Ferdinand Hiller

[tpaloj]

Thank you friends! One reason I enjoy transcribing Hiller's music is because of the ease of means in his orchestration. Just so many or just so few instruments are employed as the music calls for (often enough). Perhaps sometimes less inspired than many of his peers were, he was still an outstanding musician with a large amount of good music still waiting to be given new chances.

Incidentally, Tuomas, do you have any more news on the possible recording of Hiller's VC?

No unfortunately not. I hope it's proceeding, but I haven't heard or asked of it lately.

[tpaloj]

Here is a reproduction of Hiller's first Concert-Overture, op.32. Composed and revised over several years in the mid-to-late 1830s, it was eventually published in 1844. It's a quirky piece based on a persistent three-note ostinato, with softer melodic sections in between its more hot-headed fanfares. I couldn't find a full score of it online, so I put the piece together from a digitized set of published parts from 1844.

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/IxMXvNztmlQ

Hiller gives an anecdote to the overture's initial, later discarded subtitle in his book "Mendelssohn: Letters and Recollections":

I had given my first Concert Overture in D minor ... the title of "Overture to the Old Drama of Fernando;" this brought about the expressions "Old Drama," and the like, which we shall find often repeated [referring to how Mendelssohn tended to address Hiller as "Old Drama" in their letters for a time]. When [the overture] was published I omitted the title, as it referred to a drama which is only now by degrees becoming an old one.

For further reading, there is also a detailed report written by Mendelssohn to Hiller about the overture and a performance of it in 1837 in this book (see pages 82-86).

[Alan Howe]

This is, it seems to me, a very strong piece - memorable thematically, varied in texture and powerful in utterance. We need a lot more recordings of orchestral works by Hiller.  Much appreciated, Tuomas!

[eschiss1]

Re Hiller's Op.32: the Ries & Erler 2021 publication advertises itself as the "Erstfassung", meaning I assume the first score publication. (Similarly with another Op.32 also edited by Bert Hagels - Spohr's - that also only was published in parts hitherto.)  So- yup.

[Alan Howe]

'Erstfassung' means 'First Version'.

[eschiss1]

The lengthier description on Worldcat of the Ries score says "Includes the revised version based on the first printed edition (1844) of the Ouverture de concert, and the first version (Ouvertüre zum alten Drama "Fernando") based on the autograph score (shelfmark: MS. M. Deneke Mendelssohn c. 82) preserved in the Bodleian Library, Oxford
Preface and critical report in German".

[Mark Thomas]

It's a great piece - an object lesson in a composer having an idea, executing it expertly, with focus and no padding. Thanks very much Tuomas for continuing to add to our appreciation of Hiller, still woefully neglected apart from your efforts.

[Ilja]

Considering his importance and influence, arguably the most egregious case of the neglect of a major composer. And this piece goes some way in making clear why his music needs more exposure. Many thanks to Tuomas!

[tpaloj]

Thanks for the supportive comments everyone, yes, Hiller had his shortcomings as a composer but it's always been such a joy working on his music. It doesn't always impress with its depth but I believe there is much good to be had and never is it for nothing. Even his operas! Die Katakomben is, for example, very good. Now that 2025 is something of a celebratory year for Hiller (140 years since his passing), I will want to transcribe at least a few more forgotten works of his this year to highlight it 

[Alan Howe]

I will want to transcribe at least a few more forgotten works of his this year

And we will greatly look forward to hearing them. Thanks again.

[tpaloj]

I recently finished transcriptions of the following two small character pieces of Hiller's. They are both published works but I don't believe either of these pieces have been recorded.

The first, Palmsonntagmorgen Op. 102, a work for soprano, women's chorus and orchestra is set to a poem of the same name by Emanuel Geibel. (The accompaniment was transcribed from the vocal score which was the only source I had at hand.) While the published full score and piano arrangements of this work are found in a few libraries, Hiller's autograph manuscript of this work appears in the catalogue of the antiquarian Leo Leipmannssohn in 1932, indicating it has likely disappeared into private collectors' hands since then...

Youtube link

For the second work we have Gesang Heloïsens und der Nonnen am Grabe Abälards, Op. 62, set for alto solo, women's chorus and small orchestra. Intended to be sung in Latin, the score is nevertheless coupled with a German translation by G. A. Königsfeld. The music is rather original and I find it very fitting for the mood of this beautiful text and setting.

Youtube link

[Alan Howe]

The first of these, Palm Sunday Morning, is a very beautiful setting. Of course, there's the problem of the chorus' words, but there's easily sufficient evidence here of the quality of the music to imagine what a real-world performance would be like. Thank you!

[tpaloj]

An anonymous work for orchestra by Hiller

Here is a transcription of a score in Hiller's musical estate at the Goethe Universitat (Mus Hs 129 Nr. 4), found in a bound volume containing other orchestral pieces as well, some of which are unfinished. A few works in this tome can be dated into the 1870s. This particular work, in sonata-allegro form and in the key of D major, is untitled and undated. I find the work thoroughly optimistic, noble and spirited without any pretense for unnecessary effects. Another joyful creation from the pen of the very industrious Mr. Hiller!

Link to youtube

Identifying an untitled and undated manuscript can be difficult. Some of my thoughts:

• Is it an overture, either a concert overture or an overture to an unrealized opera? Possibly, but it's rather long for one.
• It doesn't appear to be the opening movement to Hiller's lost "Im freien" symphony in G major, due to being in D major.
• The same bound tome which contains this piece also has an orchestral work simply titled "Finale", which could be related to it (same instrumentation, instrument/staff layout and key), but it's tough to say for sure.
• Curiously, this piece has one very, very similar theme to Hiller's (second) Lustspielouverture, whose digitized score can be found via SBB's website.
• If only for a mismatching tempo designation, neither does it appear to be the first movement to Hiller's final Symphonic attempt from 1884, which I will try to detail below...

Hiller's unfinished Symphony from 1884

Hiller did in fact begin composing a symphony in early 1884. There are several brief mentions of it in his personal diaries from early 1884, but no mention of completion. Later, in 20 October 1885, the first movement was performed at a Gürzenich-Concert in Cologne in honor of the composer who had passed away in May that year. The newspaper review of this concert clarifies that Hiller only finished the first movement and begun the second so the Symphony was indeed left unfinished. The tempo designation for the first movement was Allegro energico and it was apparently a movement where we would continously "see the spirit rousing itself, shaking off its gloomy thoughts, and rising to new life, only to soon offer its sacrifice to melancholy and renunciation." (full article in German below)

Kölnische Zeitung (Erstes Blatt)
22.10.1885, nro 293 p. 2. (Wednesday)

Erstes Gürzenich-Concert unter Leitung des stätischen Kapellmeisters Herrn Professors Dr. Franz Wüllner.

Dienstag, den 20. October.

Das erste Wort in der neuen Saison sprach Ferdinand Hiller, denn an der Spitze des Programms stand sein Allegro energico für Orchester. Wie es scheint, hat der verstorbene Meister in seinen letzten Lebenstagen noch eine neue Symphonie schaffen wollen. Doch ist er nicht über den ersten Satz — eben dieses Allegro energico — und den Anfang eines langsamen Satzes hinausgekommen, und er hat auch seitdem keine weitern musicalischen Arbeiten unternommen. Demnach wäre dieses Allegro, das bereits im April 1884 vollendet vorlag, das letzte musicalische Vermächtnis Hillers. Wir greifen nicht fehl, wenn wir darin ein Stück Programmmusik erkennen, eine Art Monolog aus der Krankenstube. Unaufhörlich sehen wir den Geist sich aufraffen, die trüben Gedanken abschütteln und sich zu neuem Leben aufeuern, um dann aber auch bald wieder der Wehmut und der Entsagung sein Opfer zu spenden. Der milden Lichtblicke, welche die Schale des Trostes darreichen sollen, sind nur wenige und sie dauern nur kurze Zeit. Überwiegend zittert Schmerz und Klage, ja, ein gewisser Zorn durch die Composition, wir sehen vor uns das Seelenleben eines Mannes, der sich noch stark fühlt zu kühnen Thaten, aber von dem gebrechlichen Körper im Stiche gelassen wird. Als solche musicalisch-dramatische Declamation ist diese letzte Arbeit Hillers von großem psychologischen Interesse. Sie wurde vortrefflich vom Orchester ausgeführt. [...]

I thought it might be interesting enough of a tidbit to share for any of you other "Hillerites" here! I don't think I've ever seen this unfinished Symphony mentioned in any Hiller biographies before. I found out about it just recently and it was certainly news to me. Goethe Universitat's Hiller estate doesn't appear to have any scores fitting the description of an orchestral work with the tempo designation Allegro energico, so it's unknown to me where its score might be, whether it's preserved or lost in any case...

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Tuomas. How intriguing. It's another very attractive work from Hiller which, to me at least, does have the broad sweep and general feel of an opening symphonic movement. I can find no reference to it, though, in Michael Gehlmann's comprehensive book on Hiller. 

[Alan Howe]

Yes: yet more tantalising glimpses of Hiller's compositional processes - thanks very much!