonic structure, with t11c. standar-tl l'caturcs 01' an opening allegro, an antI;tnte, a sclicrzo (in tlrc form of a fugato), and a fillale. T o ni;~keboth of' these schemes \\fork,Liszt relies on t l ~ ctechnicl~rc of thematic transfbrrnatio~rrlpon \\~lrichso nr~lcli of his nus sic is basecf, developing the work's entire thematic 11iatcrial from a constellation of cells pr-eserrted in the opening nrexsurcs. I n the for.c.ground at any give11 time, there is great di\.cl.sity of texture and character-enough for a true multimovenrent ~\,ork-but in the background, thc*~.r is tre111endousulrity. 'The grand harmonic blueprint of tlie tvo~.k places the keys of D major anti F sharp major in opposition to the central key of B rni~~ol~-ccnrr;~l in spitc of the fkct that there is not a sirigle clca~.ly stated tonic tr-iacl in R minor in the elitire picce. This is one of' Liszt's most insightful touches. for it nrakes the Pnlsprt~eof I3 1ili11o1str-oligcr.t h r o i ~ g l ~ inip1ic;ttion than it woulct be from outright statcrnent. In the recapitulatory pages, the rnateri;~l associ;tted u.ith D and F s11:trl) I-e~ur11s in B major, settir~gup acompclling major/rr~ino~tlialectic; this has let1 numerous observers to conclucle that Liszt hacl a Faustian p1-ogran1 i l l ~ n i n d\\.lien he \\.rote the work. Liszt never s~tggesteclthat sr~cha program existed, but it is hard not to \~clicvethat a contest is being played out o n a vast scalc betwee11 diabolic rnenacc ancl celcsti;il consol;~tion.-1-lrc quiet crrding, o n the sarrle tlescendir~gscale wit11 which [lie work opened, is one of the grcat envoys in rnusic, a closing ofthe circle without ;I cor~clusio~~. 1-iszl corriplctctl the Sorratir in 1%n l i ~ ~ on o r Feljruary 2, 1853, at the heiglrt of one of' the most turbulent periods in his IifL. T h e sco1.c \\.as 1x11)lished the follotving yeal- \vitIi a clcclication l o Schurrr;inn, a gcstul-e of' ;rl,prcciatio~~ Sor Schtrmanrr's riedicatioli to Liszt, ill 1839, ot' the Pl~a~rl(~.rir. in C , Op. 17.
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Krystian Zimerman. Derckche G m t ~ ~ ~ n o / $3 ) l ~1o 780-2 ~r [~crillrnlhrr urork,]
Alfred Brendel. Philips 434 078-2 [urilh other urorks]
Zimerman's ~ > o \ ~ e r fiiccount ill makes an extraordinary impression, both in its overall sweep a~itlin its fine resolution of detail. IVith excellent pacing. Zimcrmi~ngives an electrifyingly virtuosic yet tlisciplinetl ~~crfbrmance; he can take the fugato at an i~nbelievableclip but I-ender it with dazzling accuracy and effect. The recording, made in the concert hall of Copcnhagcn's -1-ivoli park in 1990, is outstanding in its balance of presence and ambience. In his latest reading of the 1,iszt sor~i~ta. recortled in 19!11, Brendel rcvcals his towering mastery of the piece's corriplex road niap and a new depth of insight into its expressive concerns. His interpretation is notable f'or its grip and continuity, and it becomes especially affecting in the final pages as he clraivs the rnany rmotio~ialthreads together in a transcendent reverie. The account is \\*ell recortied and nicely framed by several pensive selections.
%iP
hile hlozart wrote his piano collcertos mainly for himself. he co~iceivedhis piano sonatas for the home entertainnier~~ market. The): do not contain his most important music and were never intended as a personal testamcrit, the way the sonatas of Beethoven trrould be. Rather. they are more in the spirit of Bach and his sonsworks meant li)r the cielight a ~ enrichmcllt ~ d of
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IIE SICILIASA, t-equetttly e~lcotttlter(~d in file i ) ~ l ~ ~ n music ~ ~ i ~of l tile ul 18/11 and 19/11 crilluries, u
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the player but outsrarlding esamples 01' the composer's art nor~etheless. T h e Sonatas in C. A, a r ~ dF, K. 330-332, were long thought to have been \vritten during hlozart's Paris sojourn of 1778. -411 thl-cc are 1 1 0 1 ~known to date from a later periocl-possibly from early 178 1 , \vlien hlozart was in ~ l u n i c l ipreparing his opera I d o 1 1 1 r l 1 m for its premiere, o r more likely frorn rfie 5ummer of 1783, which hlozart spent ill C'ier~rl:~ and Salzburg. T h e three sonatas are among htlo7al-t's most popu1:11- keyboard \\-orl\s, revealing a n exceptionally skillfi~lcommand ot the medium along \j.ith a subtle masrc-ry of topic ant1 style. T h e C: major Sonara opcns with a gracious -4llegl-o in ~vhicha highly or-narncntcti melody flows over a cleverly variecl but collsistcnt accornpanirnent. T h e Anclante is on a par with some of parthe compcser's finest concerto ~no\~enlenis, ticularly in the passages that descend into rhe minor mode. In the linnle as rvell, hIorarr rhe concerto stylist peeks out from behind tile fairly conventional clispositio~~ of mater-ial, reveling in the contrast between lighter and heavier testures and bringing drama to the play of topic. hlozart begins the cclcbrated Sonata in .A wit11 one of his most extraordinary slow rno~errit.ri~s: niarkccl A l z d ( 1 n t ~,+CIZ~OSO, it is 21 set of \~ariatio~is on a siciliana of be\vitching bcauty. Orily llozart could meat such a lovely nielody to a full range of \arialions i\.ithout cvcr violating its siniplic ity. T h e German composer 3ias Reger ivas so impressed that he chose the ~ h c r n cfor his massive orchestral V ( L ) - ~ U [ ~ O~I1~1J2 F0 z l g l i e O ) I (I T/IPINF O ~ I \ ~ O Z (II I in 1913. hlozart follo~vsthe slo\v movement with a rlii~liretof iinusual subjectivity. As rnirsic critic Eric Blom has notecl, it has "a 11-ail,ivistful quality that makes it as haunting a piece of Romantic piano mrlsic as anything one can think of in Scllumann o r Chopin." T h e finale is hIozart's fhnio~isRondo alla T ~ o r aan , astlite takeoff'on the then-currcn~rage for T i ~ r k i s hriiilitary riiusicarlcl a line piece of pianism to boot.
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The F major Sonata is an expansive and rnelodious work, extroverted in character ancl rich in contrast. Its centerpiece is a brief, beautif~~lly fashioned Adagio in the singing style; signilicantly. when the sonata was published in 1784, the movement's simple melody appeared in richly embellished form at its recapitulation. T h e assumption is that this was Mozart's own addilion. Mozart intended several of his late piano sonatas for young players, probably because he needed the money such pieces would bring in. Even so. the works are quite engaging-and not all that easy to play. Mozart entered the charming Sonata in C , K. 545, into his catalog of works on June 26, 1788, as "a little piano sonata for beginners." I t opens with ari ornamented melody that has gained universal currency today as a result of a 1939 arrangement clubbed "In an Eigh~een~hCentury Drawing Room." The first movement is in standard key-area form, with a .rvonderful "false" recapitulation (was Mozart conspiring with the beginner to upset the experienced teacher?). The Andante offers a singing melody of searnless heauty over a standard broken-chord accompaniment known as an Alberti bass, while the finale is a miniature rondo with a thenle in thirds, lest the beginner's fingers get too sure of themselves.
Georges Pludermacher. Hannoniu hluizdi I.ii\.IC 901373.77 [5 CDs; corrzplrlr piano soizc~la~]
Andhs Schlff. Londorz 422 104-2 fh'.330. icith olilrr i,w~kc] artd $21 110-2 [h'. 332, with olher zuorw
Style nnd arbstance ro,rrbrir~ill Plrrd~nnoch~r'.r P~UVIII~.
The more popular hmlozart sonatas tend to get split . - up when pianists record the cycle, so one i must pick ancl choose. But if one is prepared to ! splurge, the five-disc set from Harmonia Mundi
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11inkcs excellent sense.. L2'liilc [lor well known or1 this side of the .Atla~ltic,tlic F'~.enchpianist Pluderriiacher is higlily regarded in Europe and nriks as one of the outstanding illterpreters of this repertory. 111these 1991 accounts, he is captivating from the first. His playilig combines a refined sense of tone with a light ancl articulate touch; thc phrasing is insightful, the lreatment of orna~iicntsexcellent. And the recording is ideal, with presence, ambience, and tonal balance rery n i ~ ~ clike t i that of a rcc.it;ll. Scliiff's accounts, ~vitlioutc;illirig a~tentionto themselves, prove eminently satisfying. T h e playing is sure-fingered ant1 sensitively shaped-as in Bach, so in hlozart. +Tllouglithe analog recordings arc some\vhat distant, thev nicely capture the sound of the ins~rurnellt.
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achnianilioff \\.as among the foremost pianists of his era. and a brilliant composer whose concertos and solo \\.arks for piano have become more firmly est;~blishedin the repertory than those of any other 2Othcentun figure. He wrote nearly all of his solo piano music before emigrating from Russia in I!) 17, when the need to star1 his life over in tlic West and secure a steady income Sorced him to devote increasing aniounts of his time ;~ntlcrlergy to concertizing. Rachmaninoff's keybo;~~.tl tcctinique was forrriidable, and his coml>o>itionsfor the piano capitalize on it, explor-ing thc instrument's fill1 range of dynamic ancl expressive effects. Invariably, there is a pronounceti lyricism to his writing, sornetirnes tender. otlicr times grand and soaring. There is also an underlying srrength of sonority; incleecl, n o compose] Ii;~s ever drawn a more porverfill sound from the piano. Just as the melodies call for great sc*nsitivity10 line and nuance,
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1ISSlAhT 1t1USIC suffered dolt bly rluriirg 1 1 1 ~years of Commzozirt i~tle-from iil/i~nida/iot~ at the /rail& of rabid uppamtrk iks, u~hicttitlllihi/ed expressioi~and de.sh.oy~dcareers, nndfroi~l/he exod~rsof laleiit. I11 addittoit to Rachinaiziiloff, w l ~ oIefl in 191 7 , /he hoilnr roll of Rl~~siciii 1%palrial*. ~nusiciaiui ~ l c l u d ~ s Strnviruky, Ro,trol)oz~trk, 12'ikolai i11edtnn; aitd Feodor Chuliaphi.
RACHMANINOFF
so the chordal texLLrres and clouble-octavc passages of Rachrna~iirloff'smost clemanding pieces call for unbridled virtuosity. It took Kachrrianinoff years to o\erconic the immense popularity of his Prelude in C sh;rrp minor, Op. 3, No. 2. \.Vritten in 1892, it dehned hirn in the mintls of rrlany as a composer of the most melancholic and lugubriou~cast-leaving a long ancl dclctcrious shadow o\'er \vorks that showed other sides of his crcatiic persona. Nonetheless, the iritensity 01' this piece gave an early indication o f what Rachmaninoff coulcl achieve in a vignette, and its promise was largely rcali~cd with the Len p r e l ~ ~ d eofs his Oplls 23, co~npletcd in 1903. Noiv the composer had in mind a scheme similar to that of' the Chopin preludes: a cycle that would touch on all the major and minor keys and thereby pay homage to the preludes and fugues of Bac11's Tlze Iliell-Tevzprred Clovier. By the t i ~ n eof Opus 23. Rachmaninoff had con~posed hi\ Second Piano Concerto, ancl aspects of the conceno's warn1 emotional ambience can he found in somc of the preludes-in the Oriental lushness of the middle section of the Prell~clein G minor (No. s),for cxanlple, and in the flowing melodic ligul-ation of the I'rel~rdes in D and E flat (Nos. -I and 6). \.\'ith the 13 preludes of Opus 32, composed in 19 10, Rachrnaninoff completed the edifice he had begun to build, without knowing it, 18 years earlier. By now hc had written his Third Piano Concerto, arld orice agairl reflections of thc larger work's o ~ e r a l style l can he hunt1 among the y e ludes: the expressive topography has great variety. and the structural divisions and fbrmal seams are cleverly tIisguisec1. Comparecl with their preclecessors, ~liescpreludes are more muscular, their harmonies less luxurious and their sonority more crystalline. Among the notable works of Opus 32 are the wonderfirlly g e n ~ l ePreluclr in G (No. 5). with its charged climax 011 an extended trill that tilrns the harmon) Crorn ~ n a j o rLO riiinor: the somber, grandly scaled Prelucle in B rninor (No.
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lo), which like a corlde~lsedversion o f Kachina~~inoff's symphonic poem The Isle of the IIecid huilcls to a paroxysm of passion; ancl the Prelucle in G sharp minor (No. 12), with its scintill:~tingrighthand ostinato and a haunting left-hand melody that looks fonvard in mood to his Syt~tpho~ljc DuIIc~.~. T h e Alome~ztsnturicnux of Opus 16 ( 1896) ancl the Etudes-tableaux of Opus 33 (I91 I ) and Opits 39 ( 1 9 16-17) are, like most of the preludes, meclitations on a particular rnood or idea that clevelop into powerfully concentrated character pieces. The third of the sis Motnents rnlctirnux, a dirge in B minor, is one of Kachmaninoff's lnost falnous piano pieces; the fifth, in D flat, shows a pronounced similarity to the textures and figurations of Chopin's Bercezue in the same key. Some of the more dramatic of these works-such as the sixth hfo~llrnlt?~iusical.in C, and the Eluh-lcib/aat~in E flat minor. Op. 39, No. 5-are in cffect miniature tone poems whose heaving textures ciin, in the hands of a first-rate pianist, take on a truly symphonic weight.
@RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Ian Hobson. Arabesque Z 661 6 [24 Preludes] and Z 6609 (1 7 Etuties-tableaux]
Dmltri Alexeev. Virgin Chsics VCD 592289-2 1-3 CDs; 24 Prelrrtlts and 6 hioments musicaux, wifh ofher ulorks]
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Hobson offers complete traversals of the preludes and the Etudes-tnblenzlx, each on a single disc. Not Inany pianists possess the technique to confront this music convincingly; Hobson does, though h e never flaunts it. What sets his accounts apart is their delicacy of tone and limpid clarity of texture. T h e playing is thoughtfi~land often beal-itiful, and the sound is solid. Alexeev makes short work of ever1 thc toughest i
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of these nuts, though his overall approach is introspective and rhapsodic rather than flamboyant. T h e recording. made i11 1987 and 1989 but not released until 1993, is lightweight and slightly distant, yet ideally atmospheric.
The ~ r d i ~ r t ~ uz llea k I I ~ ~ I I I ~ I I 0tid111rhrckor~.<11w port.
music of Ravel is a synthesis of numerous elements, among then1 the flowing figurations of his teacher, FaurP, and the virtuosic technique of Chopin and Liszt. Ravel made much of Debussy's evocative harmony, but he also pioneered certain keyboard effects that Debussy later extended, most noticeably the shirnmering textures of J e w d'eau, writtcn in 1901, which infiuenced Debussy's "Reflets duns l'etiu" in the first set of Iuinges, from 1905. Where Debussy's works are highly spontaneous in form, Ravel's pieces tend to gravitate toward standard layouts and to be Inore conventionally argued. The three-movement suite Gaspard de la nuil (Gaspard of the Nigh!) is Ravel's most challenging piano work and one of the supreme accomplishments of musical impressionisn~.Con~posedin 1908. it takes as its point of departure thrce texts from Aloysius Bertrand's Histoires vet~~ioulues el poudreuses du Aloyen Age (Dtcsty am! 1Yormeaten Tales front the Mlddle Ages), n collection of lugubrious prose poems written in the mid- 19th century. T h e imagery of these tcxts inhabits the dark world of Poe and Baudelaire, f'avorites of the Symbolist writers who shaped turn-of-the-century French aesthetics. Thc first movement, entitled "Ondine" after the fatally alluring water nymph of numerous fairy tales, depicts the spirit beckoning to the poet at his window. "flecking with drops the sonorous pane illuminated by the pale moonlight." Kavel's
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strikingly effective translatiorl ol'this image-into a soft, repeated-note ligure recast for full cliords in the right hand-creates a shimmering stasis that is among the 111ot-ehaunting inventions of the kcyboarcl litel-;~tu~-c. "Le gibet" (.'The Gallo\\.s") is the secontl movemerit, inspired by ;I poem about ,I "bell that sounds f r o n ~the \valls of ;I touYnon thc horizon and a cor~jseclanglirlg from the g:~llows,recl as the setting sun." -1'Ile inlluence of Debussy's "Hom111u~e d Ra~~ieuti" fl-om the lirst set of 1tria~e.s ., can bc fclt in the way the solemn opening melody is tvorkctl out. Softly tolling B fl;tts throughout the piece cliillingly suggest thc fu~lerealbell. Concluding Ga~pardis "Scarbo," a portrait of a mean-spirited nietlieval dtr~arf."How often," the poern states, "have I seen Iiim drop f'rom the ceiling, pirouette on one foot, :rncl roll across the room like the bobbin of a \\itch's distaff." With it5 ficnclish hand-crossings arlcl \\yicked repeatednote figures broken out into octaves, Ravel's texture a p ~ l ypersollilies the spinning dwarf. The pianistic model is Russian conlposer hlily Balakirev's 1sla1nt-y.then considered the most difficult piece ever written fol- he instri~ment.In "Scarbo," Ravel niade a co~isciouseffort to writc an even more difficult piece, and succeeded.
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H E )'EARS 1902191 9 rlmrked n goI(1rtt age tn Fie~rchllano lnlarr, duntrg ud~rrh11eur(\ all of Debucqi cr~rdR U Z ' Pmo\t ~'~ rmporlntr! ulorkc for Ihe 111r!no,~cr~l-/rottt Debzmy'! Pour le pinno 10 Raz~ul'\1.e tornbe~ude Couper~tlrecenvrl !he1r premieres. R~cur~lo I/rirec (above, I($) a fuz~o?tlr lrrtel,breIer of h01/1 comporrts. U'ns ltlz'olr~t'llI t 1 man) of lhese first performance,.
lvo Pogorelich. Deu~srheGranrnuplto~~ -1 13 363-2 lzvi~hProkofirv: S O I I ( INO, ~ N 61
Andre Laplante. E ~ I I C;I) I I 2232 [uitt~o~herurorkr]
l'ogor~lich's is the most noct irrnd performance of Gc~spartlon disc: demonic, haunting, full of the malevolent night magic Ra\.el meant to depict. It is the kind of perfo~~mance Ravel would never
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have heard fro111 a French piar~ist-111a1.ketl by an astonishing spontaneity, yet with an authority that suggests everything has beer1 tliouglit through. At certain points, especially in tlie phrasi~igand articulation of " O ~ ~ d i n ethe , " pianist goes out on the most extreme of interpretive limbs. But his originality is unfailingly engaging, and his sensitivity to the music's imagery and ~rioodis exqi~isite. Coupling Gaspard with the Valses iiobles e! seirlimetitnies, hienuel anliqtce, and Soitutiire, the Laplante C D is the best single-disc collection of Ravel's piano music in the catalog. Laplante's graceful playing, sensitive rubato, anti expressive flair are great assets. T h e 1989 recording is illtimate, yet it does not crowd in too closely, offering :I satisfying concert-hall perspective.
(1685- 1757). wllosc father, Alessandro Scarlatti, was one of the Ie;~tling opera composers of the Baroque era, was t)oru in Naples the same year as Bach a ~ i dHandel. -I'llc younger Scarlatti was to find his otvn n a t ~ ~ r a l expression not in opera or chamber music but at the keyboard-and not in Italy but o n the Iberian peninsula. He was 34 when he left Italy to take u p duties in Lisbon as music niaster to the eldest daughter of King John V of Portugal, the I~ifrlnta hiaria B5rbara d e Rraganza. iVhcn in 1728 hlaria Barbara married the heir to the Spanish throne, Scarlatti went with her-first to Seville, later to hiadrid, where he spent the rest of his lif'e. T h e Palace of' AranjuCz, the primary residence of King Fernando VI and Queen hlaria R;irl,ar-a, became the seat of a thriving ~iil~sical eslablisliment, at the center of which stood Sc;~rlatliand the great Italian castrate Carlo Rroschi, known as Farinclli. hlaria I3irb;ira's intcrcs~in ~iii~sic, ;rntl her remarkable talent as both a harpsicliortlist w
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tc Scarlutli.s, f i ~ t l i ~(~tid r sotr, reignr(I it1 tunt over o p e ~it, Itnb rrtrd keyboc~rd music on the Iberian pettirrsula. Wnch n t ~ dhis four composer SOIU zoere the c~clmitmtiot~of tl~ei i ~ ~ ~ ( i c a I hegemony of tlrt Bilch jilmi!~ in Cermaiiy. 111 Frai~ce, Louis Cotrperii~n i ~ dtiephew Fmnqoit Cot~peritidominated keyboarrl mrrsic for r~earlyn cn~luty,ulhile it, Auslricr, thrre getrrrntioirc rf Alozurls l e j !heir vlork uv cotiiposers.
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and-.judging from the instruments sllc o\\l~letla pianist, was the stimulus that tlrcw fro111Sc:ii.l;ltti the great work of his career, more thaii500 singlemovement keyboard sonatas. C!ritler I he clueell's patronage, these were copied ant1 11ot11ic1,the collection eventually running to 13 \,olti~lies. Though nearly all in two-part forni, tliesc sonatas show an estraordinary range of color, mood, and effect. There is an identifiably Spanisli cast to many, whether frorri their dance rhythr~is.f1amenco inflections, strummed-guitar like testtires, o r actual Spanish melodies. Some of tlie son;~t;is focus on striking, often peculiar harmonies, which Scarlatti found far more interesting rI1;11i conventional counterpoint; o ~ h e pieces r rely on repeatecl rhythmic figures o r ornaments, such ;IS tlie persistent trilli~lgandtollingof the Sonata in I) niirior. I(.5 16. hlost important. while ;I fe~vof rhc solliltas are technically easy. perllaps iritendetl li)r hlari;~ Birbara's children, the nlaiority oftc.11 call liw rapid hand-crossings. sudderi junips, ;illti Ilig11velocity fingertvork. These out\v:ircl cxl~ressiolrs of brio, along with the inner vitality of ~ l i ciiiusical ideas themselves. make Scarlat~i'sson:it:is appealing lo performers and listericrs alikc.
Vladimir Horowitz. CHS i\fnstwzvrks dfK 4241 0 [ I 7 sot~ota.~] Andhs Schiff. Loizdotl 421 422-2 [ I 5 so~mlas] Rafael Puyana. Hanrtonia i\furldi HAIC 901 164.65 12 CD.5; 30 .cnt~crtrrr]
T h e Scarlatti sonatas were I4orowitz's calliilg cards, arid his recordings of the111 rcn~airianiolig his greatest contributions to the c;~ralog.'1-lle playing is smooth and sensuous, the tlynaniir g~-;ldations remarkably delicate. highlighting the 1talia1l;itc
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temperament of tllc pieces. Horowitz h;rs I I O Ircsitation about using the sustaining petl;ll, 1,111 ivllen he does, it is always to good el'let:t. 'l'he sourltl o f these 1962-68 recordings is dry, ;inti there are some noticeable splices, bur the overall cluirlity is more than acceptable. Where Horotvitz revels i l l Scar,l;itti's liglit~lcss, Schiff draws attention to the composer's tliirker tones. His playing is big-boned a~lclsonorous, yet rhythms are well sprung. *The interpretive cnlphasis is on sentimc~~t rather [hail surfrrce apl~eal. and one finds a certain \r.istful~~ess. even ir rnclancholy aspect, to some of the readings. 1.oritlon's 1987 recording has a nicely distant pickul, that places the listener in seats rnidivay back i r r all empty hall. rather than inside [lie lit1 ot' Schiff's piano, and there is good depth to tllc souncl. 'I'hese sonatas acquire entirely tliffe~.crrt 1,ersonalities on the harpsichorcl, ar~tl 1'uy;rnn's treatment of them is supre~lielydig~iilictl..l'he Colon~bian-bornvirtuoso c~~lpliasizes sonority anrl color, exhibiting a preference fi)~ [he nlore substantial sonatas and bringing a truly Sl~arlish sultriness and swagger to his intcrpretario~~s. He ~~II[ plays on a Germall three-manual ~ I I S ~ I . L I I ~I'ror11 1740, a real battleship of a h;irl,sicllord, ernl>loying different manuals to achieve variecl to~lc* i111c1 \\,eight.The analog recording, nl;tcle in 198.1. does fulljustice to these regal accounts 01' \\.or-ks\vr.it ten for a queen.
piano literature of the l!)tlr ce~rtu~.y. only the late sonatas of' Sc11~1I)ert ; I I I ~the B minor Sonata of Liszr stancl o n 111esame exalted plarie as the great sonatas of Bectlioverl. Sclr~rbert's interest in the genre, like Rcetliovcn's, extended fro111the beginning of his career to the end-though in Schubcrt's case a nlcrc I :1 years
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eat of mi~siciarrslril,octuned on d l ~ g u t tI I , 1978, U ~ P the ~ ICzech piarlirl Rudolj)h Firkusrty pluyed S ~ l t ~ ~ b rSOr rTIC^^^ ' ~ ;?I H j7n I to art audience tlrd collld hear him but no1 see him. A thurrderstorm had k~ocked out power at the Urriversity of i\la qlatld rrtidi~q ttiri~ttgltthe fir$! lralf of the piar~irlirecital, b11t F~rktrsrry had kept playing. After the trttennissio~~, he begart the 40-mirlule so?lala t r t corn plete bI(1~4ness.He did not rn&c.c n note.
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separate his earliest essays, the u ~ ~ f i ~ l i s hworks ed of 18 15 in C and E. from the three sonatas of' 1828 that bring the canon to a close. Viewed from this perspective. the formal mastery and emotional depth of the late sonatas become all the more remarkable. 'She final two, in A and B flat, D. 959 and 960. represent the summit of Schubert's achievement as a composer for the piano. Both ;ire four-movenient sonatas of symphonic length, in the same mariner as Reethoven's H a m v ~ c r k l n v i ~t rh o u g l ~ cert;~inlynot from the same molcl. Their rhapsodic lines of action and their unique affective cornbinat ion of turbulence and tranquility arise from a profoundly original concept of the purpose of' the sonata-nan~ely, the gratlual revelation of an i~irierworld, unfolded at "heavenly length" in an essentially intinlate manner. Both sonatas have broad opening movements characterized by an alniost prodigal flow of ideas, frequent minor-key coloration, ant1 a propensity for striking modulations. T h e ~ t v o;\re distitictly different in mood, however; thc A major Sonata's .Allegro is upbeat. even restless, while the B flat Sonata's ltlolto moderato is haunting and otherworltlly, at times bleak. Arid in their development secrions, the former concerns itself almost e~itirely with a single t~vo-measuresul~jectthat appears just before the end of the exposition, while the latter weaves a rich tapestry out of the exposition's two main themes, ultimately alloivirig them to dissolve away to nothing. T h e scale of both movements is immense: in perforrnances where thr exposition repeat is observed, the first movernent of the Sonata i r i 13 Hat can last more than 20 minutes. T h e slolv movements of the t t v o works are extentlcd, songlike slructures with subdued opening arld closing sections a n d more dramatic interludes. Of particlilar interest is the earlier sonata's melancholy Andantino in F sharp minor, where the outer pages enclose an exceptionally violent section market1 by stabbing chordal screams.
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T h e other son,ltals bittersweet Arld.~nte,in C' sh;lrp minor, opens and closes \\.ith a feeling between resignatiori antl quiet desperation, though its tone becorrles rriorc ilrgent in its A ni;ljor midsection. Both sonatas have viviti scherzos and well-cle\.eloped rondo finales. T h e scherzo of the Sonata in 4 is particularly delightful in irs C h o p i n e s q ~ ~ e grace, the fiil;~leof the I\ Rat Sonata especi;~lly appealing for its ambiguous stance halfway between rnajor and minor. 'I'he "little" Sonata in A . D. 664, is the Inost gracious and lyrical of' Schuberl's piano sonatas. Traditionally clated to 18 19, it nlay actually have beer1 written in 1825. T h e opening movement, with its memor;ihly swcer main t l ~ c ~ nisc .entirely serene except for an outburst of streni~ousoctave scales in the tleveloprnent. T h e Arldslnte has a mystical, yearning quillity that looks ahead to Wagner's C\'e.\e,~donk Lieder. while the finale seems to look tolcartl Mozart in its lilting enthusias~rit h o u g h the tlt-eamy pensive~icssis entirely Schu bert's.
Murray Perahla. CBS Ala.itciork\ iZlK 44-169 [D. 959, ruitlc Sclrttmari~~: Sorr~lain C; ~tri~ror, Op. 221
Alfred Brendel. Plrilipr 422 229-2 ID.959,rullh ofher roork], 4-72 062-2 [D.960, ulillr Uf;~lldcrerl:anrasy], atid -110 605-2 [D. 664, urith So~rulain A nrirror, D. 5371
Wllhelm Kempff. Deufsclw Grant~t~~)j)Ico~t 423 4 96-2 /7 CDs;conrplete piano sonatas]
I'eri~hia's i ~ l ~ c ~ - p r e t a of t i othe ~ i Sonata in A is one of extraordinary tonal beauty, and it does justice to both the impetuosity antl the gentleness of Schubert's writing. I n the dranlatic Anclan~ino,
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I'erahia is particularly striking. T h e account, dating from 1987, is very well recorded. In Rrendel's most recent recordings of the sonatas, made in 1987-88, the relation of these works to both the sonatas of' Beethoven arid Sctiubert's own earlier works is clear enough, though one occasio~iallyfeels Brendel is rnore concerned with detail than with poetry and passion. 111 any case, the approach to the late sonatas is philosophical and solicitous; much like a doctor in a lab coat, Brendel listens to their heartbeat, takes their pulse, doesn't say much, and lets the music speak for itself. ?'he sound is good. lieanwhile, i r i his early digital recortling of [lie little A major Sonata, D. 664. Urendel is at his v e n best. a softness and a Bieder~neierdelicacy to pretation that p~woke tielight with every
i j
A\\ lN?%.'RPRETER, S AN r'lI~elm I Kentpff saw music it, contex!. Raised in the nck cultuml n i d i~rtellecfuul soil of I.lfilheltnine Prussirr, IE studied philohophy and N I I U ~ Chistory a! the Ur~iuersityof Llrrlitl- He could relate the t~tt~oliono~l u~orldof a Schubert sotlat~ to feelitrgs expre.ssed i n Goeltie'.
ff's are fio~virig,magisterial redings of tas, which sound as if he were making on the spot. Tone anti phrasing take on ty of song here as wit11 no otlier intclpreter-and while the appro.ich is essentially meditative, there is always an extroversion to balance the introspection. T h e accounts of the late works are unsurpassecl in their eloquence, and even in the little A miljor Soliata the dynamic shadings and phrasing are exquisite. Kempff's touch is lapidary, which the 1965 recordings of the late sonatas convey with uncanny fidelity; indeed. in the B flat. i t sounds as if the piano is ~d in your living room. some\vhere b e l ~ i ~your speakers. All of the sonatas were recorded at the Beethovensaal in Hanover. Germany, between 1965 and 1969. and it should bc noted that somc of the later sessions have rather shallolv sonics. Even so, if one is willing to splurge on seven rnidpricc CDs, this set is worth the investment.
398
SOLO KEYBOARD WORKS
•
SCHUMANN
9-
he piano was lbr Schumann, as tbr ClioP L I I , arl e s t e n s i o r l 01' I~iniself', : ~ n d Schurnanr~tvrore for the instrume~it\\rith all intiate sense of how it sounded ancl ivh;~tit could do. T h e powerful chor-dal textures h e loved \+,ere not a n attempt to turn the piano i l l t o a n orchestra, nor were they intcndetl as dc~nons~ratioris of pianistic t)~.illiar~ce, ;IS Liszl's often were. Rather, they were meant to take full advantage of the soriority of the granrl pi:ino, to create a textural ricllrlcss a n d a tonal weight that together, in Schunlann's mind at le;rst. r e l ~ r e s e ~ l t eadn ide:tl. Nearly all of Schuniann's piano nlusic is referential, an ;ttteml)t to embotly emotions arottsecl 1)y the esperiencc o f l i terntul-e or. to cliaract erize real o r im;lginnl-y beillgs and their intcractior~irl some ongoing novel o r lyric poelrl of the mirld. O n e of thc. coml~oser'sfavorite coriceits \+fns ~ l l e L)azticisbutlrl ( T h e Society of Daviti), peopled by imaginary characters who, like tllc Biblical I);~vid, had tlecidcd to stand I I to~ the artistic I'hilistines of the day. T h c mem1)ers ol'this society incl~tcletl the i~npetuousextrovert Florestan anti the sti1dious introvert Eusehius. reflectillg t\\.o siclcs 01' Schurnann's own character, as well ;IS a figure calletl h'leisrer Karo, who may 11;ii.e represented S c h u m a n l ~ 'tc:lcher ~ a n d future father-in-lat+r, Friedrich U'ieck. \tThen writing music in the spirit of Eusebi~rs,S c l ~ u m a n nwo~rld affect a gcr~tle lyricism seemingly scented wit11violets; \\,hen moved by t l ~ espirit of Florestan, he would create propulsive rhythms, 111-isktempos. ant1 Imlts o f pianistic cornpositio~lsfor lightning. h,lost of Scl~umar~n's the piano ;ire emotional jo~trneyswith these two alter egos at the wheel. T l ~ bolcl e opcrling chortls of Cnnzazlrrl, O p . 9 , are arnong the most f i n ~ o i l sin the piano literature. 'l'he piece, completed in 1835 and given the full name Cnrn~zwl:Scettr.\ migtronlies Jlir q r r t ~ t r ~
SOLO
S
KEYBOARD
CHlr~ll.,\Nh' rrnlvr bucumr the ~~rrt~ioso pr~rri.~t he hoped 10 1 ) ~ ouli~rg . to u neuro-mtuciclnr dycJIIr~tiotrof the itldex and middle fingecc of Irk right hrrd. It is 1101k t r o u ~ uttrether tlr~prohlrirr resul~cci frotn Sctr~~rnc~n~i's ~ L C Pof 11 mcrharzirnl splirrl lo t~ lo strengtlre~rtire right hci rrd, or Jrorrr rnercti 9 poko~tit~g r~latedto trentmrrrt for syphilis, whir11Ire ttrcly have rorrtructed itr hi.s teeru.
WORKS
S C H U M A N N
399
rloltls ( C N I . I I I ' VPrefly ~ I : Scerles 0 1 1 Four .Vote$),consists
o f 2 1 short numbers, all ofwhich have titles..l'he~-c arc pol-traits ol' Florcstan aricl Euscbius ;111d o I ' characters from the comrnetlia dell';~rte(I'ierrot. Harlequin, Pantalon, and Colombine), as \\'ell as a pair of' very appealirig carneos de\,oted to t~vo other composers. Chopin and Papnini, the former picce quite strikirig in tlle \v;iy it c;~ptures Chopin's nocturnal sound and style. Schumann also incl~~tles a characterizatiol~of the 15-ycal--old Clara Wieck ("Chiarinii"), whom h e t\*oultimarr) in 18-10. :IS well as one of his cur-rent fianrcr, the11 just 18, Ernestine von Frickcrl ("Estrella"). Ernestine is the key to the piecc, for slie hat1 beer1 born i l l the town of ,4sch i l l Bohcrnia, aiitl the fo~~ notes r on which Carnnzvzl is based are the f o ~ t rivllose <;crmar~riiimes spell that out: A, E: flat, C, B natural (A. Es, C. H). Tlie wl-iting iri Carrzavrrl is brilliantly inventive. the character of intiivic1u:il nurnl~ersso artftrlly varied that the ts.altzlikc feeling of the piecc as ;I whole never grows llionot0110us. T h e Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13, con~posedin 1834-37, are masterly \'arialions o n a square-cut funeral march in C sh:rrp mirior, a thelnc written by f a n c k Ernestine's I'ather, Baron von 1.-rickerl. arl amatcur flutist. Hcre is Schumii~lnin one of' his rare rlonprogramrnatic moods. I-lis ivriting is of'a high order througliout. f:~ncifirland prol~ing, ~riuchol'it techrlically tlen~antiing.T h e ~nercurial shiilts of' mood between variirrions, from solemn to capricious, fro111 fiery to sweetly Iyl-ic-al,make the work one of Schiin~ann'smost engaging, while the score's archlike f'ormal structur-e is irltleed symphonic in its strerlgth. For his Kre1.51~rianm.Op. 16, Schumallrl turnetl for inspiration to the music criticisnl of E.T.=\. Hoffrnar~n.T h e work gets iu name from the Hoffmann character ofJohanrles Kreisler, a con: ductor \vho suffered f'rom visions and in \\,horn i Schum;uln saw a reflection of' himsclf. C:;~st as a i set of eight fantasies and cornposed in just four j days in April, 1838, the work is Schirmann's rriost
400
SOLO KEYBOARD WORKS
SCHUMANN
subjective pi;lno piece. T l ~ opening e viguctte c:cptures a moot1 of ti~rbulentpassion; subsequent C ~ anxiety, desp:~ir,grotesquery, fantasies ~ O L I on and Romantic lo~iging,noiv anti then escaping into soaring lyricism anti a haunting meditative oblivion. 'l'lie piecc is dedicatetl to Chopin.
@ RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
Youri Egorov. EA11 Strtdio (;1)1\1 69537 [Krcisleriar~a.zclith Novelelten, 0p. 21, Nos. 1 ntrd 81
Artur Rubinstein. RCA Red Seul 5667-2 [Carnaval, u~illtollrer u~orkr]
Maurizio Pollini. Delrlsche Gratr~trro-photr-110 916-2 [Sytrcplronic Elrcdes, u~illr Arabeske, 0). IS]
Pollilii tnks Srlirrtnntcii 0111 uf rlie hotho~warid plnces Iitni in t11ec~vric~l-gnrdr of t l t ~1 8 3 0 . ~
Pianists who succccd at Schi~rn;~nn must possess a philosophical seriousness but also an ability to reslx)nd to errrotio~rsin thc music, to let go when appropriate. And they must be masters of tolle. Egorov, a drug addict who died o f AIDS in 1988, was such a pianist. His Kreislericuin is all inter111.etation of profound sensitiirity, fully thought through yet charged with spontaneity. The playing is powerful, but gentle at the same time. ?'he 1978 recording cnptures the pcrform:t~icewit ti opti~iial weight. warrnth, and clarity. Like his Chopin, Rubinstein's Schunlann has an undeni;~blecharm. T h e vig~lctteso f C ~ ~ ~ ( I I M I / are sketched here with consummate skill, thc pianist's flair [.or characterization apparent in e\*ery one. The 1962-63 recording is rather veiled, but Kubinstein's lovely rorie manages to coriic through. Pollini's account of the Sym1,honic Etudes ofc e sy~nphonicconcentration fers an ideal b a l a ~ ~ of and tonal allure. Architecture is confidcntly rendered, expression superbly gauged. The recording, fro111 1981, is sor~orousand solidly imaged.
SACRED A N D CHORAL MUSIC bet\\.ecrl nus sic :111<1 ritual has been close throughout history ant1 :Inlong all peoplcs. I t h;is been particularly close in the case of \Vestern classical music. which tlevelopetl fi-om the plainchant o f the Ko~nariC:atholic Chi~rch.According to medieval legend, the cllant melodies were miraculously transmittccl by the Holy Spirit to I'ope (;regory the Great (540604). w h o in turn dictated them to a scribe: this is the reason Catholic plainchant is often referred 10 as Gregorian chant. 111 reality, Gregory made decrees governing the use of chant which eventually led to tlie tlevelopment of'a syste~iiof written noration 11)-which the chant ~nelodiescoi~lcibe preservc.tl. This style of' riotatio~i,using shaped notes called "neumcs," !\.;IS translh1-med during the supposcclly dark hliddle Ages into the st:~f'f-nntl-clefnori~tionstill in use today. opening tlie door t o the c~.earionof' a vast l~oclyof ~\,ritten music \chose cornplexit)~has s p u ~ ~ centuries ed of stylistic grotvth ;111drene~val. Along tvitli the invention of' not;~tioncame a breakthrough of equal importance in the way music was concciveci. This \\.as the advent. aroi~ntl1200. of polyphony, the s i ~ n u l t a ~ ~ csooi i~~s~ ~ dof' ing
402
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
multiple ~iiclodiclines. Polyphony created a lie\\. dimension in music. a vertical one in which the rel;~tionshipbetween sepal-ate strands of so~iiiilproduced harrnony and a scnse 01' space. I t was one of the great artistic acliie\~ernentsof' the hliddle Ages, and has been the basis of nearly all IVesterri classical rnusic. By this tinic, skillet1 choirs had bcco~liea fixture ol' medieval worship, and composers had begun to make choral settings of the principal sections of the mass-callecl the "ordinary" and consisting of the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo. Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. 'I'he psalms and many other sacred tests receivetl similar treatment. T h e chorus was anlong the most potent weapons o f the Keforrn:~tioriaricl the Counter Reformation, ultini;~telya more persuasive one than gunpowder o r the Inquisition. Tlie next major step in tlic developmelit o f choral music was taken during tlie Baroque era, \\,hen tlic orcliestra. a secular body. joined forces with the chorus and aclded its weight and color to the vocal sonority. This 1)rought a new flowering of chor:~lconipositioli and gave rise to such genres as the ciintata and oratorio. iisually calling for solo singers, chorus, and orchestra. T h e fornier, originally a secular genre, was eventually appropriated 11) the Lutheran Church: the latter. originally :I sacrecl genre, reached its apogee outside the church as a substitute for opera. In the 18th and 19th centuries, rlic mass ulrderiverlt a process of secularization. Where earlier composers had sought to create a kind of spiritual rcflcction of its text, those of the Erilightcnment and the Romantic era focused primarily on its implicit thearl-icality. l'his was particularly true o f t h e Requiem. \\rliich in the hands of Berlioz ant1 Vercli was fitshionecl into some of the no st operatic pages in the literatiire of Romanticism. I n this century. the need fix belief has been strong and has produced sacrccl works of great intensity and power, such as JanriCck's Slrvo~ricillrt.\~ and 13ritten's lIr(l,- Recltrie)?~. Even in its q~iestioni~lg. much 20th-century choral mt~siccontinues in the service of the ritual that gave it birth.
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
BACH
403
cp.
ne of Bach's chief responsibilities as liantor in Leiptig \\*asto conipose cantatas for the Surlclays and feast days of' the church calendar. During the years 1723-59 he composed four complete c!.cles of about 60 canr;ltas each, along with :I number of individual sct tings for special occasions; it is believed he wrote a fifth cycle during the 1730s. While man!, of these cantatas have been lost, ;~pproximately200 survive. Bach's earliest cantatas date from his years as churcl~organist in hliilhausen i ~ n dincll~ticthe celebrii~edcantata for Easter S u ~ ~ d aChnsr y lug in Todes Mn~rden (Chris! Lr!y ill the B o ~ t d sof Death), composed ar-ou~ici1708. Another 20 cantatas survive from Rach's secontl period i r LVeirnar ~ ( 1 70817) ant1 show the cornposer experimenting with a numljcr of apl,roaches to form iincl instrurnentation. I3ach cor~centratcdon secular cantatils ~vhile in Cothen (171 7-23), but with his arrival in Leiprig he plunged into the composition of' sacred cantatas with a n energy that is remarkable even for him, averaging better than one a week for the first ~ w years o he was 111ere.'The Leiprig czintatas are the largest unified hody of work by a rriajor composer in the history of music, and they coritain uSmsurely the some of' Bach's ~ilostinspired writing. hnrdc.\t-u~orkilrgco111He wrote Cantata No. 1-10, I.Vtrclrel ,-I$' uris Poser wlro rrwr liz~ed.Itt an die SfI')n~t~e (".Aulake, " t h Voice ~ Calls L's), in 1 73 1 for crz~erap~ week drcritrg .,ilk yf(~rsin Leipig, he ufa.\ i the 27th Sunday after Trinity, a dare in thc church ~.Vecled10 ~ 0 1 n l o . ra~ 30i calendar hat occurs onlv if Easter falls extremelv nrinrlte cottlula, supeni.re the early. 'l'he chorale Wncllef alcf upon \+.hich the copyitrg of iLc partc, rehearse. work is I~asedwas cornposecl by the 16th-century it, and pmfomnr i/ 011 StatGerman mystic poet Philipp Nicolai, whose test (111~;to fitnlish niusic (AT draws its imager); from the parable of the tvisc required for f f a / d q s and rpecial ez~etrbsuch ar wedvirgins and their heavenly bridegroom in the ditrgs nrrcl f r ~ ~ ~ r mcrtrd l s ; to Gosvel of' hlatthew. crttetrd to t t r ~tnusical IrainBach's treatment of the sun~ptuouslyscored rtrg of 5 0 - f ) l uboardrtrg opening chorus relies hea\fily on pictorialism and strrefen~\(it the T I I ~ ~ R ~ J c I I ~ I I P . numerietl symbolism. AL the words " s ~ h rlroch"
BCH
i
404
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
EACH
("high up"), H;ich I - L I ~ Sthe tcr1ol.s and b;lsses to the topof their range; later, with the procl;t~nation ''sttht (itf" ("arise"), the vocal parts leap upward. antl :I[ the \vords ''T~Io. wo?" ("\vllere, ~ ~ h c t - c ?the ") chorus repears i~sell'unccrt:~i~ily, as rhouglr loslall typical of 13;1ch's \.irtuosity al musical scene painting. Even rnore impressi\,e is the \tray he 11-;~nsfbrms tlic ~rl~rlerlying ~ ~ o t i ool'"T1-inity" rl into a [)cr\~asivc ele~~icrrt of the c:lio~.us'smusic:~lstrilcturc, inspired Ilot o111yby the c l i ~ ~ r cseason h for \\.liicl~the cant;rt:r was intc~ltlerl,but also I)y the r i ~ ~ ~ r i Iof) ethe r sl)ccific Sunt1;iy involved, 27. which is 3 c:i~l)cd.Baclr casts the piece in the key of' E: H;II (threc flats) with a tinrc signature ol' 314, utilizes a three-lx~r-tform, antl scores the setting for threc g1-oups wilh three p;rrts in each group: tivo oboes aricl orlc oboe tl;i caccia; first violins, s, second violins, ;IIICI violas; ; r ~ l t laltos, t c ~ ~ o rand basses. (Bv desigli, the parts that have the rat2tzi.s firttr~i.~, o r "fixed 111c1otly"-the actual chorirle tune as i t appears i l l tile compositio~~-stantl outside this scheme. 7'llcy are the solo Iiorn, employecl here by Bach I)cc;iuse it is the night ivatchman's tratlitional instrulnent, ant1 the choral sol)r;~nos.) I t is the esp~.cssi\.ebeauty o f the nlusir here a~itli l l the re~rr:ri~ltler of the \\.ark that lc:ivrs 111e stro~rgestimp-cssion. T h e most ce1ebr;ited par1 01' the cantata is the flowing choralc setting for tenors, Ziotl h i i r ~diz 12~ci'chr~~ .\irrgett (Ziotr Ift~nrstile I\'(IIC//INPI/Sitigittg). war1111y ;~cconlpa~iictl hy the tlircc string p;~rtsplaying in unison (allother illustration of the 'frinity). .A real test piece lor the cho~.;rltenors, i t I>eginscor11li)rtably irr tllc middle , tile w:~tcl~men'ss i ~ ~ g i i i g of' tl~eil-range I ) I I ~as prompts "the hc;ir~to leap l i ~ r j o y . "rises cluickly to a high G. 1%;1ch'sCantat:~No. 147, I l r t z trnd l\lutrd tord Tut ritrd 1.ehen (Htwrt u t ~ d1510tit/r (111dDPP(/(rtld l,$i), was coml'osed in 1723 for the 1:c:rst of the Visit;~tiorl. The scoring is cs1,ccially ric.11, calling thr ol)t)ligato solos from the trun~pet,\-iolirr, cello, oboe cl'amore, antl trvo oboes t l ; ~caccia. Four of the ca11t;ita'sLeri ~ru~lrl)ci-s are scbt to ~vortls I,y Snlomo Vranck,
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
EACH
405
' ac.II '. s lavorite U'eilnar librettist, \\lliosc: texts are
aniorig the finest ant1 most penetrating of aU those Bach employed. Based o n the Gospel of Lukc. the cantata tells of hlary's visit to her cousin Eli~al>eth, who is soor) to be the mother ol'.joh11 the Raptist. The highlight of the story comes when the unborn John kicks because he recognizes the presence of the unborn Jesus. Here Rach has thc niuffied sound of the oboes cla caccia clepict the unborn cousins. -The use of he solo trun~petin the c:incataYsopening cllorus and in thc bass aria " l c i ~will volt Ju.\rc IVunder sitzgen" ("I will sing of Jesus's miracles") is appropriate to the cantata's fbcus o n John, \\.ho was to hecolne "the voice crying in the wilderness" proclaiming the arriv;il of the Savior. The chorales ending the first aritl second parts ol' the cantata share tile music known to English-speaking peo~'s ple as Jesu, Joy of ~ \ l a ~ Desiring.
Ruth Holton, Michael Chance, Anthony Roife Johnson, Stephen Varcoe; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists/ John Eliot Gardiner.
B
riCH COI\II'OSED r~iatljcmilrrlns for cotcr~lyor rizic uccc~sio~~v. Arnotcg 111t most rklighlfzrl of 11te.r~i . ~C u n t a f ~NO. 21 1 ,
Schweigt stille, pl;rutlel.t riictir (Be Quiet, Stop Cl~atrering),ktt~ii~li ai thr* Coffee Canlal
Edith Mathis, Peter Schreier, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich Bach Orchestra & Chorus/ Karl Richter. L)~trI.\c/~e G r u t n ~ r i o p /L'nlleria ~ ~ ~ i 4 19 466-2 [Cutil(ctu No. 140, zulh ~llogtiificat,R \{'I' 2-13]
C;:~rtliner's disc provides thc 11erIkct introdiiction to two of Bach's most frccli~elitlyrecordeel cantatas. 'I'he interpretations are spiriteel and insightful, and the clarity of the orciicstral testure allorvs the inner details of Bacli's scoring to ernergc. T h e solo vocalists in these 1990 iiccounts are stylish, the instrunlclltal obbligiitos beautifully
406
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
BACH
polislied. I t is ;dl captured in naturall~.1);rlariced digital sound. I n comparison with today's morc schol;irly practitio~iers,Richter reflects the grand nlaririer-, tllo~igh his ~)erfornianccsstill convey ;I sense of'clevatiori that few iriter~)~-cters of any school have approached. His telnpos are uniformly broader than (;artliner's in C:i~l~tataNo. 140, his delivery far more weighty, 1,111 there rem;~irrsmuch vitality t o the reading, which tvas initially released in 19'79 and sounds lovely on this budget-priced C:D. T h e coupling is ;I vibrant though someivh:il g~.ainy 191i2 account ol' ~ h hlagnilicat. c
w
~1stas there are Christian thenies that have irispired freclirent tre;itnlent in art-the tl~il~unciation, the Nativity, the Last Supper, and the Cri~cifisioli-thwe are kcy Christia~itests that lia\re receivetl frequent settings in music. Those dealing with the Crucitision and the events leading u p to it are certainly the rriost comlnon, Western corrlposcrs have sought to dralnatize this central momcrit in Christianit). in a variety of ways, often by treating specific aspects of i t , such as Christ's soul-se;rrcl~ingon tlie hlount of Olives or I-lis Seven Last \\'orcls h-on1 t l ~ Cross. e \.+'hen the whole story of Cli~.ist'sfinal days is told, using the test of one of the tour Gospels as the prirnary source, the setting is generally referrecl to as a l~xsion. T h e obituary tiotice published at the time of Bach's death credited him with haling corrlposed five passions, but orily two have come do\\+nto us in their entirely. One is the St. J o l ~ nPusviotl, I3\V\.' 245. T h e other. Soi.tunatc.ly, is the setting that members of Bach's own krrnil y called "t l le Great Passion": the St. AJntthml i'crvsiotl, composecl in 1727 arid prob;~l)lyfirst pel-tijrnied that year on Good Friday. I t is gigantic i l l conception, c:illing
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
407
for double orchestra, double C ~ O ~ L I and S, half a dozen soloists, and consisting of68 separate numbers, many of then1 in several sections. Rach uses every nnanner of text-setting conilnon to the sacred m ~ ~ sof i c his day-including recitative. arioso, aria, chorus, arid chorale-and treats each with extrao~.clinaryfinesse. T h e structure operates on three levels simultaneously. T h e actual story of the passion is related in the I-ccitativcs and in rnany ol'thesetti~igsfor chorus, with the choristers representing the bystanders of Biblical days. The eniotionitl significance of the story is examined in a series of poetic meclitations set as arias, from the vietvpoint of the devout Christian of any age. And the participatory rcsponsc of the Lutheran congregation of Bach's o\vn day is conveyed in the chorales. T h e .~ctualwords of' the Evangelist (Sr. hlatthew) a~lclJesus are set as recitative for tenor and bass soloists, respectively. Follo\\.ing a custom honorctl by both Heiriricli Schiily and Georg Philipp 'Tclernann. Bach places a "halo" of string sound around the words of Jesus-\\.hicli is pointedly extinguished at the t\,ords "Eli. Eli, lanla usabthnni?" ("My (;od, my Gocl. trhy hast Thou forsaken me!"). The score is full of such effects. LVherl Jesus climbs the hlount of Olives, the bass line precedes him, and \vlien He says "Iclr urerde den Hirlen schlagen, und die Schafe der Herde nlerdt~z sich zer.\lrpuen" ("1 will smite the shenherd. and the sheep of the flock sh;ill be scattered al~road"). the strings are sent scurrying in all directions. Scene painting abounds i r i the arias its well. Teardrops arc portl-ayed by repeated descending figures in the flutes in the alto's "Buss loid Keu" ("Grief and rc~norse").\+fhilein the terlor's "lch ziill bei tneirietrr Jeslc wnclren" (the disciple I'eter's "I rvould stand watch beside my L-ord") the oboe gives out an orn;l~nented version of a town watchman's horn call, and the chorus answers "So sclrlafen utrsre S i i ~ ~ d eei?r" t z ("SOall our sins ~ v i l fall l asleep"), o/Bor/l't o,gurl.r. p,,,h(,b!,. j singing i t ten times-once for each of the other I/IC T ~ I O$ I~ II I~Y1118. II j disciples (except the abserit Judas).
N
Ui\,lEROLOG~' plays a significar~tpari it1 thr St. Xlatlhew I'assion. One celebrnted ~xnr~iple ic the chon~s"Herr. bin ich's?" ("Lord, is it I?"), ullrich corrsists of I 1 u~ttrirs of the phrase, otlu fit each uf the disciplts but Judas. 011a ~ inlarger scalp, t h score cludes 14 solo c~rinsatrd 14 chorales, art allr~siorrto tlrr I4 Statiotu of the Cross.
III
BACH
408
SACRED AND
CHORAL MUSIC
BACH
Xlol-e tha~i;iny~liiiigelse. i t is the divc~.sity, emotional clcl)th, alicl gentle yet prccise poi111of the arias t h a ~111;lcctllc. St. 1 \ 1 ( 1 t t 1 1 t 7 i 1 I'(I.sJ~o)I O I I llle highest planc o f sacred art. 'l'he p;~thosof' the mcr-cy,l.oi-tl"). alto's "Erhan~itclirh, 111t1irrGott (" I-l;i\~e in which a cligllifierl s;~rahantlerhythm arltl cl~aconne bass are fi~seciwith an intensely esprcssive obl11ig;ito violin solo, is ~ t n m ; ~ ~ c h;iri)'\vhel.c ed in music. \i'hilc none of' the other arias surpasses it in feeling, e:ich oilr is a 111:isterpiec.c of clcsign 2nd content. Inrlcctl, thcrc is hardly a pages of this score th:i~ rlocs 11ot conti-ihute so~nerlii~ig to the suhlirnc cl'lect ol'the \\-llole. "
Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Ellsabeth Schwarzkopf, Chrlsta Ludwig, Nicolai Gedda, Walter Berry; Philharmonla Orchestra & Choir1 Otto Klemperer. EL\[[ CD,\IC 63058 [3 (:DJ] Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Andreas Schmidt, Barbara Bonney, Ann Monoylos, Anne Sofie von Otter, Michael Chance, Howard Crook, j Olaf Bar, Cornelius Hauptmann; i Monteverdi Choir, London Oratory i Junior Choir, English Baroque Soloists/ j John Eliot Gardiner. i ~ 6.18-2 13 Clls] i Drrrt\clrt- G r u i n t t ~ o / t l t o;~\~t ~ l ~ t427
i i i i i
Peter Schreler, Theo Adam, Lucia Popp, Marjana Lipovsek, Eberhard Biichner, Robert Holl; Lelpzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle DresdenIPeter Schreier. Plrilip\ 4 11 527-2 [J (:I).\]
There is ;I qtrality to the lilemperer account 6'4'' K k r ~ i p r r r/o:tvrrd o z t t , r ,,l/lF,-,y; 1~1.1 ~ ~ , ;-l zh~ e r ~ , ~ ~ l ~ ~ , l ~ ; , lthat l l , ~ elutles tlcscrip~ionbul II;IS soniething lo do / I ~ I Z ~. \I;*I I I ~ I O I~ ~ ( t t r ~ r e .
i with cspcrie~lcc.When the recorcli~lgwas i~i;ide
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
I
S 1736, FOR \\'HAT it:(Ls prohbl? ~ I I P111ird p~rfi)rlncl?~re ?/ ~ I I PSt. Xlatthetr Passiorr. Back made N I I imnt(1rtl1iiteCOP?' of /he .\COYP (uboi~r)I L I I / ~ ruler N 11(1 ri~~tipass, I I . \ ~red I I ~i111i for /he recitulii~~? of tire Eir(~11gr11iflo . C P ~of/ the di~ ~ I I gospel IP fro111/Ire re.~/?f /IIP text. Bar11> cjfi)r/, a11 olr~rtcl~/ding a n tnplt. of III Iniral crllligraphy, .rlrours hmtf irnporlu~tl/he /)IPR' uvu 10 /rim.
EACH
409
in l!Mi I . ir had bee11 16 ycars since the entl of i\'orltl War 11. T h e participants in this perforInance had an undcrstantling of suflering. loss, deliverallcc. pity, and the acceptaricc ol'all things in f;iitl~-along with first-hand krlorvledge of the worst and the best in the hi~rnanspirit. Klemperer's approach is hcroic, yet suffused \\fit h tender~~css and tlevotional sincerity. il'ith its estraordin;u-y lineup of soloists, inspiretl playing by the Philharr~lonia,and genuine participatory feeling of the clioral 11un111cr.s.this performance-from first note t o last-gently blo\vs one away. 'l'llc recording shows some edits and contains sonlc noise but is impressive lonet the less (;is in the l la cement of the two choruses). At miclprice. it is well i\rortll having. Gardiner's readir~gis conceived alld esecutcd on the highest level, an example of period practice that is tinlikely to be bettered any time soon. l'lle performance \ribrates with life: soloists are firstrate, and wonderfi~lly\cell chosen for their respective parts, and the chor-isters ancl orchestra are exemplary. The recortiing, matie in 1988 in the spacious ambience of T h e kialtings. Snape, is well 1):ilanced and exceptiorlally vivid. -. I he 1984 account from Schreier ;ir~dhis GerInan forces is a triumph. Beautifully performeti and impressively recorded, ir exemplifies an enlightenetl approach to interpretatior~in which the lessons of scholarship are judiciously applied to perforlnance on moderri instruments. Tempos are dar~ce-like.arltl textures are lightcr-, less stately. Schreier is superb not only as the Ev:ir~gelistbut as collductor, presiding over an inti1n;ite performance that is riot so much arl archetype as ;III i immediate reflection on the rnusic.
410
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
he h1:iss in l3 n~irlorst:intls as lol'ty in design. T scope, and esprcssion as arlything written by the h;intl of mall. It is one of several instances in the n~usicof Racli of a 1)iece created as an itleal type, rather t h i i ~for practical use. As such i t rep]-esents an attempt both to sum~narizethe tradition of the mass in a single perfcct specimen and to leilve a stxtement o 1 1 the nature of sacretl music as a hequcst to the future. hIost of the work's cornponent parts date f'rom various times in Hach's long residence in Leipzig: they were assc~nbled to Ibrm a complete 111ass only ncar the end of llis life. T h e earliest section s, 172-1. T h e Kyrie and Gloria is the S a n c t ~ ~f'rom arc taken from ;I I733 Inass thi~tR;ich declic:i~ed to the electoral court of Saxony at Ilrcsden. 'I'he last rliajor adtlition was the Symbolurn .Vice1111)11, or Creclo; the kcystone to tlie whole :II-clilikestl.~lcture, and itself' a wonderfully syn~~netrical ;it.cli, it was ~vritter~ in 1748-49. Rach never heard the ivork in its entirety. Yet in spite of the fact that it represents a collection of rnovemcllts in diverse styles, including some deliberately archaic elements, the h1:iss in 13 m i n o r transcentis t h e incor~siste~~cy of' its origins. Thel-c is a po\\;c~.ful unity in its harmonic logic and overall plan, as well as conipclling beauty in the rnusic itself'. Following the model of' the Ne;il)olitan cantata mass, tlie scorc is ctividetl like a11 olxra into cltoral arltl solo numl~ers,27 in all. T h e pillars ol' tile work are the tlitie massive choruses of praise in D major, wit11 (heir celehratory trumpets and drutns. Betwc.c~~them Rach strings a varirty of choruses. arias, and tluets, sorne with obbligato instrumental solos. I t is i\.orth noring that as c o ~ i struc~ed,the 1% ~ t ~ i r hlass ~ o r lends itself neitllc.~.t o the standard C;ithoIic liturgy nor to the Lutheran: as musicologist Karl Geiringer llas pointed out, it reflects "a more ecumenical attitutlc." -. 1 Ile contrast ot's~ylea~ltltreatnlerlt Bach acliic!ves
t
7'itlr loge of / l v j i r s / put~ii.\/led fi mirror i\lu.ss.
scow of I k
BACH
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
EACH
411
throi~glioutthe liiass is as re~nal-kable as the irork's underlying expressive unity. I n the second " K j r i ~ eleison," for exaniple. he h;rrks back to the Netlierln~rtlishpolypho~iyof the 16th celilLrry, tvhilc in the cight-part setting of "Osm~znni11 ixc~l.sis," thc model is the i'enetian double-choir style of the early 171h century. A motet-like contrrs/in~~~i.s tecllniqi~cis applied i l l the chol-;~lwriting ol'the " C r c ~ l o in u n u m Deum" ant1 the "CorlJiteor-." Serc~icdiatonic harmony underscores the restful message of the "Dorrm ?robis pncpm." while tlissona~icc* icrid intensc chrom;~ticisn~ serve to cont'ey the st;rbbing pain of the "Cr~c;f;~~trs." The "Cnicifisrcs" stands at the absolute cerltclof the Credo ant1 01' thc mass itself', just as tlic Crucifixion stantls at the center of Christian faith. Its walking, chaconne-style bass line quite literally rnakes the sign of the cross 13 times 0 1 1 the page of music, going from the I< belo\+.to [he E abovc the micidle line of the staff and the11 sinking by half-steps to B. Rut while this deep I;ilncnt is the center of g-ravity in the mass, it is the ')joyl'l~l noise" of the "El res~(~t.exil" chorus imlnediately followi~ig-where the sirigers oftcn sound as if they ;ire laughing in ecstasy-that marks the spiritual apogee ofthe work, and of Bach's entire life as a musician.
sPmble2 to sing tlrir music, cornpromising cIori!\' of articrtl(r/io~land / ~ ~ x . l t Aiort, ~rf. rrcei~fly,interprrturs havr s r t g p ~ ~thed choml nurribrrs be pnfonned u~itlrO I I P singer lo n prrrt. Bach urorrld have rxpecte(1 11w ct~or(tIsectioru. lo be srltlg with thrw or f o ~ r rroices to u part. Corductor Roberi Shnul p ~ t ltlrr*one-toa-par1 f'r~llaqlo rccl uvitl~t11f obsenlolion thut nllterr three tnrmpet~are pl~yitlg,no o71f i i can Iiecrr the si~rgi~rs.
!
Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists/ John Eliot Gardiner. Derrtsrhe (;runirnopho~rArchirj 4 15 5 14-2 [2 Cfl.c] Arleen Auger, Ann Murray, Marjana Lipovbk, Peter Schreier, Anton Scharinger; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle DresdenIPeter Schreler. P h ~ l l p432 ~ 972-2 (2 CDs]
Gardiner's account has all the virtues of a welldone priod-instru~nentrendition-flow. clarity,
412
SACRED AND
CHORAL
MUSIC
EACH
color-yet conveys the grandeur ant1 weight that arc essential to Bach's conception, thereby combining the best of the new and the traditio~ial. There is excellerl~choral work from the hlo~iteverdi Choir, singing four o r five to a part. T h e soloists, chosen frorn the ranks of the choir, have soft voices hut are well blendecl and can alw:cys be clistinguished over the chorus. l'he "Cl~risle eleison" duet frorn Lynne Dawson and Carol 1-Iall is particularly lovely. The 1985 recording is open, clear, and spacious. T h e balance between chamber-sized detail and large-scale architecture is well gauged by Schrcier, whose modern-i~istrumentreading shows a firm grasp of period style. T h e appro;ich is light and animated, and in the spirit of Karl Richter, Schreier gets chorus ancl soloists-of whom he is one-to soar through R;lch's realni of text-niade-sour~d with conviction and lucidity. T h e Dresden orchestra plays magnificently; the 1991 digital recording is solicl and satistj.ingly vivid.
had raised to its greatest heights. T h e influence of the old chur-ch style call he detected in Beethoven's harmonic language (the Crecio's a cappella proclamation of "Et reslrrrexit tertia diestcurirlllm Scripturm" is a striking examl~le) ancl in the continuity of the individual movements of the mass. Beyond this, Beethoven interjected a personal note into the liturgy by infusing his
SACRED A N D
0"'
'ISIT to Brrthovcvr in A r i p ~ I 181 9, Schirrdler hpcrrd "tlre inaster siizgiilg parts of Ihr fugue iir the Credo-singitlg. Iro~t~lii~g, slctnrpirrg. . . . [The] dour opeited and Bpetlro~~rrr stuod before trc arith distorted feutrtrrs. He looked (I.! if lrr hnd berrr irr mom1 comba~with the zlrhol~ ho.ct of ~uirtrc~p~itrli.~t.\, hi.\ rr*erlastitrg eminits. . . . ~Yever. it nrriy br~said, did so grecrl (1 work the hhlissa Soleninis see its crratiotr i i r ~ d ~more r m1z1pr.ecircritrutctrzces."
CHORAL MUSIC
BEETHOVEN
413
settir~gwith an unprecedentetl clegree of drarnatic tension. *l'he resulting i\.ork, co~npletcdin 18%. is less a celebration ol'bclief tllan a search for and affil liiatiorl of faith, in the ~nitlstof suflcring and intellectual doubt. l'his tlrama is alreatly app:rrent in (he Kyrie. T h e solemn, broad, majestic openirlg is ser in the key of D ~najor,as orie woulrl expcct in ;I "festive ~nass,"a i d here the chorus has the print ipal role. But \\pith the npords "Christe elt~iso~t" thr entreaty for mercy becomes more inrirnate. Thc harrllony shifts to B minor, [lie soloists take the lead, and the \vriti~lggrows agitated. The Gloria is a niuvcn~eritofsheerrriagtiificc~icc ancl cnorrnous energy. Its structure rcsenlbles that of a rontlo-with thc exultant rnusic of the initial "Gloria irr exceh~rDee" p ~ ~ ~ i c t u : ~tlle t i n rest g of' the setting as a sort of refrain-anti i t cr11mi1i;itesicitli a ch;illengirig and harmonically adventurous firgue. T h e Cretlo, the longest Iriovclnerlt of ilre score, docs the Gloria two better by climaxing \\,it11 a l a i r ol'dorrbli. firgiles o n the ivords "PI z l i l ~ t nz)e)rtriri" and "Anlen," the first marked a manageable AIlegreflo ma rroil tropbo, the second an all-11utimpossible A l l t g ~ ocotz nroto. T h e difliculty for the chorus is an exhilarating one; the relief' a singer feels at just getting through such a f~lgue,and coming out on the other sidc. is enormous. Heethovcn hati written tllat lie wanted ~ l l eA l i ~ ~ o Soltrrrnis to be as much a sacrament for the rilusicians as for the aildience. a re-crcatior~of the feeling and mystery a1 the he;~rtot' rhc Catholic faith. Surely he had this in rrlind ivhe~rIle made the crid of the Credo so tliffictrlt. fbr t l ~ eivords "vitritn z ~ t t ~ t z ~ rrefer i'' to tlie lifk of' the \\.orld to conic. or1 "the other sitlc" of orrr life orr earth. A c1ini;ictic moment is reached with the elevation of tile host in the Sarlctus. I-lere Beethoven inserts a subdued and darkly scored "Praeludiurn" for tllc orcliestra; in the course of 32 measures, through a series of subtle modulations. the key changes from D to G-an effect that is thc rriusical
414
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
T""
AlASS IS (I cuhnrnntiori tit Beett~ov~rr's urork. O w cart fit111 itr il echoes of fhe eigt~f~yrtrphonies ti101 preceded it, of !he r~prrnFidelio, N N ~ ofthe tlarr~merkl;~vier Sonata, ~ l o t i gu~ilhntt~ple foreshndou!ittg.~of the Nititti Syrriptt otrp, sbfctrrrl (11 l t ~ e same lime nc [he tn(~f5 urld finished soon afier i f .
BEETHOVEN
eq~livalentof transubstantiatio~l.Then, as if from on high, a solo violin (representing the Holy Spirit) enters o n the upper note of the G major chord, and the Benedictus begins. From the stantlpoint of musical imagery, the most striking rnovernent of the ~ l l i s aSofemtzir is the Agnus Dei. Beginning in tllc somber key of B minor, opens conventionally with the threefold repetition of tile prnyer for rriercy, "Agnus Dci, qlri tollispeccn/~~ n u ~ t d ir~iiserere . ~ ~ ( ~ b iAs s . "the words change frorn "llave mercy 0 1 1 LIS" to "give us peace," tlie key of A major is cs[;lblished and the darkness lifts. Recthoven writes above the score, "Prayer for inward a n d outivard peace." His meaning soon beconles clear as the pastoralsounding music is interruptetl by the rumble ot' drums and the threatening eclat of trumpets. Frorn afar a r~iarchis heard, bringing the tumult of war into thc r~liddleof the rn;lss. As h e solois~s cry o ~ lin t anguish, the setting takes on an operatic intensity. Following a calm interlude, the chorus hurls oul its l a s ~"Agilw Dei," in fortissilllo, and the sweet music of peace again returns. There is a fleeting remirtiscence of the martial threat, which is dispelleci I)y the chorus's clt~ietrepetition of ' ~ a c e m , "and the mass ends-[tot triumphantly, but with a feeli~igof hopefillness.
Charlotte Margiono, Catherlne Robbin, William Kendall, Alastair Miles; Monteverdl Choir, English Baroque Soloists/ John Eliot Gardiner. Detrt.rctie Gratrtrno~~)/ro?t .+Irctitzt 4-39 779-2 J J ~Eliot IJ
Gar(l1111~r 111trigs
prr:oc/ r ~ l a11c1 c ~,lt,r/ric.il? 10 Bertliozw~'\Lliss;~Solcmnia.
Edda Moser, Hanna Schwan, Rend Kollo, Kurt Moll; Radlo Chorus of the N.O.S., Hllversum, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestral Leonard Bernstein. Deuf.rrhu Gmrt~mc~/~hnr~ 41 3 780-2 1-3 (:Us]
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC ' BEETHOVEN
A Good Buy erbert vo11 Kurajnn's rcl Deubrliu Gran~rrrophorl (423 913-2) recording of the hfissa Solemnis. datrtrg from 1966, rc a cor~rpellitlg 0118.TIre ~ o l vZWCOI qrrarlel k one (4 IIre bal eilfr arcembled for thu icwrk and the pluying of tlic Herlirt P h ~ l I r ( l r ~ ~t~) op ~o ~ t~c~ e fA/ zd. budget pnce, and coupled urlth l\Jozarti Coronation iilars, K. 317 , this ~sU I Z atlmclrw offerr,rg.
Hb
415
The outstanding recordings of the ~\lissaSolrr11nis a r c from conductors t\.ho have given us distinguished accounts of Beethoven's synlpl~onies ;IS well. The exception is Garclincr, tvho 11;1s yet to record the symphonies. His interpretation of the ~ZlissaSokrn~lis,ho\vc\fer,stands not only as the crowning accornplishnie~itof his career to date, but as one of the most impressive achievcments of the period-instrument I-evival. -1'he concept is grancl and po\verfill, lively though not unduly brisk. The cxecutio~iis simply electrifyillg: Gardiner has the orchestra on the ccige of their seats, the chorus going all-out, and sparks flyi~ig everywllerc. Excellent singing Pro111 the solois~s and a vivid recording coml~letethe t~.iumph. Rer~istein'sI-eading of tile score is spacious i l l design and effusive in sentinlen~,but with a n assurecl sense of flow and connection. 'I'lle playing of the Concertgebouw Orchestra is niagnificent; never Iias the radiant sound-\\*orldof this score, virtually unique in Beethoven's oeuvre, been better corlvcyed. iYliile vocalists Moscr and Kollo, \\pith the high parts, are uncler conside~.ablestrain, all four soloists deliver [he goods. 'The choral singing is heauriful, as is the solo violin of Herma11 Krebbers in the Denedictus. 'I'he energy of a live performance arlcl the \+*armambience of the hall are cnl~lt~reclin this poterit analog recol-ding.
@
erlioz composecl his Gl.c~rrdr vresse rltl.\ morts as much \vith ail eyc toward visual impact as with a n ear for sound. T h e score calls for a body of rnore ttian 100 strings, IS-ith\vi~ld and t)~.;~ss to match. and ;I chorus oS 200. I n ;I footnote, Berlioi! suggests that the chorus can number as high as 800 in the larger niovemen[s. The YO-minute work was first per-formed on 1)cceniber 5, 1837,at a state funeral at the Cathedralc
416
C
SACRED
ONDUCTiN(: tire Requien~k rlebu, Frarr~o~\-A irtobre itobeneck-,rt the prc,ri.tc ttioinctrt in lhc ''-I'uba I Y ~ ~ I . ~ utlceit II~'' [Icefour bras choir.\ lrad to be broicg111in-lair1 (lolnu~11 Iris halnir to taka a piitch of srtufj.. Nerlio;, seatad n fmt steps o u q , bouttde(1 to lire poditrm rrtrd took I J I I I - ~tlla rlirvctioir (4'the pa~.s(~gt~thereby saving the piace from cerfair~ncin, if urr rcrv to believe hi.\ hl enioirs.
A N D CHORAL MUSIC
BERLIOZ
des l~ivalidesin Paris fhr Count I)amri.riiont, the governor-general of the French colonies in S o r t h Africa, who h;ctl lost his life in :in attack oli the Algerian city of' Constantine two months earlier. Berlioz's setting of the Latin Kequiem is coni c , least ceived on the g~xndest,most l l o ~ ~ i a r i ~;111d liturgical of' planes, in consideration of u!hich George Bern;ircl Shaw once remarked that it was "only a peg" fix the composer co "harig his wemendous rnusic ori." Ancl tremendous it is. There are Ixissages that call for- ten cy~iihalplayers ant1 eight sets of-tinipani-riiusical ligl1tning;ilid thi111d e r , if ever there loas-and llie lvork's most awesome monlcnt, the onset of the "Tubn ttlinitt~" in the Dies it-flu,I-cquiresthe coortlinatetl ctitrrl~icc of four brass choirs that the score says a r e stationed "at tllc four corners of' the large choral anti instrunic~icalrnass." But Rerlioz also knows holv to get el'l'ects of extraordinary delicacy horn his gal-,qgantuan till-ces. In the Hostias, to syriibolize rhe gulf hetwcci~ heaven and earth. he sets the groaning oT eight trombones in their pedal register against dulcet chorcls in thc ttiree flutes. Later, in the Sanctus, he not only ;lnticipatcs tlie ethel-cal string writing of his own RottiPo et Juliette but ~)re\:ielvssome of the r-;ldiant 01-c-hcstralsonorities Wagner will csplore a few years hence in L o 1 1 ~ t l p - iParticulal-ly ~~. arresting is tlie use of three p;~irsof cyrribnls, softly 1)rushetl. tvhich musicologist Davitl Cairns has tlescribetl as an "audiblc equivale~itof the slvirlging censers arourid God's throne." T h e dcniaritls made o n the ctiorus a1.c moriumental, Lro~nthe sust;iined high A for the tenors just minutes into the opening Rrqu~emr~etet-,lnitrt o the I,lockbustirig fortissimo passages of' the "Rrs trcntretldne v~(Ijtlslati.r"a11tl the si~l~tlued pi;lnissirno conclusion of the "Qimt-etu IIIP," sung a cappella. At tirl~esrhe rvl-iring mimics 111ct flrgal 111;1nrlerol' the Baroque, ;it other times it exhibits ii I-liythrnir and harmonic I~old~iess that will not he encountered agairi ~intilthe 20th ccntury-:ill in a n amazing range of color a11d e~iiotioll.
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
IF SOU LIKE Berlrozi Requrt-JII,~ o u wlll probably hke hrc I'c Deurn nr 1url1. The rrrork IS scored for large orchestr(~, fnple chonlc, and tenor \ole. and 11ic1udPJa promrtlet~t part for arlfrphm~alorgrril. Bmltoz utrc~frthaf the otg(111 arid orchestta should br "like Pope and Errtperor, specrkorg I N dlalog ~ Y O N o I p p s ~ t eetlds of the nave." For fht ulork'c first pcrforntc~w e , the C O ~ I I pose? ruztembled 900 slngers and t?rcfrurnrntaltrts.
BERLIOZ
417
Ronald Dowd; Wandsworth School Boys' Choir, London Symphony Orchestra & Chorud Sir Colin Davis. Ptiilipc 416 283-2 [2 (;Ds;urith Sy~llphoniefunebre et triolnpl~ale] John Aler; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorud Robert Shaw. Tel[lrc CD 80109 [,3 Clls; u~ithBoifo: Prologue lo hfelistofclc, and I'rrdi: 'I-e Del~r~i]
L)avisls po\\~erfitlaccount is one of the high points of his 1960s Berlioz cycle for Philips. I n a reading notable as rnuch for its attention t o detail as for its sense of slvecp, he builds grand climaxes with ;tbsolute sureness \rhile slio~vingarl estraordin;try ear for nuance and color. T h e pl:~yingof the London orcl~estrais ravishing, ancl thc recording, made in \Vestminster Cathedral in 1969, is well focused and atmosplleric. Sha\v's rendition of the Kccluiem is 111agnificently polished. with choral singing bevond compare. T h e drama is not quite as pronounced as with Daxis, but the ~vork'smajestic architecture stands clearly revealed. For once, Telarc's thunderously bass-heavy pickup atltls something to the sonic picture.
CHICCIESTER PSALMS he town of' Chicheste~.in the south of' England has had a cathedral since the t T 1 1 ~h century. Since 1963, holvever, the cathedral, its choir, and the town itself h;rve beer] known in rnusic;il circles thanks primarily LOthis work. Con-
418
SACRED AND
J
-c
CHORAL MUSIC
'
BERNSTEIN
i rnissio~iedby t l ~ eVery Rever-end \.l!alter Hussey. i dean of the cathetlral, for the anrlual summer i festival sponsoretl by the catlicdrals of Chichester, i \trinchester, a l ~ t lSalisbury, Clrichaslt~rP s t ~ l ~ ris~ s i Rerlistein's most important allrl most I'recluently i performed sacred score. i Asked to conipose a devotior~alwork bilsed 0x1 the I'salms. Bcrns~einchose six of his li~vorites : ant1 set thern in I lcbrew (hc hat1 set Hebrelv tests before, most not;~hlyin his Symphonies Nos. 1 i allti 3). T h e psalms are gl-ouped in pairs, so that i the work is dividccl into three parts. T h e scoring l along will1 an enlarged calls Ibr strings a ~ i t brass, percussion section axid two harps. In the second psalm, Rerns~eir~ crnploys the unusual ant1 very energetic meter- of 714 thro~lghout;the f~fthhas an even more 1111usualmeter. 1014. treated in a s\~onclerfullyflo\vilig manner. There is a n important part for b o y alto in the third psalm. the famous Twenty-third, in tvhich the soloisl represents the shcplicrd boy D;~vid.
John Paul Bogart; Carnerata Singers, New York Phllharrnonic/Leonard Bernstein. CRS r\lr~rtmourkcI\IK 44710 [utrrf~ Poulettc: Gloria. a ~ ~ Strclvinsky: cl Syll~phonyof Ps;~lrns]
Hernstein's own 1965 recordi~igis unsurpassed f i ~ rits jazzy e1i111arid s11cc.1joy. T h e ;~cc.ountis \vilcl and rhytl~ri~ically chargecl, if a littlc rough ar-ott~idthe cclges. T h e young alto I3ogart is absolutely sure of himself, just like the young Davitl. T h e couplilig provides a good choice of repertory.
SACRED A N D
CHORAL
M U S I C
B R A H M S
419
T Fleisch
IIE SO,\IIIER o,kttirrg \llljecl ( I f l)e1111;1Ilcs es isr \vie <;I.;I~, [/re .ecutrcl ttruz~rtnt8tl[ of A G t r - marl Kequir111,;i2cr, recyclvrl Hrcrh~mfrottr at1 tibutrc/orrn/ .\otlul(l /br lica /licrtro.\ t11lmf Irr sketchrtl in 185 4. The tt:rts Bt-cihttr~t~\eclill all sfiletr ttroz8ettIotr&gu bnck n.\ far a,\ [Ire P.\cilttti of David. TTLW ( I / thertr, Uiic licI)licI~
of composing a Kequicrn in the l a ~ r g ~ i a gbased e on tests from the Lutheran Bible and the .Apocryph:r began to take shape in Brahnls's mind in 1857, ;I year after the death of his friend ant1 mentor Robert Schuniann. Hut it \\.as not urrtil 1865, follo\cing the death o f Brahms's niorlier, that he took u p cornsind tlrine \\'ohnu~lgen positior~of the music in c;irnest. After anotlier ntld Sclig silld dic *l'o~en, three years, the \ v o ~k stoocl complete-ha\fi~ig Itad bipefr sel ty Sclriil: it1 ~ I I P17111cet~lro?. grown from a choral piece into a caritata, arid [hence illto a seven-rrrovement I
420 -
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC --
T
HOSE II'HO .SAR'(; zoi/ll or pluyrrl 111 !he, Pl~rll~nr~rlorrm O,~lte~/,n dlrrrng t h c z 1950s (11,rd'60s it~i11e)trb1*1 \t'rlhrltrt I'I~z rhorul rorlduc!ot u~rthou/ pepr o r 1 /he 1-orrrlort IIZIL\IC \retw. 1111~d I\'r~llej Leggp or1 !he recornrnert(1rr/tori UJIierher! 11ej11 K O IU/(III. P ~ t zIiurr.\foinrrd I11r IJhllhnr71toi1tnChotut rntn orrcpof /Ire brt/ (;ernlcl,r chor~l.\c\111 I11e u~nrld.
BRAHMS
a n d chorus with dri~maticcommi.ntary I'roln tllc orchcst ra. At first 111,gcnta ~ i d~ L I S I I C ~ thc , expnLssion g r o ~ v snlor-e t~lrt~ulerlt-u~iiilt h e la\\ is 1;iitl do\\.n in a niagnific-cnt fugue. selling ~ l l e\\.ortls i he souls of 111erigliteous ;ire i l l t Ilc. Ilantl of <;otl." The niootl heco~ilespastoral \ v i t l ~tlic flowi~lg 31.1 nleter arltl genllc, a r p c g g i ; ~ ~ estring tl figl~rc.s of' t h c fburtll moverne~lt, Ii'ie lic~hlirhsitrd dci~lr 1Vohl111t1g~n(How o)11ittb1~ ttvr2 t h ~ ~trhrr~~nr-lr.\). Tl\c fifth movemcbrlL. I l ~ rhabr trun T r o ~ i r i g k ~( iA~ d ye' pion1 tl~er-$ore Imrw .sorroul), is a I-l~;tpsotlics e t t i ~ l g for solo soprano ant1 chol-us t11:lt e n d s with the worcls "I will see you ag;iili'' gerltl! repeater1 I)? the soprano, while ~ l l chol-us e sings "1 lcill co1nfi)l.l ?.ou." Ilrailia returlls in t h r sixth rliovenlcnt. D~VIII ulir lrc~berlhie keiw blc~iberlduSr(tr/ (For herr. ;IV l i ( ~ i l ~ tro co,~tinuirrg city), :is thc I>aritorlc ant1 chorus preview the linal jutlgment a n d tlle raisi~lgo f 111e d e a d ; it, too, concl~ltlcs\\*it11 a f ~ ~ g usey,~ i ~ l ~ o01'l i c im~nurahleI;I\v. i\Jitll Selig s111d(lip Tote~t(Ule).sc~d trt-e (lie dead), the work encis or1 a note ot' urltro(~bled acceptance ant1 resign;~tion,in the pastel-;11 key of' F major, fal- I'ronl the stirig of d e i ~ t h .
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Phiiharmonia Orchestra & Chorus/ Otto Klemperer. Ed\lI I,'lnsrrcs 0'I)C: 4 7-338 Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Hans Hotter; Vienna Singvereln, Vienna Philharmonic/ Herbert von Karajan. E,\lI Cl(~.~sir.c (:I)H 6 I 0 10
T l ~ .rilvrr-luncvd r l:'li.~nht-th Schuodiopf. whosr solo ulork in A Gerlnan Requiern 1s. U/J~!V ~lt~~uliui~~~~.
Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Jose van Dam; Vienna Singverein, Berlin Philharmonic1 Herbert yon Karajan. E,\lI C1msic.r (:l)1\,1 69229
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC ' BRAHMS
i
!
f : i
i j
1
A
S PrlllT OF HIS Pffort lo sigx Herbert ~ro,lh'nrcljatr to a recorrlitrg contract in 19-16,
Etrdiyh prodrrcrr
i !
Legge Presetlled t l t ~corrclrtc- i tor with n bottle mch of ult,i.rRqv, a,ld ,rlI"Y. a m~n,~i~~ gestrrre g f r ~ lin poslwur Vie~rna,w h m m n g f h i i ~ gufas mtimre(1, ! most thisrg werr uitazrclilni i bit, and little tlrings mutlrred i i a great deal. \!'ilk typicc~l irot, wilkowu, K ~ ~ +di-, ~ ; i. irided ~acirbottle into 30 por~iorlsatid xtretc/red 11r(. ! gift ozfer 90 days. i
!
421
Klemperer's account, recorded in 196 1. reniains unmatched among readings that ernphasizc the spirituality of the score. Dralvir~gconimitted playing and singing from liis Sorces, Klen~perelopens tlie door to tllc beauties of the music without fuss or fanfhrc. Schwarzkopf's expressive portamento sounds a hit dated in style, but her singing is characterf~llnonetheless, whilc FischcrDieskau is a paragon of restrained espressiveness. T h e singing of the Philliarrnonia Chorus is cspecially beautiful. EM1 has done a good job of remascering. Balances a~itltolie qu;tlity are quite fine, arid the Kingsway Hall ambience survives. A11hoicgh he tried several times, Kar-ajnn never surpassed his 1947 mono recording with the Vienna Philharri~onic,a rc;~dingol. fervent, postw;lr intensity. The closest he came in the stereo era ";IS will1 liis 1976 remake suit h the Berlin Pliilha~.mor~ic (and here again is the Vienna Singerein, which remained his fi~voritechorus over the years). Tlie account is consistent with Karajan's view of the Bralims symphonies and with the earlier reacling of the Requiem-a polished, firmly sculpted rc~iclitio~l with the conductor's usual grip. in spite of the fact that tempos are o n the slow side. \'an Dam sings will1 passion, and 'Tomowa-Sintow is radiant in I l ~ rhub1 fru,t Tmurigkeii.
94
ar was a cleeply serious rnntter to Britten, who was ;I lifelong pacifist. iVith the tenor Peter Pears hc left England for America in 1939, sllortly before i\'orlcl War I I broke out in Europe, and although he rcttrr~ieclto England in 1942, lie remained a conscit.ntious ohjcctor to military service. During thc war, Britterl and Pears concerti~edfrequeritly-one of the conditions h r their exemption from the draft-and afterward Britten continued t o examine the question of how
422
SACRED AND
CHORAL MUSIC
BRITTEN
;la inclividual of conscience deals with societal expectations in such works as the operas Peter Grimes and Billy B~rddand the IYnr Rrquiem. Completed in 196 I , the 1Vnr K E ~ I ~ Ireceived PNI its first per1i)rniance or1 hlay 30, 1962, at the dedicatiori of the new Coventry Cathedral, built next to the ruins ol'thc cathedral honibed o ~ r by t the Luftwaffe in 1940. T h e score makes a profound staieriienl about tlie valtre of humari life: its text is a conflation of the Latin Requiem and the poignant, c1isturl)ing anti\v:~rverse of [lie English poet \\'ilfrcd Owen, who died at the front during the final week of \Vorl(l War 1. The performing forces are immense: full symphony orchestra, chambcr orchestra, niixed chorus, hoys' choir, organ, and soprano, tenor-, and baritone soloists, plus two conductors. Fl-he t ~ \ ~male o soloists, accompaniecl by the chamber orchestra, are entrusted with the settings of Owen's poetry and represent soldiers from opposite sides of the conflict in which Owen perished. Britteri's i~ltentin these passages is to amplify tlie message of' the mass and to move its focus fro111the abstract to the p;~rticulnr. hlusicdly. the Ilr(~rRequievi is a vast stucly of' the tritone, the tlissonarit inter-val of all ;lugrnented fourth (spanning three \\,hole tones), historically considered a hyrnbol of the devil-to which Britten gives a haunting consonance and sonority. as if' to show lioiv attractive the beckoning of the horrible can be. l'he Latin test is treaiecl with a spiritualized tletach~nentill the settings for children's voices, \vhich are to Ile heard as if at a distance (in rnany performar~ccs. the boys are placed in a choir loft or in the back of the Iiall, and the) can indeed sound like angels). \%'hen the chorus or the solo soprano intones the Latin, it tentls to become irnpersorially rigid anti dogrnatic, or airy and ironic. l'he Difi irm, niechanically sung and accompanied by frightful alarms i l l the 1)rass and t11trnder.ing reports of carinon in thc percussio~i,is a vision of apocalyptic power. one of the most liarrowing picces of music ever writ-
SACRED AND
I
11 britt&.iogtile irrragrq o/ war irrto n sfltir~ga/' tili8 mass. Hntterr obsenled (I prpcerlel~~ of lo11gstnndirrg. Both RFP~I~oz~E~I, ill the . r i p 1i.s 1 ) ~ rf; lri,~hl issa Solelnrlis, mrrd Hayftr, itr his i\J~ssIn Tirric of \V;lr. had ~tsedti-~~rnpeL( arrd druirrs 10 creak a martial bockpororrl lo the cl~urrr.\'\ plea fur pi,rrce. Duni~g~lri, Rerlaissunce, a popular song called "l.'homme arrrli." ("Tl~pA rnred i\lorr")-rc~hosr
CHORAL
MUSIC
BRITTEN
423
ten. I'he "Kecortkrru,"t h o u g l ~sung as if i l l ;I t ~ a n c c , is alnlost unbearably heauti fill. 'The setlings oSO\\.en she\\. Britten st hi5 most piclt1:1111 ancl pluml, the deptlis oSemotion. 111 the shadowy nether1vol.1~1 of decith,the English soldier meets the German he killetl the day before. w h o says l o him:
. . . \Vhate\,e~.hope is yours. Was my life also; 1 went Ilull~i~ig \\'ild After the \vilclcsr beaut! in ~ h \\.orid. c POI-by my glee 111ight111a11ylilc~lhave I;i~lghed, i\11c1 or rny \\*c.epir~g soinct l l i r ~g had h r r n Icf't, \\'liich must die now. I I I I C ~ ; I I I the irurli 11r1to1(1, T h e piv of Hal-. the pit! \\.;II.distilled.
As the two soldiers sing "1,el us sleep low," the s o l ) r : ~ ~the ~ o ,n i ; ~ i cliol-us. ~i a~iclthe chilclrcn enter ~alle.og~rirlsttlrr Turksquietly with t h e tirial part of' [he Librrrr tne, ahtiupired 110 feuler that1 3 1 rnacses 6~ the lrkes of D I ~ I I ~ , sor1)ing them into [lie larger \voice of hu~nanity. Ocfiegl~rrr~, arrd Paleslrirrrr. It is a nlonient of h e a r t r e n t l i ~ ~gentle~iess, g the only l>ossiblc end to a scor-e wliose visio~iaryintensity places i t on the same level as I'icasso's Grct~rtricaand attlorlg the h a n t l h ~ lof indisputably great musical ~rqorksfrom the second h;ilf' of the 20th century.
Gallna Vishnevskaya, Peter Pears, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Highgate School Choir, London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/ Benjamin hitten. l.oi1do11 41 4 383-2 1-7 CL)r] Lorna Haywood, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Benjamin Luxon; Atlanta Boy Choir, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorud Robert Shaw. cn so157 12 ~ I I F I
424
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
BRITTEN
The composer's 1963 recording reniailis, after 30 years, the preferred account, ~~nequalcd in its scope and intclisity. It I~ringstogether tlie three soloists for wllo~iithe work ~v;lswritten, choscn not only for their artistry but because they represented three of thc nations rrlost deeply sc:~rrerl by World War 11: the Soviet Union, England, and Germany. Britten holcls the vast forces together, and the superbly erigir~ccredrecording captures with chilling exactitude the polvet. and the nuance of his ardent, visionary interpretation. Only a contluctor of Shawls experience coulcl hope to shed new light on a score the colnposelhimself had so con\.incingly presented. T h e American fincls a rncclitative geritleness in thc music that is touching, and lie i~iiparts;t distailt, sad feeling to the climases that deepens their ambivalence. I he solo singing is on a par with that of the original recording (the diction is in fact better), and the choral singing is suffusecl with Sliaw's unique magic. 'I'elat-c's 1988 digital recording is a bona fidc sonic sl,ectacul;~~-. ?
-
s
F u I ~ ~kilt= I ; 111
l f i . 111, 111~11tled had
\o$ru1111.~ ud~o
kilotr*~tlrLv to
sing 111.) K r q l i ~ t r n .
rerich corriposer Faurk ( 1 845- 1924) held positions as church ol.ganisl iirld choirmaster for 40 years, necessitatilig the p~.oduction of a sizeable amount of sacred niusic. l'et he composed his settirlg of the Requiem, the ir.ork by tvhich he is best known tod;iy, "purcly for tlie pleasure of it." Although he completed a first version of the score in 1888,thc piece tcrts to groiv and change f b l - another decade, until the version most commonly performed totlay-in seven sections, for full orchestrrt, organ, chorus, allti soprano ant1 haritone soloists-was coliil~letedin 1900. There is a w;irrn, co~isolingqu;ility to the music, with the empllasis from start to liriish on rest and peace. The origilial version of' the score, without
SACRED
A N D CHORAL MUSIC ' FAURE
425
the Ofkrtory arid the I,ih~raItrtl, matlc 1 1 0 111clltio11 at all of thc Last Juclgment: even in I;~rclvcrsio~rs, the terrors are quickly passed over. Tllc so:iring vocal lines of the Agnus Dei, partic.ul;r~.lythe opening part for teriors, arc soothi~ig,as is thc. remarkable violin solo in the S;rnctus. The concluding It2 Paradisurn cchoes the leeling ol'beatitutle that emerges in these pages. Fauri. hinlself' said he wanted bright, vigorous sopranos to sing this \\,ark, as opposed t o "old goats \\.ho Ilavc neverkno\\.n love." Behind that comment is tile sariie hlediterranean sensuality that char-actcrizcs the Rcqi~icmas a whole.
D
CfI(iiV(;TIIE 1 97.1-1 rPllr~Ily,.\0r11t3 (4' Frurrrc,'.r be.\[ ror~rpo.\urs full ! I ( / ~ ) O ~ l / l i ~ t l .(1\ ,lld 11 IllC(1surt I/' scrr~rity,~ I Au r p t~;.tr.\ i l l Pnriricrrr rl~rrrrlrt~. In addiliorr to FuurE, their rrrlrtlbrr iriilrrrled Soirrt-Snerrc, Frarrrk. ntrd (;lrclrk-.llnri~ \\'idor. T/I[,rlrief 201trcrrrtrr~.crrrir.c.tor to 111i.i gtweraliorr .\ r~\l(~irred 6~ the kiirg of ir~.c~rurrr~~ri.c uw (Oiz~ier.\Ivc.ti~rerr,who pluyed (11 L ~ Trirritc; L from 1930 to 1992.
Kiri Te Kanawa, Sherrill Milnes; Montreal Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/ Charles Dutoit. Lorrclon 4-31 440-2 firitA 1'rlli.a~(.I hli.lisantlc Suirt, altd Pava~le]
i i
Judith Blegen, James Morris; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus1 i Robert Shaw.
i
Tvlctrc CD 80133 [;uilh Dltnrjlt: R~qrricrrr]
Dutoit leads the I'ull-orchestra version o f thc.
i Requiem but holds the large lbrces back, giving
. r 1 I .spl~itrlorro
I I 1ht8
. I
It'i,qriinn.
.
thc account ideal \\-eight and balance. Appropriately Frerich voicings arc used on tllc orgin, a~ltl \\.oInen rather than 1)oys in the chol-us. XIilries is a bit \\.ide of vibrato but sings ~ v i r l ia suitably noble tone. Te lianawa sounds co\,ered iirid fruit),. tliougli hers is still a lovely voice. T h c 1987 recorclilig i takes full advantage o l the preselice :111cl ;11111osphere of the cathedral 01- St. Eustaclrc. ;~ntlthc coupling is the best available. The chorus is at the centel- o f Sllaw's rc;~tling i of the piece, presur~i:iblythe II~OI-c li~htlyscorccl i 1893 version (Telarc tloes 1101 sl,c.ciSy). 'l'hc ;ICI i count floics very \\,ell,a n d the work oL'I)o\hsoloists
426
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
HANDEL
is highly satisfying, particularly Rlegen's airy soprano in P l e J e ~ u'The . recorciing dates frorn 198586 mid is one of Telarc's bcst, with escellen~ presence overall arid real bass in the organ.
andel rcas one o r the greatest opera composers of the Baroque, but when he coi~lclno longer nlake Inoney at it. he Lmnsferred his attention to the oratorio. B J then, ~ the oratorio had grown into something far rer~lovecl from the church-a hybrid that clothed tests from the Bible, classical literature, epic poetr)., and other sources in magnificent operatic trappings, intended rial for edification but purel! as entertainment. T h e genre had flourished in Italy since the midcllc of the 17th century; it dicl not exist in England at all until Haridel establi~hedi t i i i the 1530s. ~\dnslulr is I-Iandel's greatest oratorio and by any measure the greatest choral ~ o r kin English. It was composed at lightning speed between August 22 and September 14, 174 1 , and received its premiere in Dublin on April 13, 1742. T h e test, compiled by Charles Jennrns, draws on both the Old ancl the Nett. Testament to tell, in extremely compressed form, the story of the life of Clirist. T h e first act (Hanciel preferrcd "rict" to "part") of d l e ~ s i n hestahlislies God's plan to redeem the world through a Savior and presents the story of the Nativity. It i~lcludesseveral of Harldel's most evocative solo numhers and choruses. "0 thou that tellest good tidings to Zion," which starts ~1s an air for the alto soloist and brings in the chorus, is set to the lullah)-like rhythm 01 a siciliand. 'I'he brilliantly scored "FOI unto us a Child is born" unfolds as a jaunty march with exultant sisteenthnote rouladcs and, in an inspired touch. bracing unison proclamations of the words "il'onderful"
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
U
SUALLY SUNG at
Christntr~c,hlessiah zs tlzought of as n seasonal piece. Once the first part ir o ~ ~ ehowevrr, r, il ic [he drama of Chrkti sac17fice &ha!becomes lhv foczu of the work. In &hatseine. Messiah is tu rrrtich a piece for E a s t ~ r as for Christnzas, a point surely not lost oil the zoork's original Easlerlide audience.
HANDEL
427
and "Counselor." The pulsating string accompaniment to the soprano's recitatives "And lo! the angel of the Lord came upon them" and "And suddenly there was with tlie angel" lends a palpable excitement to the act's cli~nacticvisit of the heavenly host. The theme of the second act is the victory of Christ over sin and the perpetuation of' His kingdom on earth. l'liis part of the score contains tlie alto air "He was despised." notable for its poignant chroniaticisrli and the dying fall of its melodic lines; the aria's middle section. treating Christ's flagellation, is cast in the clark key of C minor. The chorus gets to do some scene painting of its own with "All we like sheep have gone astray," in which the choral sheep go "astray" by moving away from each other in contrary motion, and Handel plays on the word "turned" ('we have turned, ev'ry one to his own way") by setting it to long strings of "turns." ornamental figures that revolve around a single note. This part of Alessiah ends with the famed "Halleli~jah!"chorus, which Handel sets as a joyous, buoyant processional. trumpets and drums blazing in L) ri~ajor. The final act turns t o mankind itself and concerns the promise of redemption, resurrection. and eternal life. Opening the act is one of Handel's most moving creations. the air "I knolr that my Redeemer liveth." I n the celestial key of'E major, .this gracious sarabande for the soprano leaves one feeling absolutel) certain t h a ~Haridel believed his own message. The melodic line conveys calm ecstasy via recurrent u p ~ a r dleaps arid longsustained downbeats. Not for nothing is the opening phrase inscribed on Handel's niemorial in Westminster Abhcy. The oratorio's conclusion is a glorious triple choral niunber: "Worthy is the Lamb," sung wholly in unison and fill1 of certitude: "Blessing and honour, glory and pow'r," in which imitative passages and powerful unisons are blended; ancl a conclud~ng"Amen," treated as a fugue at rilagriificent length. Something in Messicth commands the affection
428
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
HANDEL
of English-speaking peoples in :I ~ v ; ~I IyO otI1~1. choral music does. Perhaps it is tile way I l;llltlcl taps into the feeling of his great story l)y keeping recitative to a minimum ancl ci~~l)h:~sizi~lg the direct, openly theatrical espressio~lof tllc : ~ r i ; ~ s arid choruses, in which thc full persuasivcncss of Baroque vocal art is brought to I~e;ir.\Vli:~tc\.er the reason may be, ~ n n d e l ' stleeply 1klt settillg conveys the emotional tide ot'its story with al111ost miraculous insight, and has acc1ui1-cda univers;~lity that is unique in the history of music.
Margaret Marshall, Catherine Robbin, Charles Brett, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Robert Hale, Saul Quirke; Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists/ John Eliot Gardiner. Plrilips 41 I 041-2 [3 CDJ] Heather Harper, Helen Watts, John Wakefleld, John Shirley-Quirk; London Symphony Orchestra & Choir1 Sir Colin Davis. Philips 420 865-2 [2 CDs]
I V ~ P I11rjirs1 I I I P I I (11~ ~ ~ "IIIIIIP-
Irrjnh!" rliortw. C;uorgt 11 ~roorl: ntervotrr ~ L t rhod to rrc tor//.
Gardiner's is a highly musical ancl inspired nccount, featuring an excellent group of soloists ; I I I ~ an outstanding period-instrument I);~ncl.i\:itll dance rhythnis athletically sprung and (kl copo arias tastefully ornamentetl, tile perfornl;~nce generates consistent interest ant1 is lively in sl~ite of i ~ length. s There is splendid singing fro111tllc hlonteverdi Choir-the ending ol' ":\I1 1%-e like sheep" is quite potent-and wondc~-fill\\*ark I'roln the soloists. The rerorcling, rnitcle in 1982, is impeccable. The 1966 reatlirig froni Davis ar~tlt l ~ c1.o11don Symphony is a classic. A conlp:~ssio~~;itc irltcl-~,l.ctation, it represents ;I successl'~~l melclir~gol' tltc . English oratorio ~raditionwith tllc tl~en-e~i~c~.giiig
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
HAYDN
429
notion of an authentic performance style emphasizing lightness of texture and firm rhythmic underpinning. At miclprice on two CDs, it is an especially good bargain.
Huyd~l'.rl r ~ s lpublic appentnizrp
translated.
at a firrjulrna~crr(The
Completed in 1798. The Crtntiori is in threc parts. T h e first represents the first four days of Creation, the second part involves the fifth and sixth days. and the third part describes the blissfiil existen~co f Adam and Eve before thc Fall. There are solo passages for the two of them. as well as for the angels Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. T h e chorus contributes to the narration and comments on thc action. T h e orchestral prologue is a ~rlagr~ificer~t portrayal o r chaos. This har~nonicallynebulous fantasy points 111c way toward Ron~anticisn~ with its focus on pure sound and urgent expression. lSut Haydn saves an even rrlore dramatic cffcct for the first chorus. After Raphael has recited the lines "Ancl darkness was upon the face of'the deep . . . ,"the chorus, in a hush, continues: "And the Spirit of God nioved upon the face of the waters. And Gocl said, Let h e r e be light: And there was . . . LIGHT!" On the last word, the srilltless is shauered as chorus and orchestra erupt with a fortissimo C
Creation, I'zet~~ra, 1808.
430
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
IF YOU LIKE THIS 1Z70M, you ulrll probably ~tljoylistet~~tlg to its ~ e y u r lThe . Seasons, which received its pt ettliere I 11 1801, has at1 extcbemtlce a11 11.i O W I I and 1s full of defr touches of r n ~ ~ r ~clruroctercal ~zntioti.One z~nerpected deligltl is u repme of lhe fum u ~ tuize ~ s from the Atldat~(e of the Surprise Syarphotty, !Iris ~ r m ein n sotig uborc! u fnrrtt~r sinptzg as he plouls his fields 111 the spt-rtrg.
HAYDN
major chord, Haydn's musical cqui\.alcnt of biinding light. T h e second part of the oratorio carries tlie pictorialism further with portrayals of the animals as tf~eyarc created. liaydii lets us hear the roaring lion in thebrass. see the leaping tiger in the strings' rising scale passages, and Sollon. the boutncling stag through a thickct of dotted notes. T h e oxen in the m e ~ d o ~ varc s representcd by a little pastorale for flute, tlie insects by soft string trcmolos, and the \vorni by :I slowly turning half-step figure. \Vith the oratorio's third part, Hnydn reaches rlle i\.ork's highest level of inspiration. As he visits our "Grand Parents" in the Garden oSEclen, the music fills \vith humanity and r\~armtli,expressi~igtlie beauty of Creation and its f~~lfill~nerit in the enlotion of love.
Judith Blegen, Thomas Moser, Kurt Moll, Lucia Popp, Kurt Ollmann; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chonrs/Leonard Bernstein. Deuliche Grutnit~nphniz41 9 765-2 [ 2 CDs]
Agnes Giebel, Waldemar Kmentt, Gottlob Frick; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/Eugen Jochum. Philips 426 6.51 -2 12 CDs] Barbara Bonney, Hans Peter Blochwitz, Jan Hendrik Rootering, Edith Wiens, Olaf Bar; South German Radio Chorus, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestral Sir Neville Marrlner. WJI classic.^ CDCR 54038 [-7 C:Ds]
Rernstein's is a broad sy~nphonicstatetnenr, allo\\.ing thc h u ~ n o and r humanity to shine t h r o ~ ~ g h hut emphasizing the profu~idity of thc gr;iind nnoments. And grancl they are: in the introctuc-
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
HAYDN
431
tion, one senses not only the dawn ol' ( : ~ - c a t i o ~ ~ but the dawn of Romanticism as \\,ell. 7'he work of chorus and soloists is goocl (though Blcgen occasionally goes off-pitch). ;ind the orchesr~.al playing is inspired. T h e I986 recording captures the live performance with exemplary detail. Now sorne\vhat outdated in style. Jochi~rn's reading is exuberant and earthy. TIlc soloists take a theatrical approach, a r ~ dthe chorus alltl orchestra speak with large gestures that have al~iiost Brahmsian weight-but srith a \\.armth antl a con\iction that carry the day. For J o c l i ~ ~ m this , is a Romantic opera about the Creation; he revels in its pictorialism and, as in everything he did, is full-throated in praise of God. Despite some tape hiss and a slight edge to the violins, the 1966 recording is open and natural in perspc*ctive.'l'he \vinds are especially well captured, ;~ntlrhc solo voices are properly balanced, not too Cir l'or\viird. With a complement close to the original performing forces, biarriner is lighrer, Iiis malllicr graceful and endearing. T h e use 01' ;I li)rrcpi;ino in the recitatives is a hit unnerving, s i ~ ~ ctllc e iristrurrient often sounds like a baiijo or a cculbalom. Thc singing is excellent, both ;Imong tlic soloists and in the chorus. In this 1989 rccorclilig, the orchestra sounds a touch reccsscd, rhough the ambience is fairly intimate.
J ( I I I ( I ~ I , I (O I ~ I I I II/ ~ I ~ I,I I I I P / I ( ~ ( I I I11r11k011
111s
111c1tr
11,s
i i
in 192 1 Jar~heekcon~plaineclto an archbishop ;ibout the abysmal state ol' liturgical rnusic in Czechoslovakia, the ;~rchbisIiop suggested that the corrlposer himself' do solliething about it. Five years later, .Janlii.ek ans\\.eretl the challenge with one of the most I,e;~utiSi~l antl powerful works of the sacred repertory, (;l(~go~\kd ~ n i e ,a setting of the Roman Catholic 1i1:lss using a text in Church Slavoriic, thc language. of'thc olrl
432
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
J11 ,$!AC ~ ; KI1r ~ < o . ~ ~ k ; !ha/ z~~lrilr hr 71'0.5 zcwrkirrg ~ t r c slrr , kacl ill 111i1rtl -. . . llrr \crr11 oj 111r rllul.\/ L ~~/~afozrirr forc.str-llrnl it1ct.c /lrt>i~rrrir.tt>. I felt (I ru/lredrcrl grow orrl of lhr gin111fsp l t r ~ e(4 /Irr z1~ndtn~rrl/hr (ky. 11.5 :~e~ril/ s1rrIr11111g 111lu tltr*/ ~ ( I Z Jelrrlarrcr. .4Jlock of sherl, rr111g/Ire br1l.c. . . . TIM ~(rllfir/rcc.~,/Irrir fi/),5 111 6,y //rr .\/(~r.r, (Irr 11117 ~~lrl~lll~.s . . .: 011 tire,
JANACEK
Orthodox CIII-isti;~n ser\*icc. This Sloz~otlici\,lnss, co~nposctli l l tlrc \Io~-;~vi;rn spa town ol' LuhaCovicc, takes the litt~~.gy ;IS 1 1 1 ~ point of' departure fix all irldi\~icl~r;~listic csp~.ession of pantheistic spirituality. 'l'l~e\*itillit!. of' t l ~ e setting makes it seem like tile \vol.k oi' ;I yo~rrrg composer. JaniCek tcas in fact p;~st70 \\.Ire11Irr \\,rote it, though still yourhf'~~I-tlc.cl~l~~ i l l Io\,e with a young woman, full of the \\*o~ldcr of' 1il.e. and more passionate about the \vol-ltl than 11c 1r;rtl ever been. T h e score is a testanlelrt. ;IS .l;i~r;ii.ck hirr~selfput it, to the Czech nation's Ii~ith.rot 011 a religious basis but on a strong mol-ill o ~ r e\vlricl~ calls God to ~ ~ i t n e s s It . " is also a \vontlcrl'~~l cclcbratiori of the holiness of natu1.e. T h e work's architecture, like its rr~irsic.is striki ~ ~ g original. ly T h e r e a r e livc I;rrge cl~or.;tl movements corresponding to tire live. r r r ; r i ~ r scctions of the I .atin mass: (;o.\bodi l)ottrilrcJ (Kyrie). Slavtr (Gloria), Vt?rr!jr~(Credo), STV/(S;illctl~s), ;r~~tl AgzcEe BoiQ ((Agnus [lei). Thesc ~ r ~ o v c ~ ~:rrc lc~~ts Rankect by an orchestral i~itrocl~rctio~r, all O I . ~ ; I I I postlude, and a concluding 01-cllcstl-a11111,nrln. .l'hel.e is a pagan ex~rl~crarlcc LO tllc intl-ocll~c.[io~i and the Ilrtrada. a haunti~lgII~:ILIL!' in t l ~ cc l ~ r i c . [ Gospodi pomiluj ancl the A ~ I P HOLY, ~ ( > ;inti to\vc~-i~rg spler~dorin the climaxes o f tlrc \'?i~rjlc ;111tl tllc Slazla. Janitek relies heavil! on thc clrol-11s.s;lving the soloists for he most espressivc moments in each setting. His unique manner of' scori~rgis evident in the prominent string ostin;itos arrcl jubilant brass fanfares, the plaintive \\.ootl\vi~itl solos and growling trornbo~le c.lror-tls, ; r l r t l tllc long-breathed melodies in the violi~ls.
Elisabeth Soderstrom, Drahomira Drobkova, Frantisek Livora, Richard Novak; Prague Philharmonic Chorus, Czech PhilharmonOc/Slr Charles Mackerras. Srcprc~pl~o~~ 10-35 75-2
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
JANACEK
433
h'lackerras condilcts a perti)r~nancet11;tt is i ~ r gent and impassioned, though polishetl :rtltl relitled as tvell. T h e singers know tllcir tv;tp aroulltl the music; tllc only fbreigner among the soloists is the S~veclishsoprano Siide~.strii~r~. who is so gootl with the language she might as \\.ell l)c ;I Crech. T h e orchestra plays the music as only i r canhere, too, an authentic accent is importanr. -1'Iie recording. rnade in 1984, is spacious and \\.ell balanced.
G
ontrary to the image of rlic corrlposer sinking in-evocably into povcr-ty ant1 tlespairfoisted on the public by the film :ltrrcirle~~s;111d generations of lazy biographcl-s-rhe surnmer of 1791 found hlozart a busy, I I : I I I ~ Y 111:ui. 1 lislinancial situation, troubled though it h;t(I 11ee11, \\.as beginning to stabilize-"at a rcl;tlivcly Iligli level," according to the recent I cscal-cli ol' ~nttsic historia11Volkmar Rraunhehretls. 13cs1oI';111,opcra commissions were comirlg in as fast as they coultl be h;lntlled. i\ commission for a Kcquiem also arrived th:lt summer. Its source was C:ount Frauz \.\'alseggStuppach, a music-lovirig nobleman recently \r.iclo\\.cd who needed a suitable memori:rl for his wife. It was a generous co~n~riission, ,IIIIOLI nting to more than half 01' \\*hat 11ola1-t might receive for an opera-and half' of it \\.as pilid in acivance. But \\.ark o n other prqjects del;lyed Xlo/ar-1, ;111c1 he was unable t o finish the Kequie~nI)cli)re his final illness, most likely a recurrence of I-lleuniatic fever, set in around November 20, 179 1. -1'wo lveeks later, hiozart was deatl. At th'tt lime, o~ily the Introit and the Iiyric ~vcrcc o m l ~ l e ~ eFive . sections of the Sequence and both scc.tions of rhc Offertory hacl been notated in outlirtc. Only after asking several rrlor-c repu~;tl>lc com-
434
F
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
I Vl: DA1.S .-\I.'Tb:H death, the Intrail ntrd [he Qr-ii* ururp performedfor thrfirst tin~e. at a S ~ ~ - L I I CjrrP his ttr~tr~ory OII Dec~ttrlrrr10, 1 79 I . Tllp fir.\[ p~rforrtmircr.r,/'Siissttrccyr'.s rornpletiotr rf llrr Heq~li~trr took pltcc ur~ J D ~ I I I-3.N ~ 179.3. ? (I( n btt~rfit,fir (:ofr.\lotrzr( N ~ O V P ) . I\/O;L~TI'.S
MOZART
posers to complete the piece rlitl h'lozart's \vitlo\v. Constanze. turn to Franz Savc!~.Siiss~~l;iy~., the composer's assistanr. I-Ie fi~~islletl son)<,orchest riltions arld completed the "lnoirtrosci," \vhicll XI( )zirt had broken oft' after setting clo\v~ltllc fil-st bars. Presumably, Siissniayr ro~i~posccl the S;~rlrtus, Benedictus, and ;\gnus Ilri. ;tlthougll the quality of the music has led to speculation th;it ar least some of the material is o~.igin;il;tlle :\grlus Dei may indeed have been skctchccl in Iiirly detailed fashion by hlozart. Siissm;iyr f ~iisheclthc job in late 1792 a ~ forged ~ d on thc title page the irlscription "Requiem. di rue IV: A: Aloznrr rrrpr. 792" ("Requiem, by me, LV. A. llozart, in my own hand, 1792"). perhaps to make i t easier Ibr C:or~st;~nze to collect the I-enlainder-of the co111111ission. Considering the corilplex provcn;ince o f the score, it is something of a miracle that h,lozar~'s spirit coInes through so clcal-ly. But tlic Kecl~~ieni's mix of styles is clistinctly hfozill-tc;in-~lo o ~ but ~ c h e could have I ' L I S P ~ the c:hurcll style, o l ~ c ~(.i l;l~ the treatment 01' melody, texture, ant1 scori~~g), and the h,lasonic ceremonial i l l cll~itcthe S : I I I I ~ way. The blasonic element is evitlenl not or~lyin or~t the unusual gravity of utterance ~ h r o ~ ~ g hthe Requiem, but also in the ivork's t1;rl.k-lluetl 01.chestration. T h e only ~\~ood\vi~ltl colorcorncs 1'1.om tivo bassoons and turo basset horns (whose pl;iinrive sound hlozart had emphasizetl in his i\lt~.\or/ic Fu?rernlMwic of 1785). while the flu~esant1 ol~oes, with their brighter timbre. are climinatctl ;iltogether. The Requiem's overall structlrrc. ant1 the thernatic and textural links betivee~ldifl~.eritsettions of the score, reflect the sy~npllonic;il>l>roiich hIoz2lr-Leniployecl in large-scale \\ro~-ks, wl~ilcthe bold~iessancl expressiveness of' much of' the I~;II.mony is typical of hlozart's late style. Cc~.l:ii~lly orllv hlozart could have cleviseel tlic coloris~nin the "Cor$ltri/i~~trmldictis."\\.here toligtles of' Il;ime (in the lower strings) lick at rlle souls 01' the damned, while i'roril on higli, tIi(* soprallos i111tl altos intorie the hopelhl pravc~.sol' tllc c.o~~t~.itc..
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
@RECOMMENDED
MOZART
435
RECORDINGS
Angela Maria Blasi, Marjana Lipovsek, Uwe Hellmann, Jan Hendrik Rootering; Bavarlan Radio Symphony Orchestra & ChorudSlr Colin Davis. RCA Ijrrl Scai 60599-2 Margaret Price, Trudeliese Schmidt, Francisco h l z a , Theo Adam; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle DresdenIPeter Schreler. Phrl~pr41 1 420-2 Rachel Yakar, Ortrun Wenkel, Kurt Equiluz, Robert Holl; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Concentus muslcus Wienl Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Teldec 42756-ZK
The 1)avis account is a good place to start fbr those who llke a big chorus, big orchestra. arid big sound. .A gloriously theatrical reading, it is forceful in the clinlaxes. \\.armly expressive iri the softel pages. 'I'he wonclerful solo vocal quartet, sho\vc;~seclto great effect in the "R~cordure,"seems to have just steppetl off the opera stage. The 1990 r e c o r d i ~ ~offers g closeup, stinll,t i~oussour~cl. Presiding over ~noclernforces. Schreic!r offers a conventional but stylistically ir~lorrnedintcrpretation in ~vhichthe link betn.een the Requiem and the great sacred works of the Baroque can be readily sensed. The reading c-o~l~bincs serio~~sness of'tol~cwitli an appealing sintcrity of'esp~.cssion, ancl it gains much from the playingof the Dresden orchestra, which ~ ~ r o d u c eclear s lines and translucent textures \ritliout surrenclering its customary beauty of Lone. 7-lie digital recording is satisfyingly balanceci a r ~ dcaptures the tonal richness of the performance. Harnoncourt, using period irlstruments and Franz Hcyer's 1072 rescoring ol'Siissmayr, directs
SACRED AND
436
CHORAL MUSIC
ORFF
a reading that is danceable, vivid, and surprising. T h e score's inner workings are clear, its scn~iment iritriguingly personalized by Harnoncourt's tendency to soften the tone from proclanlatory to imploring. It is all indi\.idualistic vielv, aricl it is convincing. T h e recording places the chorus in the distance ancl is some\\.h;rt boom).
G
arl~tinaBiirn?ta, best rendered in Erlglish as Songs of Beuren, \\.as the title of a collection
BCi~rrriinaBurand, EST K.\'O\VN
for
Carl Orff (ubozre) prc~bnblj had (I greater impact urr the mutic of lhts century nc (in educator tlran as a roinposer. Based on the concept that inusrc should be tatcglr~rn cort71uctronwith phy tirul rnovewrort, his method 11cr.s won acceptallce thmugiroiit the 70orM. O n 4 the Hui1ganait roirrpoposer Zolfdir Koddly lrm had n conrp(~r(i61ernjluence irr t111.i cei~luq.
of medieval Latin and German lyrics published in 1847 by J. A. Schmeller, taken from a 13thcentury man~rscriptthen in the possessio~~ of the Benedictine abbey of Benediktbeuren, near klunich. T o this day the original ~nartuscriptrerrtains the richest source of secular poerry. by. the goliarcls-itinerant scholars and monks active in Europe from the late 10th to the early 13th century. In 1935 the German composer Orff (18951982) encourirered Schmeller's collectiori and was imnietliately seizecl by the ei~rtliy,unb~.itlleclimagery of its material. H e made use of some two dozen texts (though none of tlie melodies notated in the rnanuscr.ipt) to fashion one of the 20th century's most popular \vo~.ksfor chorirs ancl orchestra. T h e score, contpletecl in 1936, received its premiere in Frankfurt on J u n e 8, 1937. Cannir~uBicr~~rrn, like neal-ly all of Or-ff"s rvorh, manifests a preoccupation with music as spectacle. T h e writing invi~csperfor-rncr arid listellcr alike to participate in tlie hedonis~icenjoyment of rhythmically catchy and fi-ecluently repeated tunes, as well as eclui~llysimple forms, consonant harmony, porverful singing, and colorful scoring marked by an unstinting use of percussion. T h e coriception owes much to Stravinsky in irs ritualistic repetition of rhythmic patterns, though Orff's treatniclit is consiclerahly less sopliisrirated
SACRED AND
Odf-
drrs rtul I ~ I Pfrrsl lo cebbrcr~~ llrp plcr~surcs ' of cnrolcsirrg irr rntlric. Tlrere 6 a r~nhle~rrtldiitio~t o/ drinkrrrg sorzg.i irr upera lhol rrrclud~~~ Do11 C;ir~z?ortrri'.\ "Fir1 c:li'li;~ti tl;d vino" a ~ i d rilfr-PA'S "l.it~i;tmot~c'licti calici" irt La ~raviata,us rrtcll cw rr~errturubI~ cltor iues 111 \'ercli'~ Xlacl>erhmrtrl Otello clrd Il'ug7tpr:c 1)cr
Iliegcnclc Holl2ndcr. Paearrr lo irrehr-inliorr ltavr bpprr wri'tleit iLlnhler ("Der Trurlke~~e im Fruhling"), Berg (11rc.conn.1-/ rlrirr1)cr Wein). N I I ~ Schoenberg (IIIPsoirg ".\foordntrrk").
CHORAL
MUSIC
ORFF
437
aild more proceclural, .I quality that places him among the m,tny grantll;irhers o f model-n minimalisn~.Rut the composer does shoii a rem;~rkablc ability to harness the energy of the stantlard gotiardic stanza of 19 syllablrs, groupcd as seven plus six, in ivhich nearly ;ill o f the I.;~tinparts of [he test arc written. His sensitivity to the mood of the poetl-y is equall! note\corrhy; not only docs the music convey the csuber;tnce ant1 s:ircastic- lire ol' much of the rest, it fiitl~flillycaptures thc tenclerrless that occasionally emerges in the midst 01the bawdiness. Alllong the rnost dclightf~ilsettings al-c. those from the section I11 ~abrrrin(Ilr ~lre?'ni1('1-11).T h e fu1111icstof all is "Olinr Ir~ctu.collcc~mrtr" ("Once 1 Stcam IJpon tile Lake"), also kno\vn as "-l'he Rallad of the Roastetl S\\.an," in which the s\i.all sings about its f o r ~ n e life ~ - while it rul.ns o n (11c spit. 'The tclior soloist delivcl-s the s\i.an's lament in falsctto over a shimmering acconlpanimerlt of nlirtetl strings ; ~ n dbr;iss, while the nlcn of thc chorus interject cspressions of sylnpatl~yfor the rr sum~rs"("\\'her) bird as it cooks. "111 t a b ~ r ~ r qtccr~lcio \Ve ;\re in the l ' a v c n ~ " )conclutles this scction with a ~-a~tcous drirlkirig song straight out of a Xlunich beerhall in \\hich, by tile end, the men have tlst~nlr he;ilths lo ;ill o f mctlicval society.
Gundula Janowitz, Gerhard Stolze, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Schoneberger Slngerknaben, Chorus & Orchestra o f the Deutsche Oper Berlin1 Eugen Jochum. D~tchchrC,arii~nul)ko~~ Gnllena 423 886-2
Lynne Dawson, John Daniecki, Kevin McMillan; San Francisco Girls Chorus and Boys Chorus, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra & ChorusIHerbert Blornstedt. Londorr -130 509-2
438
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
'
ORFF
Jochum's picturesque account has a Germanness that is exactly on the mark. The orchestral playing is clean, characterful, ant1 suggestive, the choral singing suitably lusty. No one has ever done the Bavarian beerhall bit any better, and the whole performance is fun from start to finish. Fisclier-Dieskau brings the nuance and dramatic point of a Lieder artist to his solos, along with some barking in the upper range; Stolze, in spite of liberties with phrasing, proves unerringly cornical. Janowilz is pleasing in everything I>ut "Dulcissime" ("My Sweetest One"), where she squeezes down so hard she sounds like an organ pipe on the loose rather than a soprano. 'The analog recording has ample depth and good atmosphere. The playing of the orchestra and London's fullbodied sound are reason enough to have the Blorristedt disc. T h e San Franciscans give a polished account, responsive to the letter as well as the spirit of the music. The clioral singing is disciplined and well coached, though lightweight, and the soloists are fine except for hichlillati, whose overwrought treatment is no asset. Blornstedt brings out details that escape notice in rougl~cr performances of the piece.
, I I
-'L?-G vWd, conduc,;r,g!he NeqlritIlt ~ncrtscr~~a Scah, ~ f o y 2 5 1874. ,
j not so much a statement of belief as a translation of the Latin text's rich dramatic possibilities into the language of opera. The work's unusual genesis !. links it to two of the greatest figures of 19thii century Italy, the composer Gioacchino Rossini i and the poet Alessandro hlanzoni. On Novernber 17, 1868, four days after Rossini's death, Verdi proposed that a Requiern in his memory, written i in collaboration with Italy's leading composers, be
j
SACRED
IF YOU WE;E THIS II'OHK, you might want to investigatt 1'erdiP.c Ouattro vezzi sacri (Four Sacred Pieces). Publi.~ho~cl in 1898, whet1 I'erdi uw.5 85, the four parts embrrrce a broad mnge of emotio~i,from the enigmatic ~nruiiurgsoj the opening "Ave hlnrin."fov unaccompanied c h o w , lo the thttnderolu outbursts of soprano solo, dur~bhchoi-ur, and frill orchestra of rtrr concluding Tu Deum. Il'erdi Jrlt so close to the 111ter that Ire uked to have the score brrri ~ with d him ulhen he died.
-
AND CHORAL MUSIC
VERDl
439
performed on thc first annivc~sdr);of Iii\ cleath. T h e idea iras adopted. and Lrertii contributed the final Libera NIP-tllo~~ghthe planned performance of the ~Ilessaper R o s ~ i i never ~i occurred. Five years later, the death of Xlanzoni. tvho for \'ertli pcrsonified the spirit of Italian ~i;itionalisrn,spurred the colnposer to fashion a Recluiem in his Inemory. In doing so, C'erdi made use of the earlier Liberu me. l'he finished work hacl its premiere at the Church of San htarco in Slil,~non ;\.lay 22. 1874. the first anniversary of hlanzoni's death. I'erdi was an agnostic all ol' his adult life, but he was a rnan of profound conscience '111d spi~-ituality. In his Requicni, he projects the essentials of humanity-piety, ernotio~i,agitation, and capacity for hope-as compas\ionately ant1 dramatically as in ariy of the oper,is from his rn,*ture years. T h e opening Reqzrie~rr~ ~ t e r ~ zand a m Kyric are subdued in feeling but charged with espectation-a sentirnent soon justilied by the eruption of the Dies irac. l'his immense rnovenienr, nearly 40 nliniites long. is the core of the work, presenting the listener with an overwhelming vision of the wrath, torment, and supplication of the Last Judgment. A more consolirig tone is struck in the Offertory, wtiich fcat~t~.es the \ole vocal quartet without the chorus; i t concludes with a radiant prayer from the sopralio. "Fac m,c de iumorte trarrtire ad vitam" ("1,et them p;i\\ from death Ltrito life"), which floats u p to a high A flat on the word zlitam. l ' h e ensuing Sanctus, a clouble fugue for double chorus, is thrillingly fast and brilliantly orchestrated, with scurrying passages in the strings that are transformed, at the end, into bl'iring chrorl~iiticruns i r i the full bi.:iss. The tlelicately scored Agnus Dei features a series of duets fro111 soprano and memo soloists, ansl\.ered by the chonis and orchestra. Verdi's scoring is similarly atmosplieric in the L~rxnetet~r(i.which features the three lower soloists. \Vith the agitated opening recitative of the Libercr V I P . Verdi returns to the \\.orld of Airla. This poterit scena reprises rnatcri:ll I'rorn the Requiem
440
SACRED AND CHORAL MUSIC
VERDl
npt~nzanlarid Dic.s imp, summarizing and telescoping the entire draiiia of the Requiem before ending wilh a linal plea fbr- deliverance, marked ~ I I O ~ C ("dyirig"), that tr;lils oSS into silcrice.
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Nicolai Gedda, Nicolai Ghiaurov; Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus/ Carlo Maria GiulOni. f.J.\1I CDCB -17257 12 C:l)s; ~ ~ 1 1Quallro th pcz/i sac I-i] Susan Dunn, Diane Curry, Jerry Hadley, Paul Plishka; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus1 Robert Shaw. Telurc CD 80152 1-3 Cllc: wrlh otllur rclurk~]
Giulini's t~roatlbirt dramatic ;~c:countfrom rhe mid- 1960s brings tlie listener most corlvincingl!, into the operatic world of the score. \\'hat a performance it is, and what singing Giulini corijures Srorn his soloists! Their heartfelt espl-ession. the splendicl sirlgirlg of'the Philhai-nioriia Chorus, and the conductor's visionary insigli~sinto the music are the glories of' this recordiiig: die sound is not. Bass is deficient, and tape satul-ation in the loudes~passages obscures dct;lil : I I I ~ puts a glarc on the brass. Shaw learned Srorii the master. Arturo Toscanini, and in his 198'7 recording lie rilallagecl t o surpass him in some ways. Slla~vis unerring in his staging of clilnaxes, and lie draws phl-asing and dynarriics from the chorus that other conductors can orily dream 01'. Points arc 11i:lde eshilara~ir~g ePf'ect; the bass drum in the I)i(~.simr. is splendidly 11an1rnert.d. arid the \\,hooping bl-ass in the "Tiibn I N ~ ~ ~ ~ I isJ I bre:ulitaking. " 'I'elarc's rci corcling captures cverstliing I'rom the chor-a1 Oprrcl ronduc/or (:arko !ifatin Giu/il,i /t,O& /lie mas/ hpnlr/ifu/ly ; tvhispers to the crack of doom wit11 irripressive ~ o i g~'trcII/~uqtri~,tl or, disc. i fidelity. \\lit11
~ I ~ O
O P E R A /ooked at one way, opera is indefensibly silly: where else d o people stop in the ~nidclleof the most climactic monlents oftheir lives and sing? Looked at another way, opera is the most powerful of all theatrical experiences. one where ernotion, that most precious of human commodities, is distilled to purity, and character is crystallized i11 a few lines of music. At the end of the 16th century. a group of Florentine musicians, poets. and scholars known as the Camerata tried to re-create the experience of ancient Greek theater by means of a new style of dramatic singing, called the stile rappresentativo o r "theatrical style." T h e attempt failed, but opera was born. T h e first public opera house opened in Venice in 1637. and the growth of' the art form was so rapid that by 1645 the English diarist John Evelyn wrote of the opera: "plays are represented in recitative music by the most excellent ~nusicinns,vocal and instrumental. with a variety of scenes pailltc
442
OPERA
though it is still a magnifice~ltand expensive di\fersion. Lluririg the 1600s it developed fro111a courtly ente~.ti~iriment. in ~vliichthe members of a 11oble household could even play a part. into a thoroughl). commercial, p~tblicspectacle. Though it S ~ I - e athrougl~out d Europc. opera remainetl Lhe provilice of Italian p o c ~ sand ~nusicia~is. Thc division of opera into two main genres, the serious (opcra seria) and the comic (opera buffa), let1 to a polarizatio~iof style, a n d endless debate. during the 18th century. 'I'he typical opera seria irlvolved three pairs of' lovers ant1 a set of complici~tio~ls ~11tirn;itely resolvccl in a happy encling. Its scene structure genc~.allyf'ollowctl ;I three-act plan witti 12 scenes to each act, the foc;~lpoint of each scene being ;I dn capo aria. M'here opera seria sought to be edifying and spectacular, opera buffa proved merely to be clitertaining. T h e buffa style emphasized short motif's ant1 a disjunct line. I t put ii 1)l.emium on a singer's acting ability. ancl :~llowedsitlla~iorisLO clevelol, rliore quickly and move in a more fluid way than was possible in opcra seria. hfozarr contributed to the final flowering of serious opera rvitli Idomeneo, RP di Creta ( 1 7 8 1 ) and La c l e ~ ~ i ~ ~dir zTito t r ( 1 79 1). His greatest achievenlents, however, were in the co~nicgenre, tliough he made of ~ h a rgenre something more serioils arld proli)und than any composer before him or. with the e x c e p t i o ~of~ Rossi~iiand Verdi. since. The process so imagi~lativelyreve:~ledin his works. of blurring the divisions between styles and rec.o~nbiningtheir elements i l l new ways, was carried o n by Kossini and others iri the first decades c;ilne a new of [he 19th century. Mrith the dawn of' llo~i~anticis~n subjectivity and a reneweci interest in social. moral, ant1 political issues. amply reflected in the operas of' the two giants of'that era, Wagner ant1 Vcrdi. Their works demanclcd playing of' unprecedented expressive scope from the orcllcstra and recluircd sirlgers with voices of' cliormous power to be Iic:irtl over it. This tencle~~cy toward enlargement 01' sound and gcsture contillued into the 20th century. But the temptation to go LO extremes proved so great that the history of contemporary o p c r i ~has largely with been one of' retrenchnient-ccnteri~ig 011 :I new eng;~gc~nent the test, plai~sibledrama and telling ~nusicalcharactcri~atiori.Psychological realism has been the guiding principle of rnodern opera. though grandeur, humor, and irony have not been entirely lost.
OPERA
Thr Coirirt disco~-errChenrhiilo l~idii~g irt the Co~ri~tr.\s'.r borctloir iri 1.e rnariage dc Figaro, I7,YO.
2,,1111 ~ 1 P ~ e 1 7 Ci ollII ~ t ~ d(1, t (;Ir~nrbrrto, + c 1980 Sol,lp yrPIIC
' MOZART
443
ore than anything else, what inspired Mozart was the act of characterization: for him, music was theater. 1l7here other composers were coriterit to reach into the grab-bag of stereotypes and come up with formula music and two-dimensional figures. Mozart sought to create living, breathing. three-dimensional characters who coultl, in effect. rnake the stage disappear. His ow11 intense interest in humankind er~dolvedhim with an insight into personal relationships and an ability LO see situations from different points of vie\\.. which enabled him to transcend operatic conventions. hlozart's nose for the theater told him that Beaumarchais's 178 1 sequel to 1,e barbier de S h i i l h , entitled Lafolk jounzke, 011 le lrra?iagede Figaro (The ~LludcapDq,or Tht ~ l l a ~ - r i of n gFignro), ~ would make an excellent libretto. By the time he came across the play in 1784, the sharp, crilical assessment of the social order that lurketl between its lines had already caused performances to be banned throughout Europe. hlozart Nils aware that the controversy surrour~dirigthe Figaro play t\.ould make an operatic settirig an exciting prospect for the public. Fortunately, hlozart also had at hand the new court poet-and notorious free spirit-Lorenzo da Ponre. LOmake the play into ;i libretto. In order to fashion the con~plexaction of the play into material suitable for singing, Da Ponte had to streamline the plot. While the satiric point of the comedy was marginally blunted by his modifications, the action was cornpressed and the pace quickened. hlozari played an active role in shaping the libretto, sending page after page back to Da Ponte for alterations as he ivorked out each scene's musical structure on paper and in his head. The premiere took place o n hlr~y1. 1786, at the Burgtheater in Vienna. with hlozart conducting from the keyboard.
444
MTITED TO IJIIA(;UL; mime there, ,\lozarl /bzrtrd [he pupulnc~alreo~hiln~lciitg 10 quadrilles and z~~crl/zes from the opera. "Hew tro//ting k disctused bid Figaro," iClomr/ wrok. "A'otfti~rgis played, blourn, m n g , 01 whistled bur Figaro. h'o opera is succeeding like Figaro. Figaro and el~rtrnlly Figaro!"
OPERA ' MOZART
Despite the public's entliusiasni for the score, which compelled the emperor- to issue a decree after tlie third performance banning repetitioris of erisemble nurnbttl-s ar court theaters, Le twzzc di Figuro was not a success. It clropped oict of the repertory after nine performances. thoroughly eclipscd by Viceiite hiartiri ): Soler's Una caw m m (for tvhich Mozart took frienclly revenge i r ~the finale of Don Gio~)n,l~li, quoti~lgone of its tunes as dinner music). Fortunately-fbr h,lozart aricl for pclsterity-Fig.nl.0 was producecl in Prague i l l Dccember 1786 and erijoyed arl instarlt success. iVith this work, Mozart carried the architectlire of opera, and at the same tir~icthe art of cliaracterization, into new realms. .As music critic I~Villiam hiann has poiatecl out, F i p r o "is riot just about comic tussles b e t ~ e e nmaster ant1 servant, or heti\.eeri rnen ancl women, but about tlie interplay of real human beings." One reason it succeeds is that its arias arc among the niost brilliant crystallizations of rnood in all of opera. Not only clo they convey thc uriiq~teessence of each priricipal character-Figaro's playful humor and panache, the Countess's bittersweet longing, the C;~LII~L's vengeful pride, Chcrubino's breathless inf:itu:ition, Susanna's dccp, forgiving love-they also anchor the very structure of the opera itself. Still, Figcrro's real greatness lies in its ensemble numbers, to wliich blozart gives hithcr1.o ~~~lprececlented drariiatic ancl comedic thrust. No matter how complex they beco~ne-and the Act 111 sextet is one of tlie niost tielectably complicated nunibers in the repertory (according to boll1 hlichael Kelly. who created the role of Don Basilio, and Constanze hlozart, ir was hlozart's favorite music)they rcriiai~ishapely and supple arld never lose touch with the ml~sicalline. It is in these ensembles that the convers;ltional style hlozart had perfected prior to Figclro coriies to the fore . . . and in them as well that Susirnna, the opera's true centla1 figure, comes into lier own. One byproduct of Figurn's success in Prague was a commission for a new opera, to be p r o d ~ ~ c e d
OPERA
M
OZ.4K7- n~rd!he li-
bvellid / ) ( I Poirte (ubmv) had iurr irr 1753, slrortl~cfler Air loir io Sa fief-i lrorl hruiiglrl Dri Porrle fu I'ieiiiro. 111 jirsl, ~ i / o u ~ilUri.l\ sR~/~~iccrl: "If' he i\ iir leapcie ailh Scrlim'," hr. nprot~,"1 ~~111 irever gel (r~ryllr~t~g ui11 14Iriiir. Btrl 1 u~o~ilcl cienrly 1r1:lt-lo shour nlhnl I fait do iiz N I ~Ilnliair oprra." Hy 111r l i i ~ r. \~I n a r t brocirlr~dIhe .rribjr.c/ 14 Figa1.o lo DN Pni~lr.kc ZLUS ,*t~c~ir 11ungn'er for /he rhaitce 10 S ~ O Z ;~fhcr! L~ IIP rorilil do, and rr good clenl 1e.c srupiciou.r q/ hit collnborolnr. Dn Poitlr, mtllare of ,\luzl!rli abilio, ngreed a1 Ililfr..
•
MOZART
445
in tlie Bohemian capital the f'olloi\.ing autumn. lfozart again asked Da Ponte for a librctto. arid the two agreed o n the story of Don Juan. M'ith time sllorr and his hancls f i ~ l l .Da Polltc neetlecl a templ;lte; he found it in the libretto 1)y Giovanni Bertati for Giuseppe Gazzaniga's one-act opera Don ( ; i o z ~ o l ~ nTvlrorio i o sic1 I f rollvitctlo di piftrcc, which had just t~een premiered in Venice 011 February 5, 1787. Rorro~\,ingsubstaririally from it, Da I'onte expanded the structure from one act to two, tluplic-atillg the Iayot~tol'the fil.st act whcli he fashioned the second. This clever patcli\vork was handed over to Mozart, wllo began work on the score in tlie spring of 1787. hlost of' the opera was composecl i l l Vienna that summer; on October 1, X'lozart tieparted for Prague, with the overture. several nurnbcrs, and many of the rccitativcs ;is yct 1111writtcll. T h e overture waiteti ur~tilthe litst morncrlt: it may have been penned only two days before the first performance. which took pl:lc:c on October 20, 1787. I1 dicsollito p ~ o l i t oo sia I1 D o ~ iGioz*nrrrri( T h e Rakcl Pu~lirsh~rl, ur Don Giovanlri), the title Slozart and Da Pollte gave tlieir creatioll, erljoycd a successf'ul premiere in Prague but \vas less entli~tsiastically received when it !\?as staged in Vienna half a year later. Sincc then, ho\vever, rio other hloz;lrt (>pel-:I has bee11 more widely pcrfi)rmed. 'I'llcatrically, Don Giovuitr~iis not nearly as tight a piece as Figaro, yet i t is sorr~r.ho\\~ niore vivicl o n the stage because of the rclge Liozart's music brings to its characters and situations. hlozart also goes further than lie had in Figcit-o toward achieving a symphonic unity of key. [:or exarnple, the overture ant1 the opening numbers of the first act follo~vthe har~nonicplan of a 1'1111-scalesyrnphony i r l I) minor; the fornial strengtll of the two firiales is derived from much the same process. T h e profile of llozart's rriusic is estr;lordinarily high throughout, and the characterization of the opera's principal ligures-Don Giovarlni, his servant L.rl)orello, tlie two liigh-horn I;iclies Donrl:~
OPERA ' MOZART
R
AGE IS one rrf rnlurr'.~ most frrqr~erlt[?l(,rtcotiizter ed ctrzot~orrr,rutroib bror1g11ton 4) u~lrotShake speore famous!, rolled "grpurr q'rd ~ e ~ ~ l o ~nonr~a ~.sy. Elzliro's erzlmr~ceclrru rlr Ilon Giovanni, "/I111chi nii dice ~nai,"u ( I t lrcsszc rage ann. Tile yr~tplrotrrc hteralure bocu~rseuernl gnlptrtg treatrr~er~h of the ernotlon, ainortg llrern Dvofdki corrcer! ovcttuir Othello (1892) arrrl Jairdirk's Jealous) (1894). Hut lilt- most tellii~gpor rrc~~r of rage 111 all of rnusrc rs L'erdl's Otello. "
Anna and Dollnil Elvira, and t l ~ epeasant girl Zerlina-is virtuosic. Don Giovanni, the chanicleon, moves easily in both the highest and lowest circles, as the varied stylistic sllading of his n u m bers makes clear. Leporello, w h o ivould like to be a cavalier, is good at miniicki~lgtlie statiorls of' others (as his cat;ilog aria shows) ;ind is ultimately more honest tli;ln his rnaster. The discarded Elvira, easily wronged and a little ;~t)surd,has the most florid music in the opera, while Anna, t l ~ c coltl goddess of' I'l~ry,conveys more n~asculi~lc authority in her delivery than tioes her wimpish suitor, Don Ottavio. And there is a subtle polish to the rusticity of Zcrlirla; hlozart, in the duet "Lil ci dare111 la trr(i110," sho\vs her playing on I l o n Giovanni's rcflcxcs, allotvirlg hi111to chase her until sire catches ilia. The extr;lordinary clet;iil hlozart finds in his characters contributes to the greatness of Doti Giovatltzi, as does the way his niusic balances the corliic ant1 the serious, tr;insccnding the limits of genre. O n his return 10 Vienna following the pre~i~icl-c. of'l)ot~Ciovanni, h'loznrt heard the news that Gluck had just died. -l'hree tceeks later. hiozart was appointed by the crrlperor to succeed Gluck as court cornposer, a1 a salary of' 800 gulden-less tlii~nhalf the 2.000 gulden Cluck had recei\~ed. hIozarils finances, wllich had hegtrrl to deteriol-;ice around the ti~nelie started work o n Don Giovor~tri, remained severely straitened fbr several ye;lrs. I%utby the end ol' 1790, things were looking LIP;inti hlozart's li)l.tulies improvetl tlra~naticallyi l l 1791 wit11 the i~l-rivalof commissions Sol. Lrr rl1,tnerrza di Tito and Die Zattbetjliil~. The latter had come from Iiis old friend, tlie actor-impresario Emanuel Schikaneder, a fello\v Free~nascjnwllo 1i;icl settled ill Vienna in 178!) to run the Theatel. ;iuf der Wietlelr. Faced wit11 ; I I I impending finallcia1 crisis and in need of a s~11.c hit, he asked h8loz;irt to collaborate on a Zallbpro/)r'r ("rnagic opera") in German. L)ip Zaliherflci'te (Tlrc~ ~\lagicFlute) belongs to the gen re called Singspic1
OPERA
4
MOZART
447
(si~nilarto opera but with spoken di;ilog ~ x t h c r than recitatives). Notwithstanding its curious I~lend of fairy tale. hiasonic ritual, a r ~ dcornrnedi;~clell':u.rct, the text fits firmly into the style :lrld tratlirions of' the popular Viennese theater of the (lay. -1'lie music, however, is of a profulldity :~ltogetller outside of tradition. T h e mock-solemn overture to Dip Znubrrfliite is one of the most brilliant instrunlental mo\.emellts hiotart ever fashioned. T h e nunlbers, ensembles, and set pieces that follo~vare estraordi~laryboth in their variety and in the richness of tl~eircIi;~r.acterization, and they exhibit that uncalllly finesse of hiozart's late style. .l'he settings range from direct and folkish (as in I'apageno's opening song) to ornately old-fashioned (the first-act rage ari;i of the Queen of the Night) t o dolvnrigllt anachronistic (the cantlu j n n r i . ~ duet fix the t\rmc.tl hlen). But there is a strangely ti)riv;~rtl-looki~ig Romanticism to the scorirlg ancl hal-rno11yin - 1 ' ~ mi no's L'Llie.fBildnis i.rr beznrib~r,t(lsrlr ijtr " ("7 '11 is picture is bewitchingly lovely"), as \\fell: I S a sl)i~-0(:7'01~.SIN OIJI:'h't\ it~~ality in the choruses of the priests that arlticil)atcs NW (ftrtr pot tr(~je(l(1.5 what will come in iyagner's Pon1/01.hIo/;i~.tclear.ly utcc~ck\or lerllun. Itr Cosi loved Dip Znrtbe,flote, pel-haps more t l r ; ~ally ~ ~ 01' far, tutre ,\fo;ort pokes jiol his other operatic creations. He coultl llot have at tlte tlt~orirsif Frutrz .We.\~rwrit1 the w e t t ~11)lterethe known that it t\,ould become the fi)~t~l(l:itio~i of' trtaid Dc~piticltnr~~qtr~rc~dr.~German Romantic opera. but he tlicl krlotv the m (I (lorlor utlrl "ct~re.~" tlte value of what he had written. He clietl t\vo ~noriths s upposrdl~poiso ~tedFerand a fciv days after the opera's first ~>erformarlce. ratrdu uttd Gtrglielmo ufitlt n tnugviet. 1)urtor H ortolo, u churc~cterin botlr The Uarber of Seville (llrd The 5larri;rgc of Figaro, k
D
n srhelr~t-rIrcctittg uftt-r ~ I I S trt~bilrrrrctrci itr [Irefonrrer o p r a , (I t1d u hllulrritrg fool be1111111 r m e t i p in ~ h Iutter. r 111 Dottizrttii oprm L'Elisir d';imo~.c.Ijortor Ijulccr trrrrm s i trot ebovr pl~\.\ing ofl u bottle (I/' u~itrrus [lrr trlystrriotrs "c.li.rir r,/ love. "
Samuel Ramey, Lucia Popp, Thomas Allen, Kiri ~e Kanawa, Frederica von Stade; London Opera Chorus, London Philharmonic OrchestraJSir George Solti. Lorrdoi~-110 150-2 13 C l h ; 19811
448
OPERA
•
BEETHOVEN
MOZART:DON CIOVANNI Eberhard Wachter, Joan Sutherland, Luigi A h , Gottlob Frick, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Giuseppe Taddei, Piero Cappuccilll, Graziella Sciutti; Phllharmonla Orchestra & Chorus/ Carlo Maria Giulini. GI11 CDCC f 7260 13 CDs; 19591
Peter Schreler, Annellese Rothenberger, Walter Berry, Edda Moser, Kurt Moll; Chorus & Orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera/ Wolfgang Sawallisch. EAII CDCB -17827 12 CDs; 1972; jprrrnl rrnport]
eell~oven'sonly opcr;~.Fidelio (180(i), is a Si,i@/irl like Die Z~trh~rflate, ~ L I Li t is a very differe~ilsort of work. Ucethoven b,as not a man of the the;~[eras 3Iozart was, but a mall of' ideas, of deep ;inti passionately held convictions. Each character i l l Iyidelio-\vhirli celebrates the courage and ide:~lismof its hcroille, Leonorc, in the face of niort;~ldanger-represents an itleal type, a far different approach from hlozart's emphasis on hum:~ncomplication. 'I'liere is, for all that, great hulnanity in this m~rsic.but it is the ideas behind the drama-the rllessage of I1rot11erl~ood,the stl-11gglefor liberty and justice-that are most important to Beethove~l.So important. in fact, that as themes they emerge again in the Ninth Sympho~iy,rvhere the composer finishccl tvhat he had bcglln in Fidelio. 'l'he opera's o111y rve;ikness is the sectional Sramcwork its lihrctto imposed on Bcetho\ren's symplionically oriented sense of structure, though he niade a virtl~col the defect by giving niost of the set pieces unique rni~sicalprofiles, challenging hi~iisclfto diffel-erlt conlpositional problems in e;iclr one.
OPERA
WEBER
449
Still, whereas Heethoi~er~'~ symphonies, conccrtos. ancl chamber music cast a to\\-eril~gshade\\over the 19th century, Fid~liohad little irnpact in the splic!rc oFoper;~.By contsast, it ~votlltlbe hart1 to overestimate the role played by his younger countrynlan Carl hlaria \,on LVcber (1786-1826) in thr rise of (icrman Kon~anticopcr;~.Even if' only ollc ol'\.Yebcr's works 11;isheld a plnce i11 thc repertor>,, his influence on IVagner \\,;IS clearly decisive. Ller Frri.crlriitz totiches on some of the grant1 tllenies o f Koma~iticism:s u p c r ~ ~ : ~ t ui rl la- l terfcrcl~cein thc natural order. I-etlcmption through love, anti the inciivitiual's transcendence of the social hierarchy. il'ebcr's treatmcllt of this material, particul;~rly his evocative scoring ant1 dramatic useof har~llony,hat1 tremendous impact not only on \\'agner but also 011 Berlioz, Berg, and Kich:lrd Stl-suss.
BEETHOVEN:FIDELIO
B
I.:ETHOI.Ehr bo crd 1;itlclio on ( I ro.\rrir clrurncr IIJ 1.-S.Norrill> untit k d I,i.oriore, o u I .';rmour c-ori.jugal (Leonorc. or
-I'hc. 'l'l-ittmph 01' .\lassietl Love), (I t?picnl )itore 01 Kfi~olrtliotr-noIrtt,,nttrre. H c or-ip?r~//jculled l/rt8 optBra I ,eOllOl-C ( I I F ~ I C P/Ill' t1Ntllt7 I)/ thc tIrrt*c*or1r.r-trtrt.\ kt, rottrpose(1lfor cwrl! prorllictiorr.r), but Icr~r,rrhaty.rl tlrc title lo Fitlclio-the crlinc rrr~dm 711lrlc.h1.rotrore bt,c-orrrt~.\(I jailer it1 thu pri\ot{ ithere fretlcrcsbntc(1 Flon-ttci11 rs ;t~cori~,r(itrcl.
Christa Ludwig, Jon Vickers, Gottlob Frick, Walter Berry, Ingeborg Hallstein, Gerhard Unger; Philharrnonia Orchestra & ChorudOtto Klernperer. EAII St~rtlroCIIi\lH 6932.1 12 (,'I)$] Gundula Janowitz, Rene Kollo, Manfred Jungwirth, Hans Sotin, Lucia Popp, Adolf Dallapoua; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonicl Leonard Bernsteln. Detrtsclii~(;tcrm~aoplrorr-119 336-2 [ 1 (:l>s]
Karita Mattila, Francisco Araiza, Ekkehard Wlaschiha, Eva Llnd, Kurt Moll; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle DresdenlSir Colin Davis. I'hilrpc -126 3 19-1 1-3 (,'Dc; 19901
450
OPERA
ROSSlNl
,-7
he second decade of the 19th cer~tilrysaiv the emergence of a new lion of the operatic stage, Gioacchino Rossini ( 1702- 1868),ivllose comic gift was matched only by his protligious capacity for work. In a mere 19 years (18 10-29) he composed 39 operas, many of tlieni works of the first order. He revitalized the buffa style, innovating as he went, and brought a sharpness to the art of characterization that rivaled hlozart's. I1 barbierr d i Sivigliu (The Barber rf Snjille) was not Rossini'sorily masterpiece, but it is his best knoum O S S I X I I.IKI.:I> lo saj t l l f lhc ~ hod cnts(Iotll? ivork arid one of the greatest coliiic operas ever threr limes it1 Ilis I+': 11ru \vritte11. I t has held the stage contini~ouslysirice rliglrt 11ir e11 r1ie.s1 o)cw its pre~riierein 1816, making it tlie oldest work fcrilud, ~ h (k(ly r Iru u~erlclrcdn never to have fallen out of the repertory. T h e ~nc/]lrd111 rkqv go ozlt~rl~nartl libretto is aniong the finest Kossini set, ;~ntli t N I ( I bo~l~itrg party It~i~cltuorr, ~ r r d/hr/jr.~l liitl~Iro h(,cir(l inspired a score f ~ ~ l l o f ' m ~ ~riclies ~ i c athat l rerlinins Pcrg~rtrirri plery the uimlirr. He as fresh today as on the clay i t was lirst he;~rtl. hrrlrd work, cl)/)rt8citrlc*cl I/IP That Rossini was a week shy ol' his 24th I)i~.tlltlay good /Iring., itr l ~ crrrrd ~ , nlivhen that happened makes T/IPHnrber o/ S~*z~illr wcr~lslived rrp lo 1 1 r ~rtrrisin~ only that niucl~more of a miracle. Ilrctl "drliglrl tnrtsl hr lhc (rim Rossini's vocal ivritirig, along lvitli th:~to f liis a~zrlI)N.s~.T of rrrirsic." near-contemporaries Ciaetano llonizetti ( 1 7971848) and Vincenzo Rellini ( 180 1 - 1835), exemplified the precepts of be1 canto ("tine singing"), rnarked by a light, n~ellifluoustoric and efl0rtless delivery in llorid passages. Do~~izetti's most frequently encountered opera, Luci(1 cli Larn~tter~tloor, received its premiere in Naples in 1835. Composed to a skillful libretto by Salv:ttorc Cam~n:uano (based on Sir Walter Scott's novel The Wrirle of Lammer~nom).it firmly established the colnposer's reputation and senred as one of the cornerstorlcs of Italian Romanticism. Its plot is a typically got hic affair involving a family fe~ld,an arranged marriage, and a forgcd letter, le,~dingto betrayal, murder, and madness. Its ~ii~lsic S I ; L I ~ ~:I[S tlie crossroads between tlie decorative style ol'O~lrrrrrto and the more sensalio~lalniannel- ol'the rnitl- l
R
OPERA
'
ROSSlNl
451
Vcrdi. Bellini cor~tril~uted three m:istcrpieces to ( 1 83 I). No,-rna ( 1 83 1). the literature: Lasort~iamh~tla ant1 I pun'tarli (1835).Norma. his supreme acconiplishment, is full of the long-breathed, often melancholy melotlies fbr ~vhiclithe composer wis celebrated, arid its suggestive scoring shows what a sensitive ear Bellirli possessed. T h e French Revolution had marked the end of the world that brought opera into being, but scarcely the end of opera. In the \\lake of the great upheaval, thcrc was a crystallization of social, moral, and politit.al values th:it in fact gave opera, and the arts in general, a renc\vetl vibrancy. Charige k a m e a value. as did resistance to change. and in much of Europe the revolutionary type ant1 [he bourgeois ;inti-type existed side by side. Opera found a new universe of itlc;~sand situations to explore-and in Paris a ne\v style of opera. called grand opera. developect directly out of ihc ferrnent. Grand opera's spin'tlu I-ectot.was the aptly narned Eugene Scril~c( 1 791- 1861).a n inexhaustible writer whosc librettos workecl entlless variations on the same basic forniula: the par;~cieof history in five acts of pageantry and extravag;ince, central characters caught in the flus of' religious or patriotic movements, huge tableilux involving thc chorus, and awesollie clenouen~cnts. Parisian grand opera was a business. Fortunes were spent on the decor and were ~ n a d eat the box office. and the so-called claclue-whose caesar, Auguste Levasseur, was another aptly named llgurc-rulecl triumphantly over tlocile audiences. One of the first grand operas was Rossirii's 1829 extravaganza Guillaurnt 7 i l l (1Villiain Tell), which relied for much o f its effect 011 crotvd scenes arid pageantry. Rossir~iretired sooil after its premiere, ceding the field to the (;eruian-born Giacolno ilieyerbee~( 1791- 1864). Xlcyerbeer's greatest success came ivith Le.r ilrrguertols (1 836), which portrays the St. Bartholori~c\\,'sDay massacre of 1572 and was the first \cork to achieve 1,000 performances ;I[ the Paris Opera. Critics evcr since ~hc.mid- l9t11 century have
452
OPERA
ROSSlNl
contlcrnned grant1 opera as a dra~n:~ric-ally sll;~ll~~tv PI-e~nise.a m;ignilicent ship with ;III i n a d e q u a ~ c engine that wcnt straight to the I~ottomas soon as ir h;itl bee11launched. R u t Parisi;r~lgrand opera provided a bluel,~.inrfool- many o r thc finest wol-ks of Komanticis~n,as we shall see.
ROSSINI:IL
SIVIGLIA Leo Nucci, Wllliam Matteuui, Cecilia Bartoli, Paata Burchuladze; Chorus 8 Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale d i Bologna/Giuseppe Patane. BARBIERE DI
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Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, ~ o n t s e r r aCaballir, t Samuel Ramey; Chorus & Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera/ Richard Bonynge. Lorrdnr~414 476-2 13 CL).\;19841
ROSSINI:GUILLAUME TELL Gabriel Bacquier, Montserrat Caballe, Nicolai Gedda, Mady Mesple; Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Lamberto Gardelli.
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Joan Sutherland, Anastasios Vrenios, Gabrlel Bacquier, Martlna Arroyo; Ambrosian Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia Otchestra/Richard Bonynge. I.oi~cloir 430 5-19-2 1.1 CD,; 19591
( 18 13- 1882) was the consunimate man of the theater and one of' the greatest opera composers in history. As an intellect~lalhe was a fascinating paraciox of pragmatisnl and idealisn~(had it not been for his indisputable talent, he might easily have beer1 branded a crackpot), the living embodiment of pride and prejudice. But as ;in artist he was governed by a visionary insight into t l ~ ehurnan character and emotions, as well as by all unerring A Gl\lI.:K (riborv ) beinstinct for \\-hatcould be achieved on stage arid cartie, i11ro11gIt/ ( I / ~ ~ I I / , in musical sound. Wagner's early ~ ~ o r carried ks horrl ~teork[ I r ~ dego, rile t t ~ o ~ i promittrr~tm~uici(irlof liic forwarti the precepts of German Romanticism crri. I\.\ (1 jourtg ~ I I U I Iirrju, and grand opera, while boldly breaking new cttce(1 19 /lie r~~ri/itig.\ o/ grourltl. His mature I ~ U S ~tira~nas C cli;~ngedthe crtrorc11bi.sand rrzloltrliotrc~rcourse of music history; in them, \\'agner develips, IIY P S ~ V I L T yY ~~ ~ i r(~di[.(zI ie oped a hauntingly sensuous musical language and :~ieit~.c. As a reslrli of his suptook harmony ant1 orchestr;i~ionto rlew realms. p o r l f f ~ )llte . Drc..\(/~rrzipri5itig of 18-19,cr zcfcomt~l f i r /I;.\ His first distinctive work, L)er/liegendu Hollander arrest urns issrtrd itr Ger( T h e Flying Dutchman), has a revolutionary score ~ttn~iy; he sper11 i h rxsf ~ 14 in which the sweep of Wagner's musical ideas and Ye0r.s it1 r.de, /li1111grt~[ii?t()~ the Tcr~torlicpower of his orchestration collitlc in .~n~i/zerIrrid. head or1 with the rllelodic trappings and sectional structure of grand opera. Here the cinrk side of Roman~icism,glimpsed briefly in M'eher's L)er Freischiilr, emerges rvith overwhel~ningforce in the person of the Dutchmall, the legenti;~l-ysailor condemned to perpetually roam the seas in search of a woman who will be faithful unto death. The ominous subject matter excited CVagner's imagination to incandescence: the Dutchman's first-act nlonolog is a masterpiece of psychological portraiture, and the musical eff'ects that I~ringhis ghost ship to life are among the eeriest in opera. Ta~ttlhiitcser,which Wagner called a "grand Romantic opera," wls composed b e t ~ c c c1843 ~ ~ aritl 1845 and revised 15 years later for its Paris premiere. Its story is based 011 two legends th;lt originally had no connection with each other. 111 one, the medieval knight 'I-ar~nhSusertires of thc
W
;~ffcctions01' the godcless Venus and makes his way to Rome to seek the Pope's forgiveness for his life of ease ancl lust. In the other, the knight Heinrich von Of'terclingen receives dernoriic illspiration in a singing contest that takes place O I I the Wartburg. Ml;~gnerniergecl the charactcrs ol' I-leinrich and l';~r~nhauser, ant1 he also crciitcd the figure of Elis;~l)ethto serve as a foil to Venus, representing the pole of spiritu;~llove as Venus represents that of physical love. Tannhiiuser, like the Flying I)utclirnan, is ;I doomed marl ~vllocan be redcellled only by [lie self-sacrificing love of a wonian. T h e trial of tliat love lies at tile licart of the opera, where it is surrounded by the kind of spectacle one woultl espect to find i l l grarid opera. "l'lie seconcl act, \\.hich centers o n the singing contest, opens wit11 orie of the finest set pieces i l l ;ill of Wagner, Elisabeth's pulsating "Dich. teure Holle," and it also includes a classic grand-opera processional. Loherzgn'n (1850) niarks a turning point in N"gner's developlncl~r.a decisive stel) away frorii tlic Ma,d King conventions of gr;~nclopera tow;irtl the continuous music clram;~of' Tristarl r11rd IsoIlP arid tile Ludwig Ritlgcycle. Set pieces and numbers are abandonctl mo~lgI ~ las/ P n11d ?nos/ ;is such. anel the action unfoltls more o r less ~ P ? I P T O L Wof ope~(c'.\ uninterruptecl i l l Icngthy scenes, with powc:~-f.111 p r i i ~ ( d ypn/roiu riinc tlte stnrrfncck (some scl, 1rr111o/irall~ clitriases basecl oli confrontatio~~s between the o6,esseri) 1-udurig 11, King central characters: Lohengrin, the mysterious of R o i t ~ n o tlrrorrgtt , uiltosr knight from a "(listant land" who appears, as if. e~7011.rRichard Il'cl,gnlc~r's by magic, on a I~oatciralvn by ;I swan; the gentle Tris~anund Isoltlc., I)ie Elsa of Brabarit, I';~lseiyaccusetl o f ' t n ~ ~ r d c r i Iler ~ig Sleislcrsingel , 1):14 Kheirlgold, crud Die It'a1ku1.e Iwother, whom thc stranger cha~npionsand m;trnil rrc~i:vdl/lt*tr/ I I P I I I I P ~ ~ Sries . on the condition that she ne\*crask his name; Driri~lgthe 19 yerirc of tlteir ; ~ n dthe black-hearted Telramuncl and his sorncqrcnit~tai~cc (1864-831, ceress \vife, Ortrucl, who attempt to ilndo Els;~l)y Ltthitig Iuvici~ud(I total of sowing cloubt in Iler mind about 1.ohengrin. \Il;~g562,514 inct rkr ott Il'apct,r. climax t i r ~whic:lt Ludiciig'~deullr IIJ (1, oiipn~~lg ncr builds the oljcl-a to a p o t c ~ ~ good triumphs-withour the gootl living halq>ily ever after. His niusic for the final scene, prefigmoil like(y n v u ~rgerl/IJ his ured in the oper:~'sluminous orchestral prelucle, oicst farnib lo pri/ ( l r i ertd lo is richly Romantic and has an cliiotive power quite rttrh excesses. i tie\v to the oper;ltic sphere.
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OPERA
A Word About Music
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' WAGNER
455
The largest undertaking ol' \tragr~c.r.'scareer was Der Ring des N i b e / ? ! ~ ~(7'It~ g~~t of tlte Nibelung), a four-work cycle that occupic:cl liirii fbr a quarter century. No tvol-k of art has rc.1>rcsented a greater investment on the pa1.t of its author, and few have had anything like the irnpact. The Ring is an allegory of the econornic, political, and social conditions of Wagner's clay. I t also rriarks the zenith of 19th-century gr-ancl opera; I he cycle's characters, situations, and complications. brilliantly treated as they are, emerge f'ronl the rich soil of that tradition, even if Wagner's niusicnl architecture and his dramaturgy surpass ariything that had previously been put o n the stage. The theme of the Ring is one of redemptiori through love and death-a theme IVagner had ~ouchcd on repeatedly, and explored most trcncliantly i l l Tristnn zitld Isolde (composed. perhaps o~rtof' liecessity, with the Rirzg project i 11 rliid-COLI~SC). A subsidiary theme irlvol\*es the l'reedoni of the individual to act outside the houncls of' Iiigher authority or la\\., and what the conseclucrlccs Sol. such actions are. Wagner wrote the librettos of thc fi)ur Rirtg operas in reverse orcler, starting iri 1848 wit11 Goftet-diim~nenl,rgg (which he originally erititled Siegfrieds Tod), then drafting ~ i e & - i P dDie , Ithlkiiw, and D m Rhui~zgold.T h e four- poerns, as \Vagrier called them. took four years to write, a ~ i dtheir texts were published in 1553 before a single note of the rrlusic had been set down. I'lie follo\\~ing year. Wagner completed the score to I)(I.Y Rl~e~r~gold (which he called a I'orobend or "prologuc"). He went on LO compose the music for the three "evenings" of the cycle, in order: Llie Il'alkiire (18545 6 ) . Siegfried (1856-7 1 ), and Gv~terdii~nenl,rg~merlcr~g ( 1869-74). Wagner's work on Siegfri~dwas broken off in 1857 and resumed in 1869; during that 12year hiatus he composed Trisfrrit r~ttdlsolrle and Die hleisr~rsillge?-. Two-and-a-half hours long, Dc~s Rlt~ingok(1is short compared with the other- Rittg operas. Its opening scene takes place at thc bot~ot~tof the
466
7 % rlloctrj ~ rlllrrirlt .sivol.r thr gull Jrom thr Rhi11c ~2lnidnls, 111tc1//tv rc.\t-is o,hcrri, 1 5 ~~~~~~~s ui i!.
OPERA ' WAGNER
Rhirie. During tlie orchestral i~itroduction.the river's majestic ground tone (E 11;tt) is strsti~in~d by the basses as the rest of the orchestra paints a spectacular portrait of the rollillg current arid shafts of sunlight pierci~igthe tlel,rhs, illuminating a lump of gold. The drama commences with the dwarf Alberich (the Nibelung of the tetralogy's title) and his theft of the golti troni the Rl~irie hiaidens. and it coritinues as iVora11, the chief of the gods, contracts out the building of if;~lhalla to a pair of giants. Possession of a ring formed from the gold confers unlimited po\\+el-on I\]berich, so iVotan must steal the r i ~ ~ along g, with the horde of gold the dwarf has aniassecl. Bel'ore surrending the ring, Xlberich lays a curse or1 it. T h e curse is quickly fulfillet1 when Fasolt and Fafner, the two giants (who have decidetl to be paid for their labor with the goltl stolcii I'roni Alberich). fall to arguing ovcr wlio will get the ring. Fafner kills Fasolt. The oper,~encis witli the gods' emptily vic~oriousmarc11 ;1c1oss ;I rai11l)ow bridge into Valhalla. T h e continuous musical structure of llci.\ Rlr~ingold is itself a gigantic achievement. Into tliis, \\fith all the skill of a master builcler. \.l';lgner sets the Inail1 motifs of the cycle-which he c;ills lcit motifs and which identify various objects (Valhiilla, the ring, the Rhine) as well as key coriceprs (broocling, the curse, the contract) and ]>el-sonages-preparing the listener for what is to corlie on the followi~lgevenings. Equally impressive is t h e suggestiveness of i2'agner1s score, conveyirig everything froni the flotz ofa river to t h e Ilickeririg malevolence of fire, and even-witli radi;int brass, shimmering strings, and sir offstage harl>s-tlie hues of a rainbow bridge. In Die Ialkiire, the focus of Wagner's d~-ania shifts from the gods to hunians, speci1ic;illy the warrior Sieg-mund and his twin sister Sieglintle, who will beconie the parents of the central figure of the Ring cycle. thc hero Siegl rieti. '1'1ic.1.e is another importan1 relationship ;irouiid rvhicli rile final part of tlie opera revolvcs, that hctween
OPERA
WAGNER
457
\Vota~~ arid his disoheclient but 11otdisloyal tlaughter. the Valkyrie Briinnhildc. Ordered to see to Sieg~nund'sdeath, Briinn hilclc goes against her father's cornmanel, but very much \\.ith his deeper feelings-since Sicgniund ant1 Sieglintle, n o w pregnant, are both his childreri as \\.ell-anti she spares the doonled man. For her rebellious act. £31-iirl~ihilde is sentenced to niortality: she \\fill be l ( dfire, ~ ~ n tai l left asleep on a rock s u r r o ~ i ~ ~ tby hero clares the flames to awaken her. That hero, as yct unborn, \\.ill be Siegfrietl. The most frequently perSol-mecl of the Ritzg oper:is, I l i u IYalkiiro is Sarrious li)r its Act I I I prelude, "'l'he Kide o f the i~alkyrics"(used with great effect lor Robert 1)uvall's Iielicopter attack in the filrri Apocalypse A\oi~l).T h e first ;t(:t, i\,hicli goes like a sl~ot.ends svitli tlie impassioned love tluct of Siegnll~ndand Sieglinde. Ancl tliere is nothing in opera to compare with the elllotion of \\'otan's Tht \hlhnn UJ i~roiurqclrrrrolL>. fareivcll to Br-iinnhilde at the end of Act 111, or ]ruin (;ii/r /;n~.drirlrJrudircrl Ring pic~el~rriit~~r (11 the Uc~tr/.~rlrr~ with tlic "klagic Fire hlusic" o l ' l l i r ItJa1kiir~'s final Opri Ucv / t i c . pages. \Vith Siegfried. \Vagner picks lip the thread of his story after at>out 20 years Iia\.e elapsed. .l'he young Siegfried, raiseel in the forest by All~erich's brotllcr hllinie (~vithoutkr~owlctlgeof liis Iieroic origin), reforges the fragrncrlts of his father- Siegmuntl's s\vord ancl puts it to immediate use. He kills I:afrier, ~\.liohas been sitting on the gold horclc :ind the ring since the entl ofDas R h ~ i n g o l d ; he then kills hlime, who \\.as planning to kill him I.:FOI(I..' SIEGFKI I.I)S ancl get the gold; and he defiant Iy shatters \Yotan's Totl b(,c-nrtic./lit- King, spear. The hero awakes the sleeping BI-iinnhilde, \\.ug71rr i f l l ~ l r c to i f ~cuti~~ !t17lft (1 lr.l~l/lclr~~l~ l l i ~ ~ l l c ~ l ~ I\-oosher, and wins her. Sic~g/rir(lis often tllo~lphr (lfldg i 7 V ' I ~ I I , /~l l, ' l j 0 1 7 ~ ( l f l ( ~ ~ ' \ of :is the scherxo of' tlie Ring c)ele-1101 only ((the c~p~,,ri u.\ (1 n i ~ ~ ~ - \ i r o ~ because it comes third, but bec;~useit is a I-ather &a/. (i \or/ o/ pe,rot~nl upbeii~piece of theater in spite of the carnage. I\.oodttor/i. :\]/t,r tlrr kt-dorT h e ~rli~sic of the final act, which fincls \\lagner trrcr,icr:r, zrtli/c.l~rcv2r-i,lo br. ft-rr. the. ~lit~tilrr zllu.c to at tlic: peak of his powers, is sirblinie, esultant. torrr ( ~ ( J I I ' ~ b'orlrcfrate!,. I. Ilir, Tht. ccstasy of love is p0rtrayc.d in a hall-hour cniirpo\rpr ;isor loo i111cr11 Ilrc, duet that only [lie composer o f T?-~sfar~ 1171d lsolde iriugclIo~~ic~rrrc~( lo slrrk i ~ , r / k coultl have \crittcn. that plotr /or 1t(v? 10i1g. I-lic complicaretl plot of Giif/cr(liitttnr~r1111g is acl-
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ICHAKD n~rdCo~into \\'ug~rt+r.1872 (crbozlt,). Cosi~nn(1837-1 930) itrns Ilrr (i(11rghterrf Pr(itrz Liszt n7rd //re Colr irle.rs l\,lnvie d'..igo1111.In 1857 she murried Hurts zlorr B i i l o ~ orte ~ ~ , of I.I.S:I;Y rrrost brilIi(rrrt .s/rrder~ts, by iidrorn .she lrntl hrto (lrrrrglrIerx IIer hrz~nh~rrrrc*rrl ~i~illr H'crgrrr, mltose trrrr\ic borlr Irer fnthrr urrd ;Iun Niiloirl ltnd cl~urnpiu~red. begar1 irr 1863. Cosirnu crrrcl I Ir(~prrr hod three clrillre~r-l.vollc., I<;IW, nrzd .Tieg/rir(l-(tl/ born orrt of urt~rlloc.1~. 7'lrt:y ittrrr rrrorrierl I ~ IIA'iU. Tlrr Siegfried Idyll. rrarrrcd jolllrtir son, awn.$a~rillc~rt (13 n birllrdciy pre~rrrl/or Cosirrm.
OPERA
WAQNER
varlced by some of' the greatest rr~usicWagner wrote. Siegfried is br-ought into (.ontact with the Gibichungs, Gunther and Gutrune, and into conflict with their half-brother Hagen, Alberich's son (just as Siegfried is a surrogate for IVotan, Hagen is for his father). Atlministerctl ;I magic p o t i o ~ ~ . Siegfried loses ;!I1 memory of 15riinnhilde aricl forcibly ivoos her disguised as Gunther. Siegfried prepares to mart-y Gutrune. arid against her \\.ill Hriinnhilde is corilpelled to be Gunther's bride. In fury at her betl.ayal by Siegf'ried, the Valkyric. revenges herself Ily revealing his orie \veakness to Hagen. Hagen rl~urdersSiegfried, who in his dying moments rctilrns to his senses. In the 01)era's mind-boggling denouement, Briinnhilclc imniolates hersell' o n Siegfrictl's filneral pyre. sparks from \vhich set Valhalla on lire; the Khinc ovcrflo\vs its banks and the Rhine hiaideris get back :he ring; the reign of the gods ends arid the world is redeemed by love. "Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey" fro111 the opera's Prologrre and "Sicgl'ried's Funer.al hlsrch" from its third act are arnong the lines1 pages in all of Wagner. T h e power of the opening scene of the Prologue, in \vhich ttlc three Norns preclict the enrl ol' the world, is breathtaking, as are the sweep ol' the second a c ~:tnd the tr:rgic intensity of Rriir~nhilde'sinimol:~tion.\Tit11 this tumultuous scene. Wagner's Rilrg, the cro\Sfning glory of Romaritic opera, fittingly cornes to at1 erlcl as well. The first performar~ceof the complete K i ~ r gcycle took 1)l:rce in the surilrncr of 1876. ;it tlic Fcstspielhaus in Bayreuth ~ h : ~ the t composcr built especially fi)r the occasion. Between 1857 and 1867, \tr;igncr turnetl his energies to two extraordinary projects-a love stor-y of towcrirlg intensity basetl or1 a n~edicv:~l epic by Gottfrietl \!on Strassburg, and a touchirlgly hurnan comedy set in 16th-centur-y Nurernberg. -fhe love story \\?asT t i s t l ~ ~utid z I s ~ l ~ lthe e , comedy Die 1\feisfersing~r volt Niinlberg. Both \\*ere I r t r gc \vorks, and the I;rtter also requit-cd irnmense per.-
OPERA
WAGNER
459
forming Porccs, calling for choruses i l l c;ich ;ice, a group of 17 principals, anci Iiut~drctlsol'cst~.:is. Neither was geared to the musical or tech~lic;il capabilities of the average 19th-cent 111.y opera house. But each was necessary to bl'iigncr as ;I study for the musical and dramatic situ;iriotis tl~at had arisen in his scheme for the K i n g . l'articularly iniportant in this respect \\.as TI-i.rtan.~vhere\tl:igner explored the relationship of passiorl and free will in terms that prepared him tbr the complctiot~ Ill:' Fb~.STSf'Ib.~LI-I:\ 1 !S of Siegfried and G o ~ e l - d u m r n e r n ~ ~ g , a1 Hay-elrtl~(crhoz~e)6 nrn(l(~ul~no.\tr t r ~ i r o/ ~ l ziruorl ~ Trisian Z A I IIsode ~ is the rnother of' ;ill f':~t;iI;itotr /lie i~rri~lt,. TIIP/loor. ~ r i l tractions, a story of' tivo neurotic lovcrs untlone ing, crrrd hr~rrlrc,.\(ire (111 yet ultima~ely transfigured by their love. 17he ~ ~ ~ o o (.\lo.d l e t ~ .rttrportu~tt~y, opera has only six principal roles ( t w o o f tchicll rlrc "bl(ick h ~ x "/11(1r surare fairly small), a brief chor~is(of nlcn only) ;it ru1111(1.\t11e.s/(rgtv(111dtIr(3 P ~ I U ~ - I N O I Ipj/ . \ ~c~lrirlr de.\cr~~il.~ the end of the first act, and a minimum ofscetlcr.y. .\nrr~rI(vc*bo lrtl 35 / ~ r (/I rcT Its orchestra is also nearly normal in s i x , altllo~rgl~ nbu ~trtr(Ic fro~tr iirootl. For the score does call at one point for 12 ol'fslagc tltc jloor u/ tlw /lit I\:(tgit(,r horns. Yet the challcrlge of'p ~ ~ t t i nor1 g 'I'rI.\t(~trw:is J~rrtrrl. \ t , ~ ~ ~ t rI I( I, I( Nl ~ I P150 ~ then, and has rernairied, one of the grc:trcst i l l )T(lt:\ O/f/;/ / I ( / / l i l t ~ ~ lV.;t / l l t J 1 1 ~ the theater. Wagner coined ;I new rliusic.;~l larl250 y~~rr.s o i l , (or(/ ir givc:~ llrr / / r ~ ( r 1/ ~1 1~~I r- ( ~ , \ ~ I I ~ ( I ~ I(f C I ,0 guage when he \vroLe the tvork, el~~rustccl [l~c Jl t i t 1 flI(1 7~~ill;ll. orchestr-a with a more importnr~tand rllore lasing part in the proceedings than it had eve1 h;itl, ii11(1 demanded of his two leading sirigci-s unprcccdented endurance, compass, ancl vocal po\vcr. T h e harmonic syntax of Tristan is I~asetlon ;I d c b ~ e eof chromaticisrn never befbre ;ittenll)tetl in tonal music, resulting in a filndament;il c11;rrlge in the way harmonic implications ant1 tensions are dealt with. Chords calling for rcsolutior~arc! allolved to stand, tvhich produces in the listener a psychological yearning for resolution th;ir mil-rors the unsatisfied longings of the ~)rotagonists. The clysfilnctional rreatrnerit of harmony, i l l which goals are implied but alnlost rlcver reached, is masterfully sustained across nearly fivc hours of' music, and with it Wagner opens up a whole 11cw world of expression. Since its first performance, i l l hlunich i r ~1865, Tristcln has held a place apart in tllc icorld ol'
T
460
"N
OPERA
•
WAQNER
opera, standing ;ts the litmus test of co~lcluctors,
L.YT D,.\k., z~lttclt singers, directors, a n d houses. Wagner instituutcrr Su tlrkli?, zclr Itft tionalized Romanticism in this work, ant1 with its for tlrr oprrci-holor-tllnt 1.5 10 soy, tlre I\'II~VIPT t e ~ ~ ~ p l r - score he turned the orchestra into the most potvu lilifr ctftt-r 11; tnid(lbmo] 1 1 ~ erfui army in Europe. In imagining the seething aftrrttontr. Tlrtp grrnt hltildconfr-ontations of Y'ristan and Isolde in the lirst itlg r r i t ~ d (111 , 4y itself, pt r ~ d ;ict, their- volupt~rouslove music in the seconcl. utld Iott1~1~. O ~ (II Iiigft p o ~ ~ t t ( / and most of all Iristan's feverish lorlgilrgs and out.tid(, thr toiott. . . ." I solde's ecstatic l ~ i ~ b e . ~ (or l o d "love-deatli") in the -hfiirk -1-wain, finale. IVagner canie as close as he ever would to .+I1 rlrp Sh rlne of SI. I l : r ~ g t r ~ ~ - . ;\tigust 189 1 the elusive goal of creating an ideal niusic drama.
Flrchcr-L)lrsko~roc Suclrs coti~lr>rdlhr hurnatrtiy of I\'ognrr'c hrro ~111th the sktll uf a Ltr111~r rrrtr~l
The real hero o L' DIP,Ileistersirzgervotr iViin16rrg. as the title makes clear, is not Walther von Stolzbeconrcs ir~g,the young Fraliconian knight a rnastersinger at the opera's end, hut Hans S;~c.hs, the cobbler-poet w h o has been one from its start. I t is his yearni~igIbr ~cllatlie cannot have-the hand of the beautiful but younger Eva. and the freedom to break tlre rl~lesas Walther does-that gives the work its extraordinary psychological resonance and poig~r;tnt,I~ittersweetair of nostalgia. 'I-ire score is, alorrg with Tristatz llnd I.~ol(l~. the most autobiogral)hical of \Vagner's creations: a pan of him resides in the character of Sachs, and a part in Walther, \\hose triumph over the odds ;rnd in spite of the railings of the critics is an allegory of Wagner's own. I t is Sachs, though, who has the opera's rirost lnovirlg and profound music, who sees more than the others, and feels more, and yet must clo his best to make another man happy and triumpha~lt. Sachs's two monologs-"ltras duftet doch der Fli~der" ill the second act, :ilrd "1Va),11! \Vahrl! Uberclll It'aitn!" in the third-arc aniong the finest pages in all of Wagner's output, : r ~ i t lwith their dcpth of kclirig they are certainly tllc most humart. 'l'lley 1-ourlc1 out a work filled I)y big choruses ancl m;tgnificent orchestral music, as well as warmth and good humor, a work whose C major conclusion is the rnost unambiguously optimistic gesture \Vagner ever made. Follo\ving the premiere of the Ritzgat Bayr-cuth,
OPERA
Adolf ,\lrt~r~i'\tlrcriclr~tgo/
Il'o.q~ir~d u n ~ r gtlrt. King rrhrur\crl nt Bayrr~r!lr.1875.
WAGNER
481
Wagner turned to what \\~oultlbe his last great project, Parsifol. -fhe composer, t\.lio had sketchctl his first thoughts for its librctto way hack in 18.57, envisionetl Ponlf~l;IS a \vork of co~isc(.r;ltionfor the stage a1 Bayreuth. H e intended i t to be prcssented only there, and his wish was honored for a nu1111)erof' years after his dcath. \Vagner had touched o n the character of I'arsifal before. in his opera L o l i e n ~ n .In the final scene, laohengrin annourlces that he is Parsilhl's son ant1 that his father presicles over ~ l l cknighls of the I-Ioly Grail. l'erhaps the itle;~of telling Parsif'al's oi+*ntale-how he was elev;~rcdto leadershipof the knights-stayed with iV:igiler during the ye:rrs that separated tile two works. \$'hat changed, without any doubt, !\,as \lragner's musiof cal language. 111 Pui-sif~l, the chro~n;~ticisn~ Tristc~tris applictl with rernark;ible s ~ ~ l ) ~ l cancl ty, Wagner's use of leitmotif seems evcll more organic t l ~ a nit had beer1 in the Ring. T h e scoring is extraordinarily refined ;~ntltransl):rrent, thc music's long-breathcd lines t:iilor-rnatle tbr the acoustics at Bayrcuth. T h e story of' Parsifill, the "pure fool," is f~illof religious overtones, but LVagner handles il~erriwithout the bombast th:~t market1 his philosophical writings on religion. His music, I~rilliantlyevocative in the Act I I portn;\;~l of the evil Klingsor arid his magic dolllain, rises to b~e;itheights of expressi\reriess in the linal act. as Parsif'al's acts of con~passionwin s;il\~ationfor he suffering Amfortas. the humble Kundry, a r ~ d the fellowship of' the I--1olyGrail.
WAGNER: DERFLIEGENDE HOLLANDER Jose van Dam, Dunja Vejzovic, Kurt Moll, Peter Hofmann; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Berlln PhiiharmonicdHerbertvon Karajan. E.111 C l r s s i c ~CD,\lB 64630 [2 CDs; 1981-831
482
OPERA
WAGNER
WAGNER:T A N N Z I AUSER Rend Koilo, Helga Dernesch, Christa Ludwig, Hans Sotin; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna PhilharmonidSir Georg Solti. Loridon 414 581-2 [3 CDs; 19711
Placido Domingo, Jessye Norman, Eva Randova, Siegmund Nimsgern, Hans Sotin; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna PhilharmonidSir Georg Solti. L o r h n 421 053-2 [4 CDs; 1985-861
WAGNER:DERRINGDES NIBELUNGEN Birgit Nilsson, Wolfgang Windgassen, Theo Adam, Gustav Neidlinger, Kurt Bohme, Josef Greindl, James King, Leonie Rysanek, et al.; Chorus & Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival/Karl Bohm. Philips 420 325-2 [I 4 CIls; live. 19671. Also r~~lc~il(~blr separately: Das Rheingolti (512 475-2; 2 Clls], Die IValliiire [+I2 478-2; 4 CDs]. Siegfricrl [ d l 2 453-2; 4 CDs], and Gottcrdii~l~rnerung [4 12 488-2; .t (.'DJ/
WAGNER:TRISTANUND ZSOLDE Wolfgang Windgassen, Birgit Nilsson, Christa Ludwig, Eberhard Wachter, Martti Talvela; Chorus & Orchestra of the Bayreuth FestivaUKarl Biihm. DeutscI~eGrammophon 41 9 589-2 [3 Clls; lizle. 19661
Ludwig Suthaus, Kirsten Flagstad, Blanche Thebom, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Josef Greindl; Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Philharmonia Orchestral Wilhelm Furhvangler. Ehll CDCD 47321 [4 CIIs; 19521
OPERA
* VERDl
483
WAGNER:DIE IMEISTERSINCER
VON NURNBERG Dietrlch Fischer-Dieskau, Piacido Domingo, Catarlna Ligendza, Horst Laubenthal; Chorus & Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper BerlinlEugen Jochum.
Delitsrlrc Grammo/)hoic 415 -378-2 [ 4 CDs]
WAGNER:PARSIFAL
!
Peter Hofmann, Kurt Moll, Jose van Dam, Siegmund Nimsgern, Dunja Vejzovlc; Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlln, Berlin Phliharmonic/Herbert von Karajan. Deiihrhe C ~ . u n ~ i : ~ o ~413 / ~ o347-2 rr [4 cD.c]
he preenlitlent ligi~rein 1t:tliari opera half of' the 19th cc11tury, Verdi was pertlaps ttle greatest drarrlatist the art of rnusic has yet known. He re;~cliedthe plateau of maturity with three back-to-back masterpieces, Rigold/o. I1 /rozIc~/ore,and Lrr rrazrialn, written between 1850 arid 1853. These operas capped a long period of hard work, li-cquenrly rninglecl with frustration, to which Vercli referred as his years as a "galley slave." i2-hilc at the oars he managed to turn out many good opcras, ant1 a couplc of near-great orlcs i l l 1Vubtlcro ( 1 842) ant1 Entani (1844). But it was ir.ith Rigolello that hc finally I~rokethe shackles of corivention and began to ope11 the closetl forms of Italian opera. Par1 of Rigole//o's success was due to its being based on a great play, Victor Hugo's Lr roishmrur, which had premiered in 1832. Its volatile plot revolvetl around the an~oralbchavior o f a rulc~., \\-hich gave Verdi plenly of trouble svith the cerisots. I n the end, Fran~oisI became the Duke of hiantu;~,tcho in Verdi's treatment enlcrges as :I tluririg the second t T
T
IIE BROAD, FERTILI.: Po vnllq \e(lr:r.s to stltntrIate creat~zvg.I'rr(11 and ,\foi~teverdl,Italy'c t x o greatest composer r. were honr ln the Po z~alley,c~irdthe corrd~cttorArluro Tocca?t~:rr c a m from one (4 the reporr 'c hubc, tlre nty of I'omra
464
OPERA
VERDl
conlplex, introspective character-, shifting the emotional ground o f the original some\\-hat. I\ut the real focus ol'tlie opera remains the h~~ncIil);~ck Rigoletto, ~vhomVertli treats :IS a tr;rgic figure of comm;~ndingstature, willful yet noble in the vein of King Lear. Gilda, the daughter \vhorn he 11-ics to protect ancl encis ilp destroying, is also a substantial fig~i1.e.onc who re;~cliesa ~ic\\,levcl of awareness as a result of her suffering. Hei- part, verging on tlie color;~turarange. presents some ~lnusuiiltechriical ch;lllcnges. Verdi's score is marvelously alive, though its 111usic is oftcn tough, at tilncs almost bru~:~l. as befits the subject. This \\.as a rcvolutionary clepartul-e fron~the sniootlincss of he1 can/o, but Vel-cli was alw;~ysmore intel.cstecl in clcliic.nral emotional intensity and the fury of the action than Iic \+.asi l l prctty sountl. Among the opcr-a's highlights arc its t;tut opcliing scerie, wllich achieves agr;ind draniatic crescendo, and the firlal act's brilliantly cvocativc stor111 srenc. Gilda's "Cc~ro nome" and the 1)uke's "La dotrtln e mobilt" arejustly celebrated arias, but it is witli the quartet "f~tllu figlirr cfell'ait~ort~" that Verdi scales tlie heigl~csof characterizatioli by lilil~lingLOiir personaliticsthose of Rigoletto, tlie Duke, C;ilcl;l, and hladdalena-si~ii~ilta~~e~)~tsly. I1 trovaiorr (1853) is clnm;~ticallyless fine than either Rigoldlo or La Irmlintn, which did 1101 \)reverit i t fro111I~ecomiligone 01' the niost popular operas of the 19th century-so popular that its "babies s\citchecl at bi~-th"plot tizlist could 1)c parodied by Gill~erta~iclSulliv;~nin Tlrc, C;o?ido/io-s, and tlie music itself by the hlarx l%rothersin ii 1Vig11t at /he Op~r(i.I-lere is a blood-ancl-th1111cler opera of the old style, with a libretto that relies more on passiou ant1 cortiplicatioll tl~anit does on real char~tcter.But one still finds much grear rnusic in Tro~tr~tore, in addition to the fitmous Anvil Chor~ts.The gypsy Azucen;~'~ "S~rirlrla ztcrttr/)a," \vhich follows that cliorus. will always make people's hair sta~lclon end, and hfanrico's "lli //~li~llo pira" rempins tlie finest exit aria Vertli ever wrote.
OPERA
Senator Verdi
V
erdr Z L * ~ ~T I e c t ~tod the Italia~rparliamenl irr 1874 a ~ r dsewed as a seitcllor for ~ n l ~ ryenrs. a l EIMII todny irz Hi~r~rlo, ,,ear Verdi:i birthpluce, the Cify Council chamber ir dorniitaied 6y (I giltframed rrtgrnvitrg of the composrr in profilr. L'tider that i j a orrcifix, ond to one side, N good deal smaller, a framed color photo of tilt- Presidelit o/ the Republic. A'ou1 that's clolrl!
VERDl
465
T h e real heart of the opera lies in its heroine Leonora's two great arias, "7i1cen la notte pkocida" and "Dhmorsull'ali rosee." In fact. there are enough great arias in the work to keep everyolie happy, which is what inspired Enrico Caruso's rneniorablc dictum that all Trovntore needs to be a success is the four greatest singers in tlie world. Ln lmviatu. the rnost intimate of the three works that Ii~unchedVerdi's middle period, is hased on the play La d a i ~ n~ eu cnmilius by Alesandre D L I I I ~ ~ S fiD. I t is the only one of Verdi's operas to take as its s~tl~ject a story set in "the present day." From a dramatic standpoint. it reflects the composer's growing interest in social questions and their relation to characterization; f r o m a musical star~dpoint,it shows hirn successfully injecting into the mold of Italian opera the Ilew ideas that were trarisforming French music at mid-century. T h e story was Iiot off the press when i'erdi got it: Xlarie Duplessis, the real-life counesan on whom the character Violetta Valery is based, had died in 18-17 at age 23. 1)urnas hat1 written the novel La dame a m cainklim in 18.18, arid he turned it into a play in 1852. By the time i'erdi finished his setting of Lu traviutu i l l 1833, 11e and the soprano Giuseppina Streppotii had bcct~living together out of wedlock for six years, several of' them in Paris. T h e similarities between their situation and that of Violetta ant1 Alfredo Germont, the lovers at tlie heart of Ln Irrrvintn. was tlnmistakable, and certainly part of' the reason Verdi responded so warmly to the story. He \\,as intrigued as well by ihe coniplicated triangle, in whicli the father, Giorgio <;ertnont, is the "otlier man." T h e opera is full of glorious intimate moments and conveys a telling insight into the uncertainty. fragility, and painful vulner-ability of love. -1'he characterization is cleftly sliaded. and Vertli huilds each act's motnentum usitlg techniques perfected in Rigoletto. T h e tvhole work is a grippingemotio~ialcrescendo, and the ch;rracter of Violetta, the consumptive young woman who sacril~cese\.erything she has fbr her lover's sake,
466
I
N A QL'lllK of rnnsic Iric-
t u q , Ilon Carlo freats the other side of the coitJlict portrriyed irr the drama Egt~iolit,for u:lriclr Beetlroverr utrob hu celebr(~t~d irrcicic.rrml nrwic. lVIrere Beet/rorlerr k ( ~ d~ O I I to P (:opthe for hk ittspiratiorl. I'erdi had cl~u.~ert Schiller; c1rrcl lairerr (;orthe Ircid h a l l ~oiththe Drctclt re.ciit(~~rce to Spui~rin the IViir 14 Spnirisk Szrcce.ssion, Sclr i l l ~ horl r corrcrrrr ed lriitr.~i~l/' 1i1itlt t l i ~.Spa rri.~lt.sicit flrt(1 it,\ llr~ri~.~il~orl.
OPERA
VERDl
is among Vercli's supreme achie\.c!n~cnts. At the other end of Verdi's midtllc pcriotl ;il.c t\vo works of extraordinary clram;ttic scolle. 1)oir Carlo and Aids, with which lbr m;tny yc;~rs11c hiniself believed he had brought r l o ~ vthe l ~ cirl-t;~ili on his career. Don Carlo \\.as the second of\~crtli's operas to be cornposed origi~ially 101- t t ~ cI';~ris Opera (the other rvas I-e.5 ~rE,+i-esS I C ~ ~ I I \\'rittet~ ~~II~~S). in French and titled Do11 Cnrlos, i t i\.as first ],resented at the Opera, in the custonl;iry li\~eacts, in 1867. But it rvas destined to l i ~ i t lits pl;icc i l l the repertory only after being tr;inslatetl into Italian and recast, first into four ;lc:ts, then I~ack into five, a process Verdi cornpletetl in 1886. Verdi's second thoughts \\.ere al\v:rys I~cttert his first ones, ancl in its final incarn;rtior~/>on C c ~ r l o is a work of astounding music;ll ricl~ness.C;l;tntlopera elements survive in the larger--than-lile trappings of the st.ory, and they :ire p:irticirl:~rly prominent in the Act I1 finale. ;I rccnactrrlcllt of an auto-da-fe that firlds the p~-i~lcilxlls ant1 l'u11 chorus on stage a~lcla r a t i i a ~ ~Ile;i\~enly t voice behind the scene proclaimil~gthe s:tl\;ation ol' those about to be set ablaze. But the Ibcus rcm:iins firmly on the six principal cliaracters ;11ic1 the issues of Itwe, power, and betrayal that h;~vebroi~ght them into conflict. 111 spite of the opera's title, its central figure is Philip 11, King of Spain, the father o f Do11(:ill-lo, and a man torn between his devotion to the st:~te, the responsibilities of his position, antl [lie inllcxible demands of authority-in this case, the Cl~urch, which is represented by the sightless yet terrifying Grand Inquisitor. Carlo is in love t\'ith I
OPERA
VERDl
467
Verdi's music rises to inspired heights in Philip's ("She never loveti me!") ;ind "Ella gi.ioclnrnai ~tt'c~mb!" Eboli's "0 donfitale" ("0fatal gift"), a~ndit imparts the usual sharp point to a series of dramatic ducts: between Carlo and Elisabeth, Carlo ;inti Kodr-igo, Roclrigo and I'hilip, and most extraordinary of all, the riiemo~ablescenc between Philip and C;r;lnd Inquisitor, its dark orc1iestr;il tones a chill reniincler of the power of thc Church to co~npel even a king. By the 1870s Vertli was securely es~ablishetlas Italy's greatest coniposer. Fannous throughout the \\,orld, and cornfortal~lyenscor~cedoin his farni at Sant'Agata in the lush Parrnesnn coul~tr.yside,he had no need to prove himself; o r indeed to ~iiake a livirng by writing operas. Rut a gerncrous conimissio~ifrom [he Khedive of' Egypt, the equivalent of at least $250,000 today, turned hirn to he conipositian of' tvhat has re11i:iined his most popular work, Aida. The. Suez (;;inn1 hat1 opened in 1869, and so had a mew opera house in Cairo (with Jiigoletto). Verdi had turned clo~vnthe Khedive's request for an inaugural ode f'or the c;inal. but thc idea of a lavish operin on ; i l l Egyptian subject, to celebrate the opening of the opera house, appealed to him. Vertli, who as us~lalplayed ; I I I active role in the shaping of the libretto, unabashedly opted for a grand-opera design. 'l'lle scer1;lrio that emerged is full of' specti~cle,ballets, and processions, pcopled by victorious Egyptians and vanquished Et11iopi:ins; while not ;is vast ;IS that of' Ilon C[lrlo. it is certainly niore perfect. T h e l'riunnphal Scene of Act I I ("Gloria all'Egi~to"),with its huge choral proclamations, ballet i~~terludc, arid clilllactic sestet, is grand opera at its grantlest. But :it its core, Aid0 is an opera aboirl love and the imlx)ssibility of openly revealing it. One can irnaginc Verdi, in his study at Sant'Aginta, licking i his chops at the thougl>t of ;I trianglc in\,olvi~ng R e g 1 1 I ~ I ~ ~ I I / IJ / . 1 i i two women and a marl rather than two lrlern and iolct of compeNlrrg nchrrtrs, i ~ o n , v , r ppncr erecl, ,41do ; ;I \VOIII:III. Both Aida, thc enslaved Ethiopian prini cess. aritl her rnistress i\mncris, dauglnter of' thc of o i ~ rtiine.
-
488
OPERA
7 % i~~ t / i , ~ ioof r 1 . i ~Scala
;
,
,
t'alsia 1.1. prrmitrr.\.
11,
,
VERDl
Eg~~ptian king, arc in love with Ilndan~ks,\\,hose love fi)r Aida and loyalty to Egypt pnt liim in a difficult position. Aida's positio~i is even more difficult. for she car1 neither openly express hcr love li)r Ratlainks nor reveal tliat her captivc father, i\monasro, is the Ethiopi;tn king. Therc was an autol>iograpliical aspect t o ;dl this-Ve~.tli at the time was developing kclir~gslin- the yourlger Austrian soprano 'l'eresa S~olz.who \\,ould sing the opera's title role at its Italian premiere-ar~d it got the engine of characterizatior~going at f'ull power. The cmotio~~al i n t c ~ l s i tVcrdi ~ gerler;ctc.s in the confrontarions of Aida ant1 Amneris, Aida and Amonasro, illid Aids and Kadaniks burr~s r i g h ~through the trappings of con\vention ;111d grips the listener from the morilcnt tlic opera begins. By the opera's end, thew is 110 real plot left to unfoltl. But it is in this final scene most of all-with the story over and Aicla ant1 Kaci;l~ni.s being sealed alive in their toml~,at last able to share their love for each otl~er-tl~at \'e~.dishows just what he could tlo with nlusic-. ".L\nd then one evening at La Scala in Milan the tremer~dous,rlisso~~ant opcni~lgchord of Otello came crashing out, that blow of' a giant's fist. '1 ~ t lrerv n slill!' Iialian opera cried." The words are from Verdi author I:ranz \Verfcl. l'hat evening in 1887 is one of the red-letter occasio~~s iri tile history of opera, when \'erdi stunned the \corld ivith thc revelation that a full 15 years :ifter Airla his powers remai~lcclunequaled. In Shakespeare, Verdi had li~undthe ideal inspiration, ;IIICI in librettist Arrigo Hoito the idc.;il collahorato~fi)r his unique genius. Shakespeare's familiar story of the jealous Moor elicited the n~osteloquent, potverful, arld breathtakir~glytl~;irnatic score Verdi was to \\,rite. From its explosive oper~ingstorm scellc to the frcnzierl fillale in Desdernona's charnl~ers,Ot~llois a masterpiece of j continuous develol>ment that ellcomp;lsses tr;~i ditiorlal s c e ~ ~and i c formal elemer~tsin ;I 1nusic;11 i outpouring of ovcrwheln~irlgcu~nulativeet'fkc:t.
OPERA
v
El( D l , C0NCER:VI:'l) about hrs ndi~aircedogc.
and rrlrrrt(~ir/lo draw Iric fro~nhis O Z I ~ Iupern I NCI.OI IC., war barfly clhlr. lo drrg~it.\.\r,
VERDl
Ttlc cli;~sacterizatio~~ of Otello is gripping. I.Ie is ing on the stage (his operlirlg a s t u ~ ~ ~ l presence " E s ~ i l ~ u t r !is " one of the most c o ~ n m a n d i ~enig trances i11 opera), ~vliosemusic SI-eezesorle in Sear every tirrie he turns to threalen Desclernona or Iago. Yet his Act I love duel with Desclcmona, "Giri ~ r r l l atrotle clutrsn," has a p;lssion that mounts like ;I giant rvavc. Desdemoria is sympathetically treat(-(I, and the villainous I:~gois give11 huge statlrl-cby Vescli's 111usic.most b lot ably in his "C,'r~do in u ~ rDin o u d u l " arid the Act 11 oath-swearing with Otcllo ("Si,pel riel"), ;I c;t~-ryoverfro111 the fsientlsl~ipducts o l ' b p l cciirlo oljcsa, il-oriic;~lly t\\.istecl as 1;tgo changrs the key on his co~rirriancler. Bur \ferdi \\.as not yet finisllcd. In 1889 he took up a rierv Sl~akcspear-eprqjcct, agairi with Boito, J J beauty of' its this lime the conicdy F ~ ~ I N 'I'he larlgt~;tgeand the cluick-hittilig sponta~ieityof its dialog is matcheci by the scintillating musical texturcs with r\.hicll \'erdi propels thc action to ~llxo;wiousclim;~scs.The opcl-a begills r I r medias i-r,, litcr:lll~in micl-ni~~sical \csl1tence,m d i t encls, as corilcdy must. rvith rnarriagc . . . and rvh;tt may rvell Ile the most esliilaratirlg fugue i r all ~ of music, as olle by one t l ~ c .charactcss follow Palstaff irl adrl~it~ i ng that "7'irllo tzel itro~~clo ? bzirl~'' ("The rvhole world is crazy, and rnan is by nature a fool"). \Vith F n k l a f l , \\'erdi completed a l i f t work in wliic-h he provecl, as hlozart had done, that the morc important the clratna is to the coniposcr, the niore effective his music I)ccomes.
VERDI: RIGOLETTO
more ~ p l ~ t l d l l f~lrcrrc l j uilh Otello, urrd lI1a1 u lo etrtl 11 with Falst;~fP."
469
Piero Cappuccilli, lleana Cotrubas, Placido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Nlcolai Ghiaurov, Kurt Moll; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharrnonic/Carlo Maria Giulini. Dt*rtl.\rI~tGrasrrno~plro~r 4 15 288-2 12 CDS]
470
OPERA
VERDl
VERDI:ZL
TROVATORE
Piacido Domingo, Leontyne Price, Sherrill Miines, Fiorenza Cossotto; Ambrosian Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia OrchestralZubin Mehta. RCA Red Seal 6 1 9 4 - 2 12 CD.5; 19691
VERDI:LA TRAVIATA Domi~go,Pricr, and hlilt~rsore i111ill lop fonn 111 11 uovatore.
Joan Sutheriand, Luciano Pavarotti, Matteo Manuguerra; London Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestral Richard Bonynge. Lo11dorl -130 491-2 12 CDs; 19791
VERDI:DON CARLO Piacido Domingo, Montserrat Cabalie, Shirley Verrett, Ruggero Raimondi, Shenili Mlines, Giovanni Foiani; Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent OardenICario Maria Giuiini. I:"\lI CDCC 4 7 7 0 1 Ijine-act . r t ~ s f no nj 1886, in Itaftcr~f; 3 ~Ds]
Mlrelia Freni, Agnes Battsa, Jose Carreras, Piero Cappuccllil, Ruggero Raimondi; Chorus of the Vienna State Opera, Vienna Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan. En11 CDJIC 6 9 3 0 0 13 CDs; 19791
VERDI:OTELLO Placldo Domlngo, Renata Scotto, Sherrili Miines; Ambrosian Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestral James Levlne. RCA Red Seal RCII 2-2951 [2 CDs; 19781
VERDI:FALSTAFF Joan Suthrrlarrd t~etrrlookd
like I ~ I Pcorrrumpti~~r l~rroinrof l a traviala, b111or1 rli~r.$/re LS rrtlrrly conritrcitlg.
Renato Bruson, Katia Ricciarelll, Leo Nucci, Barbara Hendricks; Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeies Philharmonic/ Carlo Maria Oiuiini. I)etr~.rcheG m n ~ r t ~ o p l 4t o1~0~5 0 3 - 2 [-3 (,'I).!]
OPERA
TCHAIKOVSKY
& f
471
ikhail Glinka's A Life for tlte Curr ( 18:l(i) atid R Z ~ . F7 1~ aI (t~rl I I.rcdir~illrr
(1842)-the fornlcr rarely encountered outsitle Russia, the latter well known. though only for its overt ure-arc the first important esamples of Russian national opera. 'I'he elements of spectacle, n~ytli,and history that fig~ircin them \\.ere I-(.tairletl in the tvorks ol' Glinka's successors, several of ~vhomattempted a nlore profound psychological portraiture. Tchaikovsky's Eirgene Onegitt R u r r r r r t ~sopmllo Golrria (1878), based like R~rsslalland 1~rd111illn on a tale I'r ,tr~~r~fskay [I( Totro~icrill by I'uslikin, is an opera in I\-hich thc ichole somek:ugcnc Onegill. tinies adds u p to lcss than the sun1 of its parts. Still, the character of Onegin-ajatlcd egotist at the beginning, a crumbling figure by the endinspired some of the composer's best music. XIussorgsky's most important opera, Bori.5 God111tov (1874). is, on orle level at leasr, ;I free i11terpr.cration of grand opera. But hlussorgsky \\,as far too cli~irkyand indivitlualistic to inlitate anybody. In spite of his lirnited compositional technique, he liacl a profounclly original rntrsical imagination, and his portrayal o f the infhnticitlal 16th-century OOK AT I'CISllKl.\r'S work nttd porc ,err 1113(1r(y boy:~rRoris Coclunov collapsing undcr the xveigh~ rite ulhole of ~ Y ~ ~ I - C P I I ~ Iof I I ~guilt stands psychologically, and theatrically, R~usin~~ o p r n sprrr~tlorrl it] as the first nloderri opera. ~,-oII/ of jotr. Eugcnr Bizet's Canne11(1874). anotllcr stutly of psychoOnegin, Boris (;odur~ov, pathology, comes right hehintl i~ ;is the second. .fhc Tale of .fsi~rSaltan, By LII- the most original and important voice i l l .l'lle Queer1 of'Slx~tlcs,.l'hc (;olden Cockerel, Kusslan French opera at the close of the 19th century, ;rntl Ludmilla-oll c~re B i ~ e ttransformetl comic opera into a serious. hi.\ tales. Look Jrrrthr~-,n11d passionate, and realistic genre. His treatment of yo11 Jitd Rusalka, 7'hc the opera's central characters-Carmen, the freeI3ronye Horscm;rll, \\*heeling,fatalistic gypsy, and Do11 ,Jose, the 011hlorar~and S:~licl-i, ar1~1 I'he hfiserly lirlight, rail11 sessed and morally tlisintegmtetl soltlier-remains u~hlclrPn~~hk1ti'\ I~$IIYIICP one ol'the great achievements in all of opera. T h c sprr(cd bq~ot~d KILSSI(I, score itself is among the most brilliantly orchesbqrotld opera. b~yotldrile tri~tctlant1 melodically memorahlc corrlpositio~~s 1Ylil cellllc~. i l l hislory, an nltogctlier rernarkablc :iccornplisli-
L
472
A
N I,'CONOI\IICAI, orr / ~ ~ ~ t r aB~I oUr/ IUCI.Y , ~~o~~elheless one of I I I I I J I C ' ~ grrnl rolorrrL~.Ha ~etlsi,for the es/)ressrvecharcrcler of Sol0 1l l / ~ l l W? U~ I( ~PUNT~ passed-~~evo-. for eso~rlple, hrLs pn~toral~tlt~oce~lce been more apllv niokcd ~ h o nby the fll~tesolo hat operrr the /weliuie 10 AcI 111 of Carmcn-and he possessed n gr/l for rrnc~gtnalJvenccomparlir~l~rr~s and app~nlrrlg to~o~tunrrelodres.
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ment considering Rizet was 36 when hc fir~ishetl. Cannen proved to he an nnticil>:rtio~~ ol' t11c verismo style in opera, in whicli the stage is supposed to portray real life and real pcople. 'I'lle finest e ~ ~ ~ b o d i mofe ~this l t style can I>e fount1 in the forever-twinned operas of I'ietro 5lascagni (1863-1945) and Ruggero Leoncavallo (18571919): Caualleria nrsticarta ( 1890) and Paglic~cci (1892). The two \.rrorksshare the theme of murcler committed by a jealous husband. In Cnvallerk rusticanu. the husband murders his \\.ife's lover; in Pagliacci, he rnurders his wife. Ilte1i her lover. Both also exhibit a two-act s~ructure,though Mascagni linked the acts of Cavulleriri rustlcalta with an intermezzo so that it would qualify in a competition for one-act operas, wl~icllit \\.on.
TCHAIKOVSKY: EUGENEONEGIN Thomas Alien, Mirelia Frenl, Anne Sofie von Otter, Neil Shicoff, Paata Burchuladze; Lelpzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle DresdenJJames Levine. Deu~tcheGrarnmophon 423 959-2 [2 Cl1.5; 19871
Ruggero Raimondi, Nlcolai Gedda, Paul Pllshka, Kenneth Riegel, Galina Vishnevskaya; Choral Arts Society of Washington, Oratorio Society of Washington, National Symphony Orchestral Mstislav Rostmpovlch. Eralo f 5418-2 [origirlnl orchestrulion; 3 CD.s; 19871 Nicolai Ghiaurov, Aleksel Masiennikov, Marttl Tahreia, Ludovlc Spiess, Galina Vishnevskaya; Sofla Radio Chorus, Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Philharmonlc/Herbert von Karajan. Lorido~~ 41 1 862-2 IRirnsky-Kor.rakov orclres~rrrliot~; 3 CD.5; 19701
PUCClNl
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473
BIZET:CARMEN Agnes Baltsa, Jose Carreras, Jose van Dam, Katia Ricciarelli; Chorus of the Paris Opera, Berlin Philhannonic/Herbert von Karajan. Dru!sche Grumtn~>photr-1 10 088-2 [3 (:l)r]
MASCAGNI:C.4 VALLERIA RUSTICANA LEONCAVALLO: PAGLIACCI -
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Fiorenza Cossotto, Carlo Bergonzi, Joan Carlyle, Giuseppe Taddei; Chorus & Orchestra of the Teatm alla Scald Herbert von Karajan. Deutscltt Gratnmophotr 419 257-2 13 (:Dr. 1965. ul~tlrrt1trm,czu)5plujed by Berlrtr Phrlltnt trrntrrr]
he most successfill 1igul.e in
11:1li;ill ol~cric stol,l)ctl writing, Puccini (1858-1924) possessetl o~r~sriintlirlg theatrical instiricu and a stupendous mclotlic gifc (along ~ v i ~a htendency to plug his tirlles in a way Verdi almost never clid). I-le chose his sul?jcccs carefully, with an eye not just to hoiv they i\.oultl ~vorkon the stage, hut to how they would lookand he was invariably attracted by exotic scttirlgs. Puccini's interest in putting striking ir1i;lger-y or) the stage - was matched by his estraortlirl;~ryskill at combining harmonic language ant1 orchest~il color, chosen from an exceptionally rich 1,. .I I ette. His best operas, which have bccolne st;rples of thc repertory, try to mimic reality (~vllicllis \\~IiyI'irccini is often considered a I-cprescnt:rtivc of' the ~~etisrno style). and they marlage to susl)elltl the observer's disbelief as much thl-ough [heir use 01' detail as by the workings of plot. The first opera to reveal I'i~ccini's 11-trcgcrlius was LN bohkvze (lXC3ti). I t is the coml,oscr's iniaginative treatment of character ancl sitrr;ltion, llis s ~ l r einstinct for dramatic alltl conlic cl'li.c~s,alltl i atlove all liis I-adiant,supremely eslwc.ssivc ln~rsi-
in the century since \'ertii t T
474
F
AINT IIEART ~ ( v t r woii fair hdj, hiit Afiini'.~ "cold licrlt- hand" capturrs Kodovoi heart iri Acl I of Pucciiii'.~L?lmliitnie. I.ifh'hilt(1 slldtnt a1 !he i\lilair rorrtmatory, Pl~cciiiihirilst-if huci lived a fairly Bohe~iiiail cxultticr. Llirf poor, he sharr(1 lodgings z~~irh /is brother, 11 C O I L S ~arid ~ ~ , ftIl011i studen! f'ittro Alnsrapii, !he fr~titrvroinposer of Cavalleria r.usticana, who woltlil not-so-clri11(11rowlytcsll crrditors 1'1~cri11i ZLIUS out zoliilr the f11111recotiiposer Oj' La b o h L \ t ~hi11 ~ ill (I clo.tel.
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cal portraiture that have niacle LN b01121t1eo11c of the most pop~tlaroperas. Basetl o ~ I-lctiri i hl~it-ger's autobiographical novelette Sctae.s (k In v i r ~d e Bohk~ne.about the lives of a group ol'impovcrishccl artists in mid-19th-century Paris, t l ~ eopera possesses one of those delightful librettos hat move at lightning pace and seem almost to have bccn written by the c h a ~ a c ~ ethemselves. rs The music, in spite of the decidedly modern C;ISI to Pucci~ii's scoring and harmony, is similarly spontaneous. La bohinie straddles the divide between conietly and tragedy, and its music has a distinctive hittersweet quality. T h e plot revolves around ttvo pairs of lovers: the poet Rodolfo and the scamstress hlimi are the central. more serious pair, while the painter hiarcello ant1 liis flamboyant sweetheart 5lusetta provide a coniic foil. Roc1olli)'s gently passionate nature expresses itself i l l his first meeting with hlimi, where he cakes her Ii:ind in the dark and launches into "Clir gelid(] tnaniir(t" ("What a cold little hand"), one ot tllc most gratifying of tcrlor arias. She respontls IO liis ;tclva~iccs with "Afi chiutnutlo Min~i" ("I'm c;~lleclhli~iii"),a confession all tenderness and innocence that steals up on the listener, then subsides in a t)ealltil'lil, expressive hush. T h e second act of LN buhitne takes place outdoors at the Cafk hiomus on Christmas eve, and in a good production it is an ut~forgettableexperience: with hundreds of people o n stage, I'aris is re-created in front of one's eyes. The third act centers o n a heart-melting duet ("Addio, sexul raricor") between hlimi and Rotlolfo, \vtiich Ilecomes a quartet with the arrival of' hlarcello :r~id hlusetta. I n the finale, which returns to the garret setting of the first act. boisterous Iiiljinks give way to pathos as blimi's life ebbs away. Her death at first goes unnoticed by Rodolfo-but [he tnoment he suspects something is \vrong, a stabbingfortissilllo issues from the brass. I t is ottc. of the grcar shocks in opera. and it brings the work to ;I grisly conclusion.
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476
Tosccr (1900) is not an opera about Kon~c,tliot~gh it manages to work several of t l i ; ~ tcity's lantl~n;~l-ks
rllnricr Collar n.5 Tu.~ccr.Hrr f i r 7 ittlrrprrtotio~r u1n.c g ~ - r a l thratt-r
u ~ r l (1.5 l p r n l .siliprtg,
into its action (in no other 1oc;lle coultl ;I prinla donna leap to her death from as imposir~gan edifice as the Castel Sant'Angelo). Not. is it at~our Napoleon, though he is the unsee~lpresence behind the action. Tosrcl is about passion, jealousy, betrayal, and revenge-all the usual elements of a good Italian opera-and it \\forksbecause Puccirii's music makes the emotions I-eadilyhelie\~;lble. No matter where Puccini hacl chosen to set it, Tosca would still be a singers' opera, built around a handful of high-voltage scenes ancl ;~ri;~s. Alld it is ultimately on the singers in its three principal roles-as impressive a love triangle as one will ever find-that perforrr~ancesand recordings of Toscu rise or fall. O n one side is Cavil~~atlossi, the painter who, almost before his colors are rnisecl. plunges into the quickest-hitting tnnc in all of opera. "Reconditn 01-jt~onin."On the orlicr side is Scarpia, the chief' of' police, ;I men;~c.ingfigure used to manipulating others. In thc mitlcllc is Tosca, the celebratetl diva, vulnerable ;~ntlviolellt . ivhose "Vissi d'nrte" literally stops the shoiv in tlie seconcl act. Her act-long confrontation with Scarpia (of which that aria is a part) c~ltlsIx~cllyf i ~ r him, and is music drama at its finest. Pucci~li'slove of the exotic led him to compose operas set in times and places as strange as 13thcentury Florence (Ginnni Schicclri), legcliclary I'eking (Turuttdot),and Gold Rush-era California (La fanciulla del Il'est). I t was clearly orte of' the filctol-s that drew him to David Belasco's one-act play llladatne Rlrtterj?~, about a young Jap;~rlesegeisha who marries and is abandoned by ;in .-\nleric;~ll naval officer, on \\.hicli Yuccini baseel what is clearly the better of his t\\.o Oriental operas. 'I'lie scoring of i\luciama f i u l l e ~ j f l j (1904) is especially beautiful; rvhole scenes of the opera a1.e suf'fusctl with a luminous. pastel glo\v that pcl.f'cctly suggests the gentle, elnolio~inlwor.lc1 of the Iicroillc. In "Un be! di, vedrev~o," the gloiv i ~ ~ ~ e ~ ~ ;IS sifies
476
i ~ l i r r l l aFreni atid l'locirlo Dunringo embrace in tltc ec.~lnlic finale to Acl 1 of M ; i t l a r ~ ~ ; ~ RutterHv.
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Butterfly radiantly aflirnis that tier beloved will return. The opera's tienouement is fierce arid expertly gauged. Despite its exotic atmosphere and the brilliance of its scoring, Turandot, left unfinished at Puccirii's death in 1924, marks a falling off in taste and dramatic effectiveness. I t remains popular with audiences in houses \\vorldwide because the ieading roles are star vehicles of' the first magnitude, anchored by two of [he highest-voltage arias ever written, Turandot's "Irz q~testureggin" and Calaf's "Nessun donna."
@ RECOMMENDED
RECORDINGS
PUCCINI: LA B O H ~ M E Mlrella Freni, Luclano Pavarottl, Rolando Paneral, Elizabeth Hamood; Chorus of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Berlln PhllharmonlclHerbert von Karajan. Lot~don421 049-2 [2 Cl1.y; 19721 Victorla de 10s Angeles, Jussl Bjiirling, Robert Menill, Luclne Arnara; RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/ Sir Thomas Beecham. G\11 CDCB f 7235 (2 CDs; 1 9561
Marla Callas, Giuseppe dl Stefano, l i t o Gobbi; Chorus & Orchestra of the Teatto alla ScalaNIctor De Sabata. EA11 CDCB 17 1 74 [2 Cll.~]
Montsenat Caballe, Jos6 Carreras, Ingvar Wixell; Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Gardenl Sir Colln Davis. Pltilips 112 885-2 12 Clls; 19761
OPERA
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477
Mlrella Frenl, Luclano Pavarottl, Chrlsta Ludwig, Robert Kerns; Vlenna State Opera Chorus, Vlenna Phllharmonlc/Herbert von KaraJan. London 41 7 577-2 [3 CDs; 19741
Joan Sutherland, Luclano Pavarottl, Montsenat Caballe, Nlcolal Ghiaurov; John Alldls Cholr, Wandswotth School Boys' Cholr, London Phllharmonlc Orchestd Zubln M e w . London 414 274-2 12 Clls; 19721
he early years of the 20th century wita deterioratior~in the fabric o f European culture, and in its rnusical langu;~gc, which the bourgeois composer Stmuss was not afraid to deal with on the operatic stage. His Salorne and Elektm, undertaken after the bulk of his symphonic poems had been written, are rnusically revolutionary studies of depravity. Salome (1905), a bombshell of an opera based o n the play by Oscar Wilde, opens with an eerie run on the clarinet, ends with a bang, and in between contains some of the most virtuosic, suggestive, arid complex 111usic ever penned. Because of its graphic portrayal of sexual decadence and its prominent references to Christ, the opera was banned by the Viennese censors when biahler tried to stage i t there. But the premiere in Dresden was a n overwhelming success, in spite of the difficulty of the music and the subject. Strauss's supreme mastery of' the orchestra is apparent on every page of Salome. His music is at its most febrile in portraying [lie tlislor~edexoricisrn of Salome, the adolescent princess of Judea nessed t T
I
a
1
.4urtnrrrl bantnrt~Rrrnd \l'nkl. n s1rc4.pqrholoprol!, complex Joihatmaa~~ 111 S;~lornr.
OPERA
d7R
W
HICH SHOULD
cotne first 111 O ~ PN-I the zuo~dsor /he mus~ccThe debale tias absorbed covtpo~ur\ oi?d ports mer A I N C P Chrtsloptl 1\'1lltbald Clzrck zcvclgltrd 01uv~rhhts rfforn~\. A stf11zgof operar about opera follou~ed,inclurl?trg Salteni Prima 1'1 musica e poi Ic parole and hlo;ni t's T h e Irnpresarlo. iZIorr ~ e c e ~ ~ Richard tl?, Slrar~rc'~ Cdpriccio (194-3)and joltti Congl~a,lo'sI'he Ghosts 01 i'crs~illcs(1991) have dealt rilrlh (he qti~stto~t 111 lntrigr~t1g zifays.
STRAUSS
who covets the body of John the Baptist ancl becomes the Sphinx-like instrument of his fate when he refuses her advances. Her insatiable desire is conveyecl in music that scales the heights of passion, while tlie lurid necrophilia of' her deranged final momerlts calls forth an orchestral paroxysm of operatically unprecedented magnitude. Jochanaan (the Baptist's Gcrman name) is himself a disturbing mix of madness and evangelical fervor, his solo pronouncements :I blend of German chorale and the sepulchral tones of the Commendatore in Don Giovrrr~ni.The hasry, fast-talking Herod, hauntecl by phantasms of guilt and desire, is portrayed in rrlusic of fawning opulence; his wife, ~11espiteful Herodias, in much harsher tones. The scene painting for Ivhich Strauss achieved celebrity in his symphonic poems is listed to a new level in Salome, with passages like those representing Herod slippirlg in a pool of blood or describing a wirld that feels "like the beating of vast wings" strewn thi-ougho~~t thc score. The luxurious pages of"The Darlce of ihe Seven C'eils" set a new starldarti of symphonic eroticism, ancl Srrauss goes out of his way to get the severing of the Baptist's head just right: the score calls for repeated muf?lecl high B flats from a solo cloul~le bass, \sit11 tlie string pinched off' by the thumb and forefinger so that the emerging sound. meant to represent the tendons of Jochanaan's neck being cut one by one, reserrlbles "the supprcsscd, choked moaning of a \voman." By the tinie hc tcrote Salon~e,Strauss had already corne across [.hetalented Austria11poet Hugo vorl Hofnlannsthal. Rarely have a composer and a librettist tvorkecl so closely together-for so man): years on such a variety of' sul~jects-and given birth t o such a collection of top-flight works. Thc duo's fame rests chiefly upon their first two erforts, Elektm, premiered in Dresden in IYOII, and Del- Kosettkatlcrlier. E l ~ k h - a like , Sctlome, is in one continuous act, and shows an even fiercer compression than its sister work. The unseen presence behi~ldthe actiorl is Agarnernnon, the
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479
king of hlycenae. killed ibllotvi~lghis retur11 from the Trojan War by his unfai~hfulwife KlytBninestra and her lover Aegisth, T h e opera opens ~viththe orchestra (its complement specified by Strauss at 113 players) in full cry. shrieking thc motive that represents Aganiemnon's name-and taking us directly inside Elektra's haunted soul. Strauss's ralaged, bloodthirsty princess, fixated on avenging her father's murder, remains the focus of the entirc opera, during which she is hardly ever off the stage. Chrysothemis, her younger and more fearful sister, is a reflection of Elektra's own impotence. I\ hile KlytSmnestra-in Strauss's treatment a neurotic Harpy tormentecl b) nightmares and weighed down by talismans-serves as the distorted image of Elektra's guilt. I n the encl Orest, Elektra's brother, returns and does the cleed Elektra herself is powerless to do. T h e scene in which sister recognizes disguised brother is one of the most powerful in Strauss's operas. Following tlie deaths of Klydninestra and Aegisth, nhich are heard but not seen on the stage, Elektra loses her lllind and dances herself to death. Rules at the All of the Strauss-Hofil~annstl~al operas from Cou,rt Opera Der Rosenknvafier on are studies of love. \illhat makes Drr Rosenkavnlirr, composed between 1909 6 fter [he curlutil ha^ A r i s e n , innnbers of rttr and 1910, especially remarkable is the \\,ay it pz~blicare srriclb eyotned to succeeds in looking at lo\e from thrce different preserue their sense of illtivietvpoi~ltsat once: those of the Iliarschallin. her sion. To that eud . . . tile i~npetilousyou~tglover Octavian, and the bourfollowbrg nlensuies utill be h Octavian \iltimately falls in geois girl ~ i t whom l a k ~ n ei~gaged : C O U ~ ~ Y who S, love, Sophie. A comic element is addecl by tlie are roinmonly prone to dis111thflreir nerghbors uncl boorish machinations of the hiarschallin's kinsdz~tinclc~!leil~loil from the man. Baron Ochs. T h e backdrop t o all this is stage by ~nd~clgiizg 111 l i v e l ~ Vienna of the 1740s, during the epoch of blaria duczcs~lotl,1~1111be dviilcd Theresa-a period Strauss and Hofrnan~lsthal enttg, nitd the doorkeepers sought to c ~ o k ein a fashion "half real and hall' u*zllbe tiulrurled accordzilgh. Persoru of bo~h~ e x e ~ imaginary," and to which the libretto and the ntlei-ing i11 couplec ale rPmusic together impart a mix of mannered elequlrcd lo ~ I L ~ I I I Spro01 I I 01 gance, Romantic passion, and nos~algLa.T o provide thew ~ ~ m n t stnlns. nl . . ." ! the musical motif through which both tlie glamour -Vienna, I897 i and the bittersweet erllotiorls of the stor? could
480
OPERA
•
STRAUSS
be brought to life, Strauss turnetl ro ;I tl:i~lc.cIII;II did not exist at the time in ivhicli the oper;I is sel, though it came to he emblematic ol' C'ic~i~lesc lil'c a century later: the \r7altz.So~nel~o\v, tlie inco~igritity of waltz music in hlaria .l'licres;~'\ Vic~ili:~ is shunted aside by the radiance of'Str;~uss'sscore and the utter fluency of his char;rc~teriz;rtio~~. Much of the opcra is set i l l ;I con\.crs:ttio~iaI style, a11d the action scems to flo~vlike that o f a stage play. The curtain goes up to the holtlcst and most sensuous orchestral prologue-a 110-l~oltlsbarred portrait of the hlarschallin ant1 Oc~;~\-i;ln in bed, climaxed by orgasrnic rvhoops P I - ~ I I Ithe horns. In the reniaining 516 pages 01' thc score, Strauss generates a series of 11i~lsic:ll frissons ant1 moves effortlessly between the scrioils :11itI (lie burlesque. His orcl~estratio~~ is l u ~ ~ ~ i ant1 ~ l otvolii~s derfitlly imagi~iative,particula~.lyi r ~its shimnlcring depiction of the Silver Rose. Xntl his assign111c.11t of the romantic leacls to three female voices (Octavian is a pants role, written for inezzo sop~.:~~lo) allows him to indulge i l l so~iic of'liis 111os1 I)caut.il'iil love music, clirnaxed by tile Act I I I trio i r ~wl1ic.11 the R.larscliallin lets go of Octa\,ia~~. 111 spite of' its is theatricality, the sentimen1 of Dtv Rosorkrrv(ili~~ delicate and genuine, and supre~ncly~vcllg:~ugetl. In Ariadne azrfh'uxm, Strauss tur~lediirvay fro^^^ the la\,ish orchestration anti profligate rnusic.al effect of his earlier operas and rnovetl toi~arcla nlore condensed, almost CI-ystalline,idiom. Ariadne occupied Strauss and Hofm;innstlial the better part of six troubled years ( I9 1 I - I(;), tl111.ing which Europe \vent to war and \\'csrcl.ri nlusic saw the collapse of tl-aditional to~l;ility.flol'mannsthal's original conception was to millie ilrirrdtr~ a pendant to hIoli2re's LP b o l ~ r g ~ ogi~. ~t ~ ~ i l l r ~ t;I~ ~ t t i r ~ : failure in that version, it ree~nergrtl; ~ f t co~~sitlc~ erahle reworking as an opera in o ~ l acl. e .l'lle lot is a convoluted one in which a "scl.io~~s" cll-;1111;1the mythical tale of Ariadne ab;i~itlonetl(;II 111c island of Kaxos-and a "conlic." cntert;~ir~r~lc.~lt coexist on the same stage. Tlie ol~cl-;~ co~lsislsof' a Prologue, centering arouncl tlie ligt11.c ol' thc
OPERA
STRAUSS
481
(:omposer, and the Opera itself, in which tlie urlfi)lcling of the s ~ o r about )~ Ariadr~ris interco~~i~iierltecl upon by tlie participants rupted and i in the enter-tainment, ;I raucous burlesque entou107r1gWorld I\hr I , ! liictlnrcl Slrauss i rage bor-rorved fro111the commedia drll'arte. Strauss composed A ~ i a d t l eSor an crlscrllble of for (I rrd~lredertseinblr irt /ti.% opercr 11ri;ltlnc i ~ r Nasos ~f only 37 players, a tlccision shaped ccltr;llly by nrld Ilrp ~PI(IIC(I l30~1rgeois ilesthetic co~lsicler:ttionsand war~irrlcrcductioris Gentle~ni~n Srrirr, file drup i r ~theater staffs. I lis scoring rnanages t o achieve troritrg decim(1tud the t11e(11er intimate espressiori \vithout sacrificing sonority orcheslrru of Gcn~taiq.Duror richness of testurc. In the part of Ariadrie he irlg ~ltcpSecorld IVorld Il'ar. exploi~edthe huge range he considered a hallStmnc.\ .\orcglt~alrmrntt!~lo escapr lhrotrgl~his mruic-in mark of the ideal sopr-ano, while in Zcrbinetta, works .\ tich (1.5 111rSynlphuizy the coquettish leader 0 1 ' rhe burlesque troupe, he for Il'i~rrl.\((I-l;~l,pyIVorkcreatetl one of the gr.c,at coloratura roles in opera. shop) (111dlire Oboe ;I delightf.iil foil. Str:rtlss savecl some of his most Co~lffrlo-unrl lo give i101fe poignant music for the part of the Cornposer, a to hi\ grief, us iir the llet;r~norplloserifor 23 Xlozartean figure representing tlie artist as idealsolo .rfi-~trp. ist, whose passiorlate longing for perfection is bourld LO be disappoirlred. 111 tl~cir23 years as :I team (1 90(5-2C)), Stl-auss aritl tlofri~annsthaltoi~chedon a variety of subjects. But of their- works after Arindne. the only one to have establishccl itself' securely i r ~the repertory is Die Frau olrtie Schalten ( 1 9 18), \\'hose ~)hilosophical\ceight makes it heavy going in the theatel and on recortlings despite the estraordinary gr-a~ideurof IIIIICII of' Strauss's music.
D
Eva Marton, Heinz Zednik, Bernd Weikl, Brigitte Fassbaender; Berlin PhilharmonicRubin Mehta. Sorc.y Clr~.\.siculS2K 4671 7 [2 CDJ; 19901
STRAUSS: ELEKTRA Birgit Nilsson, Marie Collier, Regina Resnik, Tom Krause; Vienna Phiiharmonic/Sir Georg Solti. l.oi~durl41 7 345-2 [2 (.'I)\]
482
OPERA * STRAUSS
STRAUSS: DER ROSENKAVALIER Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig, Teresa Stlch-Randall, Otto Edelmann; Phllharmonla Orchestra & Chorus/ Herbert von Karajan. E1111 CDCC -19354 [3 CDS;19563
STRAUSS: ARIADNEAUF NAXOS Jessye Norman, Julia Varady, Edlta Gruberova, Paul Frey, Dietrich Fischer-Dleskau; Lelpzig Gewandhaus OrchestraJKur-tMasur. Phzlips -122 084-2 [2 CIlr; 19881 STRAUSS: DIE FRAU OWE SCHATTEN Julia Varady, Placldo Domlngo, Hlldeganl Behrens, Jose van Dam; Vienna State Opera Chorus, Vienna Boys Choir, Vienna Philharmonlc/Sir Georg Soltl. Londorr 436 243-2 13 CDs; 1989 nrld IYYl]
J$
ost 20th-century opera has liacl to
deal one way or another with the enormous impact of Wagner and Verdi. Like the other French colnposers of his generation. Dehussy fell under Wagner's spell in his youth, but unlike them, he was able to write a great opera that was not Wagnerian-even though Pellins et ~CIili.ian(le(1902) utilizecl leitmorifs, relied on shori f orchestral interludes to link scenes as Prruifnl hacl \ i done. and veered ~erilouslvclose to the ecstasies N'tlht~d1%hlk u w u tri~dii~pl~t~iit of Tristarl in its clilnactic scene. [email protected] a Purm 111 1986 G [ y ~ d e h o t ~ n ~ t word-for-word s c ~ ~ i of ~ i !vlaurice g hlaeterlinck's prodt~ctzo~lof Porgy and Ucss. celebratecl sy~iibolistdrama, is a work like no other-hardly an opera at all, but a drama of symbols transmuted into music. I n Berg's Mrozzeck (1914-22) there is a similarly intimate connection Ixtween text and music. Rased on Georg Biichner's play l\'ojzpck (1836. derived
OPERA
Dishes Nu.rrz,ed f0.r Musicians has berome (4 tncmim for I I I I derdog.~n~eq711here.\V1111o not nil opera singers hatre been Jot, trra~~j have bee11 gnstrortolnec. TIlr most crlrbrated I I ~ (Gio~irch~ I.~ no Kossirii urlrose favonte drtk (fiiet rnlporr) rtrm dubbed Tourr~etlosKossini. AnIlalin?~epic11rr other fi~~nor~c u~asthr gfied l.uisa Il'etmrzinl, for ulhotn the :real rinh ueacno med. The sopmi ~ o iNeIIie ,2lelba gn~leher P I ( I I I I P to Peach hlclba.
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2OTH CENTURY
483
from events that actually took place in 182 I ) , it is a gripping, powerfully disturbing portrait of a soldier- caught in the vortex of' madness and despair. Following the example of' hlussorgsky's Boris G O ~ Z L ~ Ithe U I ) opera , unfolds as a series of' selfcontained scenes that fade one into the next. Its elaborate symmetry-three acts, each in five scenes, with a confrorltation between \+'ozzcck and his ~nistressMarie at the center (Act I I, scenc three)is buttressed by Berg's use of conventional musical forms as structural devices, chosen for their dramatic point. I t is scarcely coinciclental t l i ; ~ tthe 20111 century has seer1 a flowering of opera in English-speaking countries, where the achievements of Mragrierand Vercli, and of their predecessor-s and successors. can be viewed with a certair~detachmcnt. Although it took the kletropolitan Opera 50 years to recognize it, Gersh.r\.in's Porgy a r ~ dB P . (~1935) is the great American opera, a I'usion of an Xmerican s~~pject with ~narvelouslyArnericarl music. And the operas of the Eriglisll composer Britten have been anlong the most important of the century. Peter Grirr~ts(1945), Britten's first masterpiece and the rnost popular of his operas, is a study of isolation, paranoia, and cruelty in whicll the relationstlip between the loner Grimes arid a society determined to enforce its norms is insightfully probed. In Grimes and the equally fine Billy R ~ d d (1C15 I ) , Briuen borrowed from the traditions of' grand opera as a riieans of clealing with the underlyir~gambivalence of his dramatic material. When Stravinsky did the salric thing in Thz RakcP.sProgress ( 1515 1 ), the intelltion, as in so Inany of his works, was to create a parody of' the past. Set to a libretto by \Y. H. Auderi (based on a series of satirical engravings entitled A Rake's P r o g r ~ s s that Williarri Hogarlh published in 1735), Stravinsky's virt~rosicthree-act comedy stancls as the last work of a cerituries-long tradition and the first war-k outside of i t , a i~niquefusion of musical, theatrical, and social cornrnel1t;rry.
484
OPERA
2OTH CENTURY
DEBUSSY: P E L L ~ AET S M~LISANDE Didler Henry, Colette Alliot-Lugaz, Qllles Cachemallle, Pierre Thau; Montreal Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/ Charles Dutolt. Lolidon 430 502-2 12 CD.5; 1 9901
BERG:WOZZECK Dietrlch Flscher-Dleskau, Evelyn b a r , Frltz Wunderlich, Gerhard Stolze; Chorus & Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin/ Karl Bohm. Detctsche Grarnrnopltori 435 702-2 [3 CDs; 1965; with L u l u ]
GERSHWTN: PORGYAND BESS Willard White, Leona Mitchell, McHenry Boatwrlght, Florence Qulvar, Barbara Hendricks, Franqois Clemmons; Cleveland Orchestra & Chorus/Lorln Maazel.
Bolim's irl~ightand Fisrh~rDiesko ti's dramatic urgencj rr~nketlri.>lhr b u t r~rordirtg of Wozzctck.
London 414 559-2 13 CDs; 19751
BRITTEN:PETERGRIMES Peter Peanr, Clalre Watson, James Pease, David Kelly, Owen Brannigan, Jean Watson, Geralnt Evans; Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/ Benjamin Brltten. London 414 577-2 13 CDs; 19581 Bnt1r1~'r(;r~rne*i r one of the p r o 1 opercr rrcordi~rgs; the 3o11111l I S trirraculoos.
i i STRAVINSKY: T H ERAKE'SPROGRESS
i
Don Garrard, Judlth Raskln, Alexander Young, John Reardon, Regina Sarfaty; Sadlefs Wells Opera Chorus, Royal Phllharmonic Orchestral Igor Stravlnsky. Soity Clmiial S1\121( 46299 12 CDs; 19641
INDEXES OF COMPOSERS AND PERFORMERS
I N D E X
O F i i
BACH.JOHLN-SSULWYXY, 2.4-5 Rmtidenburg Concertos, 3. 6 4 Cantatas .%I. I40 and 147. 403-6 Ccllo Suites. HII1' 1007-12. 292-94 chamher niu\ic. 285.290-94 CXd'berg Variations, BllV988. 358-60 .\lass in I3 nii~ior,BllY 232, 5,410-12 Orchesu-al Suites Sos. 1-4. 8-10 orcliesual \r.orks, 4-10 5.1crcd and clic)ral music, 403-12 SI. r\laithclL* I'mio11, 81I7'244. 5,406-9 .;[)lo keyboard rvork., 35.1, 356-60 violill concertos, 200-201 \'ioliri Sonatac and Parutas. 81i1' 1001-6. 290-92 1 % H611-Temnpn~d ~ Clavin; 8111'846-893, 356-58 BARBER, S-NU=: rldngiofm Stritrgs, 10-1 1 ICssnjs ,lbs.1-3 for Orch~sfra.I I :\ledpa i .\lrziitaliot~and Da~lrs of l,Pngrnnrr. 1 1 B m ~ B l iB , k u , 12-1 4,199, 902-5. 289. 3.55 (:ot~cmtoJor Orrl~ts~rcr, 12-1 4 .\l~rsir Jm Slrirtgs. Perr~r~sio~t, n11d G h l a 12, I4 Piano Concerto .Yo. 3. 12-13,20093,265 St~.ingQuartcts ,\kc. 1-6, 294-96 \'iolin Conccrtn So. 2. 204-5 B E I ~ ~ I O VL~mwrr. E N . VAN. 15-16.37.38.40 C;cllo Sonata it1 .I.0p. 69, 298-99 chamber music. 288,289. 296 -309 collcertos. 198-99, 206-14
C O M P O S E R S
Fi~Ielro~, 16. 418-49 i Sjmpliol~yhb.3, in E ~I;II, .~li~aSohniri1i1),0/).123, i Op.55(l:'mirn),16,li-19, 16.412-15 27,29 orchestral narks, 3. 15-29 Symphony i\b. j, ui C Piano Concerto Ah. 3, minor, C)P. 67, 16, 19-22, in C: minor, 011.37, 24.26-27,28 206-7.210-12 Stmphony . No.6, in F, Piano Conceno .\b. 4, Op. 68 (I'mtmoL), 22-24. in C.9 . 5 8 , 207-8. 27.29 210-12 S j m p h o ~ ~hb. y 9, in L) Piano Conccrto ,Vo. 5. minor, 01,. I25 (Cl~orrrl).16. in E flat, Op. 73 (ErttpenT), 24-26.28.29 16,209-12 \folin Concerto in D, Piano Sonata in C n ~ i n r ~ r , Op. 61, 212-14 OF. 13 (Poihr'tiqrr~), \'iolin Son;il;i in A millor; 360-61.369-70 Op. 4 7 (Kmrtrer), Piario Sonam in C sharp 296-98 minor, Op. 27, . B ~ u m 1 VINCEVZO. , 450,451 -Yo. 2 (Almligt~t), Norma, 45 1,452 3B2.369-70 BERG.A L R ~199 . Piano Sonata in C, 01).5 3 \Tiolin Conccrto, 214-1 7 (Hhldrtkn). 362-63. 1lr~srA,482-83,484 370-71 BERIJOZ,HECTOR: Piano Sor~ataill F ~ ~ ~ i ~ i o r , Cor.sairc Overture. 31 Op. 57 (:I#asiot~atn). Requiem. Op. 5. 415-1 7 361. 370-71 "Rap1 I-lunt and Storm" Piano Sonam in E f1;it. from Ixx T ~ m s31 , O p . 8 1 ~(h iidinrx). Syn,bho~tir fantnstique, ?!L3 1 36.1 -65,370-7 1 BERNSTEIN, LEONARD: Piano Sonata in B flat. Chirhsttr Psnlms, 41 7-1 8 Op. I06 (tfalommnklnvier), Overrurc to Candia2, 3"-3 366-67,370-7 1 Symphonir Donrts from Piano Sonam in 1.:. 01,. 109, llbt Side 903:32-33 3m. 370-71 B r m , GLORC~S: Piano Sonata in A Il;~t, LX&%iolt~r Suites Op.110. 368-69. .Vm. I nnd 2, 33-35 370-71 Carmen. 33.471-72.47.7 Piano Sorlaki it1 ( 2 I I I ~ I I O ~ , Bouoom, AI~LWDER: Op.I1 I. 369.370-71 Suing Quartet ,Vo. 2, in 1,. Piano Trio in R flal. Op. 97 309-1 1 (ArrMuRr). 299-30 1 B ~ u o c sJotirrhws, , 36-37 solo keyboard ~ \ ~ n ~ 355, .ks, Cello Soiial;i in E rnino~; 360-7 1 Op. 38. 314-16 String Quartets. O/J. 18. Cello Sonata in F. Op.99, 30 1-3 314-16 Suing Quaitets, Op. 59 cllanlbcr music. 289.31 1-19 (firl~lrm07~tkj;), 16, :30.I - 6 Clarinet Q ~ ~ i r i tin et String Quartet in C: sh;~rp B mi~lor,Op. 115. mitior. Op. 131, 306-9 316.317-19 S?niphor~iesSos. 1-9 Clarinet Sonatas, Op.120. (complete cycles). 26-28 316-17.318-19 S)niplio~iies~Vo5.1-9 (coniconcerlos, 199.217-24 plctt. cycles on period A G m n n n Rrqlritm Op. 45. insmrments), 28-29 419-21
INDEX
Piano Cmncerto So. 1, in D ~ninor,Op. 15. 21 7-21 J'iario Conceno .5b. 2, i r ~ I3 flat, Op. 93, 21 7-21 Syrnphorty ,Yo. I, in C: minor, 0p. 68, 37, 38, 39.42-43 Svrnphonv .Yo. 2, in D, q.73, 37.39,4 1.42-43 Symphony .Vo. 3. in F. OF. 90. 37, 40-41..12--13 Symphony No, in E mirror. Op. 98, 337. 41-43 \'iolin Concerto in D. 77. 221-23 fiolin Sonata i r i C . 01, 78, 311-14 \'ioIin Sonata in A. (+I. 100, 91 1-11 \'iolin Sonau in D minor, 9. 108. 311-14 B m v . B~\3.~5\rrs: &/I? Btrdd. -183. 484 "FOIIISea Tntrrlirdes" from 41,
e.
..
Pi;uro Concerto .YO. 2. in F Ininor, ~ p21, , 26-rn polonaises and rna711rL.a~. 375-76.377-78 prcludcs. 375. 377-78 \\.slurs. 376-78
.,
i
Requiem. Op 48, 424-26
i F n ~ v c l CFSAR: i
i DEscssu,CI-4LmE,289 i Itnog~r.380-82 i I,fl 54-57 i i i i
i:
i i
i
i
orchestral \\,orb. 52-37 Ptllin.\ r l ~~lilisandc. 33, 482, 48.1 Pril~ddrfl 1hpr)i-mtdt d irn fi~rttrt-. -53-54.56-57 Prrl'"'cs, 381-82 Qu;rr.lc.l i l l C minor. O/J. I/). 390-91 solo Actboard \\arks. 35.5. 379-82 Thnr .Yortun~n,52-53. 56-57
.l5? DVORAK,ANTOMY: Cello Corlcerto in B trri~ior,Op.104. 229-YL, 233 cIi;~lnl~rr musir, 321-23 orchvstral works. 57-ti0 P ~ ; I IQuintet I~ in -1.Op.5'1. $y12-23 . Sexrct in A, Op. 48, 341 Suing Quarter in F. 0p. 96 (A~~loic
4? 1-24 Tht )bring Pmon'c Gui& to the Chzhpstrn (Ihrinlioru n ~ i dFugue on o 7%rtnroJ Wirct~ll),43-45, 134-39 B K ~ C Hh.h . : \'iolin Concerto No. I, in G minor, Op. 26. 23-26 BRUCKKER,AX~ON, 45--49 Symphony .Vo.7. in E. 4.517 Sy1rrp11011yJVO.8,in C minor, 47-49
226-29
.
A87
69-70 Btll) the Kid 51-52 F(rrf(rrtr f i t - /hP Cantmn ,\lot). 5 1-52, 69-70 Rorlm, 50, 5 1-52
I h r R~quim.Op. 66.
minor. Op.
OF COMPOSERS
&
i 9
Cello Concerto in E minor. 01'.S5. 232-34 iI)rnp rrnd Ciri-umstonre J1:ircIirs. ti?-64 ih~-rrrttotrr o t ~1111 Onpnol 7%ume,Op. 36 (Etztprr). 60-62, 63-64
G E R S ~ T SGEORGE, , 68-70 .At1 ..\mmrott irr Poris. 68-70 Pmgy ntid Ife.s.\, -183. 484 Rhopsor~itr 1tlt11: 68-70 GREG, EIWARD: Prpr T;ynt. 70-71
HLYDEL, GEORGE FRIDWC, 72-73. 74-76 .!lessicrh. 73, .1!?6-29 A!l~rsirj ( ~ the r Rqol Fimwkr. 7.5-76 \i;?/t-r Alllclr, R, 74-75. 76 H.Y~DN. JOSEPII, 77-78 charnbrr ~nu\ic,287-88. 289,326-29 Thr Gmtmt~.429-31 orchts~r.ilworks. 3, 7 7 4 6 Strirlg Q~r:rr~ct\, Op. 33 (Rtt.rintr). 3%-27, 328-29 Suing Qirnrret~,Op. 76 (Elday). 1'17-29 S\mphon! .\;I. 88. in G. 79. HO-X I Syrnpl~on! L\ro. ')2. in G (O.~/ftt/l),379-8 1 S!mphorlics .Vos. 93-10-1 (Lotrriorr or Solomon). 78.8146 S\mplron\ .\'I,. 94, in G (Suqnsr). 8'2, 85436 Symphony .Vo. 100, in G (.\lilitnr?). 83. 8r5-M Symphonv .Vo. 101. in I) ( 7 %C111ck). ~ 83, 85-86
488
INDEX
OF COMPOSERS
S)nipIio~ly,Yo. 102. i l l I3 llnt. Octet for Stlillgs, in F. 11;11, 84.85-86 01. 20. 329-:I0 Symplionv .\b. 1/13. in E: flat Svmphony >Yo. 4, i r A. ~ ( f)rti1111n11), 84, 83-86 Ok. 90 (Ilnlin~r),108-10 Symphony .Yo. 104, ill L) \'iolin Concerto ill E nrino~: (I-olldoil).8'2, 84-81:, O ~ J6-1, . 243-4ti T ~ L I I I ~ C:OIICC~~O PCI in E f l : ~ ~ , h i t ~ w m G, L ~ C O ~ I O : '235-40 Lcs Ilugcoro/~.45 I . 452 HINUEYITII, P.~L'L: .\~oz-\RT.\VOI.FC.AVC . ~ L ~ E C S 1 1 1-12 ~ ~ ~ r p l i o r.\fe/rrmol;Dhusis ric 013 771t*i11ts 0 1Cnrl;\lnrirr ~ ~ I I I I chamher music, 288,289, I l'c61.,; HH 331-38 Synil>hony .\laflris r l ~ i\lerh: r C:larilirt C:once~-toin A, 87-88 K. 622, 259-62 H o u r , GUSTAL': C:l:i~i~ic-t Q11i1i1etit1 .A. Tltc Plfrrre>/s,01).32, XH -!)O K. % I , 3 6 - 3 8 concertcls. 197-98, 246-62 Don Girn*ani!i.2-14, 2.48, 4.13-46. +I8 I ~ r sc , tw: Horn C;oncrrto Xo. 3, ill 'I%,z,r- P1urcrrp-sirr ,\'at? CigI(~rrri. E fl;~r.K. 4-17. 258-.iY 90-1l'2 Eine klcttie .Yarh/irirt.~ilr JANACE&I-F.o% (:\ I.lff/€~ ~ l g ,\~llsir), /l/ .Yi~qh~ii~lfiz. 92-94 6.. 5 3 . 1:9-24 .'Tl/i~~o~rir .\ln.is, 43 1-33 it- r i o z rli 1-7guro( 7 % ~ KORWGOID,ERICHWOLP(;~LVG: z\lumk~gtoj f7grrr11). Sestet i l l D, O/I.10, :b11 443-44, 443, *7 LEONC.~V,ULO, RUCCEHO: upcras. 442. 443-48 Pnglinrri. 472. 473 orchcst1;11 t\orks, 3, l l 1-21 Lun. FRLYL,198-99, I$33 Piano Conc~rl-toiVo. 9, ill Piano C o ~ ~ c c r,Vo. t o 1, in E flat. K. ?:I, 246-.li, E llat, 240-43. 280 2.51-52 Pianc~Sonata in R minol: Pixlo C:ollcertc) Xo. 20, i r l L> 3x244 111inoi; 6. 466, 2-17-48, /.pi AaLId$.i, 94-96 25 1-52 Piano Cortccr~u.\o. 21, in C, K. -167. ?-I<)-50, >.9 - : 1-52 \L.\HLwI, Gc'sT.~~. 3.$17-107 Pialin Concerrn .Vo. 2.1, Dcrs Lir~li ~ i clrr r G.(/P in C 11i11ior.K. f ? I 3 2.50-52 ( ' 1 %.%fry ~ of lhr Enrlh). 102-4. I05 piano sonar.l>. 335. 98-1-87 S~~nipllonv .Yo. 2. in C minor Poslhorn Scr-c~latle.:Zit. 9. ( I ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t n uIl7-!)I) rfio~i). K. 320, I 23 Symplinny .Yo. j, in Requicin ill L) ~ ~ r i n o r , C sharp minor. 95)-I OL' K. 626, 133-36 Sy~nplinnySo. 9, ill D. Sirfirricr cortiwfantP i l l F. I la! llJ4-7 lor \'iolin ;lntl \'iol;~, MSCAGNI,PIETRO: K. -364, 251;-58 Ccir~rrllivictntsticcrrrrr. String Q11arret i l l R 1 1 ~ ~ 1 . 472, 173 K . 4 58 ( N I I ~ Z3:) I )I ,-:3J ~~ENDELSSOHS, FF.I.IS, 1 07-1 0, Striug Quartet ill C. El. 465 198-99,289, 35.5 (Diuorr(i~tle), 33 I -33 SII-ingQuinter in C. K. 515, 33346 String (l~tilitetin C rliirlor, K. ~716.:%33-3ti
.
S Y I ~ ~ I ~.Yo. U J29. I I i~l l A, K . 201. 1 1:GI.i S\mphony ,Yo. 38, i r I ~), K. TO4 (Prr~giie).11'2, 115-li S \ n i p l i n ~ ~So. y 3%ill E fI;tt, K. 543. 11% 117-18. 121-'LL' Sylnpllor>y,\'a40.in G minnl; K. 531. 1 I?, 118-I!], 111-Y! S\-mphony .\b. f 1. in C . K. >?I (Jiipi/n),I 1'2. 1 I WE \'iolin (Cnncerto .\o. 3, in (;, K. 21 11. 23.q.i.i l'ioli~iC I I I I C ~ .Yo. ~ I C5.I i l l -4, 6.21 % '25.3-5.5 fit- %nit 66*1jIuIr ( T/tt,d1ng.r Flrrlr). N6-47. 448 h l u s s o ~ c s h.\IODEST, ~, 124-97 Boris Gorltrrtot*.471. -17'2 :i L\Tg18L 0 1 1 ~ f l .\l6llll~l1ill. i ~ f l"-L'.i, 1L'fj-pi F'icftiriss( I / riit Lvlli6i1ioi1, 12:i27
corlccrtus. 262-67 urchcscral \\.orL.,. 3. I?!)-35 f17trrn11d/he Ilblj; (4.67. 1 :3:3-3.5 Piano (:oncrrto .&I. 3. in C , 011.26, 26'2-63 Svmphony S.1. ill L), op. 2 i (~"le13
INDEX
OF COMPOSERS
i i RACHIIAKISOET, SERCEI: Piano Co~lcertuSo. 2 in C. minor, Op.18. 267-68. 269-70 Piano Concerto ,Yo. 3, 26.1 - 65 f
S.US~~SAI~NS, CL~IILLE, 144-4X 'I%P C[zrniz*olof l l t ~ .initnol.s. 1415-48 S!.mphony .Vo. 3. in C. minor. Op. 78 (Otgan). 144-45, 147-48
SCHOENBEHG, ARUOI.D.36 \ hrkliirlc~~Vnrhl(Trnnsfiigrtred higltl), Op. 4. 340-41 SCHL-BERT, FRWL: chaniher music. 289,342-40 orchestral !\.OILS. 148-53 Piano Q ~ ~ i n r in e cA, D. 667 ( 7 %li.otil), ~ 342-44 piano sollaus. 394-97 Die srh6nr i2liillPn'n. 1). 795, 346--f8 String Q i ~ i n t in e ~C. 1). 956. 344-46 Symphony No. (I, ill B minor, D. 759 (lhrjnished), 109-10, 148-51 Syn~pho~~!; ,Vo. 9. in C. D. 944. 151-53 \~~N!PITP~.~P. 1). 91 1. 346-48 SCHUILLKN, ROBERT,198-99, 289 Cantm~al.Ok. 9. 398-99. 400 chaniher mrtsic, 349-52 L)ichterliebr, Op. 48, 3.50-52 E;r~i.slmkr ~rrr,01.16, 399-400 Piano Co~lcertoin .A millor, Op. 54, 27-1-76 Piano Quilr~etin E flat, Op. 44, 3-19-50 solo kryhoard works, 355, 398-400 Syniphonic Erodes. 9. 13, 399,400 Symphony No. 3, in E flat. O/). 97 (IUtmtish). 153-35 SHOSTAKOVICH. D%IITRI, 3. l55-.59 Symphotly J%. 5, in D niinur; @. 47. I.i.i-57 S!mpliot~y A'o. la in E rnirlor. Op. 93, 57-59 SIBEUUS, J m , 3, 160-65 Fiiil(i~t~fi(t, 96 The Su~nrrof 7Loi1cL1, 160, 164-65 Syrnphor~!.Xo. 2. in D. OP. 43, 160-62, 164 Syrnphr~rlyIVo. 5. in E flat, 01). 82, 16'2-63 I'iolin Concerto in I) minor, Op. 47. 276-78
489
S~LETANA. BFDRICH: String So. 1, in E - Quartet mlnor (Fm~rrI \ ~ JLG).3 I I t7lnr1n (TheA~lol(lou), 165-66 STRAUSS, EDUW. 166, 167, 168 S ~ U S JOHANN S, I, 166-67. 168-09 STR~USS. JOHLNN11, 166. 165, 168-69 SI'R~LSS, JOSEF. 166. 167-69 ~, S r n a u ~ RICHARD: Alto rjrrnclr Zirrrrth~utra. Op. 30. 172, 156 .Innrln~occ/,\'mos, 480-8 1, 482 Drctllt n ~ t dTrn~trfiprairon. 171, 176-77 Don Juan. Op 20, 169-70. 171 Dorr O_ur.role. Op. 35. I7 I. 17.3-74. 176-77 Llrklin, 477. 478-79, 481 D4e F~nrtoirr~eSt/tci/!rn. -k81, 482 Gn IleldPnlebe~r,Op 40. I TO, 171, 17-4-76 operaq, 4 7 7 4 2 01ct~esiral\rorlq, 169-77 I1t-r Kownkavnltrr, 1 70, 478, 470-80. 4@2 Snloi~t~. 477-78, 48 1 TrIl Crl~nsp~egel, Op. 8 , 170-7 1 S T R ~ V I N SICOR, ~ , 177-83 The fi~rbtrd,177-78, 1 8 2 4 3 Prfnr rltka, 178-80, 182-83 The RnkpS f3.0gresss,483, 484 Thr RIIP of .5pnng. 1 8 0 4 3
TCIL*IKOVS~Y. PIOTRILYIUI. 184-85 Cn/)rirrio ilalien. 96 concertos, 279-83 1812 Overture. 96 Er~g~rttr Ortqlirt, ,171, 472 Fra~lre.trndo Ritrti~zi,187 The N~clrrocherS,~ilr,Op. 71cr. 185, 19:&95 orchcsual \vorks, 1 84-92 Piiu~oConcerto S o . I . in B llat rnirlor, 0p. 23. 242, 270,27840 Rornuo crndJtclie!, 184. 185. L86-87
490
INDEX OF COMPOSERS
Rigoktto, 46.3-6.1, 465, Sv~nphonyS o . 4. in F minor, Op. 36, 185, 467, 469 IXX-89. 192-93 La trmiat(r, i63. 464, S,mplio~lvSo. 6, in B minor, -165-66,470 0). 74 (PathA~que), 18.5, I f trovnto~u.46.7, 46.1-65, 470 187, 189-93 Violill Concerto i r ~D, \ ' ~ . ~ - L o B o sHW,I'OR: Op 35. 281-83 guirar \%.arks, 273,274 V A U C WLLLLLVS, H~ WPFI: VW.~DI, AYTOSIO: .-I I O P I ~ O I. Z~ ~ P I I / J ~ O I ~ J , Concertos for Violin, 195-96 Strings, alld Colitinuo. VFRDI.GILSLPPE, 44% 463-70 Op. 8 ,\bs. I - 4 (Tltr Four Suc~~ons). 28:GXfi .-lido. -166, -167-68,470 \VAG~XR, RICFIW, 442, Do11 Carlo, 466-67. 470 453-63, -182 I:ctlsraJ i69, 470 O/rllo. 468-69. 470 Dwjliege~tdeHoN21rd~r ('fie Requiem, i38- 10 F~irtgDtcrrhrtltr~c), 453. 4fiI
G~ttei~Iiimm~nr,lg,r~~nm~i~~ 455.
457-58,459.462 Lotrt~~grtn, 454.461, 461 L)ze ,\lnslrtsi~lg~r vo11h iintkg,4.55. 438-59, ,160, 463 Parsr/nl, 461, -163 [)or W ~ e ~ ~ ~ 453-56, g o l d . 4V2 Der & I I ~ des ,Ytbeftr~tgen(TIIP &ng oJ1he Srkltt rig), 454, 455-58,459,462 Sie&iud, 455, -157, 459, 462 Tant~hi~tiwr, 453-54. 462 T n ~ f uttd f ~ ~Lsolde, t 454, -45.5, 498-60.461 Lhe Il'nlk3i1~,4.55,45657,462 ~VEBER. CARLh h u \ VON: Der F~eiscl~iitz, -149, 453
491
I N D E X
O F
P E R F O R M E R S i Bermtein. Leonard: i
Abbado, Claudio, 42-43, 2.1.5. 266-67,28248 Academy Chamber Ensemble, 330 Academy of .bcient Music: chamber music, 337-38 concertos. 21 1-12, 26 1-62 orchcstld w o ~ h4, 10. 28-29, 8:-86 Academy of London, 1-17-48 Academy of S t Martin-inthe-Fields: corlcerros. 225-26. 239. 257-58.286 orckcsiral \+orbs. 7. 76 Acadenly of St. Martin-in-theFields Chamber Ensemble, 123-24 Accardo. Sah.atore, 286 Adam. Theo, 408-9. 43.5. 4f32 .4lban Berg Quartet, 303, 336,34546 Aler, Jolm, 41 7 -4lexeev. Dmitri, 377-78, 389-90 John Mdis Choir. 477 .Wen, Thomas. 17.472 -Uiot-Lugaz, Colette. 48.1 Mba, Luigi. 448 rlmadets Quartet, 319 rlmara, Lucine. 476 .hbrosian Opera Chorus, 452,470 Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, 7-8.201 Araiza, Franci~co,435, 449 Arrau, Claudio, 381-82 Arroyo, Martina, 4Y2 Ashkenmy, Wadimir: chamber muslc, 297-98. 300-301,313-14 concel tos. 26-1-65. 269-70 orchcciral t\orks. 23-24, 67-68, 187 solo Irrbima~d\ + o r l . 377-78.39 1-92 Atlanta Boy Choir. 423-24 61
423-26, 440 @Cr, Arleen, 41 1-12 .Ax,Emanuel. 315-16.350
Bacquier. Gabriel, 4 5 l Baker, Julius. 183 Baltsa. A p e s , 470,473 Blr, Olaf, 332, 408-9, -130-31 Barbirolli. Sir John, 101-2. 164.233-34 Barenboim. Daniel. 314,315 Bartoli, Cecilia, 452 Battle, Kathleen, 99, 169 Bavarian Radio Sjmphony Orcbestrd. 237. 27:-76. 2b7.430-31,435 Bavarian Radio Symphony Olrfiotra 4.30-31.-E33 Bavari'm State Opera Chorus & Orchestra. .I48 Bayreuth Festival Chorus & Orchestra, 469 BBC Symphony Orchestra, 237,276 Beaus Arts Trio, 300-301, 350 Beecham, Sir Thomas, 3 1.35, 143-44.476 Behrens. I-Iildegard. 182 Bell, Joshua, 225-26 Bergonzi. Carlo, 473 d b a n Berg Quartet, 303.336. 345-46 Berlin Opera. Scr Deutsclle Oper Berlin Berlin Philharmonic: coi~ccr~os. 220,223.228-29, 230-3 1. 255.257-33 opera. 461, 463. 473, 476, 48 1 orchebtral worhs, 27-28. 42-13. 96. 106. 109-10, 123-2.1, 132,138-39. 14718, 15 4-55, 164-65, 166, 1 6 8 4 9 . 176-77, 192-93, 194-95 sacred and choral nlwic. 420-2 1 Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, 67-68 Bernasek, Vaclav. 341
o w n . 449 orchrsual work$, 19. 25-215. 33,4213,51-52,69-70, 8 0 4 1 . 9 9 , 101, I50 sacrrcl and choral music.
4.19
Bettelheirn, Dolf. 350 Beyer, F-, 33.5-36 Beznosiuk. Lisa, 10 BishopKovacevich, Stephen, 237,276 BjBrling, Jussi, 476 Blasi, Angela hiaria, 435 Blegen. Judith, 425-26, 430-31 Blocbwitz. Hans Peter, 430-31 Blomstedt. Herbert, 71.88. 129,437-38 Boamright. ~ 1 c H e n r y484 Bogart, John Paul, 41 8 Bollm. Karl, 8 0 3 1. 257-58. 262, 462. ,184 BBlune, Kurt, 462 Bonell. Carlos. 273-74 Bomcy, Barbara, 408-9. 450-3 1 Bonynge, Richard, 452,470 Borodin Quartet. 31 1 Bostorl Symphony Orchestra: concenm, 217.242-$3.245-.16 ol.chcbu a1 \+orIrs,.i6-57, 92. 109-10.138-39. 147. 150-51. 16.1 Boulez, Pierre, 182-83 Boult, SiAdrian, 63,89-90, Brain, Dennis, 259 Brandis, Thonlas, 257-33 B r a n n i p , Owen. ,184 Bret~del,Alfred. 3.17-43, 352. 384.396-97 Brett, Charles. -128 Britten, Benjamin. 4445,252. T23->4.484 Bronfm.m, Yefim, 325-26 Brown, Iona, 257-58 Bruson. Renato. 470 Buchner. Eberhard, 408-9 Budapest Festival Orchestra, 242-43 Burchuladze, Paata. 432. 472 Bury, Aliqon. 201
492
INDEX
Caballi., Montserrat, 4.52. 470. 476, 477 Caclie~naille,Gilles. 484 Callas, Maria, 476 Cameratn Singers, 4 I8 Cappotie. Giusto, 257-.iH Cappuccilli. Picro. .I4X. ,169, 470 Carlyle, Joan, ,179 Carrcras, Jose. 470. 47:Z. 47(i Casatles~rs.Robert, 2.5 1-32 his, Pablo, 23 1-32 Chamber Ensemble, :{35-:1X Charnher h11ls;ic Northwest, :%IX-l!l Chanlber Orcl~estraof Ettrope, 1 2 1-22 Chaace, hlichael. -IO%ti. -108-!1 Chicirgo Splphony Orrl~estra: c o I l ~ ~ l ~ I21 ~ t7.l ~22:t \ , 295-26. ?(it;-tii. 270. 278, 283 orcl~t-s~~-iil S \ X I I - ~ \ , I ,I, (ii-ti8. 12ti-27. I 39-33. l Tli Chotx~lArts Society of W,~.il~ingto~~. -172 Chur~g.Kyur~g~MI:I,205. 21 7. 2.15, !!Mi-ti?. 28%8H:I, :325 Clemmons. Fran~ois,4X.l Clevelir~idOrchestrit: c l l l l e t ~ l - t o ~ . 210-1 I .2 ~ 0 - 2I . 2.5 51-52 op<.l-;1.,484 orclirrt~alworks. "(5-27. ti!)-70. 15.5. I7 I . I R'Z-q3 Clevelar~dOrchestra Chorus, -IHi Cleveland Quartet, 3 1 1 . 3.50 Cliburn. \'an. 270. 2XO. 372-73 Collier, Ilarie, 481 Colun~biaS!rnphony Orchestra: c o ~ ~ cto,. c r 2.51--52.275-76 c~rrl~c\tl-;il works. 23-24, 21;-27. G!t-70.
OF
PERFORMERS
Curzon, Sir Clifford, 252 Czech Philharmonic, 23 1-3'2, 43'1-33
DaJlapozza, AdoLf, 449 Daniecki, John, 435-38 Davis, Sir Colin: co~iccnos.S T , 266-(i7. c,--,.*76 opera. 4.19. 156 orcht.%tr,iltrorkc. 31. 80-S 1, 8 . 4 6 . 10Y-10, 164. 18"43 hacrcd ;lnd choral music. i l 7 , 4'18-29. 43.5 Dawson, I.!~ine, 4 12, 437-38 De Larrocha, .Uicia, 235 De 10s h g e l e s , Victoria. -176 Dernesch. Iielga, 462 De Sabata, Victor. 4Tti Detroit Symphony Orchestra, 1.1 Deut5che Oper Berlin Chorus, 135-38, 463, .titi. 484 Deutsche Oper Berlir~ Orchestra. 457-38. 484 Ili Srefano, Giuseppe, .I713 D o h n i q i , Christoph van, 135 1)onlingo. Placido, 46'2,4133, 469. 410. ,182 Doriti, h t d . 1.1 Dowd, Ronald, 41 7 Dresden Staarskapellc. SEP Stanrskapellr D r e r d e ~ ~ Drobko\-a. Drahomira, -132-39 h t t n i n g h o l m Baroque Ensemble, 286 Durn, Susan, HO Du Pre, Jacqueline, 233-34, 315 Dutoit. Charles: co~rccrto.r."4.5. 279. 273-7-1. 282-83 opera. 48.1 orchesWil \\.arks, 56. li.5, X!l-9U. I'll;-97. 132-33. 138-39, 1-1142, 14748. 18'2-83 sacred and choral I I I L I S ~ C . 493
Edelma~lli,Otto, 482 Egoro\: Youri, .I00 Emerson Quartet, ?!)ti. 325 Eriglish Baroqt~cSolois~s: n~-cl~t~strirl \\,ark\, 10, I I 4 - I .5 s;icrc*tliriltl c I I ~ I ; I ~ ~nc~sir.. 40.iti. .loti-!). 41 1-12, 41.1-15, -I28 English Chamber Orchestra. 'LO 1, 2.5 1-52, 25.3. 2.37-38 English Concert, 20 I Equiluz. Kurt. i:3-5-:4ti Evans, Gerai~it,48.1 Fasbnerider, Brigitte, -1XI Fcrrier, krthleen, 10.1 Fficher, Adam. 203 Fscher, Ivin. 'L-12-1:s Fisct1t.r-l)irskau, 1)ietrich: cI1;11111~.r11111ric. :%17--IX. :El2 c~pcl-a.-1ti2. -l(jJ, 4WZ. 484 \,ic~.rtl;u~tlcliol-;rl I I I I I S ~ (, 405-Ii, .Illti-!I. i20-2 I . -l2:%-2.l..l:%7-:18 1;lagstacl. l(irster~,4ti2 Fleisl~c~; I-eon. 21 0-1 1 Flor, Clnus Peter, 1511 Foiani. Citrvaani, .I70 Forrrster, hlirurecr~,!10 Four~~icr, Picrrc. 171;-77. 23 I . 29 ,I French National Radic~ Orchestra. 3 1 Freni, hlirella. 470. ,172. ,176. 477 Frc); Paul, ,182 Frick. Gottlob. -I:%)-91. .!.IS. 449 F ~ h b e c kdc Burgos, Rafael, 23.7, Furtw5nglcr. \\'ilhelni, 21-22. ":%-I.!, .ICZ
Garcia, Josi. Luis, 201 Garclirier,Johri Eliot: l > ~ c l l ~ ~ t\\,cll-L\, l - ; l l 10, 11.1-15 ,acrt.tl ; I I I ~cl~o~-;tl 11iu\ic. -105-li, .IOX-9. 4 I 1-12. -11'1-15%42X Garlnlid, L ) ~ I I , 4X.L Grddir, Nicol;ri, 4OS-0. 4.10. .1.52. 817'2
INDEX
Ghiaurov, Nicnlai, 440, 452, 4(i!), 172. 477 Giebel, Agnes, 430-:31 Gilels, Emil, 220. 370-71 Giulini, Carlo Maria. 2 13-14. 22.7. 440. .I.IX, ,169. 470 Gobbi, Tito, l7ti Gothenhurg Syn~phony Orrhrstr;~,71 Gould. Glenn. :{:ilI-tiO. 37'2-75 Greer, Lowell, 7ti Greintll, Jocef, 162 Gruberova. Edita, 482 Grunliaus, .Arthur, 25.i Guameri Quartet, 308-9. :vo-2 I . :52:3, :{:%I
I3atlle);, Jerry, 4-10 Haitink, Hernard, .i6-.i7. 101. 1.57, l!lli. 210-11. 21S-I4 Hale, Robert, 428 Hall. Carol, -I l 2 Hallstcin, Ingeborg, -I49 Hardenherger. klakan, 239 IIarnoncourt, Nikolaus, I2 1-22. 4:!5-:36 Harper, I leather, 4'18-29 Harrell, L.)nn, :I00 Harwood, Elirabeth, -176 Hauptmann. Cornelius. 408-9 Ha!vood, Lorna, 42:i-li Heifetz, Jascha, 215. 2454ri. "8. 2S3 Hellmann. Uwe, ,195 Hendl, M'altcr, 278 I lentlrirb. Barl~ara,470. 4S.l Henry Ilidier, 48-1 High.ptc School Choir, 42:%-2I Hobson, Ian. W!I-!I0 Hofinann, Peter, .Itil, 462. 4l;:3 Hogwond, Christopher, 10, 28-TI. S.;-Hli. 21 1-12. 21; I - ( 2 HoU, Rohert. .ll)X-9. 4:3:>-:{1; Holton. Ruth. .IO:i-(i HOTOM~W, \ladirnir, :
OF
PERFORMERS
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, 482 Leipzig Radio Choru~5,,108-9, Istornin, Eugene, 275-76 41 1-l?. 43.5, 44!l. .I72 Jacobs. Paul. 183.38 1-81' Leiter, Karl, 319 J a n o ~ i t z .Gundula. 437-34. Leningrad Philharmonic. -l4!) 1 92 Jarvi, Neenlc, 71. 157, 1511 L-eppard, Raymond, 2:Fl-4ll. J o c h ~ l ~ Eugen. n, 150-.?I. 220. 25.5, 2.57-.iR 430-3 I, 437-38. ,463 Levine, Janues. 137-48. John Alldis Choir. 477 470, 472 J u n p i r t h , hlanfrcd, 449 Levhe, Julius, 343--1-1 Ligendza, Catarirta, i Li,Cho-Liang, - 22.3-?ti. 255. 257-38. "78 L n j a n , Herbert von: Lind, Eva, 4-49 ( onccrloa, 22:. 230-31. 255, Lipovsek, >larj;rn;~,.IOS-ll, 2:,1 -1I 1-1 2, 49.< C I ~ M '4lil. I - ; ~ 463. , 470. 47L). Ijtton, Andrew, 275 47:). 476, 477, 48'2 Livora, Fnntiiek, .I:V2-:3:5 c~l-cllcsrral~ o r k 527-28, . London Cla~sicalPlayers, .1ri--17..19.96. 106. 109-10, 28-29. I30 ITS-%, 132. 138-3!). London Opera Chorus, 4.17, 1.54-55, 164-65. 1%. 4 70 IciH4i9. 176-77. 19?-9:) London Oratory Junior Choir, .;~crcd and choral rnusir. 4118-9 .l20-?1 London Phill~arn~onir Katchen, Julius, 31 3- I4 Orchestra: h v i ~ f i a nh. i , 319 collcertos. 205. 235. 265 hvafian, Ida. 319 ~ p m4-17. . ,177 Kelly. David, 484 1>1-rheit1:11 \\orL.b, 123. S3-86, Kempff. Wilhelm, '297-98. H9-90. 196 :4ti!l-70. 396-97 London Sinfonietta. I J7-48 Kcndall, \\'ilJiam. 41-1-15 London S!mphony Orchestra: Kerr~s,Kobert, -177 conreno<.P:Z3-:3.I. 2:3.5. Kerti*sr, Istvin, 60, 1-11-42, 252 5 2 , ?. 21i4-li.5. i.i, 2tjCi-67. ?ti!]-70 King, Ja111es 4li2 01 rhcst~al\\ot L\, 1 1-15, GO. lilemperer, Otto. 103-1. 63. 6r-66. I I I -12 -!OX-9. ,120-21. 440 . ~ c r r dand ri~trt;~l tlluylr. IGnentt, \lfaldemar, 430-31 117. 423-24. i28-20 Knc9i.s. Zolt;in, 242-43 London Symphony Orchestra Kollo, Ken*, 414-15. 449, .I(;? Choir, -&%-?!I Kondnshin. W, 1434.f. London Syrnpho~~y Orchestra 270. 280 Chorus, 4 17. .1?3-2-l Koopman, Ton, i-t;.'10 1. Lo5 Angeles \laster Chorale. :37l!)-tiO 470 k a i ~ s eTom, , 481 Los .ingeles Philharmonic, lirrhhers, iierman, 4 l .i 170 Kulka, Janos, 228-29 Lovedac , . .Man. 2x6 Lubin. Steven. ?I 1-1 2 j Ludwig, Chri5ta. 10.1. 108-9. 440, .I.l!I. Ili'!. Laredo, Jaime. 257-58. 177.482 :3.1:~-.1.1 La Srala. \frTear~onlla k.11.1 Lupu, Radu. :32.-1 Laubenthal, H o l r t 4fiS Luxon, Benjamin, L-ear, Evelyn. 484 q23-2 1 i
;
493
-
494
INDEX
OF
PERFORMERS
i
Obrazlsova, Elena. 469
i Ollmann. Kurt. 430-31
Ma, Yo-Yo, 315-1 6 >laazel. Lorin, 69-70. ,184 XfcGegan, Nicholas, 76 >lackerras, Sir Charles: opefit, 432-33 o r r h c . \ ~ ~works. . ~ l 9-1. 114-1.5. 116-17, 123, 153 SlcMillan, Kevin, 437-38 hlanugucrre, Matteo, 470 5largion0, Charlotte, 41-1-15 hlarrinrr, S i r Neville: concerros. 21P26. 233. 239.286 orchc\rr.il \sorLs. 7, 76 sacri=cli111cI cliorlll IIIIIS~C, 430-31 hfarsalis, \Vynton, 2:iZWO Marshall, hlargaret, 128 Xlartcin, Eva. 48 1 \laslennikov, .AleLei, 47'2 hfasur. Kurt, .Im hlathiis. Edith, iO%i-(i blatteurzi, \Villiam, -1.52 llattila, b r i t a , 449 llehta, Zubin, 470. -177, 48 1 Xielcher, \Vilhelm, 336 Xlelos Quartet, 306. 9.19, 3.15-:%ti,345-46 hlenuhin. Sir Yehudi, h3-C%4, 213-1 4.37-98 ~lerrill,Robert, 476 hlesple, hfady, 4.52 Miles, .Mastair, 414-1 5 Milnes, S h e d , 425. 452. 4711 hiilstcin. Nathan, 284.5, 282-83. 202 XLintz, Shlomo, 26647.292. 325-26 blitchell, Leona, '18.1 MoU, Ki~rr: oper.1. 44s. MY, 4til. 463.469 \acri.tl ;r~idchor;~lr ~ ~ t ~ \ i c . 4 1.4 - 15. 430-9 1 >lonoyios. .Snn. 408-0 llonteux. Pierre, 67-68 hlontevcrdi Choir, 4054.408-9, .I I I- I 2. 414-15:128
conccrror. 245. 272. 273-7.1. 282-83 oper:r. .IB'I orclic\tral \\.ark\. .56. 65, 89-90. 126-27, 13'2-33. 138-39, 1.11-12. 1.17-48, 182-85 sacred and chor;~lniusic, 425 hiontreal S y ~ ~ ~ p h oOrchestra ny Chorus, 425,.iX~I 3Ioore. Gerald, 347-18 ~ l o m n c y Davitt, , 357 hloniu, Janies, 425-2li Xloser, Edda, 114 - 1 5. 448 hloser, Thornas, 430-3 1 hIravkky, Evgeny, 192 hlunch, Charles, .it;-57, 138-39, 147. 21!46 llunich Bach Orchesrra, 7-8. 405-6 Munich Bach Orctiestra Chorus. -tO%(i .\furray, .inn,i l l - I 2 hfuti, Riccardo, 96 Mutter, Anne-Sophie, 223, 255
Oratorio Society of \Vastlingon, 472 Orchestra New England. 92 Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, 153 Orlando Quartet, 20,339 Otter, Anne Sofie von, 408-9, 472 Oms, Seiji. 217. 242-43
Panerai, Rolando, 476 Paris Opera C h o r ~ ~473 c, Parkening, Christopher, 275 Pam*, Leslie, 543-14 Parsor~s,Geoffrey, 352 PatanP. Giuseppe, 452 Pavarotti, Luciano, 452. 470. 476. 477 Pay. .4ntony, 26142.337-38 P m , Peter, 408-9.423-2.1, -18.1 Pease, James, 484 Perahia. hlurra?; 2 10-1 1,237. 25 1-52, 275-76, 5136-97 Perlrnati, Iizhak, 2 13- I4, 2 1 7,
; 22:3'r)~7~300-.301,313-14 j Philadelphia Orchestra, 96 i Philharrnoriia Bamque Naegele, Philipp, 343-43 Orchestra, 76 Xajnar, Jiri, 34 1 Philharmonia Orchestra: National Philharmonic concertos. 213-14. 259. Orchestra. 3.5. 2S9-40, 470 278 National Symphony Orchestra, opera. .IC,2 472 o r c l l ~ ~ rx\nrkF. ~ a l 2:%-2.l, Neidlinger, Gustav, 462 103-1 Kew London Orclie\u;~, ~ a c r r t;t~id l chornl rnurir. 1 34 -35 408-0,420-21, 440, 418, S e w Philharmonia Orchestra, 449,184 101-2, 452. 470 Philharrnonia Orchestra New Symphony Orchestra of Choir, 408-9 London, 225.228-29 Philharnionia Orchestra New York PhiIharmonic: C h o r ~ ~420-2 s, 1. 4.10, 4-18, orche\tr;ll \sorks. 33. 51-32, U!3, 482 69-70.99. 182-83 Pinnock. Trevor, 'LO I sacretl ;itid choral n~itsic. Plishka. Paul. 4-10, -172 418 Pluderniacher, George+,386437 Nilsson, Birgit, iti?. -181 Pogorelich, Ivo, 39 1 -n" Nimsgern, S i r p ~ r n d , Pollini, hl;rt~rizio,370-71. 400 462, .l(i3 Popp, Lucia, 408-9, 4:W-:;I, Sorman. Jessye. 4G", 482 447.449 Norringon, Roger, 28-29, Prague Chamber Orchestra, 1.50 11.1-15, 116-17, 123 Novik, Richard, 432-33 Prague I'l~ilharmonicChorus, Nucci, Leo, 4.52, 470 432-:15
INDEX
Revin, Andre: concc.1 to\. 2li.l 4.5, 2 6 6 4 7 . 269-70 orchvrtr;tl \rr)rkb. 44-45, 69-64, 109-10. I:%-35 Price, Leonhne. 470 Price. Margaret, 43.5 Prinz, Alfred, 262 Puyann, Rnfarl, :193-9-1
Quartetto Italiano, 303. 33wo Quirke, Saul, 428 Quibar, t;lorence, 184 Radio Choru5 of the N.O.S.. 11il\rr~11111, 4 14-15 Rairnor~tli,Ruggrro, 470, 472 Ramey, San~ucl.4-15. 1.5" Rando\ 6, Eva, 402 Raphael E ~ e n ~ b l14 c ,1 Raskin. Judith. 18 1 R W Symphony Orchestra, 270, 2XO RCA Victor Synlphony Orchestra & Chorus, 476 Reardon, John, 48-1 Reiner, Fritz, 1 4. 1 75.270, 283 Resnik. Regina. 481 Rhodes, Sani~leI,:3.50 Ricciarelli, h t i a , 470, 473 Richter, Karl, 7-8. 405-(i Richter. Sviatoshv, 299 Riegel, Kenneth, -172 Robbin, Catherine, 414-15, 42s Rodriguez, Santiago, 2P2, 264-65. 280 Rogi., P;csral. 272 Rolfe Johnson. Anthony, 4054i. 408-9, 423-24, Jqx Rootering, Jan lien&. 430-:< I . X1.5 Rosenbcrger, Carol. 63.233. $18-I!) Rostropovich. Xistislav, s-xi\; 176, I!).l-!fi. 230-3 I, 299. 3434ii. 472 Rothenhergcr. Anneliese, 448
OF
PERFORMERS
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra: ro~~cc.rtus. 210-1 1. 213-14 c ~ ~ ~ c h r\\.orb. ~ r ~ ~31. a l.i6-.?7. XO-HI. 8:+86. 101. 1 4 3 4 4 . 1.50. 157. 159. IeY3 \;I< rccl nt~tl choral rn~~sic. 41-1-19 Royal Operii House, Covent Garden. Chorus, 4.52. J(i'1. 476,484 Royal Opera House. Covent Garden, Orchestra, i.52. 470. 476. 484 Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, :35, 444.5, 6:344. 1:S.l-3.5, 1-1:1-~1~1.164. 187. 275, 48.1 Rubinstein, Artuu, 228-29. :12:3. 377-78, $00 Rjsanrk, Leonie, i6'2
Sadler's \+'ells Opera Chorus. 484 Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, 11.51-32. !):I, 205 Salonlon String Quartet. 333 Salonen, &a-Pekka. 178 Sandor, Gyorp, 203 San Francisco Girts Chorus and Boys Choru. 437-38 San Francisco S!mphony Orchestra, 5 1.38. 129. .I:37-:38 San Fr~r~cisco Symphony Orchestra Chorus. .1:17-:1X Sangerknaben, Schiineberger, .#:ti-38 Sarfaty, Regina. -h?4 S q e n t , Sir .\ialcolm. 22.5 Sawallisch, \VoIfpg, 448 Scharinger, Anton, 41 1-1 2 Schiff, And~is.347-48. 357-.5X, :35!1, :31;0, 3Sfi-87, :%!):{-!I4 Schiff. Heinrich, 233. 3.15-4li Schmidt, .hdrcas, 41)s-9 Schmidt, Trudeliese, 43.5 Schreier, Peter, 34748. -10.54. .lox-9. 41 1-12, 495.448 Schwarz. Gerard, 65-66 2:s.; Schwarz, 1l;mna. 4 14-1.5
495
Scottish National Orchestra, 1.57, I59 Scotto, Renata, I70 Semkow, J e q 228-29 Serkin, Rudolf, 220-21, 3-13-44 Shaw, Robert, 4 17. 423-24. -I?>%, 440 Shicoff, Neil, -172 Shifrin, David. 3 I 8- I!) Shirley-Quirk, John, 428-29 Sinclair, James. 92 Si~kovetsh;r;Dtnitry. L'(i(i-67 Skrowane~3ti.Stanislaw, 228-29 Slatkin, Leonard, I I . .3 1-32. 09. "0. 22.5-2Ii Smetana Quartet, 30(i Smithson String Quartet, 303 Soderstrom, Eliabeth. 42-33 Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, 242.26445. 280 Sofia Radio Chorus. 472 Soloists of the International Festival of N:cples, 2x6 Solti, Sir Georg: conccrtub, '105. " 1 . 265 opera. U 7 . dl??, ,181. 48'2 orchestral \\ur.A\, 8.5-Xli. 126-27. l:v2-:{:{. I 32-:>:3 SOM, Hans. U!l. -IlZ South German Radio Chorus, 430-31 Sparf, Nils--, 2Xti Spicss, Ludovic, 472 Staatskapclle L)rescler~,2W. 408-9. 4 11-1 2, 43r1.4.19, 472 Stamp, Richard, I.17--18 Standage, Simon. ?(I I Stcinhardt. . h o l d , 32 I Stich-Randall, Teresa, .IN2 Stokowski, Leopold, :<:.I Stolze, Gerhard. 137-:$X. 484 Stnvinsky. Igor, 4H.l Stuttgart Radio Sy-~nphor~y Orchestra, 430-:3 1 Suk, Josef, 237-.is. 319-1-1 Suthaus. Ludwig, Sutherland. Joan, -14s. .I.?. 470. 477 S>mphony of the Air. 22s-2tl Szell, George, "ti-27, 17 1. 210-1 I , Y20-21, 231-:32, 2.5 1-52 Szeqng, Henryk, 2 13- I .I
496
INDEX OF PERFORMERS
Tabakov, Emil, 242. 264-65. 280 Taddei. Giuseppe, i.18. 473 Taksics Quartet, 928-29 Talich, Vhclav, 23 1-32 Talich Quartet, 309. 341 Talvela, W t t i , 462,473 Tatrai Quartet, 328-!?!I T e a m alla Scala Chorlu & Orchestra, 473, 476 Tcatro Comunale di Bologna Chorus & Orchestr;~.452 Te Kanau-a, Kiri, 425. 447 Thau. Pierre, 48.1 Thebom, Blanche. 462 Thomas. Michael Tilson, 92 TornowaSintow, Anna, 420-21
Unger, Gerhard, 449 Van Dam,J o e , 420-2 1,461, 463,473, 4s" Varady, Julia, i8'L Varcoe, Stephen, iIK-li
98-9!l. 103-4. 106-7. 121-2". 275-76 Wandsworth School Boys' Choir, 4 17.477 Watson, Clilire, 484 l+'atson, Jean, 484 l+'atts, EIeler~.428-29 l+'e'eikl, Uernd, 481 Welsh National Opera Choriu & Orchestra, 452 IVenkcl, Ortrun. .13%lfi \+'bite, Willard. 484 Wiens, Edith, 430-31 Wlcock, Elizabeth, 201 \+-mdg=%cn, \$blfgang, 46'2 HHu(ell. Inpar, i 7 6 Wlasclril~ir,W e h a r d , 4-19 \\'elf, Slarkus, 336
Vickers, Jon, 4 9 Vienna Boys Choir, 482 Vienna Philharmonic: cimcel Ins, 245. 2fi2, 282433 opt-&I. 4-19, 46'2. .Iti!l. .170. 472.477.481
\,~cretland clrn~nln111\ic, '1")-21 Vienna Singverein. .120-2 I Vienna State Opera C110ru~. 4:3.5-36, 449. 4(i1, -1(i2,469. 470. 472. 477. 482 Vi&ne~kaya,Galina, .I":)-%, 472
i Young, Alexander, 484
i i
Zednik, lieinz, 481
i Zimerman. Krwtian, '142-45, \C'ichter. Eberhard, 4.I8,4(i2 \Vakrfield. John, 428-2!)
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:177-78,:3&l Zukern~an,Pinchas, 20 1. 205
Sc;~v~.lli. P. 254: I.'r~)lnh C l n r v i 6 I)nn;IIICC Horizotl*. IIIC. P. 25% (:I ,111 r e Siegfric*cl ~ I;IIIIC~~:I\\~I-. P. 257 A: The 5lctropoliran \III\(.IIIII ~f.Arr/(;il't n1'Robrr-I I.. C:rc~~\.ell. P. 257 R: .CIle S1c.u-opolitan S~IIV.IIIII of .Art. (;ill ~ I Dorotl~v C ; I I I ~Koben Rc,\c~lbaum.1979. P. 2%: Pari*. \lu\i.c. tle la Sluricl~~c~/(:lichC I'~ll)li~~l;rge. P. 259: (;rhorge \l;~itc+n,;L I ) I I ~ I I1I.' I 26-k . C:hri\ri;~nSrci~icr,'CounesvEI;III. P. 266: (:live B.~rcl;~/Prrforming
London Krc, 11 11,. P. 157: .\:I 5rudir~1I :OIII.I'SV l'l~ilip\ (:I.;I\>~c~ I'rodi~rtic~n\. E 164: S. % ; I I I I I ~ I I,'~ Slusical : \ ~ ~ ~ c ~P.' i c177: a . 1'.1111 K~~lnicA. P. 182: k:nlst I lii;~, 5lurical ;\111vrir3.P. 183: 1.-1'. 1.cloir '\lu*ic.~l.,\nreric a.
Pp. 6.31, 38, 135, 159, 169, 171. 195: 1.il11-a? oS(;nngt~-\.. Pp. 8, 11, 17, 22,52,71,8~l, 121. 125: I'erlor~~rilrg .Qt\ K<.u.;irch (:r.~~tc.~; Nc\\. Ibrk 1'11l~lic 1-ihr.;~~) 31 Lincoln (Xnrrn P. 9: \\'oodct~t h\ 'I'nl)i;~\Stimrncr. Pp. 12. 19. 32.39. 43.49.56.57.62 B -63.
. . . 154, 156, 165, 167. 178: Slusical (:hic.;g<~.P. 278: 1)chorah Pp. 200,220, 229.2Y1.238.242. Arnr~ir;~. Pp. 12 B, 58. 124. 127, Fringold, C o ~ ~ r t eS yc ~ r r \C1;1..ic;il. 979: Tllr I\rtrnlann .lrcl~i\c-. 132, 158. 185, 189: Ei~rtfoti~: P. 280: Courtesy \:~n(:lib~tr~~ P. 201: Sl;1rtl1;1 S\\,<4pr(:~t/'C.ourtt~*y .1' 202: lnt~~rl~~r~~SlTI-B~~~l;~pest. (:ul\rr I'icrurea. P. 23: 'rich L ~ I I I ~ O I IRecord\. P. 285: Pp. 2M,246,25 I, 270,274: Salot~~< Rilditrcl~i\ ~n, 5I11*ic;rl,411lr.1-ica. Pp. 207, 240: (:l~ri\ri;~n Stcinrr l(:olumbia P r r t ~ * \ i \ c l ~Kr I~I ~ ~1)r.i~. I I I P. 24: C;ernlan 111l< , I , I I I ; ~ I ~ I > (:r~~tc.r. II :\I ti,!, S ~ : ~ I I ; I F ~ I Ilnc. I~III. .Arcl~iv/l'l~c~t~~ RI.SI.;IIcl1er5. Pp. 209, 2li2:,lcan-Loup Pp. 25, 29, 148, Ilil, 175: (:ll'lnllrl. 1'. 210: llon ;\Mi. Brrlin. P. 27: (;rrnlan Huntstein ' ( : ~ ) u ~ - t. rhnc l ~ t \ r \ i I ~ ~ O ~ I I I ; I I Cxntrr. ~ ~ I I I P. SO: i of the (:le\c~l;i~itl C1rcl1r.tr.1. i P. 290: T h e C:ollrction of B i h I i ~ t ~ l i ~Sario~~:iIr. ~qt~e P:lri\. i Pp. 21 I, 236: l ' c ~ r f c ~ n t ;\rtq ~i~~# ~ f i ~ ~ i 411. 1 ~1 ~1 l1I r i c l~~l-illee.r,,ll~ t., Pp. 34, .18, 53, 85, 101, 103, 129, i Kesr.arrl~ ( ; I - I I I ~SCIV I : !ill k i I\'r\$ .lerse): Pp. 2!11, 293: Fro111 160. 172. 180. 188, 193: The i 1'11hlic 1 . i l > ~ 1 1 -atv Lincoln ( :rt~trt. p,,..(;l,,,,ic D , , ~ ,,,.!,~ ~ by ~ ~ ~ ~ &.LIIII;IIIII Archive. Pp. 45,88 B, i P. 213: I l11c.11isc11. Leipzig. i I lc,~,I. C)ancc H(~ritons.Inc. 16'2: I.iln 51. Lli (:ollrction. P. 51: P. 214: Lutl\\,ig Schirn~rr : P. 29" Slaninr FI;III~AS1apu111. ~ r t I v a i c . 1'. 6 : ,h1~8lclIagle. Pp. 55, 68, 190: pIl. 29.1, 316: L , XI.~ ~~; l(:,,ll<.C~i TIN.(;r:lnger C:nllr~t i e b ~ l . P. 60: i .l'r~~rlc F I I ~ ~ \ ~ , I I I I\'~CIIII;I. I;III~. 11, 296: ~ ; ~ l r ~ ,steitIer/ r~~lll P. 7 : I 3 I F . . ( : ~ I I ~ I ( . \ Y DCCCJ.P. fi7: (:li\r i ( :,,lIrt~,y l h l c ,4rtiY~,, p. 197: Pp. 218, 22% 246 B. 253, 281. Bard.1 5lurical .4111rt-ica. Pp. 74, (;il.,lldon. p. 298: ~ ~ . t l c o l r n 286: .41;(;. Ik.rlin. Pp. 224. 277: 87: :\rr Kesource. Pp. 75, 76, 80, (;r,,\,~tllers~ ~:l,ll,.r,.~y ~o~umhi;l i n I 1 . 1 I l t ~ r i nPp. . 225. $1: I I i l l : 1 1 l i 1 1 P. . 7 i :\lli,l, ~~;lnagenlc:lll, lnc. pp. 299, L*III~OC( ; ~ I . ; I I I ~ O I I .P. 83: Leo tlr i 915: (:ourten. Ehll (:l;tssics. i 226. 24.1. 2(i!l: l i b r a n crl i ( : u n ~ e w .1'. 230: Picrurr I\'\\. IIIC. Pp. 86, 94: (:ourtr.sy i P. 300: Erirh I t \ \ i ~ ~ from g , :\I 1 I(:>! .\I-ti\r\.9.92, 107: Picrut.<. i (ullectifm. Sc%xlrh Ptltllii i Rc.ourcr. P. 301: (:lrri\liart C o I l ~ ~ c - t Set, i ~ ~ n\iwk , 1'11hIic I.ihrx~-. P. 231: ~ : o l l l ~~.:Ic.LIGI e ~ ~ . i i ~ , . i ~ ~ r r , ( : (~: ~ ~ I I I ~I I )n~ I e~ ; ~ I \ Intr-rn;~tio~~;~l (:IasSLci. P. 233: 1iI11rv.P. 9 ' 1 c t o 1 1 1 i ~ , \ l t i , t r Slanagcmclll, 1 1 1 ~P. . 303: B~rllc,,.P. 100: Bilrl-;\rcl~i\ dcr i Kichr II t r l ~ i i i (;,,urrcsy ofrhe St~~ill~sonian ~ ~ r r ~ ~ r c . i c . l r i rS:~tii,nalcl~rr~ C.Iasics. P. 235: Fri:l111,1r i In\tituti~)n.P. 304: 'l'he GrangrlI .t'cb ;I~~II ' ( :011rtv\v i.I;t\\ic;il. 1'. 243: S t ~ , c u l ~ i P ~ c ~ t i u c t i nP.~ ~3l0, s . 314, 320, Ielarr. P. 100: F. P
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PICTURE CREDITS
E~aro.Pp. 362,366, 369,373, T l ~ (;rnsby c I)ro\\.~i(:ollection of 383: .GG, Bcrli~~. P. 363: Erich hlusical Insrn~ments,IX89. Lessing. from Arr Resource. P. 319: S ~ ~ r a n nFaulkner e P. 365: Pcrfor~ningArts Stevens/Xrrhives, Liricolrl Rrsmrch Center. New Wlrk Ccr~rerlor the Pcrfor~ningArb. Public Libray at 1.incoln Centcr. Inc. P. 321: (h11rtesyJoli11 Pp. 367, 376: The Granger G i ~ ~ g r i c.\lanagc.n~cnl. h Inc. Cc~llccric,n.P. 369: Rog1.r-\lollel. P. 322: Dra\\ing by h1ortc111 P. 370: Capitol Rcc-cn'tls Bergheim/'Couriesy Spill\ille IJhotogr.~plrirStitdio, Histot-ic hctior~G~nrctp,Inc. Hc~ll\?\.e>od. Pp. 371, 375, 342: P. 323: Courtesy RCA \'icror (;old Seal. P. 324:i. L.acroix, l l ~K e e t t m a r ~Archive. ~~ P. 372: gene\';^. P. 326: Phillip hloll,) SYI' I1icture\. P. 377: Kich;~rcl Ccl~rrtesyLoridon Recc~rds. Holr/Courrcq l a n d o n Recorcls. P. 328: Tlrv Slansell C:ollccrion. e i v Rccl Sczil. P. 378: C c ~ ~ ~ r rKC.\ P. 329: hldcolrn C~-o\\~~liers, P. 379: r\rchivr P l ~ o ~ oP. s . 380: Courr(.sy ICSl .hists. Pp. 330, (:ollection of 11111r.tle 'l'inan 0 334: hlusical &nerica. P. 336: Spadem. P. 382: (:ourtew E1rkrr.i Sl~cil;~ Kock/Courtesy ESll Enterrai~~n~enr. P. 384: Courrcsy (:lassies. P. 337: Basset clarinvr irr BhIG (:lassies. P. 386: i\lv;i~.o ;\ b;~ccdon origin;il Tallher :\ lilc=l~'(:ourresyM;cr~noniahlundi. clariner t~\vnrdby Prof. P. 387: Srrvf?ir,t. P. 389: C:liristi;rr~ Shackleton. Skihers Bangham/ Srci~~rr/Cottrtesy ;~rrrcrican Pl;~~ia\. P. 338: Jason Slic~l;~i/ Inrcrnation;~l.\rrisr Cburteq. D e c a Rrcold Campany. Slanagernent. Pp. 391,396: Pp. 341, 346: Perfonning .\I-ts Slusical . h c n r a . P. 394: Reseal-cli Centcr. Sew X11.k I'ainting byJc~hnhleyel; co111111i.sPublic 1,ihrary at Lincoln Ccrlrer. liorlcd by Steinway & SOIIS/ P. 342: Phoro Ri7;carcliela. Pl~oiocourtesy Son? (:lassical. P. 343: Auitrian Natir>~i;tl l i l l l ~ . i s ~ P. 397: Surc.scl~Ba?at/C:ourrcs). Office. P. 344: Bild-Archiv dcr Dcur>cllr (;~amrnopllor~. P. 400: ~)sterreichischenNatiotlalOlivier Beuve.%Ic~.y/(:ol~rtesy biblio~hek.\Yien. P. 345: XK(;. D e u u c l ~ G~animopliori. r Berlin. P. 347: -r\ustrian C:ultuml 1nsri111te.P. 348: ;\rcl~i\~c. Pho~o\/Popperfoto.P. 349: Picture C'.ollccrie,n. Net\ York Pp. .104,405,411,438: Tlir Puhlir I.ibnry. P. 351: Tlic Rrttrnann .bchivr. P. 406: Art I'ierpont h1orb-n lib~ar):Se\v Resource. P. -107: I'ertbr-111ing Ibrk, hl. 399. f. 6v. P. 352: .h.Rcwarch C:entrl: h'(.rv lbrk Courtesy Columbia Artists hlanagernent. Inc. Public Library ; ~ Ir .incoln Center. Pn. 408. 4 10: (:~rlverPicrurc.
P. 356: Hulron Deutsch. P. 357: Urii~~rr~c. I'wdoni/Cc~ur~c~y I.ondnn Records. P. 358: LdurosC i r a u d o ~P. ~ .360: Courtesy
P. 41-k Jim Four/(:ourtesy .\lonrcvc;.di Choir. P. 4 18: Erich Lsten. Pp. 419,120: I7ayer/ Courtesr. Ehll (:lassies.
Pp. 421,424: CollectionJames Carnner. P. 425: Chri~tian Steiner/Grurres\ London Recorcl*. Pp. 426,431. 431: Slusical h~nerica.P. 428: Courtesy Pllilips (:lassies. P. 429: Dild-.\rclri\. der i)sterreichi\cl~rrl Sationall~iblio1he1;,l\'ien.P. 433: Library ol'Congress. P. 135: Susanne 1;aulkner Strver~r/ Archives. Lincolr~Center for the Performi~~g Arts, Inc. P. 436: \\: Forsrcr. P. 440: ;\ngus . \ l c B c a n / ( : o ~ r t eEhLI Clnscirs.
p. 443 ,\:Jean-Loup C h a n ~ ~ c ~ . pp. 443 B. 435,464,677: 5t.111 Bergman. Pp. 445,454,458,459, 461, 463: hl~tsirzrl.Xmerica. P. 446: hlcveipolitan Opera Archives. P. 447: Images, Inc. g.448,479: Libra? ol'(:ongress. Pp. 450: Kranichphoto/ Ope. .Vents. P. 452: \'ivianne Pl~rdom/C.ourrcsyDecca. P. 453: German 111lormation (:enter. P. 457: K~anichphoto. P. 460: I(ranichplicito/Opern .\k,~.,.Pp. 462 A, 484 B: Courtesy Decca. Pp. 462 B, 472,475: Courresy Ehll Clas\ics. P. 465: Brow11Brothers. P. 467: LVinnie Klotz. P. 468: I;. Scianna/ Slagiurri. Pp. 469,478: O/wrr~ Saw. P. 470 A: Courtesy RCA. P. 470 B: Courrrsy Londou Records. P. 471: Daniel Condc./ 0p-m ;\rntp. Pp. 473,481: Thc* Bettmann .4rchive. P. 476:
.Vni:s. P. 482: Guy Gr.rveu/
Glvr~dcho~trne Festi\al Opera. P. 484 A: (:ollrtes). Dcutsche Gr.~rnrr~~~plion.
