Hubert Ferdinand Kufferath Born 10.6.1818 Mulheim Died 23.6.1896 Brussels
He was the youngest child of a watchmaker. He came from a musical family and initially received his music education from his brothers and subsequently from Louis & Johann Hartmann in Cologne and Friedrich Schneider in Dessau. He later had some lessons from Ferdinand David and Felix Mendelssohn. He was a violinist, pianist,conductor and composer. In later life he settled in Brussels.
Orchestral
Symphony in C major Op.15 1849 pub. by N Simrock (also version for piano 4 hands)
Piano Concerto in E minor Op.24 1857 pub. by B Schott
Chamber
Piano Quartet in F Op.12 1847 pub. by B Schott
Piano Trio in E Op.9 1845 pub. by B Schott
String Quartet
Piano
Six Concert Etudes Op.2 pub. by S Richault
Three Morceaux Op.4/ Daydream, /2. Caprice in G major, 3/ Romance without words. pub. by les fils de B Schott
Six Concert Etudes Op.8 1842 pub. by Simrock
Berceuse in A major Op.11 pub. by B Schott's Sohne 1851
Klavierkonzert Op.21
Six Morceaux Characteristiques Op.30 pub. by B Schott 1857
Six Etudes Op.35 pub. by B Schott
Reverie Op.41 pub. by B Schott
Piano piece 4 hands Op.7 pub. by B Schott
Impromptu in G major, piano 4 hands Op.20
Song
Six Lieder with words by Robert Burns Op.3 pub. by Breitkopf & Hartel
Two songs voice and piano; 1. Le Choix du Coeur, 2. Les Fleurs pub. by Georges Hartmann
Aurore ! for voice and piano words by Edouard Turquety pub. by B Schott
My Mother ! for voice and piano pub. by B Schott
Sigh ! words by Jean Reboul pub. by B Schott
Wenn zwei von einander Scheiden words by Heinrich Heine Op17/3 pub. by B Schott
Choral
'Jubel' cantata Op.1
SYMPHONY Op 15 - 1st mov in C major (13 mins)
1849 - so it's an early 'Romantic' symphnony.
Hubert studied with Mendelssohn from 1839 so he would have been aged 21+ and this symphony would have been composed during that time presumably.
I'd be interested to hear what influences you think are in evidence after listening. I don't hear much Mendelssohn to be honest which makes a refreshing change. I personally think he has quite an individual stamp.
I have started the remaining movements and hope to complete (as ever)
FIRST MOVEMENT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGVdSTkAjAU
Biography:
Dates: 1818-1896
Prominent member of a Prussian musical family; the brother of Johann Hermann Kufferath, director of a music school at Utrecht, and of Louis Kufferath, director of conservatories at Leeuwarden, Ghent and Brussels. Hubert Kufferath was born at Mühlheim (edit: Mühlheim an der Ruhr, not far from the border with the Netherlands), and was first taught music by Joseph, who later sent him to Cologne to study. He played the violin at a festival at Düsseldorf so well that Mendelssohn, who heard him, persuaded him to come to Leipzig where he could give him some lessons. He also studied with Hauptmann and David there. From 1841 to 1844 he conducted the Männergesangverein at Cologne, then, after some tours, located at Brussels, where he conducted several musical societies, became an instructor in the Royal family, and was finally made Court pianist to Leopold I. He wrote a School of the Choral; symphonies; concertos and other compositions for the piano; and songs.
http://grandemusica.net/musical-biographies-k-2/kufferath-hubert-ferdinand
The Symphony sounds like quite a 'big piece' - looking perhaps towards the heavier pre-Brahms works of the next couple of decades, e.g. Dietrich.
Great stuff, by the way, Martin. Really, really fascinating! Thanks so much!
Yes, fascinating is the word. It's a strong, confident beginning for the Symphony and I'm very much looking forward to hearing the rest of it(fingers crossed). As you say Martin, it doesn't have much of a debt to Mendelssohn, so Kufferath must have had an independent spirit.
The more I listen to this grand music, the more I'm convinced that Martin has restored to us a hidden gem. There's nothing of Mendelssohn in this deeply felt and thematically memorable movement. I do so hope that the remainder lives up to it, particularly the finale.
Kufferath is a new name to me, and yet another Unsung Composer that our wonderful members are bringing to light. All the usual questions spring to mind - how much of the music is extant, has it ever been performed, has any been recorded, and so on. Thanks to Reverie for his sterling work, which holds so much promise.
The music grows on me with every listening. This exhilarating first movement demonstrates a real ability to build and sustain climaxes.
Having listened to this movement multiple times I'm now persuaded that this is one of the finest opening movements of an unsung and unrecorded symphony that I have ever heard. I'm now very excited - and somewhat nervous - about what follows this magnificent, memorable movement that so looks forward to later symphonists.
Here is the whole symphony complete.
The handwritten score is quite rough as you may have already noticed. Accidentals are hard to decipher at times so apologies for any random 'bum' notes - I've done my best to check but a few will no doubt have slipped through the net. It's been a long project this one but as ever an education. Hubert has an individual voice and it's been a pleasure to resurrect it.
Hubert Kufferath lives again!
1st: Allegro moderato
2nd: Andante con moto (Theme with variations)
3rd: Scherzo and Trio
4th: Allegro molto
The symphony runs for about 40 mins.
LINK TO THE WHOLE SYMPHONY:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGVdSTkAjAU
That's wonderful, Martin, thank you so much. I can't wait to hear the rest of this work and do hope that the other three movements live up to the promise of the first.
What Mark said!
Just auditioned the finale - wow, what a ride! And so original! Absolutely fabulous!
...and couldn't resist listening to the rest. It's magnificent. For me, it's the most original symphony since I encountered Rufinatscha a decade ago. It absolutely MUST be recorded.
Thanks so much, Martin. Wonderful work!
Try the link from the scherzo into the trio at 25' 30" - it's sweet ....
I see what you mean - very subtle. And what a trio! There's grandeur everywhere in this fine work.
I'd say that this is one of the most important symphonies 'on the way to Brahms', and also a very fine work in its own right.
The late Draeseke scholar (and Raff enthusiast) Dr Alan Krueck once told me that he thought one of the most important features of Brahms' compositions was his rhythmic ingenuity. I think this can be heard in Kufferath too.
Interestingly, this source tells us a bit more about his life:
Kufferath, Hubert Ferdinand, German violinist, pianist, conductor, and composer, brother of Johann Hermann Kufferath and Louis Kufferath , and father of Maurice Kufferath , b. Mülheim an der Ruhr, June 11, 1818; d. St. Josse-ten-Noode, near Brussels, June 23, 1896. He studied first with his brothers, then with Hartmann (violin) in Cologne and Schneider in Dessau (1833–36). He subsequently studied violin with David at the Leipzig Cons., where he also took courses with Mendelssohn and Hauptmann. He conducted the Cologne Männergesangverein (1841), then settled in Brussels (1844), where he ultimately served as prof. of counterpoint and fugue at the Cons. (1872–96). He wrote syms., piano concertos, and piano pieces.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire
https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/kufferath-hubert-ferdinand
I note that from 1844 he was living in Brussels and much later taught at the Conservatoire there. So, what other influences might he have encountered there? Fétis, perhaps?
Edit: From 1844 he was actually teaching piano and composition in Brussels:
https://nds.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Ferdinand_Kufferath
I have been in touch with the Brussels Conservatoire and have been sent some interesting biographical information - in French. It might take me a couple of days to pull together all the important points, but it seems that Kufferath's house in Brussels was a meeting-place for musicians of the time - and that he was in contact with Schumann and Brahms. More later...
Looking forward to it Alan. What a grand symphony this is. Imslp has the printed set of parts but no full score. The 1st violin part is a so called dirigent's part with cues for other instruments. A very musical rendition, Martin, though some mistakes makes for rough listening occasionally. I hope this thread might reach the attention of any recording companies as this work certainly deserves more attention!
I'm busy today. Back tomorrow...
Thank you tpaloj. You do sometimes wish these copyists sharpened their pencil from time to time!
Looking forward to the updates on your research Alan.
Just to underline my agreement with everything which has been written above. The whole work is an impressive composition by any yardstick, especially given its relatively early date, and it deserves to have much wider currency than just UC members and subscribers to Martin's YouTube channel. Hats off to Martin for yet again resurrecting a work of real importance.
The salient points from the French biography - that were unknown to us - are:
- He was an infant prodigy on both violin and piano.
- He was known as 'Ferdinand'. His first name is actually hyphenated: Hubert-Ferdinand.
- It was at a concert where he played his own piano compositions that he met Schumann, who praised his talents
as both composer and pianist.
- In Brussels he studied under Fétis.
- In Brussels he became a renowned ('renommé') piano teacher.
- There he founded a chamber music ensemble with the violinist Hubert Léonard and the cellist Adrien-François
Servais.
- He maintained a correspondence with the Schumanns and Brahms.
- His house in the rue de la Charité was a lively musical centre where music by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and
Brahms - at that time ignored by the general public - was played.
- His style is described as strongly influenced by Mendelssohn - although, as we know, the evidence of his
Symphony in C points away from Mendelssohn towards Brahms.
- The Symphony was first performed under Fétis at one of the Conservatoire concerts in 1847 - i.e. two
years before it was published.
- He also wrote a Piano Concerto, a String Quartet, a Piano Trio, songs and piano works including études, études
de concert, capriccios, berceuses, romances and divertissements.
- Among those who sought his advice on composition were Lassen and de Greef.
A Symphony + Piano Concerto coupling would be a very attractive coupling for a recording.
Quite so. I wonder the full (published) scores are...
BNF has a score of the Piano Concerto, unsure whether it's a reduction or the full partitura...
EDIT: Oops... partie de piano seul, so not the whole thing.
EDIT2: I went ahead and tried to order a digitization of Kufferath's Symphony in D (from 1858) from the Royal Library of Belgium. We'll see how it goes...
Please update us on progress.
I have found this record at BNF:
QuoteType(s) de contenu et mode(s) de consultation : Musique notée : sans médiation
Auteur(s) : Kufferath, Hubert-Ferdinand (1818-1896). Compositeur Voir les notices liées en tant qu'auteur
Titre(s) : Concerto pour piano avec accompagnement de grand orchestre. Op. 24 [en mi] [Musique imprimée]
Publication : Mayence : B. Schott fils, [s.d.]
Description matérielle : In-fol. 41 p.
Note(s) : Part. de piano avec acc.t d'orchestre
Sujet(s) : Piano et orchestre (19e siècle)
Cotage 14541 (B. Schott fils)
Notice n° : FRBNF43081494
The abbreviation "Part. de piano avec acc.t d'orchestre" is not very helpful. If it is the "partie de piano seul" why add "avec acc.t d'orchestre"? If, on the other hand, "part." is short for "Partition" one would expect "Partition d'orchestre" if it is a full score. However, as there are only 41 pages it is probably the solo piano part only or a 2-piano score. But the description is a model of how NOT to catalogue something.
Precisely Gareth! BNF had two records related to this PC actually, this other one is described as partie de piano seul. And speaking of horrid cataloguing practices, this entry does not even include page count! https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb449096263
In the end, the 44 page piano score on imslp is probably the same item that both of these BNF records indicate.
If all goes ok with the D Symphony order, the library will likely upload the scans on their site. Otherwise, if they only send it to me, it should be ok to share the digitization here.
Alan that is very interesting. He lived in rather august company.
tpaloj - looking forward to having a snifter at the other symphony.
Quotetpaloj - looking forward to having a snifter at the other symphony.
I think 'D Symphony' is a typo. As far as I know he only wrote one.
The record is here, and it looks genuine to me: https://opac.kbr.be/LIBRARY/doc/SYRACUSE/18197700
133 pages. Allegro molto - Poco adagio - Allegro vivace (Scherzo) - Molto All(egro) vivace (Finale)
Manuscrit autographe, daté à la fin : "17./7/1853"
Dans la finale figurent le chant national autrichien et la Brabançonne
I do beg your pardon! I was going by the biographical information I'd been sent which doesn't mention another symphony.
To avoid confusion, though, perhaps it might be better to refer to it as 'Symphony in D' or 'D major Symphony.'
I'm not sure what I might think of a symphony featuring both the Austrian and Belgian national anthems in the finale! Still, Kufferath's a fine composer, so who knows?
Quotefeaturing both the Austrian and Belgian national anthems
- and one wonders why? I suppose the most likely reason is that the Symphony (or at least its finale) was composed to commemorate an event involving the two countries and, guess what? - on 22 August 1853 Leopold, Duke of Brabant and heir to the Belgian throne, married Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria. The manuscript is dated 17 July 1853, so that looks like what prompted Kufferath to include the two anthems.
I'm generally allergic to this sort of thing in what is otherwise a non-programmatic symphony. However, maybe Kufferath can pull it off.
Has anyone else been listening again to K's magnificent Symphony in C in Reverie's superb realisation? I just can't get it out of my head.
I also keep coming back to the thought that it was written in Brussels. Is there any significance in this?
Why would there be, Alan? Belgium's recent independence, perhaps?
Compositionally, it was surely a bit of an outpost, with Fétis the influential figure. I was just wondering whether this gave Kufferath more freedom to compose this magnificent symphony...
I hoped that Fétis himself might give a clue in his entry on Kufferath in vol.5 of his Biographie universelle des musiciens (1860-68), but he just writes [excuse the translation] "In 1844, after two years of travelling, M. Kufferath settled in Brussels as professor of piano and composition, and since then he hasn't left the city", followed by a list of his compositions (but mentioning only one symphony).
Thanks for that. What we need is an insight into Kufferath's mind. I wonder whether there are any letters/articles that can tell us?
For example, can anyone access this article about Clara Schumann and the Kufferath family?>>>
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3687189?origin=crossref
I note that a concert of Kufferath's music was held in 2018 to mark 200 years since the composer's birth:
http://www.collegium-musicum-mannheim.de/Historie/2018Programm.html
It included the Symphony in C!
Performers:
Collegium Musicum Mannheim
Conductor: Dr. Matthies Andresen
Wonder whether it was recorded?
Great to know there has been a performance. I wonder if they had a published full score to conduct from, or if they used a scanned manuscript? IMSLP has just the parts, of course.
I haven't heard anything of the Symphony in D yet. Either they are busy and haven't responded yet, or it is being worked on, or they did not care to look into it at all...
A former student of mine has kindly managed to access the JSTOR article for me. More news anon...
Actually, there's little of real substance in relation to Kufferath, except that early on (1840) Robert Schumann, while noting the influence of Mendelssohn, also made clear that his music demonstrated that he wasn't an official student of that composer.
I certainly can't hear anything of Mendelssohn in the Symphony in C...
Maybe his independent nature, as demonstrated by the Symphony, also influenced his decision to remain in the relative musical backwater of Brussels, or perhaps he married a Belgian woman who was reluctant to leave her country?
My conclusion is that he was simply 'his own man' - which backs up our initial impression of the Symphony as being largely uninfluenced by any other composer while clearly being 'in the tradition'.
The Symphony in D Major has been uploaded to KBR tpaloj but I don't know when - I sent you a message.
It has no opus no and no date. I had a look at it briefly. I think it's an earlier work?
I will look into it further.
Thanks Martin. They never charged me for this scan: perhaps they were already working on it when I placed my order for the digitization. They've also uploaded a second score of the Symphony in C (op 15) – Kufferath's autograph, which is probably a more realiable source than the copyist copy.
Anyway, this Symphony in D looks more martial in style than Kufferath's earlier symphony. I find it interesting that a lot of instruments are crossed over only in the first movement, but not in the rest of the score. The date 1853 – by the way – is on the last page of the Finale. Mark's theory that it was composed for the marriage ceremonies that year sounds like a really good explanation to me, which would neatly explain the multiple anthems in the Finale.
https://uurl.kbr.be/1935289 (https://uurl.kbr.be/1935289)
Was the Symphony in D in effect a 'pièce d'occasion'? If so, perhaps it was only ever performed once and never subsequently published.
Returning to the Symphony in C, Rebecca Grotjahn, in 'Die Sinfonie im deutschen Kulturgebiet 1850 bis 1875', dates the work to 'before 1848' (and we now know that Fétis premiered it in 1847) and lists a performance at the Leipzig Gewandhaus on 25th November 1852 which was its debut there.
Grotjahn makes no mention of the Symphony in D. However, she is working from entries in 'Signale für die musikalische Welt', so maybe it was never reviewed.
Quote from: Alan Howe on Saturday 30 October 2021, 08:22
Was the Symphony in D in effect a 'pièce d'occasion'? If so, perhaps it was only ever performed once and never subsequently published.
Fair assessment, more than likely so. Would be nice to find more info, the score itself has no further clues. It doesn't even have a front matter page.
I had a fun time with the Scherzo – it was so short I decided to spend my morning writing it out. Just over 3 minutes, with the composer's tempo of dotted minim 96. Score and audio:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xy4asxwsokl58p9/Kufferath%20-%20Symphony%20in%20D%20major%2C%20Scherzo%20%28v2%29.pdf?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/s/xy4asxwsokl58p9/Kufferath%20-%20Symphony%20in%20D%20major%2C%20Scherzo%20%28v2%29.pdf?dl=0)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8lbey4pb4yps386/Kufferath%20-%20Symphony%20in%20D%2C%20Scherzo.wav?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/s/8lbey4pb4yps386/Kufferath%20-%20Symphony%20in%20D%2C%20Scherzo.wav?dl=0)
Well, this is fun indeed. It has one of Kufferath's most obvious hallmarks, namely his rhythmic ingenuity - one of the characteristics that points to Brahms, I think. It's really fine stuff!
Oh, wow, what a neat little Scherzo. Pièce d'occasion or no, if this is a fair sample of the D major Symphony then it would be wonderful to hear the rest of it. Heavy hint dropped, I know :)
It's looking increasingly like a very worthwhile symphony to me. We'll see: I haven't looked how the Finale is, yet. The outer movements are long and involved, so completing this will take some time - I'm planning to create the parts, too. It's good practice and perhaps it might encourage some orchestra to perform this Symphony eventually.
I wanted to highlight the stunning second movement as well (sorry for Noteperformer's "unexpressiveness" once again, but perhaps it can be enjoyed to some extent):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/340qu4ipqdfxe1d/Kufferath%2C%20Symphony%20in%20D%20major%2C%20Adagio.wav?dl=0 (https://www.dropbox.com/s/340qu4ipqdfxe1d/Kufferath%2C%20Symphony%20in%20D%20major%2C%20Adagio.wav?dl=0)
I only realized afterwards that the chorale-like theme (0:32 and 3:53), is the original Austrian anthem "Sei gesegnet ohne Ende", which was replaced by the currently adopted Austrian anthem in 1946. It is such a beautiful melody! Its inclusion does not bother me at all and I don't feel a hint of gratuitousness of using popular songs or anthems in the sensitive manner that Kufferath has done with this movement.
That's a mouth watering post, Tuomas. If this second symphony is a worthy companion for Kufferath's C major then the pair will potentially be very significant additions to the repertoire and we'll have to see what can be done to get them recorded.
My reaction is rather different: it's a great melody, of course, but since those days it's become the tune of the German national anthem, as well as the hymn 'Glorious things of thee are spoken'. In other words, to me it's just too familiar. My problem, no doubt.
However, I really want to hear the whole Symphony!
Thanks for this. Interesting. Some quite complex string texture there and unexpected harmomic shifts.
Quotesorry for Noteperformer's "unexpressiveness"
Not sure what you mean by this?
Noteperformer is a revelation in my opinion. The guys that made that sound library deserve a medal of the highest order. I find you have to spend a bit of time altering dynamics in individual parts ie: forget the composer's markings and use your own ear via repeated listenings until it's right. A bit like 'takes' in a recording studio. It takes time of course but it's the bit I enjoy after the laborious inputting of notes.
Thanks again - looking foward to more.
Thank you! I often have trouble with the dynamics and since I don't have any real audio mixing skills or experience I have a lot of trouble balancing the instruments, especially strings vs. the rest of the instruments. Anyway, I appreciate that these excerpts have been enjoyable. I really wish that both of these symphonies should gain more visibility and press in the future.
Indeed: keep going! Kufferath's an important voice.
As everyone surely knows (maybe temporarily forgets), the "chorale-like" melody is of course Haydn's Emperor Hymn "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser"
Originally, yes of course. But it has later associations which resonate more strongly with us today, surely.
Looks like the people over at KBR have been busy again. There is now a manuscript of two connected movements. They have them labelled as Andante and Allegro even though I cannot see any written descriptions. I've had a look at the opening of the first movment and it sounds wonderful so I'm going to be busy ;)
LINK: https://belgica.kbr.be/BELGICA/search.aspx?SC=GALERIE&QUERY=&_lg=en-GB#/Detail/(query:(Id:0,Index:1,NBResults:1,PageRange:3,SearchQuery:(CloudTerms:!(),FacetFilter:%7B%7D,ForceSearch:!t,InitialSearch:!t,Page:0,PageRange:3,QueryGuid:cc449fb7-b8e5-4954-b9e3-9c5dfa83bd19,QueryString:'Oeuvre%20pour%20orchestre,%20%5Bin%20C%5D%20%5BMusique%20manuscrite%20=%20Handgeschreven%20muziek%5D%20:%20andante%20-%20allegro',ResultSize:100,ScenarioCode:GALERIE,ScenarioDisplayMode:display-vignet,SearchGridFieldsShownOnResultsDTO:!(),SearchLabel:'',SearchTerms:'Oeuvre%20pour%20orchestre%20in%20C%20Musique%20manuscrite%20Handgeschreven%20muziek%20andante%20allegro',SortField:!n,SortOrder:0,TemplateParams:(Scenario:'',Scope:BELGICA,Size:!n,Source:'',Support:'',UseCompact:!f),UseSpellChecking:!n))) (https://belgica.kbr.be/BELGICA/search.aspx?SC=GALERIE&QUERY=&_lg=en-GB#/Detail/(query:(Id:0,Index:1,NBResults:1,PageRange:3,SearchQuery:(CloudTerms:!(),FacetFilter:%7B%7D,ForceSearch:!t,InitialSearch:!t,Page:0,PageRange:3,QueryGuid:cc449fb7-b8e5-4954-b9e3-9c5dfa83bd19,QueryString:'Oeuvre%20pour%20orchestre,%20%5Bin%20C%5D%20%5BMusique%20manuscrite%20=%20Handgeschreven%20muziek%5D%20:%20andante%20-%20allegro',ResultSize:100,ScenarioCode:GALERIE,ScenarioDisplayMode:display-vignet,SearchGridFieldsShownOnResultsDTO:!(),SearchLabel:'',SearchTerms:'Oeuvre%20pour%20orchestre%20in%20C%20Musique%20manuscrite%20Handgeschreven%20muziek%20andante%20allegro',SortField:!n,SortOrder:0,TemplateParams:(Scenario:'',Scope:BELGICA,Size:!n,Source:'',Support:'',UseCompact:!f),UseSpellChecking:!n))))
These two movements are in addition to the two symphonies? Is anything at all known about them, such as the date of composition?
We need to hear these, don't we? And the Symphony in D! No pressure, then...
do those KBR pages not have briefer "permanent links"? I doubt those links work more than a few minutes...
On the webpage itself, there is a shorter link labelled as "permalink": https://opac.kbr.be/LIBRARY/doc/SYRACUSE/18198173 (https://opac.kbr.be/LIBRARY/doc/SYRACUSE/18198173)
Best wishes! ewk
Quote from: Alan Howe on Thursday 18 November 2021, 19:55
We need to hear these, don't we? And the Symphony in D!
Though the inner movements of the Symphony in D are very nice, so far I'm not too impressed with the first and last... might be best to temper your expectations a little 🙂 Still, I've begun the task and am resolved to see it through... will take some time to finish the score. By the way, it won't be too long for a symphony either, around 25 minutes at most.
Expectations tempered, Tuomas, but renewed thanks for your hard work on all our behalfs.
Indeed. I'm still looking forward to it very much.
A small update on the Symphony in D major. Everything is now notated, but I still need to format and check some 40 pages of the *heavily* orchestrated Finale (oh dear lord!). The composer's tempi numbers for the first and last movements seem to me unnaturally fast, a common feature for music from this period of time for some reason. Nevertheless, it won't be too long for a symphony: around 26-27 minutes in all. The good news is that the Finale won't be too dependent on the "national" austrian and belgian themes to make its point, as most of the material and music is Kufferath's own. A 3-minute coda combines both the austrian hymn (today most familiar to anyone as "Deutschland über alles") and La Brabançonne in a contrapuntally developed, raising conclusion. Stay tuned for more news and audio to come :)
Thanks for the update Tuomas.
I'm tuned and waiting...
Thanks again!
Kufferath's Symphony in D major is finally here! Score, parts and video. I don't know how likely it would be to ever hear this symphony being performed or recorded, but at least all performing materials are now on IMSLP. Perhaps some orchestra or recording venture might find them useful eventually.
This symphony is dated 17.7.1853 on the last page of the score, and it was never published. The austrian national hymn of the time (today more famous as the tune to Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit) and the Belgian La Brabançonne are being used in the second and final movements. Curiously the instrumentation in the first movement was originally scored for the same, larger forces as the rest of the symphony, but in the manuscript all the "extra" instruments have been meticulously crossed over to reduce its instrumentation to common symphonic orchestration of the time (2222, 2210, timp, strings). Each successive movement introduces more and more instruments, culminating in a total of 24 players plus strings altogether in the Finale.
The music in the outer movements is very festive and upbeat. The second and third movements, which I had already uploaded here earlier, I find very nice. The triumphal – and loud! – Finale has some good passages, and the Coda with its aforementioned national themes makes for a pretty effective conclusion for this work.
This was a nice project, sometimes pretty laborious (the Finale...) but definitely worth it for me for the practice in preparing the score and parts. I still prefer Kufferath's other symphony over this, but I hope you will enjoy it no matter what!
Score & parts on IMSLP: https://tinyurl.com/2p82pwdm (https://tinyurl.com/2p82pwdm)
Youtube: https://youtu.be/peyvVjbWgHQ (https://youtu.be/peyvVjbWgHQ)
Thank you VERY MUCH INDEED for your hard work and dedication in producing score and parts of this work. Having the performance materials available will be a significant incentive for any conductor/orchestra who might be interested in exploring the symphony to give it an airing. We can but hope. Congratulations, Tuomas!
A wonderful early Christmas present! Greatly looking forward to listening to it later on, after my seafront walk.
Quote from: tpaloj on Friday 24 December 2021, 09:16
The austrian national hymn of the time (today more famous as the tune to "Deutschland über alles") [...]
The Germans have gone to some effort to replace "Deutschland über alles" with "Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit" (the beginning of the third stanza) since WW2, so while arguably more famous (and catchy), that phrase is not in active use anymore...
Regardless, this is a welcome surprise! Thanks for all your efforts to give this (and other!) music a second chance.
Thanks Ilja, I've amended that mention about the Deutschlandlied. In my country people just refer to this song by its first stanza since nobody knows the rest, so that name has stuck. But it's good to be precise about these things.
I hope everyone here a nice Merry Christmas :)
Well, I've just listened to the D major Symphony and thoroughly enjoyed it. Its best movements are I and III, but one has to admire the ingenuity with which Kufferath weaves together the two anthems in the finale. And he always manages to come up with some twists and surprises along the way. What's more, it's memorable!
I think we have to accept this work for what is, i.e. primarily a pièce d'occasion, and be grateful that he didn't over-inflate it along the lines of a certain Symphony by Smetana.
This and the Symphony in C would make a really attractive coupling on CD.
Great work, Tuomas, and a great tonic in dreary December!
Yes, many thanks Tuomas for a perfectly timed gift. I'm really looking forward to hearing it.
Love it - fresh and vibrant for it's time. Just what i would expect from the innovative HFK. Thanks for the hours of work.
I agree with Alan. This is most enjoyable. Thank you, Tuomas! :)