My discovery of the day: the overture to E T A Hoffmann's opera Undine (1816). Weber must surely have known this...
Anyone know the opera?
(Idiom: that delicious moment when late-classicism turns into early romanticism).
Know of (the English-language Wikipedia article is too brief, btw, here's one in German (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undine_%28Hoffmann%29)) but haven't heard it or even the overture. I'm under the impression it was influential "back in the day" (if by back in the day one means 150 years ago or so, but as someone who at least pretends (on TV?) to have a historian's temperament, that's not meant as a negative qualifier.)
Also, Pfitzner-edited vocal score pub.1906- may or may not be visible in the EU since Pfitzner died less than 70 years ago (I think under Urtext-exemption law which applies outside of the US and which IMSLP notes, it should be ok however.) -- IMSLP. (http://imslp.org/wiki/Undine_%28Hoffmann,_Ernst_Theodor_Amadeus%29) (of course, the same page will I hope - if someone uploads / re-uploads them - contain any earlier-published parts if someone should scan them in. Maybe some library has the first edition score or parts somewhere. Those would I presume be PD-everywhere.)
The overture is a magnificent, forward-looking piece. I'm really looking forward to hearing the whole opera.
The complete UNDINE (including spoken dialogues) was once available on the Living Stage Label (CD LS 347.03). It features a splendid cast from a 1966 Munich broadcast, including Rita Streich, Melitta Muszely, Raimund Grumbach, Karl Christian Kohn, Keith Engen. The Bayerische Rundfunkorchestra is conducted by Jan Koetsier. Those were times!
I've managed to find a copy of the 90s Koch Schwann recording conducted by Roland Bader. I'm looking forward to hearing it in decent digital sound.
The Koch-Schwann recording has no spoken dialogues
That suits me fine!
Just fyi, the overture and the complete opera are available on YouTube.
Although the Bader doesn't include the dialogues, his account is 4:44 longer than Koetsier! There are differences in the timings in various numbers which may account for this difference. The biggest concerns the overture: Bader's is 9:53 whereas Koetsier is 5:35.
Also worthy of investigation is E.T.A. Hoffmann's Aurora - a Grand Romantic Opera in three acts. It is (or was) on Bayer Records BR 100276-78
Quotethe overture: Bader's is 9:53 whereas Koetsier is 5:35
Hmmm. Zagrosek (on a Schwann/Musica Mundi CD) takes 9:10.
Isn't it Bader who's conducting the Undine overture on the LP and CD (while Zagrosek conducts the Symphony and the 3rd work? Well- that's what it claims here (http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/17477838) anyway if I'm reading right, which I may not be.)
@BerlinExpat - Koetsier's version is a radio broadcast - and a very well performed one. At that time it was normal to have some cuts for program lenght requirements. And - compared to Bader's version, they still were respectful enough to include (abridged) spoken dialogues. I would not really like to have a Zauberflöte without spoken dialogues. A Gesamtkunstwerk like an opera does not necessarily has to be mutilated like that - particularly in the case of E. T. H. Hoffmann, who was also a genius writer. Last, but not least: one should never compare two pieces of music by their lenghts, but by their interpretation. Have the Bader version no more in my collection because I found it boring, although better as far as sonics were concerned, so I cannot compare or find out whethere there were some cuts as well.
You're right, Eric! The details on the insert when you turn over the CD case make no mention of Bader, but he is named on the front. Thanks for checking. Bader it is!
Adriano: While respecting your opinion, if one wants to include the spoken dialogue, the ideal is surely to have the musical score totally uncut as well. As for the concept of a "Gesamtkunstwerk", I think that is something of an anachronism with regard to Undine.
In any case I for one usually find spoken dialogue a complete turn-off: on recordings it's usually so appallingly boringly done that one loses the will to live. And I'm a German speaker!
Alan, there are excellent recorded versions of "Zauberflöte" and, for example Lorzing's "Undine" - and not to speak of all the German operetta ones - with shortened and adapted spoken dialogues. Incidentally, in many operas a "complete score" is a discussable theme, since they exist in various versions, which have been changed depending from practical performances. Even Verdi was giving way to cuts (or additions), which both changed a so-called "original uncut version".
@Alan again: Personally, I adore those Gilbert and Sullivan recordings with dialogues! I could not hear them without. And what about Offenbach??
@all: I once had a pirate live LP recording of Hoffmann's "Undine", conducted by Robert Heger (Bamberger Symphoniker), which I considered the best ever, featuring the fantastic Marcel Cordes and Max Proebstl. There is a CD reissue of this memorable 1959 performance on the CANTUS Historische Tondokumente CACD 5.0640 F which I am awaiting to receive in the mail next week. By then I will inform whethere there are spoken dialogues or not, since I cannot remember. Incidentally, this label has recently issued more real discoveries, like those historical Schreker broadcasts of "Der Ferne Klang" and "Die Gezeichneten" conducted by Winfred Zillig, which are reference interpretations!
I have a complete recording with the Jugendorchester Bamberg conducted by Hermann Dechant. I've listened to it many times, though not recently, and I'm afraid that, between hearings, I've never been able to remember a single phrase.
The libretto that comes with the CDs contains a lot of dialogue. The music seems to me a rather laboured exercise in technique, which cannot be said of Hoffmann's writings. One detail. The libretto is by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, who wrote the original novella. In the libretto, but not in the novella, Huldbrand's death is described as a 'Liebestod'. Are there any earlier uses of this term?
You're right, of course. But one doesn't always have the luxury of trying out a number of recordings in order to find one with decent (preferably brief) spoken dialogue.
Gilbert & Sullivan is quite different, in my view. As is Offenbach. I can accept comic spoken dialogue, but the oh-so serious, oh-so ponderous dialogue featured in oh so-serious melodramas palls very quickly. No wonder later composers (than Hoffmann or Weber) dispensed with them. Mind you - although it's probably heresy to say so - Wagner's sung dialogue can be pretty enervating too.
I was under the impression that it picked up sticks and became its own separate genre with which "serious composers" only occasionally had something to do with, I suppose (Fibich, Liszt, Schoenberg if- and why not- one counts Pierrot Lunaire as a descendent, &c. There's an interesting article on "Melodrama" as a term and as a collection of genres @ Wikipedia-en... unless I'm brain-spun-dizzy as too often and that's not anywhere even vaguely near what we're talking about? Apologies... (I can accept vaguely near and need for course-correction ;^) , it's clear) )
- Yes, Derek, this Jugendorchester CD is still available. The fact that you note the term "Liebestod" in music is quite an interesting discovery of you :-) and needs further investigation. Or it mäy be a term in Middle Age literature: "Tristan" is an unfinished novel by Gottfried von Strassburg. Also "Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Parzival" has this motif, but I cannot prove right now whether "Liebestod" is being used in there too, since I am packing my bags for my forthcoming trip to Moscow :-)
Of course, "Undine's" (excellent) libretto is based on Fouqués own novella, which is consider a landmark of Romantic literature. Hoffmann knew from where to get a good libretto!
- Alan, and what about the original "Carmen" with spoken dialogues, which had been mutilated by those terrible accompagnati by Giraud? I known them very well, since during many years I used not only to coach and prompt them, but also played the cameo part of Lillas Pastia in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's magnificent Zurich production, which featured Baltsa, Carreras, Estes among others. When this production was sold to other Houses, I had been assigned to make a shortened (French) version of those French dialogues for American audiences.
Last but not least: don't miss to listen to Hoffmann's lovely chamber music and piano sonatas and to his Indian melodrama "Dirna" - also issued by cpo! I once had a Schwann LP with some sacred music (conducted by Bader?), maybe his "Miserere", which has also been produced later by cpo, coupled with his "Missa".
Thanks, Adriano. Best wishes for your trip to Moscow...
Adriano... The sacred music on the Koch LP was, I believe anyway (on thirdhand information), conducted by Lothar Zagrosek, while the music from Undine was conducted by Bader (see again Worldcat link already noted? - not positive though...)
Thanks Alan & eschiss1 :)
Will be recording Brun's Second Symphony, coupled with his imposing and difficult Symphonic Prologue.
Fabulous. I know the piece from the Lucerne recording on Gallo, but I'm naturally collecting your series, so I'll be buying it when it comes out. As I said, our very best wishes go with you to Moscow.
Hi everybody :)
Back to Zurich, I could listen to that 1959 concert performance of E.T.A. Hoffmann's "Undine", issued on the LINE MUSIC Label in 2012. A note for completists: the Overture goes for 7:35 minutes. This is a performance without spoken dialogues, but works very well. I think there are no musical cuts. The performance and the singers are aboslutely top, Robert Heger is the ideal man for such repertoire. Technically, the sound is good.
Thanks for that, Adriano. How was your trip to Moscow?
It was great in Moscow as usual - and we nearly got crazy whilst recording Brun's terrifically difficult "Symphonischer Prolog". It's Brun's most demanding piece, besides, perhaps, his Eight Symphony (which I will record end of October). The sessions including the Second Symphony were more relaxed, though also in there, strings are put on stake. Hope my interpretation will be liked, compared to the two already available; in any case, I put in a bit more pepper, since Kitajenko, for example, still being beautifully lyrical, makes of the first movement an Adagio and the whole organics fall apart. The Gallo CD is very good - but - I bet you will discuss about it in here... We also shooted some video material with interviews about my Moscow activities, including a visit to the Scriabin Museum, where a nice director, looking rather like Madam Flora, demostrated me a model of Scriabin's color keyboard (a pity I can't enclose some stills in there). Every time I visit Moscow, everything is more expensive and less CD shops can be found. Imagine that in a "good" coffee shop with pastry, one pays 20-25 Euros for a cup of coffee, a croissant and a little fruit tart! In cheaper ones like Cafemania and Starbucks you pay around 15 Euros.
Wow! That's dearer than London!
Great news about the Brun pieces.