I had a feeling this would be Magnard's year as American Symphony's unsung opera composer, but I thought the choice would be Guercoeur. Nope, it's Berenice of 1909 (after Racine), I guess Guercoeur was too well-known ;). Anyone know if this score also had to be reconstructed after the German soldiers set fire to Magnard's house?
David
Not to slight a pair of different unsung Romantics who will also make an appearance at the ASO under Botstein's baton: Fanny Mendelssoh and Louis Spohr. Obviously a concert many of us will want to hear as we shall not see its like again...
Music and the Bible"
Tuesday, November 2, 2010, 8 p.m.
In the 19th century, Europe experienced a wave of religious resurgence. This program explores the re-emergence of the sacred oratorio and how the tradition of communal singing aided religion in binding a community plagued by economic turmoil and epidemic disease. This is a rare opportunity to experience major works by Fanny Mendelssohn (sister of Felix), and Louis Spohr, thought by his contemporaries to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mozart and Beethoven.
Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-47): Musik für die Toten der Cholera-Epidemie (1831)
Louis Spohr (1784-1859) Die letzten Dinge (1826)
David
Quote from: edurban on Saturday 06 February 2010, 23:55
I had a feeling this would be Magnard's year as American Symphony's fall opera composer, but I thought the choice would be Guercoeur. Nope, it's Berenice of 1909 (after Racine), I guess Guercoeur was too well-known ;). Anyone know if this score also had to be reconstructed after the German soldiers set fire to Magnard's house?
David
Botstein talked about Berenice some in a Fanfare magazine interview a few years back, there was no mention of need for reconstruction (unlike Guercoeur), though it's possible. I don't think he mentioned Yolande or any other Magnard opera (is there another besides those three?) - I'd have to check :) That said, he was already quite taken with Berenice, it was understandable he'd eventually conduct it.
eschiss1, do you have access to that interview?
Best, David
Quote from: edurban on Sunday 07 February 2010, 15:52
eschiss1, do you have access to that interview?
Best, David
September/October 2005 Fanfare, vol. 29/1, pp. 68-75 "The Old Order Changeth-- Chausson's
King Arthur Commands the Field: An Interview with Conductor Leon Botstein", by Adrian Corleonis. Berenice is referred to (not, as I thought, at great length, but still, much-praised by Corleonis, who calls it Magnard's "supreme masterpiece") on pages 69 and 72 (where Botstein says "
Berenice, actually, is on my desk"). (Note- he gives Berenice's date as 1911, not 1909. You're probably right, but any idea where he might have gotten the latter and late date from ?)
Eric
Eric, the ASO website is listing the date as 1909. I think the first performance was at the Opera-Comique in 1911, but I may be misremembering that...
David
Time to dredge this thread up, as Berenice makes her US debut Sunday at Carnegie Hall. I'm sure there are still tickets, and at $25 they're the cheapest opera seats in town. It's a great score, glowing with the sound world of Magnard's Fourth Symphony...
David
Geez, I wish I could be in NY this weekend. I'd love to hear this/ Do you know, is it going to be a fully staged opera, or performed in concert? Do you think they'll be recording it for release? If not, I sure hope Botstein records it.
The circumstances of life don't allow a quick whizz to NY this weekend (!), but, like Amphissa, I sure hope to heck that a recording might be made. If it isn't then, shucks, we continue to be deprived of the chance of listening to this probable masterpiece.
Peter
From Botstein's brief description in a Fanfare interview, from a brief view I think I had of the vocal score at the Cornell library -- I concur ;)!!!
Here are links to two private recordings of Berenice, one is an off-air recording of a radio broadcast from Montpelier Opera in 1992 (iffy vocal performances, but you'll get a feel for the opera):
http://store.operapassion.com/cd7203.html (http://store.operapassion.com/cd7203.html)
The other (haven't heard this) is the staged Marseille performance of 2001:
http://store.operapassion.com/cd7204.html (http://store.operapassion.com/cd7204.html)
Happy exploring!
David