Schumann: Known Composer; unknown piece: Paradise and Peri; music of yearning

[Steve B]

What a sublime piece; with only the occasional longeur, this oratorio-ish style piece is about this fairy-like female figure(Peri's) longing for eternity/transcendence. The music has ethereal passages and Marschner-influence in the
choral passages and stretti(at end of parts 1 and 3); and some very seraphic, yearning music. i have the Daus ("Arte Nova") recording, where Simone Kermes' voice is perfect; full and with lots of yearning inherent in its vocal tone.
This music takes a few listens; at first i even thought it turgid; but, much like Schumann's very late works, though not as fractured or spasmodic in style, it grows and grows!

Anyone else got any other unknown works that invoke/evoke feelings of yearning/longing?("S. Wagner's "Sehnsucht", which actually MEANS longing, being my other example).

Steve

[kolaboy]

I think also Schumann's Der Rose Pilgerfahrt might fall into that category. By some coincidence I acquired both it and Peri at the same time, so they are joined at the hip in my mind...
In the same universe (but perhaps across it, to quote Lennon) I would perhaps include Finzi's Die Natalis, and Diepenbrock's Hymn To The Night II, or indeed any number of his symphonic songs...

[Steve B]

Thanks kola; i shall re-listen to the Diepenbrock if its in the Brilliant box. Is it? and dig out my Lps of Die Rose Pilgenfahrt.Thx for reminding me Steve

P.SGenoveva is probably a grower too

P.P.S http://decayetude.wordpress.comDo u know the (very) late Mass in C minor and the Requiem? Here is a link to poem i wrote on Schumann's late style:its the seventh post on the page.

[alberto]

I wholly agree about the absolute sublimity of "Das Paradies und die Peri".
However it appears to me not so unsung. I have heard in my city four times (albeit in thirty years from the first to the fourth).
First Antony Wit with Krakow forces; later Wilfried Boettcher and Jeffrey Tate with Torino forces.
The last, rather recent, with no less than Simon Rattle and the Orchestra Age of Enlightment (and singers S.Matthews, B.Fink, K.Royal, M.Padmore....).

[eschiss1]

Erm...
To generalize...
I seem to recall hearing Suolahti's Sinfonia Piccola twice- once on the radio, once in a live concert at my alma mater - in the late 1980s? (about a year or so apart)- but...
(this comment not about the Suolahti but about what "sung" or "unsung" means in context I suppose... I am not sure I saw Die Paradies programmed in NYC on my occasional visits to that area until about a year or two ago last December, but that may be my not having noticed. I guess I don't know how to measure these things.)

[kolaboy]

Thanks kola; i shall re-listen to the Diepenbrock if its in the Brilliant box. Is it? and dig out my Lps of Die Rose Pilgenfahrt.Thx for reminding me Steve

P.SGenoveva is probably a grower too

P.P.S http://decayetude.wordpress.comDo u know the (very) late Mass in C minor and the Requiem? Here is a link to poem i wrote on Schumann's late style:its the seventh post on the page.

I would classify the Diepenbrock as "brilliant", certainly.
I'm a fan of both the Requiem & Mass, and indeed most of Schumann's unfairly maligned "late" output. Both Der Konigssohn and the Violin Concerto are - in my opinion - among his most profound utterings.
Regarding Genoveva; if one approaches it without the seemingly obligatory post-Weimar prejudices, one may discover much of worth. The ability to rattle window shades is not a proper gauge of profundity

[JimL]

...Regarding Genoveva; if one approaches it without the seemingly obligatory post-Weimar prejudices, one may discover much of worth. The ability to rattle window shades is not a proper gauge of profundity

I believe the libretto of Genoveva is another product of Wilhelmine von Chèzy (of Rosamunde and Euryanthe notoriety).  However fine the music, the plots and actual writing in her plays has been described as pedestrian at best, and rarely at its best.  I suppose if you're just listening for the music and don't understand the words you might actually enjoy it more. 

[ArturPS]

...Regarding Genoveva; if one approaches it without the seemingly obligatory post-Weimar prejudices, one may discover much of worth. The ability to rattle window shades is not a proper gauge of profundity

I believe the libretto of Genoveva is another product of Wilhelmine von Chèzy (of Rosamunde and Euryanthe notoriety).  However fine the music, the plots and actual writing in her plays has been described as pedestrian at best, and rarely at its best.  I suppose if you're just listening for the music and don't understand the words you might actually enjoy it more.

The libretto is the composer's and Robert Reinick's, iirc, it was Wagner's offer to help with it that started the rift between Wagner's followers and everyone else.

This is my first post and I take the chance to mention that is was pieces like this (Das Paradies und die Peri, the Chèzy operas, Fierrabras et al), i.e. the "Sung's Unsung" that drew me into discovering these composers so very mentioned in this forum. Living in Brazil, almost every German opera is an "unsung", so when one thread pulled the other, Genoveva gave into Fierrabras, Der Freischütz called Der Vampyr, I was suddenly in shock of all the awesome music "the establishment" had turned their back to!
Even Beethoven has unsung music! I can't get the dervishes' chorus from Die Ruinen von Athen out of my head, it is so d*mn good, but (alas!) unsung.

I LOVE the pre-romantics and romantics (up until Bruckner and early Mahler), and my religion is the one which the Pope is Haydn. Bach and Beethoven complete the holy trinity and Schubert gives it life! So imagine when I find out there is a whole deal lot more symphonies out there to be heard, Ries, Kalliwoda, Gade, Onslow, Rufinatscha, the list goes on and on! Suddenly we realize why Beethoven was, in fact, the greatest: none of this music is on par with him, but they needn't be! They are fantastic pieces of music on their own, Ries' finales brighten even the darkest of days, Kalliwoda's make the heart race and even Czerny, hated by many pianists as that wretched set of exercises, has a lot to offer!

I'll stop here, or else I'll go on forever!

[Mark Thomas]

What a richworld you have yet to discover, Artur. How I envy you! Welcome to UnsungComposers.

[Paul Barasi]

Diepenbrock seems to be sharing this space like a cuckoo. I was blown away when I first heard Diepenbrock, who has quite a range of quality output ( Hymne for Violin and orchestra; Marsyas concert; Electra suite; Lydische Nacht; Im goßen Schweigen ...). Do try some if you haven't yet!

[Steve B]

perhaps Diepenbrock deserves his own thread:)Just listened to final chorus and stretta of "Paradis und Peri":wow! Words can't describe the mixture of rapture and ecstasy as the Peri is carried off to her paradise/transendence in a rapt peroration of glorious choral writing; with the frenzy which  Schumann drew nearer and nearer towards  later in his life(this was written early/mid 1840s, i think); the frenzy doesnt really start, in earnest,till "The Rhenish" onwards.
thanks Albert for your comment re the "absolute sublimity" of this music; sums it up. We shouldnt fight shy of expressing our emotional reactions to music; though, the irony is, of course, that music is ultimately ineffable and inexpressible through words; but is worth a try and is an indicator people have been through analagous emotional experiences with the same piece of music; and, it iS pretty unsung, though less so than the troubled, troubling works of 1850 plus, like the Requiem and Mass.

The other (avowed) purpose of this thread was whether other posters had experiences /preferences for music of longing/yearning/hiraeth: we have only had the Second hymn of Diepenbrock upto now:)

Steve

[chill319]

Vitezslav Novak wrote one of my favorite symphonic poems, "Von ewiger Sehnsucht," op. 33 (1903-4), which is about as thorough a depiction in music as we have of longing.

When I first heard the perorations in Paradies und die Peri some years back, I was reminded of Mahler's Resurrection. Schumann's are not on _quite_ as grand a scale, perhaps, but they certainly give the limbic system a thorough workout (referring to goosebumps)!

[Steve B]

Brilliant, chill; u got the idea:). i shall look out for the Novak; can anyone download a (legal) copy in the download section,if one available?

Yes, those peroration sections certainly do give goosebumps; straight to the heart/spirit, body:)very exciting.

Any more pieces of longing?-for eternity, love, anything one yearns for!

(A sung example would be "schummert Ein" from a Bach cantata, especially sung by janet baker; but there must be other UNKNOWN ones:))
Steve

[britishcomposer]

Ivor Gurney wrote a short piano piece called 'Sehnsucht' in 1908. Not just the title reminds me of Schumann...

[alberto]

I would add Schumann "Szenen aus Goethe Faust" : at least some parts (the Music associated to Ariel in Part II; the final Chorus Mysticus). In general the "Szenen" are more severe and serious than "Das Paradies" (as is the text/subject) . About sung-unsung, the two works are fairly performed, fairly recorded. Both require several vocal soloists (they would be more often performed, if they had less vocal needs).
Other works.
Not n.1 of Eternal Songs op.10 by Karlowicz ("Song of everlasting longing"): decidedly sombre and gloomy.
Maybe the moving cantata "Amarus" by Janacek (1900).
Why not "La Péri" by Dukas (fairly recorded, not often performed in concert), even if it is a ballet? Listen the radiancy of the last pages.