Johan Svendsen; Carl Nielsen - String Octet; Romance; String Quintet

"Johan Svendsen was born in Christiana (now Oslo) on 30 September 1840, and died in Copenhagen on 14 June 1911. At an early age he acquired a working knowledge of a variety of instruments from his father, who was a military musician, and he began his career as a clarinettist in a regimental band. His principal instrument, however, was the violin, and as a young man he played in the orchestra of Norske Theater (of which Ibsen was Director) and his first experience of the symphonic repertory, and of Beethoven in particular, was as a violinist in the subscription concerts organised in 1857-9 by Halfdan Kjerulf and Gottfried Conradi. His formal musical education did not begin until 1863, when, with the aid of a stipend granted to him by the King of Sweden and Norway, he entered the Conservatoire in Leipzig (he was offered a place in an advanced class, but asked to start at the beginning of the course because he considered his musical education to be rudimentary). He studied the violin with Mendelssohn's old friend and colleague Ferdinand David, but within a year had decided to concentrate on composition and conducting. He successfully pursued a career in both capacities (together, initially, with that of a solo and orchestral violinist), and this naturally meant that was away from his native Norway for much of the time. In 1872 he returned to Christiana as joint conductor, with his compatriot and close contemporary Grieg, of the Musikforening concerts, becoming sole conductor two years later. In 1883 he was appointed Musical Director of the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, and retained the position until ill-health forced him to retire in 1908.

"Svendsen's most important compositions, which include two symphonies, two concertos (for violin and for cello), four Norwegian Rhapsodies for orchestra, vocal and chamber music, were written before 1880. The Octet in A major, Op. 3 for strings (four violins, two violas and two cellos), like the String Quartet in A minor, Op. 1 and the String Quintet in C, Op. 5, dates from his last years at the Leipzig Conservatoire. It was performed there for the first time in 1866, and won him the Conservatoire's First Prize; it also prompted an offer from the great Leipzig publishing house of Breitkopf & Härtel, who issued it a year later, with a dedication, 'in deepest gratitude and respect', to Her Majesty Louise, Queen of Sweden and Norway. In May 1868, when Svendsen went to the musical festival in Weimar and met Liszt, the Octet was performed by a group of Germany's foremost string players.

"The industrious and fluent Louis Spohr composed four double quartets between 1823 and 1847, but these are, as their titles imply, octets for two string quartets, with the accent as much, if not more, on antiphonal effects between the two groups, as on treatment of the eight instruments as a homogeneous ensemble. For the classic example of a true string octet, one has to turn to the one in E-flat, Op. 20, that Mendelssohn wrote in 1825 at the age of sixteen; and probably the only nineteenth-century parallel to this, even if it does not match the sheer genius of Mendelssohn's youthful masterpiece, is Svendsen's Op. 3. Both main themes of its first movement incorporate prominent dotted rhythms, and these are to prove a recurring feature throughout the work. The emphatic first subject is announced boldly by all eight instruments in octaves and re-stated in two contrasting ways before a sustained chromatic transition prepares the way for the short second subject in (in E), gently introduced by first violin and first viola in turn. The compact development is mainly concerned with the first two bars of the first subject, but later the second subject enters the discussion; further development takes place during the course of the recapitulation, which is appreciably longer than the exposition and development section combined. The inventive and rhythmically intriguing second movement (in E) has something of the spirit of a scherzo, but is formally more like a loose-limbed rondo. The 'scherzo' element is provided by the chattering triplets of the opening, the 'trio' element by the short, lyrical theme (with a dotted rhythm in its second bar) initiated by the first viola at bar 4I but subsequently expanded almost beyond recognition. The slow movement (in C) can perhaps be best described as a set of free, continuous variations, with considerable fluctuation of mood and tempo, on the theme as presented at the outset by the first violin. But there is an impassioned subsidiary theme that recalls the 'trio' theme of the third movement, and a second 'variation' theme, first played by the first cello to a descant on the first violin in running semiquavers. A slow introduction, bristling with dotted rhythms, prefaces the sonata-form 'Finale', whose angular main theme it foreshadows; a lyrical, curving second subject, of by now familiar outline, is presented by the first viola and provides most of the material for the development, which is separated from the recapitulation by a virtuoso semiquaver passage in octaves.

"The Romance for violin, probably Svendsen's best known work, was composed in Christiana in 1880, soon after his return from an extended foreign tour that took him to Leipzig, Rome, London (where he met the legendary Spanish violinist, Pablo de Saraste) and Paris. It was originally scored for solo violin, with an orchestra of strings, flute, oboe, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns and timpani, but here the accompaniment is arranged for strings. The main tempo is 'Andante', but there is a quicker central section in G minor.

"Carl Nielsen was born at Nørre Lyndelse (near Odense) in Denmark on 9 June 1865, and died in Copenhagen on 2 October 1931. Like Svendsen, he came from a modest background; his father taught him to play the violin and the cornet, he gained his first practical musical experience from playing in a local orchestra and in a military band, and he was enabled to study at the Royal Danish Conservatoire in Copenhagen (from 1884 to 1886) as a result of financial assistance from benefactors in Odense. But although he continued for some years to play the violin professionally (he was a member of the orchestra of the Royal Opera in Copenhagen under Svendsen, who was not only an influence on the young composer but an ardent admirer, and who conducted the first performance of Nielsen's first Symphony in 1894) and was a competent conductor, he never attained Svendsen's eminence in that field, whereas he quickly outstripped him as a composer. Not only did he become, with six symphonies to his credit, Denmark's greatest symphonist, but he was also a noted composer of music for the theatre, wrote three important concertos (for violin, flute and clarinet), choral music and songs, piano music and a considerable body of chamber music which includes three sonatas for violin and piano, six string quartets (the first two of them student works), a string quintet and a wind quintet.

"The String Quintet in G major (for the combination of two violins, two violas and cello, favoured by Mozart, Brahms and Dvořák, but not Schubert) was written in 1888, the same year as the first of Nielsen's four mature quartets (in G minor, Op. 13), and first performed on 28 April 1889. The score was dedicated to Thorvald Nielsen, Erlin Bloch, Hans Kassow and Louis Jensen, but not published until 1937, six years after the composer's death. The first movement, in fairly regular sonata form, is in a lilting 9/8 metre, but with occasional deft changes in rhythm (to 12/8 and, effectively, 3/4), which add to the music's piquancy and charm. There are three main thematic groups: the melodious theme introduced at the very beginning by the first violin; the airy transition initiated by the first viola, engendering a whole succession of oscillating semiquaver patterns; and the long-breathed theme on the first violin (on the first viola and the cello in octaves after the recapitulation) that emerges from it. The slow movement (in B-flat) is in ternary form, with the outer sections centred round a solemn theme intoned, after a chromatic introductory passage, by the first viola and the cello (on the two violins in octaves in the much shortened reprise). The middle section, in slightly quicker tempo, introduces a chorale-like theme on the first viola, this is then treated, in varying forms, rather as a 'cantus firmus' in different instrumental settings. The colourful third movement, alternately dancing and langorous, is permeated by quick, repeated-note 'ostinati'; a somewhat bucolic middle section (or trio) is followed by a literal repear of the first section, followed by a coda. The quintet ends with an exuberant sonata-form 'Finale', with an emphatic first subject and a playful second subject (on the first violin), which provides most of the material for the development section; there is a coda marked 'Presto'." (Robin Golding, 1994. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Ensemble

1. Johan Svendsen - String Octet In A Major, Op. 3: I. Allegro Risoluto Ben Marcato

2. Johan Svendsen - String Octet In A Major, Op. 3: II. Allegro Scherzoso - Lento - Piu Mosso, Quasi Presto

3. Johan Svendsen - String Octet In A Major, Op. 3: III. Andante Sostenuto

4. Johan Svendsen - String Octet In A Major, Op. 3: IV Finale. Moderato - Allegro Assai Con Fuoco

5. Johan Svendsen - Romance, Op. 26

6. Carl Nielsen - String Quintet In G Major: I. Allegro Pastorale

7. Carl Nielsen - String Quintet In G Major: II. Adagio

8. Carl Nielsen - String Quintet In G Major: III. Andante Scherzando

9. Carl Nielsen - String Quintet In G Major: IV. Finale. Allegro Molto - Presto

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Incapacitants - Ad Nauseam

Early three cassette series by seminal japanoise duo Incapacitants. The three tapes are titled "Edition Mikawa", "Edition Kosakai" and "Edition Live" respectively. The raw materials for the first two tapes were the same and it's on the first cassette we get the denser, more typically Incapacitants sound, whereas on the second we get an interesting mix of drum machine work ("Technodelicatessen"), sparser noise and doom metal (the momentous "Into Another Doom's Pain") that display great musicianship while being firmly outside of the 'pure noise'/non-music manifesto of this group. The live tape is phenomenal, rip-roaring harsh noise that is incomparable: dense and alive with insane energy. Those who saw this duo live on these 1993 dates (and indeed at any time) were very lucky.

A1. Abrasive 1

A2. Abrasive 2

B. Abrasive 3

C1. Technodelicatessen

C2. Grind Goddess

D. Into Another's Doom's Pain

E. Live At Yanemura Tokyo 931031

F. Live At Show Boat Tokyo 940411

mp3/320kbps

K2 - Materia Informis

Early and hard-to-find release from Japan's K2. An excellent example of live-feedback work, making use of various materials to produce tactile and original noise. Recorded in 1985, mixed in 1990 and finally released on early Japanese industrial/noise label Kinky Music Institute in 1993.

A. Heavy Metal

B. Unknown Material

mp3/320kbps

Tetsuo Furudate - Macbeth

Hugely overlooked predecessor to Furudate's 2001 "Othello as Noise Opera" (see here). Released on Japanese experimental label SSE Communications in 1993, this project is an interpretation of Shakespeare's play in noise form. Psychologically rich atmosphere, spoken sections and highly skilled electroacoustic/noise work make this a tragedy not only in terms of the subject matter, but in terms of being an early and pretty much ignored example of noise as serious interpretive art.

1. Scene 1

2. Scene 2

3. Scene 3

mp3/224kbps

Meet The Composer: Kaija Saariaho

"The very titles of the works of Kaija Saariaho (b. 1952) provoke strong associations. They blind the listener ('Verblendungen'), contemplate the light arcs of the Northern lights ('Lichtbogen') or one of the moons of Jupiter ('Io'), turn their gaze from the cosmic reaches of the starry sky to the microcosm of flower petals ('Petals'), or retreat to a hidden and secret garden ('Jardin secret'). Whatever the original inspiration for any of these works, Saariaho has managed to convert it with sensitivity and skill into sensual, colourful music. And even if there are some similarities or analogies identifiable between the original inspiration and the finished work, extra-musical phenomena have always been only a starting point for Saariaho, never the object of a simplistic programme.

"There is a natural explanation for why the visual dimension is often invoked in connection with Saariaho's works. Before deciding on music as a career, she studied fine aris at the University of Arts and Design in Helsinki. She studied composition with Paavo Heininen at the Sibelius Academy from 1976 to 1981. During this time, she was active in the Korvat auki! (Ears open!) society founded in 1977 to promote contemporary music. The close professional relationship established between core members of the society was at least as important as the official activities of the society—for instance, organizing public discussions and concerts. Kaija Saariaho recalls: '...there was a circle of us with Esa-Pekka Salonen, Magnus Lindberg, Eero Hämeenniemi, Jouni Kaipainen. We were all active and interested. If someone found an interesting record, all of us would listen to it. We held seminars amongst ourselves and things like that!' The other composers are keen to point out that these intensive meetings often took place at Saariaho's home in Helsinki.

"It was largely due to the central composers in the Korvat auki! society that the 1980s became a decade of Modernism in Finnish music, with much better exposure than before given to Modernists of earlier generations too. One of the main concepts of the Korvat auki! composers was to open up windows to Europe - in the time-honoured manner of Modernists and reformers in Finland. In the case of Saariaho, this dimension became more real than for many others. As early as in summer 1980, she visited the famous summer courses of Darmstadt, and when she had completed her studies, she went to study with Brian Ferneyhough and Klaus Huber at the Freiburg Musikhochschule in 1981-82, receiving her diploma in 1983.

"Since 1982, Saariaho has lived permanently in Paris, a stone's throw away from IRCAM, the well-known contemporary music research centre where she works regularly. Despite her emigration and internationalization, Saariaho has maintained close ties to Finnish musical circles: various Finnish institutions have commissioned works from her, she has had composition concerts in Finland, and in the academic year 1997-98 she was guest Professor of Composition at the Sibelius Academy.

"In her early period in the late 1970s, Saariaho wrote several lyrical, delicate and melodically expressive vocal works. Her focus soon moved from melody to rich tonal colour and harmony, two mutually complementary elements that are closely related to one another. From the early 1980s onwards, Saariaho's music has been characterized by sound surfaces rich in detail, often hovering between pure tones and noise; delicately lyrical, evocative moods; and processes of change unfolding in slow, organic growth and evolution. There is no traditional harmonic structure, counterpoint or pulsating rhythm in works from this period.

"Towards the end of the 1980s, Saariaho's works began to acquire a more definite profile as the dream-like slowness of the earlier works began to subside. In the 1990s, her trend towards a more powerful mode of expression and more abrupt shifts has strengthened, and even melody has reappeared as a significant element in certain works. However, rich tonal colour and meticulously planned details remain important.

"In painting her original and individual landscapes in sound, Saariaho has often used state-of-the-art technology, for instance tape music, live electronics or computer assistance. Modern technology is often seen as the antithesis of delicate lyricism, but Saariaho's works demonstrate that this need not be the case. Saariaho has also worked with many top musicians of our time; for instance, her string quartet 'Nymphea' (1987) was written for the Kronos Quartet, while the orchestral works 'Du cristal' (1990) and '...O la fumée' (1990) were written for Esa-Pekka Salonen, the violin concerto 'Graal thédtre' (1994) for Gidon Kremer and the song cycle 'Château de I'âme' (1996) for soprano Dawn Upshaw.

"Saariaho's output includes orchestral, chamber, solo and vocal music. Often there is a tape involved. Saariaho has also written several works that have a dramatic or cross-discipline element, including the radiophonic work 'Stilleben' (1988), the dance work 'Maa' (Earth, 1991) commissioned by the Finnish National Ballet and choreographed by Carolyn Carlson, and various multimedia and film music projects. Her most extensive project to date is an opera commissioned by the Salzburg Festival for 2001, based on the real-life history of a 12th-century troubadour, Jaugre Rudel.

"'Verblendungen' ('Dazzlements'), commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (1982-84), was Saariaho's first extensive work after finishing her studies, a sort of transition ritual in becoming a full-blown artist. Like many of Saariaho's works, it found its origin in a visual idea, a thick brush-stroke thinning out gradually. In the music, this is reflected in the overall form, an enormous diminuendo beginning in an opening Big Bang and continuing throughout the work. In this sense, Verblendungen is a fine example of the slow processes of change typical of Saariaho's music in the early 1980s.

"'Verblendungen' is written for a 35-member orchestra, smaller than a normal symphony orchestra, and a tape prepared by Saariaho herself at the GRM Studio in Paris. The tape is based on two sounds played on a violin, a bowed sforzato and a pizzicato. This was the first time that Saariaho used a pre-prepared tape with live instrumentalists. The relationship between the musicians and the tape is an important dimension in the work, and it changes during the course of the work. At first, the orchestra is bright in sound and the tape is rough and noisy, but at the end the orchestra sounds electronic and the tape is crystal clear. However, the orchestra and tape intertwine to produce a rich and nuanced image in sound.

"Whereas 'Verblendungen' was sparked by a brush-stroke, 'Lichtbogen' for nine musicians and live electronics ('Light arcs', 1985-86), commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture, was prompted by the Northern lights. It is an extremely sensitive, finely tuned and vibrant piece that is fundamentally static yet is constantly moving and alive. Various colours and noise-like sounds shimmer and undulate in a ghostly, nebulous musical space.

"There is also a more theoretical aspect to 'Lichtbogen'. Saariaho used a computer in writing this work; this was the first time she used a computer with a purely instrumental work. The basic material consisted of harmonics played on a cello; when bow pressure is increased, the notes break up into noise. A computer analysis of this phenomenon generated the harmony and sound models that Saariaho then translated into music for the musicians to perform, complementing the sound spectrum with live electronics, i.e. electronic processing of sound in real time in concert.

"Like 'Lichtbogen', 'Io' (1986-87) for chamber orchestra, tape and live electronics was also inspired by the cosmic dimension of the starry sky. The title refers to one of the moons of Jupiter, although it is tempting to interpret it as the Italian word for 'I'. 'Io' was commissioned by IRCAM for its 10th anniversary concert at the Centre Pompidou.

"In terms of musical material, Saariaho again started off small, with an analysis of individual sound phenomena, in this case noise-like sounds produced on a double bass and a flute. She then transposed the models she had worked out onto a new level, a larger scale. 'Io' is a synthesis of musical approaches in the sense that it has a tape like 'Verblendungen' but also live electronics like 'Lichtbogen'. The tape has quite an independent role in places, and it even has a three-minute 'solo' towards the end. In terms of expression, 'Io' heralded a shift towards a more many-sided and complex texture.

"Kaija Saariaho has said that one of the crucial insights underlying the radiophonic work 'Stilleben' ('Still life', 1987-88) came to her while sitting in a train. As darkness falls, the landscape outside fades from view and the passenger's face begins to show in the window. This poetic experience points two ways with regard to 'Stilleben': firstly, to the gradual processes of change so important to many of Saariaho's works; and secondly, to the fundamental themes of 'Stilleben'. According to Saariaho, 'Stilleben' is about travelling, distance and communication between people separated from one another or from their homeland. It is easy to imagine that there is something very autobiographical in this theme for Saariaho, a Finn living in Paris and doing a lot of travelling.

"'Stilleben' was commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company. It received a prize in the radiophonic works category in the Prix Italia competition in 1988, and in the following year it received the Ars Electronica prize. A 'radiophonic' work is a special kind of taped work that, as the name says, is designed to be played on radio, not in concert. Its means vary, but usually it is something between a radio play and electronic music.

"True to the nature of radiophonic works, 'Stilleben' contains a variety of material: speech in three languages (Finnish, German, French), singing, instrumental music (including extracts from 'Lichtbogen'), various concrete sounds for example from metro stations, and various types of acoustics. The texts are from letters by Franz Kafka discussing the effect of separation on communication; Saariaho has also used the poetry of Paul Eluard and artist Wassily Kandinsky. Saariaho approaches this rich and varied material more as a composer than as a storyteller. In fact, the work does not come across as a clear plot structure; rather it involves associations awakened by various situations and moods, a sort of poetry in sound that has themes and content but not precisely defined meanings.

"'Jardin secret' ('Secret garden') is a curiosity-provoking title that seems to evoke the composer's innermost thoughts. Saariaho has given this title to three works in which she has explored various parameters of music through the same basic model, using a computer. The first work of these is purely for tape (1984-85). The next to be completed was 'Jardin secret II' for harpsichord and tape. The concluding work, written for string quartet and live electronics, is 'Nymphea' (1987), sub-titled 'Jardin Secret III'.

"'Jardin secret II' is different from Saariaho's earlier compositions. It is energetic and rhythmic to the point of being chopping, The harpsichord part is restricted to a few effective basic gestures: trills, tremolos, chord ostinatos and short sharp figures. Saariaho has edited the tape using harpsichord sounds and human heavy breathing. 'Jardin Secret II' is an important work in that it helped open up a newer, more serious approach in the composer's musical thinking.

"'Petals' (1988) for cello and live electronics is a sort of associate member in the 'Jardin secret' series. The material in the work derives largely from the string quartet 'Nymphea' ('Jardin secret III'). The titles also allude to the same sort of sphere, Nymphea meaning 'waterlily'. In discussing 'Petals', we must also mention the contribution of cellist Anssi Karttunen, one of Saariaho's favourite musicians who provided the inspiration for the work and to whom it is dedicated. Saariaho has described the musical concept of 'Petals' thus: 'Petals is about contrasting elements, which here consist of pale colour on one hand and events whose kinetic energy is clearly based on rhythmic and melodic gestures on the other. These more precisely sketched shapes go through a number of changes and finally blend into the less dynamic yet intensive colour tapestry of the opening.'" (Kimmo Korhonen, tr. Jaakko Mäntyjärvi. From the liner notes.)

 

Performers: Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Kaija Saariaho, Jukka Tiensuu, Anssi Karttunen, Endymion Ensemble, John Witfield

1.1. Verblendungen

1.2. Lichtbogen

1.3. Io

1.4. Stilleben

2.1. Jardin Secret II

2.2. Petals

2.3. Lichtbogen

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Joseph Haydn - Piano Sonatas Nos. 48-52

 

"The first of the set, the 'Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:35', is among the better known. It opens with a cheerful first subject, allowing the conventional announcement of a second subject, an opportunity for some display in the development and a varied return of the thematic material in the recapitulation. The F major Adagio opens in stately mood, its first theme repeated in an embellished form and returning transposed and varied to form a central section, before the return of secondary thematic material, now in the tonic key. The last movement is dominated by its principal theme, with a contrasted passage in C minor before its final, triumphant return. 

 

"The second sonata is in the key of C-sharp minor and opens ominously enough before moving to E major, where the same theme now has a contrapuntal accompaniment in descending scales. The development, based on this material, gives a chance for dramatic display, before the return of the opening motif and key and the subsequent recapitulation. The second movement, Scherzando, offers a lightening of mood. There is an opening section in A major, followed by a contrasting section in A minor. These are then presented in variation followed by the return of the opening A major theme, a varied episode in the same key, before the final appearance of the principal subject. The sonata ends with a Menuet in C sharp minor, framing a C sharp major. 

 

"The 'Sonata in D major, Hob. XVI: 37', again gives scope for modest brilliance in its opening theme and the following transition, as well as in its contrasted second subject, all of which offers material for development before the return of the first subject and key in recapitulation. The slow movement, a D minor Largo e sostenuto, is very short, almost in the manner of a Baroque movement that serves to introduce a rapid finale. The last movement here, marked Presto ma non troppo, also bears the instruction innocentemente, an apt indication of the character of the principal theme. It serves to punctuate a D minor and a G major episode, before re-appearing in a final ebullient section.

 

"The Auenbrugger sonatas continue with a 'Sonata in E-flat major, Hob. XVI:38'. The monothematic first movement duly explores foreign keys in its central development and provides a chance for virtuosity in the transitional material that links first and second subject of the recapitulation. A C minor Adagio has moments of distinct drama, leading, without a break, to a final movement in which the principal theme is repeated after a central episode in A flat major. 

 

"The 'Sonata in G major, Hob. XVI:39', like the second movement of the C-sharp minor Sonata, which it closely resembles, follows the major first subject with an excursion into the tonic minor. A variation of the first section follows, with an E minor section preceding the final return of the first key and theme. The slow movement, a C major Adagio, has almost the stature of a concerto movement, as it unfolds. It is followed by a lively final movement in which the first theme provides much of the substance of the second. There is further harmonic exploration in the development, before the recapitulation, now reaching a lower register of the keyboard." (Keith Anderson. From the liner notes.)

Performer: Jenő Jandó

1. Piano Sonata No. 48 In C Major, Hob. XVI:35: I. Allegro Con Brio

2. Piano Sonata No. 48 In C Major, Hob. XVI:35: II. Adagio

3. Piano Sonata No. 48 In C Major, Hob. XVI:35: III. Finale: Allegro

4. Piano Sonata No. 49 In C-Sharp Minor, Hob. XVI:36: I. Moderato

5. Piano Sonata No. 49 In C-Sharp Minor, Hob. XVI:36: II. Scherzando: Allegro Con Brio

6. Piano Sonata No. 49 In C-Sharp Minor, Hob. XVI:36: III. Menuet: Moderato

7. Piano Sonata No. 50 In D Major, Hob. XVI:37: I. Allegro Con Brio

8. Piano Sonata No. 50 In D Major, Hob. XVI:37: II. Largo E Sostenuto

9. Piano Sonata No. 50 In D Major, Hob. XVI:37: III. Finale: Presto Ma Non Troppo

10. Piano Sonata No. 51 In E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI:38: I. Allegro Moderato

11. Piano Sonata No. 51 In E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI:38: II. Adagio

12. Piano Sonata No. 51 In E-Flat Major, Hob. XVI:38: III. Finale: Allegro

13. Piano Sonata No. 52 In G Major, Hob. XVI:39: I. Allegro Con Brio

14. Piano Sonata No. 52 In G Major, Hob. XVI:39: II. Adagio

15. Piano Sonata No. 52 In G Major, Hob. XVI:39: III. Prestissimo

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Bruno Maderna - The Oboe Concertos

"The versatile Italian musician Bruno Maderna was one of the leading advocates in post-war Europe of successive modernist trends: the serial technique of Schoenberg and his pupils, and its more rigorous later manifestations; composition on electronic tape; and the introduction of open forms involving elements of choice and chance. This advocacy he carried on not only as a composer, but also as a teacher, notably at the Darmstadt summer school, as joint founder (with Luciano Berio) of the influential RAI electronic studio in Milan, and in the course of a conducting career which was still gathering momentum when he died at the age of 53.

"Maderna's conducting activities had an important influence on his compositions: in particular on the way he offered performers the opportunity to make a creative contribution to many of his works. Indeed, the amount of interpretative freedom allowed not only to the soloist, but also to individual orchestral players and to the co-ordinating conductor, is a striking feature of all three of Maderna's oboe concertos. But, while their scores contain many sections which seem to require a high degree of intuition (and perhaps also a knowledge of how Maderna organised them in performances which he directed himself), they also include many other passages of extremely precise and detailed notation. And the overall shape of each single-movement work remains firmly under the composer's control. 

"The three concertos are all products of the final period of Maderna's life, in which the oboe clearly became an instrument of particular importance to him — it also plays a leading role in several of his other orchestral and chamber works. The solo parts make remarkable demands on the player's technique, in their rapid, irregular flurries of activity, in some passages requiring unconventional tone production (for example multiphonics, or chords, and glissandi — not to mention playing on the reed alone), and above all in their sustained use of the extreme high register. 

"The 'Concerto No. 1' was originally written in 1962 as a 'composition for oboe, chamber ensemble and tape'; but after one performance in Darmstadt that year Maderna revised the score, expanding it considerably but omitting the tape part. The new version was first performed at the Venice Biennale in April 1963. The conductor was Maderna himself; the soloist (as at the premieres of most of Maderna's works for oboe) was Lothar Faber — indeed the score is dedicated 'to Lothar Faber and his oboes.' 'Oboes' is in the plural because the solo part calls not only for the standard instrument, but also for the oboe d'amore and the cor anglais, pitched respectively a minor third and a fifth lower. The soloist is accompanied by an ensemble of six woodwind, three brass, celesta, two harps, two pianos, four percussionists and five solo strings. 

"After a rarefied introduction for oboe d'amore and strings (joined by harp, pianos, played directly on the strings, and celesta), the concerto proceeds by alternation between ensemble sections and sections labelled by Maderna as cadenzas. These cadenzas are the principal carriers of the solo line, which is frequently disjointed but always expressive in character: there are six of them, the first for oboe d'amore, the next four for oboe, and the last for cor anglais. The soloist is sometimes unaccompanied, but more often is joined by various instruments or groups of instruments from within the ensemble. In these passages, individual instrumentalists play mostly in free time, with loose co-ordination, and frequently from graphic notation — that is, with symbols designed to indicate the kind of sounds required rather than precise notes. The cadenzas are separated by episodes of, mostly, fully notated music: some of these are for the full ensemble (joined at one point by the solo oboe), and are teeming with activity: others are for smaller groupings, and are varied in character. As the work proceeds, the cadenzas increasingly predominate; some of the punctuating tuttis are very slight indeed. At the end, the reflective cor anglais is supported for a while by a sustained string chord, and finally by a quiet (graphically notated) continuum of percussion.

"Maderna's 'Oboe Concerto No. 2' was composed in 1967, to a commission from WDR, West German Radio. It is again dedicated to Lothar Faber, who was the soloist in the first performance, conducted by the composer, in Cologne in November 1967. In this concerto, the soloist plays oboe, oboe d'amore and musette, a piccolo oboe (of folk origins) pitched a fifth higher than the standard instrument. The accompanying orchestra is larger than that of the 'First Concerto', but unusual in its composition: complete wind 'families' made up of two oboes and cor anglais, three clarinets and bass clarinet, and four horns; guitar and electric bass guitar, two harps and celesta; again a large percussion section; and a string group of six violins, three violas, three cellos and three double-basses.

"Unlike the 'First Concerto', the Second contains substantial 'mobile' sections, in which different groups of instruments play different blocks of material in free time, at the conductor's direction. The work starts with the first of these; as it continues, the percussion enter, following the conductor's beat, but playing from graphic notation. The soloist initially plays the musette; first in tempo with celesta and harps; then in a cadenza (like those of the 'First Concerto'), supported by plucked strings of various kinds; then, after a short, subdued passage principally for the strings, finding common cause with the orchestral oboe section; and eventually emerging from a mobile of violins and percussion into another solo passage. After a notated episode for woodwind and strings, combining scurrying activity with a sustained chordal background, the soloist re-enters on the oboe, at first in an extrovert cadenza, then adding fragments in free time to a densely notated string passage. Finally, the soloist changes to oboe d'amore for a sustained, elegiac melody, supported by a mobile involving guitars, harps and double-basses (all extremely quiet) and graphically notated percussion, but bringing the concerto to a gentle close on its own.  

"The 'Oboe Concerto No. 3' was Maderna's last completed work. It was commissioned by Netherlands Radio, and first performed at the 1973 Holland Festival: Maderna conducted once more, but the soloist this time was Han de Vries. This concerto, unlike the previous two, entrusts the solo part throughout to the standard oboe. However, the orchestra is large and richly coloured, consisting of triple and quadruple woodwind, a brass section of 14, a percussion section entirely of pitched instruments (glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone), celesta, two harps and a string section of 39 players, divided into three equal groups.

"The concerto begins with the soloist completely in-dependent from the orchestra: in fact, his opening free cadenza is not even shown in the conductor's score. Against it, after a while, various orchestral sections peel off from a unison E in different directions, with the three string groups gradually coming to the fore. The oboist is then brought under the conductor's direction in dialogue with different sections. A strident unison A-flat on the brass introduces a passage of pointillist staccatos. Over this, the soloist resumes his opening cadenza, now loosely co-ordinated with an extended sequence of orchestral mobiles of greatly varied character. Towards the end, the orchestral cor anglais emerges from this activity as a kind of melancholy alter ego to the soloist. Maderna's instruction on the last page of the score is so characteristic of his open, collaborative approach to composition and performance that it is worth quoting in full:

"The oboe soloist should interpolate the boxed frag-ments at will, and repeat them many times. By agree-ment with the conductor, the soloist's interventions should occur during pauses (the conductor stopping the orchestra, gently or abruptly), or during the de-velopment of the material entrusted to the various instrumental groups. The cor anglais should inter-vene only on the conductor's cue: the part is ad libitum, and may even be omitted. In the repetitions, the solo oboist should try to vary the character of each individual fragment as much as possible, making use of phrasings, tempos, dynamics and ac-cents completely different from those indicated. Manifold expressive relationships should be estab-lished between orchestra and soloist: contrasts, pro-tests, acquiescences, agreements, integrations, af-fection. In this atmosphere, the composer intends and hopes that the soloist and conductor will 'find' a successful way to bring the piece to an end." (Anthony Burton. From the liner notes.)

Performers: WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln, Gary Bertini, Heinz Holliger

1. Oboe Concerto No. 3

2. Oboe Concerto No. 1

3. Oboe Concerto No. 2

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Joseph Haydn - Piano Sonatas Nos. 53-56 & 58; Un Piccolo Divertimento

"Haydn's 'Sonata in E minor, Hob. XVI:34', is of uncertain date, but was published in London in 1784 as one of a group of three keyboard sonatas. It seems that all three were derived from an earlier source. The sonata opens with a fast movement in 6/8, the ascending arpeggio in the left hand answered immediately by the right. It has a G major second subject and the central development starts in E major, making much of the opening figure before the final recapitulation. The following 'Adagio' in G major has elaborate figuration for the right hand and is linked by means of an unexpected cadence into E minor to the final 'Vivace' molto in that key, marked innocentemente and with contrasting melodies in the major and minor keys. 

"The three sonatas Hob. XVI:40 - 42 appeared in 1784 and were dedicated to Princess Marie Esterházy, who had married the grandson of Haydn's patron Prince Nicolaus in the early autumn of 1783. It has been suggested that the set was in the nature of a wedding present to the wife of Haydn's future patron, the younger Prince Nicolaus. Each of the sonatas is in two movements. The first of the sonatas, in G major, is marked 'Allegretto e innocente', a suggestion of the feminine grace expected of their performer. The principal theme, each of its two sections repeated, is followed the two sections of a dramatic theme in G minor. A varied version of the G major theme returns, to be followed by a more elaborate version of the G minor material, leading to a more decorated re-appearance of the first theme. The second movement, marked 'Presto', is again in two repeated sections, the first of which returns after a brief interlude of drama, to end now in the tonic key. A section in E minor is followed by a more elaborate version of the principal theme. The second sonata, in B-flat major, has a principal theme in dotted rhythm, while a triplet accompaniment predominates in the subsidiary theme. Interesting twists of harmony, even in the second bar, are carried further in the central development, which opens in D-flat major. Much use is made of answering figures between right and left hands in the lively second movement. Again the two sections of the principal theme are each repeated, before a B-flat minor version of the material, leading to a more decorated version of the first theme in the tonic major key. The set ends with a Sonata in D major. The first movement is marked 'Andante con espressione' and the two sections of the principal theme are again each repeated before returning in varied guise, with changes of ornamentation and mode, the final version being one of some intricacy. The main theme of the lively second movement is one of the clearest possible texture in its first appearance and forms the substance of the movement. 

"The 'Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:48', first appeared in 1789 in the first number of the 'Musikalischer Pot-Pourri' published by Christoph Gottlob Breitkopf in Leipzig. It opens with a slow movement, marked 'Andante con espressione', and shows an attention to the dynamics of the new fortepiano that heralds the work of Beethoven. The two repeated sections of the principal theme are followed by a more complex excursion into C minor, before the return of the first theme in C major in embellished form, followed by a second version of the C minor episode. A wider range of the keyboard and its possible sonorities is explored in the final section, based on the main theme. The final 'Rondo' opens with a spritely main theme but goes on to exploit more grandiose keyboard effects in thicker lower register chords and octaves and a C minor section, after which the main theme returns, in its final guise using sonorities that Haydn had not used before in his sonatas and hence in notable contrast to the group of delicate sonatas for Princess Marie Hermenegild. Haydn's 'Variations in F minor, Hob. XVII:6', with the added title 'Sonata, Un piccolo Divertimento', were written in Vienna in 1793 for Barbara von Ployer, a pupil of Mozart and daughter of the Salzburg Court Agent in Vienna. The work was published in Vienna only in 1799, when it was dedicated to Baroness von Braun, wife of the director of the Vienna Court Theatres. These double variations start with the F minor theme, followed by a second theme in F major, the first of these then varied by syncopation, and the second with added trills. A rapid demisemiquaver version of the F minor theme follows with an F major variation of equal intricacy. The return of the F minor theme leads on to an extended section calling for some virtuosity, with considerable dynamic variety and a whispered ending in F major, spanning a wide range of the keyboard." (Frédéric Castello. From the liner notes.)

Performer: Jenő Jandó

1. Piano Sonata No. 53 In E Minor, Hob. XVI:34: I. Presto

2. Piano Sonata No. 53 In E Minor, Hob. XVI:34: II. Adagio

3. Piano Sonata No. 53 In E Minor, Hob. XVI:34: III. Vivace Molto

4. Piano Sonata No. 54 In G Major, Hob. XVI:40: I. Allegretto E Innocente

5. Piano Sonata No. 54 In G Major, Hob. XVI:40: II. Presto

6. Piano Sonata No. 55 In B-flat Major, Hob. XVI:41: I. Allegro

7. Piano Sonata No. 55 In B-flat Major, Hob. XVI:41: II. Allegro Di Molto

8. Piano Sonata No. 56 In D Major, Hob. XVI:42: I. Andante Con Espressione

9. Piano Sonata No. 56 In D Major, Hob. XVI:42: II. Vivace Assai

10. Piano Sonata No. 58 In C Major, Hob. XVI:48: I. Andante Con Espressione

11. Piano Sonata No. 58 In C Major, Hob. XVI:48: II. Rondo. Presto

12. Variations In F Minor, Hob. XVII:6 'Un Piccolo Divertimento'

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Bass Clarinet

"Romantic expression emerged as an urgent desire and need in music at the beginning of the nineteenth century and introduced sweeping changes and innovations into all the areas constituting the general field of music. 

"The chromatic extension of harmony and melody gradually moved out toward the limits of tonality and necessarily sped up the technical development of the orchestral instrumentarium, especially of the family of wind instruments. The expansion of form, larger dynamic ambitus, and increasing importance of the rhythmic element also required the continuous expansion of the orchestra. This tendency finally culminated in the mingling of new tone colors with the extended tone masses. 

"Mozart's quest for such new tone colors had led him to discover the beauty of the low clarinet registers. He introduced the basset horn, a variant of the alto clarinet, into some of his works. Thus it is not surprising that the romantic period witnessed the addition of a bass instrument to the clarinet family, the youngest of the orchestral wind groups. The bass instruments constructed in French, German, Italian, and Belgian workshops during those years (often independently of each other!) today remind us not so much of bass clarinets proper as of the primitive musical implements of indigenous peoples. 

"The initial design of the bass clarinet, with its bent, doubled wooden tube reminiscent of the bassoon or tangled windings, was nothing short of a monstrosity. Its design notwithstanding, the early bass clarinet was distinguished by a tonal magic that earned it the name of glicibarifono, 'sweet-deep-toner.' The Belgian music scholar Francois Joseph Fétis certified its special tonal qualities at a bass clarinet presentation around 1832, 'At the sight of this huge, downright gigantic instrument most members of the audience believed that they would be hearing harsh and rough tones. Instead they heard full strong, and mellow tones.' 

"Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864), a great name in the field of the grand opera, was so fond of the melodious sound of the bass clarinet that he assigned the instrument a major recitative in his opera Les Huguenots (1836), the first bass clarinet solo in the whole of music history! During the same period the famous Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax (1814-94) developed a model with an elongated tube form, the immediate precursor of today's bass clarinet, and thus paved the way for the instrument's rapid dissemination. In subsequent years there was hardly an opera composer who did not avail himself of the bass clarinet for the heightening of the mood at the major turning points in the action. Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi employed the bass clarinet to create emphases of the greatest intensity. 

"Since the romantic symphonic literature was slower to move away from the traditional orchestral instrumentation, we do not meet with the bass clarinet here until later on. The 'modernists' Berlioz and Liszt, the late romantics, and composers of the twentieth century, however, have fully exploited the tonal diversity of the bass clarinet. Soon its tonal diversity was featured even outside of noble legato passages. The bass clarinet also became in-dispensable in film music. Borrowing on its employment and function in the opera orchestra, the bass clarinet succeeds in heightening even the most electric cinematic suspense. 

"The development of the bass clarinet from a successfully integrated orchestral instrument to an emancipated solo instrument was a gradual one. Most compositions for solo bass clarinet date from the decades after 1950. A few isolated works form the only exceptions: August Klughardt's 'Romanze' (ca. 1890), Francois Rasse's 'Song' (1911), and Othmar Schoeck's 'Sonata for Bass Clarinet and Piano op. 41' (1928)." (From the liner notes. Translated by Susan Marie Praeder.)

Performers: Renata Rusche, Berliner Symphoniker, Neil Varon, Stefan Pintev, Rodrigo Reichel, Thomas Oepen, Christoph Groth, Werner Hagen

1. Othmar Schoeck - Sonata, Op. 41: I. Gemessen

2. Othmar Schoeck - Sonata, Op. 41: II. Bewegt

3. Othmar Schoeck - Sonata, Op. 41: III. Bewegt

4. Olivier Messiaen - 'Abime Des Oiseaux'

5. Frits Celis - 'Da Uno A Cinque', Op. 27: I. Andante Sostenuto - Quasi Berceuse

6. Frits Celis - 'Da Uno A Cinque', Op. 27: II. Molto Agitato - Allegro Con Fuoco - Molto Tranquillo

7. Harald Genzmer - Bass Clarinet Sonata: I. Moderato

8. Harald Genzmer - Bass Clarinet Sonata: II. Presto

9. Harald Genzmer - Bass Clarinet Sonata: III. Intermezzo: Tranquillo

10. Harald Genzmer - Bass Clarinet Sonata: IV. Finale: Vivacissimo, Moderato

11. Dietrich Erdmann - Bass Clarinet Concerto: I. Adagio,Vivace

12. Dietrich Erdmann - Bass Clarinet Concerto: II. Adante, Quasi Sostenuto

13. Dietrich Erdmann - Bass Clarinet Concerto: III. Poco Adagio, Cantabile

14. Dietrich Erdmann - Bass Clarinet Concerto: IV. Allegro Grazioso

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Richard Strauss - Capriccio

"The action takes place in maytime in a rococo château near Paris at the time Gluck was beginning his opera reforms there. About 1775. The birthday of the young widowed Countess, Madeleine, is to be celebrated. Flamand, a composer, and Olivier, a poet, are listening to the rehearsal of Flamand's sextet. written for the occasion, while the theatre director, La Roche, is asleep. While listening, Flamand and Olivier discover that they are both in love with the Countess. What will impress her more: Flamand's music or Olivier's poetry? Prima la musics, dopo le parole, or prima le parole, dopo la musics? They agree to let the Countess decide. La Roche awakens and joins the argument, Neither poetry nor music, he says, is the greatest of the arts. His own, the art of theatrical production, overshadows them both and uses them as its servants. He believes in entertainment: splendid decor, top notes and beautiful women, such as the actress Clairon, who has recently had an affair with Olivier. La Roche reveals that she is on her way to the chateau to play opposite the Count in Olivier's play. Flamand, Olivier and La Roche leave to prepare for the rehearsal in the theatre. 

"The Count and Countess enter. They engage in a discussion about the merits of music and poetry. The Count admits that music leaves him cold, that words will always be superior to music. He teases his sister about her interest in the composer Flamand. She, in turn, brings up the name of Clairon. He admits he is interested in the actress, but praises a life of quickly-won, quickly-lost attachments. 

"La Roche and his proteges return, and Clairon arrives for the rehearsal She and the Count read a scene from Olivier's play, which ends with the Count's declamation of a passionate sonnet. He is congratulated, and La Roche leads them both off to rehearsal, leaving Flamand and Olivier alone with the Countess. Olivier remarks that the Count addressed the sonnet to the wrong person: it was written for the Countess, and he recites it again to her. Flamand rushes off to set it to music. In Flamands absence, Olivier declares his love to the Countess.

"Flamand returns to sing the sonnet he has just set. Olivier and Flamand quarrel about the true authorship of the sonnet, but the Countess decides the issue: it is now hers! La Roche takes Olivier away to rehearsal. 

"Flamand in his turn is able to declare his love to the Countess. He asks her to decide: music or poetry. Flamand or Olivier? She promises that he shall have the answer the next morning at eleven o'clock. The Countess is left alone with her thoughts and the sounds of the rehearsal next door. She orders refreshments for the company. 

"When the rehearsal is over the Count and his sister discuss the progress of their love affairs. The other participants return. While refreshments are served, La Roche introduces a ballerina who performs for the company. Flamand and Olivier resume their argument of words versus music. The others join in. The Count ridicules opera — all operal La Roche introduces a pair of Italian singers who perform a duet. Then he tells of the spectacle he has planned for the Countess's birthday: The Birth of Pallas Athena and The Fall of Carthage. The company make cruel fun of his grandiose and traditional ideas, while the Italian singers worry whether they will be paid and stuff themselves with food. La Roche finally gets a chance to speak for himself and bitterly assails his attackers, expressing his intense faith in the theatre. He wants drama to show human beings in all their aspects as creatures of flesh and blood, and orders Flamand and Olivier to create good new works that speak for their time. His listeners are deeply moved and, as a sign of their reconciliation, Olivier and Flamand agree to write an opera. The Count has a very original idea: write an opera on the events of that very day at the chateau, depicting the company as its characters. The suggestion is accepted by everyone. 

"When the company has broken up, eight servants enter and comment on the events of the afternoon from their point of view 'backstage' as they put it — for isn't the whole world playing at theatre? The major-domo gives them the night off. Then appears Monsieur Taupe, the prompter, who had fallen asleep during the rehearsal. He tells the major-domo that, in fact, he is the most important person in the theatre because without him the show couldn't go on. But now he has been left behind. The major-domo offers to help in his predicament.

"The Countess enters, followed by the major-domo, who gives her two messages that her brother will not be home for dinner that evening. and that Olivier will call the next morning at eleven to hear from her the ending of the opera. The Countess exclaims that since the sonnet, the composer and the poet are fated to be inseparable — now they will both wait on her tomorrow at the same time! She sings two verses of the sonnet to herself. Which of the two men does she love? After an agony of indecision and self searching, she gazes at herself in the mirror and wonders if she can find an ending to the opera 'that is not trivial'. The major-domo solves the problem by announcing that dinner is served." (From the liner notes.)

Performers: Wiener Philharmoniker, Ulf Schirmer, Kiri Te Kanawa, Håkan Hagegård, Uwe Heilmann, Olaf Bär, Victor von Halem, Brigitte Fassbaender, Werner Hollweg, Hans Hotter

1.1. Einleitung
1.2. Szene I: 'Bezaubernd Ist Sie Heute Wieder!'
1.3. Szene I: 'Bei Sanfter Musik Schläft Sich's Am Besten'
1.4. Szene II: 'Der Strom Der Töne Trug Mich Fort'
1.5. Szene III: 'Die Bühne Ist Fertig'
1.6. Szene IV: 'Sie Ist Doch Gekommen! Du Hast Es Erreicht'
1.7. Szene IV: 'Ihr Geht. Entließ Euch Schon Die Macht'
1.8. Szene IV: 'Kein Andres, Das Mir So Im Herzen Loht'
1.9. Szene V: 'Lassen Sie Ihn Gewähren'
1.10. Szene VI: 'Kein Andres, Das Mir So Im Herzen Loht'
1.11. Szene VI: 'Wie Schön Die Worte, Kaum Kenn' Ich Sie Wieder!'
1.12. Szene VII: 'Verraten Hab' Ich Meine Gefühle!'
1.13. Szene VII: 'Sie Erzählten Beredsam Von Eurem Empfinden'
1.14. Szene VIII: 'Welch' Köstliche Begegnung!'
1.15. Szene IX: 'Wir Kehren Zurück In Die Welt Des Salons'
1.16. Szene IX, Tanz: I. Passepied ('Was Sagt Ihr?')
1.17. Szene IX, Tanz: II. Gigue ('Ich Bin Fest Entschlossen, Auf Keinen Fall Mehr')
1.18. Szene IX, Tanz: III. Gavotte

2.1. Szene IX: 'Eure Kunst Entzückt Und Begeistert Mich'
2.2. Szene IX: 'Tanz Und Musik Stehn Im Bann Des Rhythmus'
2.3. Szene IX: 'Eine Oper Ist Ein Absurdes Ding'
2.4. Szene IX: Duett Der Italienischen Sänger. 'Addio Mio Vita'
2.5. Szene IX: 'Darf Ich Sie Nach Paris Zurückbringen'
2.6. Szene IX, Oktett: Teil I. Lach-Ensemble ('Sie Lachen Ihn Aus')
2.7. Szene IX, Oktett: Teil II. Streit-Ensemble ('Aber So Hört Doch!')
2.8. Szene IX: 'Hola! Ihr Streiter Im Apoll!'
2.9. Szene IX: 'La Roche, Du Bist Groß! La Roche, Du Bist Monumental!'
2.10. Szene IX: 'Das Ist Mehr Als Eine Versöhnung'
2.11. Szene IX: 'Wählt Doch Einen Vorwurf, Der Konflikte Schildert, Die Auch Uns Bewegen'
2.12. Szene X: 'Gut In Eure Mäntel Gehüllt'
2.13. Szene XI: 'Das War Ein Schöner Lärm'
2.14. Szene XII: 'Herr Direktor...'
2.15. Szene XIII: Andante Con Moto (Mondscheinmusik)
2.16. Szene XIII: 'Wo Ist Mein Bruder?'
2.17. Szene XIII: 'Kein Andres, Das Mir So Im Herzen Loht'
2.18. Szene XIII: 'Du Spiegelbild Der Verliebten Madeleine'

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Kenny Dorham Quintet

Excellent early Kenny Dorham session released on Charles Mingus' Debut Records. This is the 1993 OJC CD reissue featuring alternate takes of most of the songs, and two vocal numbers that are some of the best examples of Dorham's vocal chops. The trumpeter is joined here by brothers Jimmy and Percy Heath on tenor sax and double bass respectively, as well as the always excellent Walter Bishop Jr. on piano and Kenny Clarke on drums. This is a fine collection of modern musicians at a time where hard bop had not come fully into vogue. The result is cast iron, old-fashioned bop playing as envisioned by forward thinking, very talented musicians. Enough to make hearing each song twice nothing close to laborious. 

Performers: Kenny Dorham (tp), Jimmy Heath (t-sx), Walter Bishop Jr. (pi), Kenny Clarke (dr)

1. An Oscar For Oscar (Take 1)
2. Ruby, My Dear (Take 2)
3. Be My Love (Take 2)
4. Ruby, My Dear (Take 1)
5. Osmosis
6. I Love You
7. Darn That Dream (Take 1)
8. Darn That Dream (Take 2) 
9. I Love You (Take 2)
10. Chicago Blues
11. Lonesome Lover Blues

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Othmar Schoeck - Elegie

"The Elegy op. 36 for baritone and chamber orchestra was created between 1921 and 1923. It is Schoeck’s first lieder cycle after he had written a great number of single lieder before. The cycle opened a new dimension of creativity to him. In it he was able to show the emotional developing process of the lyrical ego in a way that would not have been possible without the cyclic structure.

"In his Elegy Schoeck combined 24 poems by Nikolaus Lenau (18) and Joseph von Eichendorff (6), the arrangement of which re-enacted the experience of the lyrical ego from memory, like love and memory, farewell, sorrow and melancholy and loneliness, the transfiguration of pain in the face of death, and the consolation of the world. The seasons and natural phenomenons symbolically serve as an emotional reflection of the lyrical ego, as the wanderer thematic symbolizes his indefatigable longing and persuit.

"Schoeck consciously choose lyrics with a confessional character. In them he digested his own and unrequited love to a young pianist from Geneva.

"Furthermore the unity of the cycle results from its frame structure. The unforgotten love affair is embedded in a second subject area containing the existential subject of the poet, which consists of the conflict between general expectation and his own feeling and the obsession to have to write poetry. This problem can also be associated with Schoeck’s biography, which was a musical tightrope walk between tradition and modern age and the effort to maintain his point of view in a time of fast and progressive development." (Marina Staude, tr. Winfried Maas. From the liner notes.)

Performers: Mutare Ensemble, Gerhard Müller-Hornbach, Klaus Mertens

1. Wehmut
2. Liebesfrühling
3. Stille Sicherheit
4. Frage Nicht
5. Warnung Und Wunsch
6. Zweifelnder Wunsch
7. Waldllied
8. Waldgang
9. An Den Wind
10. Kommen Und Scheiden
11. Vesper
12. Herbstklage
13. Herbstgefühl
14. Nachklang
15. Herbstgefühl
16. Das Mondlicht
17. Vergangenheit
18. Waldlied
19. Herbstentschluß
20. Verlorenes Glück
21. Angedenken
22. Welke Rose
23. Dichterlos
24. Der Einsame

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