Richard Strauss / Eine Alpensinfonie / Herbert von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic

Tags

Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, Richard Strauss

I just finished watching “Eine Alpensinfonie” on DVD, taped at the Berlin Philharmonie in 1983 and released under the Sony label, as a part of the Herbert von Karajan “His Legacy for Home Video” series. This Berlin Philharmonic performance was given in observance of All Souls Day, and originally posthumously released under Karajan’s own Telemondial label in 1991.

First of all, this magnificent piece of music was composed by Richard Strauss between 1911 and 1915. It was his last tone poem and in my opinion, his greatest one in many respects. In purely instrumental terms, this work is an effective depiction of the ascent and descent of a mountain. Beginning with night just before dawn and ending with night after sunset, the signposts of roughly 12 hours are reflected in the score; i.e., “Night,” “Sunrise,” “The Ascent,” “At the Summit,” “Calm Before the Storm,” etc. What happens in between, as well as the two “Nights” which serve as bookends, is one of the true marvels of music, in terms of orchestration and imagination.

As with other Karajan films under his artistic supervision, he was the main subject of the lens. Truly, he is one of the more interesting conductors to watch sculpt and shape the music with his hands. In fact, I don’t think anyone can best Karajan where sheer “fervor” is concerned.

That being said, there are so many interesting and unusual instruments in this piece which should merit expert video attention; therefore, I believe the camerawork comes up short. Although the typical side view shots of the woodwind and brass players were dramatic, they needed to be supplemented by full frontal views revealing the breadth and depth of the entire sections. Fortunately, newer productions of works such as this one do a better job.

I should digress momentarily and mention that I am in possession of a Dover edition of this score, in which certain musical signposts are numbered. I will refer to these numbers below:

In addition, there are questionable musical choices in this performance. For example, why did Karajan not place the “hunting horns from afar” offstage as instructed in the score, beginning five bars after 18? The desired effect was lost, as the extra players were clearly visible onstage. Anyway, when all of the horns played, the camera shot of the entire orchestra denied us a chance to see their efforts. What a waste!

Later, after reaching the summit, four trombones enter in G, C and G in octaves before 80 and are not sufficiently fortissimo, as indicated in the score. Therefore, when the four trumpets (Karajan used five) DO come in at 80 playing at the proper blazing fortissimo, they overpower the trombones, instead of matching their volume. When the six horns enter with their majestic tune four bars after 80, only four of them receive the well-deserved attention from the camera. This is yet another instance of injustice to the piece. The enormity of this tone poem needs to be seen as well as heard.

Speaking of missing instruments, where was the Heckelphone? Why wasn’t the wind machine shown during the storm sequence? Oh, that’s right–Karajan appeared to have opted for a recording of wind instead. This was perhaps another example of his desire to be on the “cutting edge” of 1983 technological developments!

Despite these gripes, I was still able to enjoy the magnificent playing by the Berlin Philharmonic. However, this piece requires teamwork from all parties involved and this DVD contains many challenges including recorded balances, which could have been repaired during the postproduction process. Since Karajan was the artistic supervisor for this DVD and presumably had “final cut” authority, I have to place most of the blame for these transgressions on his shoulders.

Nevertheless, there is some great and inspired music making on this disc and you should check it out, by all means. But you should also watch other DVD performances of the piece, to get a “bigger picture.”

As this is one of my favorite pieces of music, I admittedly am more critical of this release. I could go on and on…

Richard Strauss: An Alpine Symphony Op. 64 / Kent Nagano

Tags

Kent Nagano, Richard Strauss

I can’t think of any piece that epitomizes post romanticism in music more effectively than “An Alpine Symphony (Eine Alpensinfonie),” by Richard Strauss (1864-1949), which he completed in 1915. In terms of descriptive detail and expressive power, it’s as if everything possible with an orchestra was manifested in this work.

As a music monument to his beloved mountains, this symphony depicts the ascent and descent of a mountain in instrumental terms, beginning just before sunrise and ending just after sunset, roughly 12 hours later. It’s an understatement to say that this final tone poem from Strauss is an effective “nature painting” and a magnificent piece. In fact, it is one of my favorites.

I just finished watching a DVD performance of it by the Deutsches-Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, conducted by Kent Nagano (1951-) and filmed during 2006 at the Berlin Philharmonie. This disc is another installment in the “Kent Nagano Conducts Classical Masterpieces,” series, under the Arthaus Musik label.

In addition to the performance, a documentary with animated sequences is also included. The main benefit of this documentary is hearing Maestro Nagano’s thoughts on the piece, along with the impressions of some of the orchestral players. Unfortunately, these features are superimposed over recorded portions of the work, thereby causing the viewer to hear it twice. I would have preferred more background footage pertaining directly to the piece. Nevertheless, this bonus feature is well worth watching, and there is some rehearsal footage included.

For the most part, I was quite impressed by the performance, with its attention to the myriad details without losing the grand picture. However, I also feel that the hypothetical “ideal” performance of it probably exists in my imagination. This is particularly true with regard to the sound engineering, not to mention the camera work. There’s so much going on instrumentally that a special “split screen” technique (which I’ve yet to encounter on orchestral DVDs) is probably necessary.

Still, I was moved by this performance and I can recommend it, with the caveat that anyone watching it should also watch other performances of it as well. The piece is too large to limit it to one point of view. This one is special!

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Strauss: Die Ägyptische Helena

Tags

American Symphony Orchestra, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Leon Botstein, Richard Strauss

First of all, I’d like to say that the folks at Telarc captured this
concert performance of “Die Ägyptische Helena,” (“The Egyptian
Helen”) very well. Due to encouragement from conductor
Clemens Krauss (1893-1954) and director Lothar Wallerstein
(1882-1949), Act Two was revised, and the abridged version
has also been performed. However, the version I recently heard
was the complete score from the 1928 Dresden premiere.
In fact, it may be the only recording of its kind, as I’m unsure
if the 1979 Decca recording under the baton of Antal Doráti
(1906-1988) is abridged.

While it was never a popular work at the time, librettist
Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1874-1929) considered it to be his
best effort. In addition to this opera, the entire “marriage triptych”
is explored in Richard Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten” (1919),
and “Intermezzo” (1924). Along with the plot elements of
these two other preceding operas by Strauss (1864-1949),
in the liner notes, essayist Bryan Gilliam indicates a focus on
“…the complexities to be found in marital relationships,” which
are even thematically explored in the composer’s 1904
“Symphonie Domestica.”

The plot of “Die Ägyptische Helena,” concerns the reunion
between Menelaus and his wife, Helena, which occurred after
she ran away with Paris, Prince of Troy, thus precipitating the
bloody, 10-year Trojan War. The reunion is assisted by magic
lotus juice from Poseidon’s mistress, the sorceress Aithra.
During Act One, a seashell has a featured role, which is sung by
a mezzo-soprano.

I’d have to disagree with the opinions expressed in the
accompanying essay by Leon Botstein, in which he extols
the virtues of this libretto, and discusses Richard Strauss’ career
and collaborations with Hofmannsthal. While based upon Greek
mythology, I found this story to be far-fetched; however, it did
provide Strauss with an opportunity to write some magnificent
vocal and orchestral music. He loved the soprano voice, and
the role of Helena is the most dramatically memorable one in
the opera. Aithra also has some gorgeous music to sing, as do
the lesser roles of various elves and servants. The punishing
tenor role of Menelaus is the only male voice in Act One. It requires
a heroic voice with a lot of stamina. The roles of the mountain
prince, Altair, and his son Da-Ud are male parts added in Act Two,
but aside from the choral parts, the remainder of the work is
dominated by female voices, and Strauss reserves his most
beautiful vocal writing for them.

As for the singers, sopranos Deborah Voight and Celena Shafer
are most impressive. At the time of this recording, Deborah Voight
was the only “internationally famous” singer on the roster, which
primarily listed “up and coming” artists. The result was occasional
vocal performance problems. In my opinion, Shafer gave the
most standout performance, with a particularly shimmering range.
Voight’s vocals were powerful, and she cut through the heavy
orchestration easily. I wasn’t as impressed with Carl Tunner’s
singing of Menelaus, because I believe that he lacked the heroic
“heft” required for this punishing tenor role. He seemed to be
working too hard. I was also under whelmed by Christopher
Robertson’s portrayal of Altair. The chorus sounded good in
Act Two, but all in all, I believe that the female soloists
outshone their male counterparts.

Nevertheless in my opinion, the real “star” of this opera was
the orchestra. The orchestral writing is masterly, and on a
par with some of Strauss’ greatest works. The performance
by the American Symphony Orchestra was well recorded and
taped during a single “live” concert performance. Leon Botstein
led an impassioned reading of this opera. I’m grateful to him for
conducting this unjustly neglected work, and I applaud his
adventurous tendencies. We need more conductors like him!
It was nice to hear this score in such glorious, modern sound,
because there are so many “riches” within it.

Richard Strauss: Die Liebe der Danae

Tags

Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Joseph Gregor, Richard Strauss

“Die Liebe der Danae” was Richard Strauss’ penultimate opera.
Although it wasn’t actually performed until after the premiere of
his last opera, “Capriccio,” he composed it between 1937 and
1940. The premiere performance of “Die Liebe der Danae” was
actually a 1944 dress rehearsal, given with special dispensations
due to the Allied invasion of Europe. The first official stage
premiere didn’t occur until 1952, three years after Strauss’ death,
and there is a broadcast recording from that year under
Maestro Clemens Kraus.

Although the librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1874-1929)
didn’t collaborate with Strauss on this opera, the scenario
for this opera was his. He sent it to Strauss as early as 1920,
but it was shelved, as the composer was working on
“Intermezzo” at that time. Strauss (1864-1949) remembered
it in 1936, after Hofmannsthal’s death, and with his
then-current collaborator, Joseph Gregor (1888-1960), he
developed a workable libretto from the mythological text. In fact,
it’s difficult not to feel the spirit of Hofmannsthal in this opera,
which has themes of love and fidelity in their many guises.
Similar to their 1928 collaboration “Die Ägyptische Helena,”
“Die Liebe der Danae” was billed as a “cheerful mythology in
three acts,” with the strong theme of “true love versus love
bought by riches,” whereas in “Die Ägyptische Helena,” the
story hinged on the theme of “forgiveness.” Strauss’ penchant
for love in a domestic context even extended to his instrumental
works, such as his 1903 “Sinfonia Domestica.”

From a dramatic standpoint, “Die Liebe der Danae” is difficult
to stage, but the “concert” treatment it received here worked
quite well, and apparently this was the first complete recording
of the work. It’s well worth hearing, not only as an opportunity
to listen to the work of a true master, but also as an opera with
a central baritone role. In fact, the role of “Jupiter” in this opera
may arguably be the most in-depth character that Strauss
composed for a baritone. Like “Wotan” in Richard Wagner’s
“Der Ring Des Nibelungen,” Jupiter likes to wander around,
and also has “fidelity issues.” It’s a vocally punishing role,
calling for a “heroic baritone” with great agility. Even at the
premiere, some of it had to be transposed down, but I’d say
that Peter Coleman-Wright’s performance on these discs rose
to the occasion.

In the respective lead roles of “Danae” and “Midas,” soprano
Lauren Flanagan and tenor Hugh Smith also sounded great.
Flanagan easily handled the sumptuous high tessitura
typically found in Richard Strauss’ operas. Smith had a strong,
ringing tenor voice. William Lewis as “King Pollux,” and
Lisa Saffer as “Xanthe,” Danae’s servant, were both
equally impressive. The stellar performances weren’t
limited to the leading roles, and the ensemble of the
“Four Queens,” featuring Tamara Mesic, Jane Jennings,
Mary Phillips, and Elizabeth Canis was also memorable.
Act One featured more choral writing than in most of Strauss’
other operas, and the Concert Chorale of New York sang well.
The American Symphony Orchestra gave another fine
performance under the baton of Leon Botstein, reminiscent
of their later recording of “Die Ägyptische Helena,” also for Telarc.

I would say that this isn’t one of Richard Strauss’ most
memorable operas; nevertheless, it does contain a lot of
beautiful vocal and orchestral writing. While not as inspired
as some of his other works, this complete recording of
“Die Liebe der Danae” is well worth your time.

Sergiu Celibidache in Rehearsal and Performance

Tags

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Richard Strauss, Sergiu Celibidache

“Sergiu Celibidache in Rehearsal and Performance,” a 2007
DVD release, is a rare opportunity to watch this fascinating
conductor take the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra
through its paces during a rehearsal of “Till Eulenspiegel,”
by Richard Strauss (1864-1949).

A fastidious taskmaster in rehearsal and performance,
Celibidache (1912-1996) illustrated his perfectionist tendencies,
with attention to minute details. This rehearsal was followed by
a performance of the piece in the same venue before a small
audience, and was clear evidence of the effectiveness of
these labors.

The other featured performance was of “Scheherazade,”
composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), taken
from a 1982 concert with the same orchestra, and filmed in
color. Maestro Celibidache’s penchant for slow tempi was
partially illustrated here, as the running time for the piece
was approximately 50 minutes. However, it didn’t seem to
matter much. I believe that this work is practically
“conductor proof,” because the music is so inherently
beautiful throughout.

Needless to say, with Maestro Celibidache at the helm, a poor
interpretation was not a concern. It’s true that the tempi
were slow at times, such as during the bassoon solo at the
beginning of the second movement, but that was not the
norm. Actually, this performance was shaped very lovingly.
Besides, it’s a rhapsodic work with the aim of telling a story,
and I don’t feel that strictly gauged tempi are as important
here, as they might be in a Beethoven symphony.

Given the era of this film, the sound quality and the
camera work are decent enough. Most importantly, due to
Maestro Celibidache’s reticence to make recordings, this film
provides a rare opportunity to watch this conductor in action.
I would suggest that you watch it, and form your own opinion.
Personally, I felt that these performances were fine, if not
“revelatory,” and I’m glad that I watched them.

Paul Tortelier: Testament to Bach – The Complete Cello Suites

Tags

Johann Sebastian Bach, Pablo Casals, Paul Tortelier, Richard Strauss, Serge Koussevitsky, Yan Pascal Tortelier

Although this hasn’t been irrefutably authenticated, Johann
Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) probably wrote his “Six Suites for
Cello” between the years 1717 and 1723. The type of
instrument he envisioned playing these pieces has also not
yet been proven beyond doubt. It may have been a large,
shoulder-held instrument called a viola da spalla, or it may have
been more akin to the modern type of cello instrument without
an endpin, which was held in place between the legs of the player.
What we do know is that since Pablo Casals (1876-1973) first
recorded these pieces in 1925, cellists have flocked to the
works for both study and performance purposes. Many famous
cellists have seemingly recorded them as a “rite of passage,”
often more than once.

French cellist Paul Tortelier (1914-1990) is one of the these
performers and this DVD, “Paul Tortelier: Testament To Bach –
The Complete Cello Suites” is his third perusal of them, taped
just months before he died. This performance was given at the
ancient Abbey of Saint-Michel de Cuxa, in celebration of the
40th anniversary of the Prades Festival. Pablo Casals founded
this event in honor of the 200th anniversary of Bach’s death,
and regarded Tortelier as a trusted collaborator. Although his
performances are taped in mono, the sound is quite good.

Tortelier was one of the elite cellists of the 20th century. His
notable accomplishments included playing the solo cello part of
“Don Quixote,” under the direction of its composer, Richard
Strauss (1864-1949), and serving as principal cellist of the
Boston Symphony during the end of the 1930’s, under the
direction of Maestro Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951).

Tortelier’s son, conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier, wrote the liner
notes for this disc. He indicated that his father was faced with
a dilemma at the time of these performances: He could either
undergo surgery for his ailing heart and cancel his concerts,
or give the performances and take his chances. Tortelier opted
to perform, to the detriment of his lifespan. Having made the
ultimate sacrifice to share his talents, the valedictory qualities
of Tortelier’s performances are quite moving, and as DVD
viewers, we are richer for this experience.

Tortelier’s playing had a full, rich tone, and as mentioned
earlier, it was captured magnificently by the recording
engineers. The playing wasn’t flawless by any means,
particularly in the “Sixth Suite,” which requires much playing
in the extreme upper registers of the instrument.

As a side note, it should be mentioned that this “Suite” is
considered by many scholars to have been written for a
five-string instrument, thus eliminating the need for
playing in the extreme upper thumb position on a
standard four-string instrument. Many players who
specialize in “authentic instrument” performances, such
as Anner Bylsma and Pieter Wispelwey, opt for this five-string
approach. Most others don’t, which means that they need a
“monster technique,” to perform the piece in a proper fashion.
At this late stage of his career, Tortelier was a bit shaky when
performing this work, which was the longest of the six pieces.
However, he negotiated the extreme upper register the best
that he could.

Each of the other “Suites” has its own special qualities. On the
whole, the first two or three are easier, from a purely technical
standpoint. They are also shorter that the last three pieces.
For example, the “First Suite,” isn’t much longer than 20 minutes,
whereas the “Sixth Suite” as performed by Tortelier, lasts about
32 minutes. All of these works are in six movements, which
begin with a Prelude and end with a Gigue. The intervening
movements consist of standard dance forms, such as the
Courante, Sarabande and Menuet, etc. Experiencing this entire
set of “Suites” as an aggregate is a tremendous odyssey. I’d
advise viewers of this disc to break them into smaller groups,
thus avoiding “musical numbness.”

From a technical standpoint, there is no doubt that better
renditions of these works are available on DVD. However, I’m glad
that I viewed Tortelier’s performances, particularly because I’d
never seen him perform before. These pieces defy the term,
“definitive,” and I would advise anyone to check out as many
available versions as possible, to get to the true heart of them.
“Paul Tortelier: Testament to Bach – The Complete Cello Suites”
is an important and moving document, with a running time of
two hours and 36 minutes. It was released during 2008 by
the VAI label.

Renee Fleming – Richard Strauss: Daphne

Tags

Renee Fleming, Richard Strauss

“Daphne” is a one-act opera written by Richard Strauss during 1936 and
1937, and first performed in 1938. It is a mythological tale, replete with
gods and shepherds, basically telling the story of a young woman who
is happiest when existing with nature and communing with its inhabitants.
Her preferences are much to the dismay of potential suitors, who include
her childhood friend, Leukippos, and the god, Apollo. In a jealous rage,
Apollo kills Leukippos, but is still unable to obtain Daphne’s affections.
Recognizing his misuse of force, a contrite Apollo then asks Zeus to
allow Daphne to have her desired union with nature, and she is transformed
into a tree.

Although not as dramatically compelling as other Strauss works, “Daphne”
has a ravishing score, with Strauss at the height of his powers. It was
well known that he loved the soprano voice, and he assigned truly
beautiful music to the title character. This 2005 recording of a concert
performance is conducted by Semyon Bychkov, and stars Renee Fleming,
who is wonderful and especially impressive in the higher-lying passages.
Johan Botha’s heroic tenor in the role of Apollo was also well sung. The
remainder of this strong cast featured Michael Schade as Leukippos, and
the men of the Herren des WDR Rundfunkchors Köln provided beautiful
choral support.

“Daphne” requires a large orchestra, and the WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
did not disappoint. The recording engineers at Decca successfully captured
this gorgeous piece of music.