I've recently been scrolling, reading and playing trough a lot of my fellow countrymens' music. There are so many great Swiss composer, who still are extremely neglected. Huber and Suter have been topics on this forum too, but Hegar's "Manasse" has only been mentionned once, in 2018 by hadrianus:
http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,6494.msg72143.html#msg72143
I studied the piece a bit yesterday and was wondering if anyone else knows it? Any opinions on this?
I just found out that it was performed in Zurich in June 2018, but as far as I'm informed there are no recordings yet!
Which other pieces by Hegar are worth a listen? I know he wrote a lot of choral music, a Violin and a Cello Concerto...
From Wikipedia:
Friedrich Hegar (11 October 1841 – 2 June 1927) was a Swiss composer, conductor, violinist, and founding conductor of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich from 1868 to 1906. Hegar was born in Basel and died in Zürich at age 85.
Hi Reto :-)
Unfortunately I could not attend that 2018 Zurich performance of "Manasse".
I studied this score long ago: It's a masterwork.
I struggled to get this piece recorded on Naxos already in the 1980s.
Swiss Cultural Muscl Institutions like Pro Helvetia and SUISA Foundation are only interested in promoting contemporary composers, mainly their favourites (who have already received enough money), no matter what kind of (mostly intellectual) bulls**t they write. They have no respect towards our great musical past, their reprentatives and responsibles are in greater part musical ignoramuses. And they do not support CD productions anymore.
I've given up struggling for my cause: In Switzerland nobody is aware that I have conducted 21 CDs with forgotten/neglected Swiss music of the 19th/20th Century - and this on foreign labels! For this commitment I am more known and appreciated in Germany, England and in the USA.
Thank you so much, Hadrianus ;) I'm very happy to find at least one person who knows the piece as well. I still have to get more into it, though I liked it a lot when playing through.
It's really a big pity and I so completely agree with you concerning how we Swiss people treat our cultural heritage. It's shameful...
I wrote to conductor Anna Jelmorini, who performed the piece in 2018 and whom I know personally as I assisted in her production of "Le Laudi" by Suter. She said the concert was recorded, but unfortunately she refused to pass on a recording, for whatever reasons...
I am very aware of your great recordings with the Brun Symphonies as well as I know your recording of Suter's d minor Symphony (he is one of my favourite composers!!!). I really feel sorry that there is only a very small audience for these and public response is so small...It's stupid politics! Have made similar experiences myself, it very much depends on who is in charge of the orchestras, often the managers and/or chief-conductors have no understanding, then chances are zero...
I am delighted by your projects, however! There is such a lot of interesting stuff to discover and I'm really happy to have found this group here!
I guess the "Manasse" would be a rather expensive project to record/perform, most probably a good idea would be to program it within a given festival (as in 2018). Really a pity, as I read that the piece was very often performed in its time...
Reto, your posting (thanks very much for it - particularly for your compliments of my recordings) inspired me to re-study the score of "Manasse" again, after so many years! One amongst many ways to try to survive emotionally this traumatizing period, in which even music has become difficult to do, except in solitude - feeling constantly terrified to become a victim of this sudden modern "plague".
But you will perhaps get more chances to conduct "Manasse" one day: you are a more experienced and professionally formed conductor, with a notable biography. In comparison, I am but an amateur.
Could either of you give us some idea of the character and quailities of 'Manasse', please?
IMSLP tells us that 'Manasse', Op.16 (in English: 'Manasseh' - i.e. the wicked King of Judah) is a 'Dramatic Poem' and dates from 1890. It is scored for 4 soloists, chorus and orchestra.
Here is the vocal score
https://imslp.simssa.ca/files/imglnks/usimg/c/c9/IMSLP249979-PMLP405173-Hegar_-_Manasse_VS.pdf
and here is the concert program of the mentioned Zurich performance
https://www.maennerchor.ch/manasse-oratorium/
I leave it up to the more expert Reto to describe the music.
Here is another choral work by Hegar:
https://www.amazon.com/University-Zurich-Various-VARIOUS-ARTISTS/dp/B00TR9X9OY
Thanks, Adriano.
I'm assuming that Hegar was musical conservative, judging by this Violin Sonata in C minor, Op.6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szcULs5Mj-I&list=OLAK5uy_nFbJH6YF-NKvRX79B3wFUwVN7Kp2hbBw4 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szcULs5Mj-I&list=OLAK5uy_nFbJH6YF-NKvRX79B3wFUwVN7Kp2hbBw4) (I)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8oF3K3DJXw&list=OLAK5uy_nFbJH6YF-NKvRX79B3wFUwVN7Kp2hbBw4&index=5 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8oF3K3DJXw&list=OLAK5uy_nFbJH6YF-NKvRX79B3wFUwVN7Kp2hbBw4&index=5) (II)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qOe88NCwG4&list=OLAK5uy_nFbJH6YF-NKvRX79B3wFUwVN7Kp2hbBw4&index=6 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qOe88NCwG4&list=OLAK5uy_nFbJH6YF-NKvRX79B3wFUwVN7Kp2hbBw4&index=6) (III)
Reto asks which other works or Hegar are worth a listen. I'd say the string quartet of 1920 (his last published opus), although my rendition on imslp calls for considerable tolerance...
https://imslp.org/wiki/String_Quartet%2C_Op.46_(Hegar%2C_Friedrich). It's also found its way onto youtube. I'd certainly say conservative, although very "late" romantic with distinct echoes of Verklaerte Nacht
I don't hear anything as chromatic as the Schoenberg in FH's String Quartet. Late romantic, certainly, but perhaps more in Draeseke territory (Draeseke was a contemporary, after all).
I just played through it once again and the more I study the piece, the more I really start to deeply love it! Will give some more detailed description soon. Very happy that this seems to fill Hadrianus's days as well ;) Hadrianus is by no means an "amateur"!!! You have an impressive recording legacy and you're certainly by far more experienced than myself.
I have always been very fascinated as a conductor by rather obscure composers, in particular if they have a certain connection to a place, orchestra or other contemporaries we're dealing with more often. In the case of Hegar I never understood why for example in Zurich no-one plays or remembers him! He was THE big musician in Zurich for over 50 years! Conductor of Tonhalle Orchestra, Composer, Teacher and extremely influental as a pedagogical figure in general at the Conservatory, Choir Conductor and much more...
Maybe it's a very Swiss phenomenon (I dare say this, I guess ;)): We'd never value a composer or artist as as high as for example in Germany they hold Brahms, even if he were at a comparable level. No I'm not speaking about Hegar at the moment, no comparison intended! I am absolutely not nationalistic, but as I happen to be a Swiss conductor I have always been interested in finding valuable pieces by Swiss composers! And believe me: There are far than enough! But nobody plays them!
The tribute really goes to Adriano, as you have been very active in promoting these unsung composers! We have to keep on going, in the end the public reaction has to decide as well on the value of this music. But the problem is that there are hardly any opportunities...
I really very much hope to be able to make a contribution to this all as a conductor! Not for myself, but because I truly believe in the value of e.g. "Manasse"! I feel a responsibility to use my competences (however limited they might be in some places) to encourage such pieces. At the moment - and particularly now during the lockdown period - things unfortunately don't look too good... However, we can have our moments of happiness studying and playing such great works as the Hegar.
So: what's 'Manasse' like, please?
Thanks to Alan Howe and Matesic for the links! I will have to dive closer into it, am very curious to find out more.
In particular, I'd be interested in finding out whether there is a big development in his compositional style. The Violin Sonata seems to be a very early piece, the String Quartet a late composition. At the moment I unfortunately know too little music by Hegar to be able to judge it in an adequate way... Will give some thoughts and am very interested to hear your opinions on it!
"Manasse" is a work from his "middle period", written in the early 1880s (it was first performed in Zurich in 1885), his Opus 16.
The subtitle claims the piece to be a "Dramatic Poem in 3 Scenes", to a text by the then very-well known Swiss poet and journalist Joseph Victor Widmann (1842-1911). Despite the biblical story of Manasse, son of the priest Jojada, this classification seems to me to fit exactly the character and formal conception. It's rather a really "dramatic" piece, not an oratorio!
The orchestra (as can be seen also on IMSLP) consists of a standard-sized romantic orchestra with double winds, the vocal parts include Mixed Choir and four soloists:
Manasse (Tenor)
Nicaso, his wife (Soprano)
Esra, commander of the Jewish people (baritone)
A Messenger (Bass)
A short fugal orchestral prelude precedes the first scene. There's a huge build-up, culminating in a b flat Major climax.
The first scene makes use of the choir and Baritone Soloist (Esra). It starts off with a big hymn of praise to God, some of it in majestic homophone writing, some of it very polyphonic and chromatic. All this is interspersed with Arioso-like and Recitativo passages for Esra. After a big caesura, the commander of the Jewish people reminds them that God likes only faithful people and accuses Manasse of having married a wife from a foreign tribe. The music becomes more animated and only in the end there is a change to bright D Major, recapitulating the initial hymn of praise, though with different motives. This all culminates in a big Fugue for the choir.
The second scene begins in a very different atmosphere: A choir of Reapers is heard, coming home from their field. The music is very pastoral and almost folk-song like (I'd imagine a lot of Hegar's vocal pieces for Male Choir to be in this style, but have to check out...). A short recitativo following this passage firstly introduces Manasse: He praises the Lord and the beauty of nature, followed by a passionate arioso of Nicaso, leading to a very large and highly ardent duetto of the lovers. The choir comes in and announces "Wehe! Unheil naht" (mischief) as the Messenger is about to enter and take Manasse before the high-court. Nicaso deplores her misfortunate situation and wants to leave Manasse, but the later declares his love and loyality to his wife. The anxious people ask for Manasse's decision and after his questions agree to follow him. Again, a triumphant chorus, praising the title hero's wisdom and force ends this scene.
Scene No. 3 starts with a very sombre d minor recitativo (after a short, almost funeral-march-like introduction) of Esra, announcing the consequences for Manasse and his people should he not renounce his woman. The music brightens up again, as the commander on the contrary sings about the pleasures given to the people who follow God's law. Manasse is sent in and has to reply to the choir of Priests (big fugal parts for Male choir here!). There is again a very tender aria within for Nicaso, leading into a duetto, as she is desparately looking for a solution to the situation. But Manasse refuses to leave her and is condemned by Esra (very big and long C Minor climax!). He and his people finally realise that the situation is very serious, but consolation, love and the hope to build the altar in Garazim and praise God there take over. Again, a very hymn-like music like in the first scene is heard and the piece gradually dies away with the beautiful text:
"Über Sonnen, über Sternen wohnt der heil'ge Herr der Welt!"
(The holy Lord of the World lives upon the sun and stars)
Stylistically I hear a lot of Wagner, in particular the harmonic language reminds me of the First Akt of "Walküre" in many places. Some of the big Choral Fugues with the prominent use of pedal points certainly show an influence of Mendelssohn and Brahms. Not that he stole, but the harmonic language as well as the overall formal and dramaturgical conception of some parts are reminiscent. Compare e.g. the beginning of Nicaso's music in the second scene with the music following Siegmund's "Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond"...
If Hegar is at all remembered as a composer, then it's chiefly for his choral music, in particular for male choir. Also in such a big piece like "Manasse" the choir gets assigned a lot of the music, be it in the role of the "people" or the male choir "acting" as the priest who cast a spell over Manasse and his people. Concerning the form I could most likely compare it to late Verdi operas: There are recitativos, followed by arioso and large choral parts. The scenes are composed as one piece, with subdivided sections for the soloists.
In my opinion the piece really is totally worth a revival! I feel that despite the big dimensions (I'd assume the composition to be around 100-110 minutes in performance duration) the composer managed to find a very clever and varied dramaturgical concept! I firmly believe that the piece still "works", though the text is very 19th century, in some places seemingly old-fashioned, though not bad. The story is emotionally overwhelming and multi-dimensional, once one dives into it (and I just started...;) ).
I'd be happy and grateful to Adriano to provide further insight, as he certainly knows the piece longer and better than I do. Or anyone else who can do more contributions to this or other Hegar pieces. I just found out that apparently his manuscripts are preserved in Basel. Once this *** situation is over, I'll need to give this a try and look for some more and interesting stuff there. Does anybody know about this?
And completely by coincidence I will be working with the Soprano who sang the role of Nicaso in Zurich in June 2018. Will certainly ask her about the experiences with the piece....
Btw the Vocal Scores seem to be still available for sale at Musikverlag Hug. which surprises me.
Concerning the full score it's very difficult to get, but I was extremely lucky that some time ago I found it in an antiquarian bookshop in Zurich. I think it has never been properly "printed", the score looks like a manuscript (though very proper!!!) copy.
I might consider uploading it on IMSLP one day...
Is there any possibility of inserting photographs here? If that's the case, I'd like to send you some pictures of what the score looks like (y)
Thanks for this detailed description.
Unfortunately we have no facility here to 'store' files of scores. However, you could always post a link to a file-sharing site...
ok ,thanks. I might consider sharing the scores at a later occasion, probably directly on IMSLP.
Just found out that in Basel they have a copy of the score with cuts made by the then rather well-known conductor Franz Wüllner, along with handwritten annotations. There is also a note claiming that the entrance of the first chorus was originally only for male choir (only the "priests"), but Hegar later on made up his mind. Wüllner seems to have restored that original part. Now I'm really curious about finding out in which ways they differ from each other, and particularly how the conductor cut the work...
@ matesic:
I just had a listen to the String Quartet you suggested (there is a version on Youtube). Very interesting and pretty modern, isn't it?! This is completely different from anything that I'd expect from him. Do you have the sheet music for this? (unfortunately, on IMSLP the page is blank...).
I find it particularly interesting in comparison to the "Festive Cantata" for the inauguration of the University, which can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekWVJ9Qvo6U
That one was composed in 1914, considering it being op.42 it's about the same time as the String Quartet (or predates the later by only a few years).
Will give the Violin Sonata a go the other day ;)
@Reto - I was able to download the parts OK. Maybe this will work better for you http://www.mediafire.com/folder/j8g1d9xng6o4e/Hegar.
The youtube performance is in fact the same - not a real performance I should say but just me multitracked and struggling a bit in places! I find it hard to believe no proper quartet seems to have taken this fine piece up. I agree it is very much at the modern end of "romantic" but the Festive Cantata seems to be by a different composer altogether! Is this more like the style of Manasse?
Thank you very much, matesic!
In the meantime I managed with the parts ;)
I just found out they have sheet music for this (hopefully a full score) at ZB Zürich. So many things to check, once the whole situation gets better...
Yes, the "Cantata" is very much in the style of "Manasse" (which obviously must be much earlier). There is a piano reduction also at the library in Zurich.
That piece seems to be fairly conservative, isn't it?
An interesting piece now to compare could be the Cello Concerto, op.44 which he wrote for his son, a professor in Munich. There is a full score available on IMSLP... Will most probably play through this in the coming days ;)
Concerning "Manasse" I found out that apparently there must be different versions! There is a note on the page of the Basel library claiming that Franz Wüllner restored the "original" beginning when he performed it in Cologne in 1892. And I read in a program booklet today that the "final version" of "Manasse" was first performed in Zurich in 1888. Some other sources claim 1885. The exact dating seems to be quite difficult...
Apparently it was performed in 1990 in Zurich and there was a broadcast. I don't really believe that there is much chance, but I'll try to write to Radio SRF if this survives and if there's any possibility of getting a copy...
Thanks for your efforts and best wishes,
Reto
Re the string quartet at IMSLP: try https://imslp.org/wiki/String_Quartet%2C_Op.46_(Hegar%2C_Friedrich) (https://imslp.org/wiki/String_Quartet%2C_Op.46_(Hegar%2C_Friedrich)) instead. I think I have a guess what the problem was.
Quote from: eschiss1 on Friday 27 March 2020, 19:47
Re the string quartet at IMSLP: try https://imslp.org/wiki/String_Quartet%2C_Op.46_(Hegar%2C_Friedrich) (https://imslp.org/wiki/String_Quartet%2C_Op.46_(Hegar%2C_Friedrich)) instead. I think I have a guess what the problem was.
Thanks! ;) It worked in the meantime...
I hope to get a full score from Zurich in order to follow more closely than just from the parts.
... I wonder if BSB (Munich) could be convinced to digitize their copy of the Taschenpartitur of the work...
Quote from: eschiss1 on Friday 27 March 2020, 19:57
... I wonder if BSB (Munich) could be convinced to digitize their copy of the Taschenpartitur of the work...
hmmm... that sounds very interesting! I think it's worth giving a try!
Btw I'm very surprised to find out that no library even in Switzerland has any copy of the (printed) full score of "Manasse" (except for Basel which I assume is the autograph) and I happened to find it in the antiquarian bookshop some months ago!
It's strange and I really don't know how the (very few!) conductors who performed the work in the last 100 years have managed to get it...
I might have thought it was because they rented the score and parts from - well, I guess maybe whoever bought Hug - but - well, I suppose it becomes an interesting question- hrm.
(The Fleisher Collection of the Free Library of Philadelphia, which practically exists to have performance-ready scores and parts I think and is often another possible answer to that same question, has performance material (score & parts) for Hegar's violin Ballade Op.46 (1922 published material), Violin Concerto Op.3 (1873), Cello Concerto Op.46 (pub.1919) but not Manasse either.
Hrm. Musikverlagehug, as a sub-branch of something else now, does sell the -women's chorus choral score- (this (https://www.musicshopeurope.com/product/huggh92621/manasse.aspx)) to Manasse. (Given that one could presumably extract from the published and available vocal score and that it's public domain everywhere, unlike works of some other composers who have come up lately, they should probably try to add value before charging, eg by selling the full score as noted...) But I would have failed economics class.
US Library of Congress (https://lccn.loc.gov/unk84168312) may have the 299 pp full score (but the fact that the catalog number has a "unk" prefix is not promising- unk for "unk"nown status, as was explained to me, iirc, by a librarian there. It also says "request in Reading Room"; the Bern library may have better access conditions. Still, between Bern, Sondershausen, and Washington DC and yourself at least there's more than 1 copy of the full score at large in the world- not joking, for some things there's only one of the score and/or parts anywhere and even its status is listed as "private collection" which is not reassuring...)
Thanks, eschiss1 for the valuable input! I'm sure as well that there must be full scores somewhere even in Swiss libraries. Either they are not in the catalogue yet or I just have to continue browsing ;)...
I just find it surprising that some of the other pieces seem to be easier to get, though "Manasse" was his "opus magnum" and frequently performed.
A research at the Schweizerische Nationalphonografie just came up with a recording (most probably a broadcast) of the Cello Concerto from 1981 in Basel. But nowhere do I find anything about "Manasse"...
I really feel this all could easily lead to a doctorate ;) But as a musician myself I'm certainly the wrong person for that...
Fascinating what one can find, once you take the time to do research...
Concerning "Hug Musikverlage" I really don't understand at all! That seems to be a very strange thing...
On the one hand, the choral score is available - as you mentioned, on the other hand I don't find anything about "Hug Musikverlag". I know Hug as one of our country's biggest music store agent, but not as an editor on its own. Many of the "big" pieces of Swiss music at around 1900 was printed with Hug in Zurich (like Suter's d minor Symphony as well as the Huber Symphonies), but the company certainly does not exist anymore. Just strange enough that the choir parts for "Manasse" seem to still be at sale.
I have no idea whether anyone has taken over the company or not. I assume the firm just doesn't exist anymore and the "Manasse" parts are kind of archive copies...
Does that make sense?
Maybe I can find out about this specific issue later on, I have some good contacts with Hug, the music store ;)...
In 1995 I heard Manasse live in the Zurich Tonhalle. Later that year there was a broadcast of this performance in Swiss radio. I recorded it, of course not in very good sound quality. Perhaps a friend will upload this performance for the forum.
In part 3 some seconds are missing. Being not a specialist in computers I can't upload it myself.
I also have recordings from Swiss radio of the cello concerto and Hymne an die Musik op.2. If uploading Manasse works, my friend will perhaps upload the other works too.
That's great. Thank you!
eschiss1, as very often in here, seems to know better... :-)
Hug Musikverlage does still exist - and they charge tremendous hire fees for orchestral scores and parts in case of public performances and recordings. For the three Brun Symphonies I've recorded they wanted more than 4000 CHF each, but through the intervention of Brun's son (who died in the meantime, before he could hear my recording project in complete that he financed privately) we could get a reduction...
I am in contact with Hug about "Manasse" and will digitize the full score for them during the next weeks; but I am not sure whether they will allow to have it on IMSLP... In this case I may offer it on a private download. I have already digitized the 3 mentioned Brun Symphonies (including all orchestral parts).
But one must be careful and not make a big fuss about all this... Even though Hegar is no more copyrighted, Hug may claim some editor's rights.. Music Publishers today are all in financially rather bad conditions, so they try to make money with rental fees.
One must also consider that in the past cheaper paper was often used by Hug (and others) for economical reasons - and many scores have become really damaged in the meantime. Full scores from the 19th century (the Jadassohn, Moskowski and Bourgault I own) have much better and stronger paper than many from the first half of the 20th! In Italy, Ricordi (as well as some book publishers) printed their scores during wartime on dreadfully fragile paper; on the title page they mentioned "special wartime edition".
Some instrumental parts of the Brun Symphonies were literally crumbling whilst turning its pages. It's about high time for digitizing scores from that period before it's too late - and Hug never considered this aspect, so they are quite happy with my (idealistic) offer(s). Incidentally, I have a professional scanner including A3 format.
@ Reto: Franz Wüllner, incidentally, was Fritz Brun's and Volkmar Andreae's composition teacher at the Cologne Conservatory. He composed, among others, a beautiful "Te Deum":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxA3yhcAbIM
Wüller was a famous teacher and conductor. He also wrote some important "training" manuals for chorus masters. Among his earlier pupils figured Peter Fassbaender and Willem Mengelberg (both young Brun's piano teachers in Lucerne), and also composer Jan van Gilse, violinist/composer Adolf Busch and the pianist Elly Ney (who, at that time, got apparently involved in a scandal for having an affair with one of the older teachers). Wüllner was a great conductor; he would premiere Wagner's "Rheingold" and "Die Walküre" He was also a champion of Richard Strauss. Wüllner's predecessor in Cologne was Ferdinand Hiller, but it was thanks to Wüllner that the Gürzenich Orchestra became the stable city ensemble which it is still today. He conducted it for 20 years.
Oops yes, I should test my own link, shouldn't I? I forgot that always seems to happen, and I also forgot how to fix it. Eschiss1 usually does know better!
@ mahesi:
Thank you so much! This is absolutely fantastic, I would love to hear the recording!
Was not aware of the 1995 performance in Zurich. Can you please give us more details about performers?
I've just been in contact with the journalist who wrote about the 1990 and 2018 performances of "Manasse" in Zurich.
he sent me a lot of background information, most notably a rather complete overview over Hegar's works.
I will copy the information and publish this here soon.
Concerning "Manasse" there is one piece of important and very interesting information:
There are two versions, definitely!
So far it has been difficult for me to exactly date the work, but in the article from an encyclopedia it clearly says:
25.10.1885 First Performance of the First Version (the one that Wüllner seems to have restored in 1892 for the Cologne concert, see above!)
10.1.1888 First Performance of the Revised Edition (the one all printed scores and the piano reduction are based upon)
All performances have taken place in Zurich, I strongly presume conducted by the master himself. I'm sure that in the archives of the newspapers there will be some contemporary articles on the issue...
Reading about newspaper archives has awakened my sleuthing instincts, and I have a done a quick check. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung NZZ of 18 May 1877 (!) has a review of the first part of Manasse being performed in a benefit concert with Hegar himself and his wife supporting him. Only the first part was completed at the time, Hegar was still working on the other parts. Not sure if I can upload a file of the newspaper article, but I could send it in a private message of course. Some more research has revealed that Hegar wrote the first version for male choir only, then rewrote it for mixed choir.
Dear members,
a couple of years ago our member mahesi kindly sent me two CDs containing the "Hymne an die Musik", the oratorio "Manasse", and the cello concerto by Friedrich Hegar.
I have now converted these to mp3 files and uploaded two zip files to mediafire. The first file includes also a text file with information about the performers.
The oratorio is divided into several tracks, some of which consist just of audience noise. I just want to mention this in case you should wonder about it.
Thanks again, mahesi!
Thanks so much for uploading these, it'll be good to hear what people have been writing about.
Seconded. To digress a bit, what a difference between the cello concerto of 1919 and the string quartet of 1920! Did Hegar suddenly realise there'd been a war and the world was a different place? And what a fine cellist is Walter Grimmer who must now be almost in his 80's. One of those retiring artists who are virtually unknown outside their own country?
I think there's a full score of the cello concerto freely available but will have to double check...
Quote from: eschiss1 on Sunday 29 March 2020, 10:35
I think there's a full score of the cello concerto freely available but will have to double check...
Yes, the full score (as well as a piano reduction) can be found here:
https://imslp.org/wiki/Cello_Concerto,_Op.44_(Hegar,_Friedrich)
Sorry, I have to correct a detail. I found the "Programmheft" (I don't know how to translate in english) from 1995 and a short text from a radio magazine of 1991 and saw that the broadcast was 1991 for the 150th birthday of the composer. So the broadcast was of course the performance of 1990. I remembered that I heard Manasse first live and then in the radio. But it was the opposite. It is more than 20 years ago and so memory can be wrong. ;)
Just found a rather detailed analysis of "Manasse" in the "Führer durch den Konzertsaal" by Kretzschmar
(in German) pp.393-407:
https://archive.org/details/fhrerdurchdenko03kretgoog/page/n415/mode/2up
It's suprising and great to see that even he (apart from the contemporary newspaper journalists) is praising the work in highest tones!
Let's hope there can be a revival of this fantastic and very valuable work!
Isn't it great having history of Swiss music coming up with three fabulous Romantic oratorios like Raff's "Welt-Ende", Hegar's "Manasse" and Suter's "Le Laudi"?
Though I have no biographical connection I must strongly agree both on the specific point and that Swiss music (older, Romantic, even more recently) has a wonderful oratorio tradition (and chamber, symphony and elsewhere, of course). (I am glad that Basel seems, according to RISM, to have so many manuscripts of (eg) Hans Huber and other composers- many not yet recorded works - to expand our knowledge.)
Quote from: hadrianus on Monday 30 March 2020, 06:51
Isn't it great having history of Swiss music coming up with three fabouous Romantic oratorios like Raff's "Welt-Ende", Hegar's "Manasse" and Suter's "Le Laudi"?
Absolutely! There is so much to discover and I'm happy to have found this forum here (thanks to eschiss1 ;) ).
"Le Laudi" is an incredible masterpiece, extremely diverse in style and it was a profoundly groundbreaking experience for me when I had the chance to prepare the orchestra for a colleague's performance! I'm totally in love with the piece!
Concerning "Manasse" it's fascinating how much information can be found, there are many traces which can help further investigation. I will need much more time, but consider putting this together into a folder on the topic some day. Yesterday I got acquainted with the "Festouvertüre" which Hegar composed for the opening of the Tonhalle building in Zurich. Though it certainly isn't a masterpiece of the quality of "Manasse", it looks nice and I'm thinking of programming it myself as a concert-opener. We'll see...
Thanks Adriano for the Raff! I didn't know about this piece... Is there any complete recording of the "Welt-Ende"? I just found excerpts on Youtube with the Göteborgs Opera Orchestra...
I think in general the "problems" in programming are the following with Swiss composers - a couple of points for discussion:
1) Reception is very selective, not always reflecting the quality of the pieces. Even if composers like Schoeck, Martin or Honegger are better-known today, it's only by a very small part of their oeuvre.
2) Many composers are chiefly remembered for their work as conductors, as is the case with Suter, Hegar and Volkmar Andreae. The people in charge at the orchestra's managing boards very often don't even know that these people wrote music!
3) Most scores are very difficult to get, as there is no governmental support for new editions, let alone the many manuscripts that have never even been printed!
4) Hardly anyone takes risks! Solo Concertos by little-known composers are unattractive for soloists, they don't consider it worth learning a piece they'd not play as often as the Brahms Violin Concerto... Symphonies seem to "not sell" with the big orchestras, choral works need a lot of preparation...
5) The particular case with symphonies: The pieces by Suter and Huber always need a very large orchestra with triple-woodwinds and (in the case of Suter's d minor Symphony) additional brass. So that's an expensive matter, very few orchestras can afford this.
That being said: A big argument pro the Symphonies by Brun! I'm now diving deeper into this (thanks Adriano!!!). They have moderately-sized orchestras, though heavy and profound (as far as I can judge by now).
It's really a pitty, but there should be done something about it! After all, the pieces have connections with orchestras, places and it's part of our cultural heritage...
I just don't know how this all can be changed, it's politics...
@Reto
There once was a complete LP of "Welt-Ende". I have digitised it for the Raff-Gesellschaft and will make you a copy.
As far as the total disinterest by Swiss Cultural Foundations towards our great musical past is concerned, once again: it's a scandal. I am struggling against this since over 30 years!
Could those who know 'Manasse' tells us what they so much admire about it and point out particular highlights?
There is nothins sensational to say in here.
Now that the piece (its final 1888 version) has been uploaded, everybody can make his own opinion. I always liked "Manasse" because of its beautiful, noble and straightforward music – and uncomplicated build-up. There is high craftsmanship ("Kunstfertigkeit"), including its orchestration and handling of vocal parts. Themes are immediately recognisable. There are great chorus sections arias and duets.
Reto Schärli has uploaded a useful contemporary German thematic analysis, which I have not the time to translate.
Al I can do here is to "introduce" generally – and superficially –, hoping not to write nonsense or wrong things.
Although Hegar's music is generally associated with Brahms's, I find much originality in it, and disagree with some musicologists. Sometimes I also hear a connection with the music of Karl Goldmark. But everything remains in the style of that time; there is nothing revolutionary in it. Hegar was an eclectic personality, befriended by such different personalities as Johannes Brahms, Max Bruch and Richard Strauss. At that time, "Manasse" was the most frequently performed German oratorio!
"Manasse" is a large oratorio in the tradition of Mendelssohn. In a way, it can be compared to the oratorios by Max Bruch, particularly to "Moses" (1895), which is also dealing with a Jewish subject. But Bruch did not have such an innate sense of dramatism as Hegar; therefore "Moses" is more boring to listen to, in spite of its many beautiful moments.
According to the Bible, "Manasse" is a story of redemption. Manasse (son of a high priest) and his people (the "Manassites"), live in a religion based on more simple and straightforward principles, but believing in heretic Gods. And they were married to women coming from a fiendish and idolatrous people. Manasse is dragged away to appear in front of Babylonia's counsel, to be banned for sin, heresy and sorcery. His people accompany him. God had actually warned Manasse for his life before. But now, after praying and humiliating himself on front of Him, his prayers are heard; he is pardoned and can return to his kingdom.
According to the more "freely inspired" libretto by Joseph Victor Widmann, Hegar's piece results a bit different.
The oratorio is subdivided into 3 "Scenes" (all of which have short orchestral preludes). In the first (after a passionate fugue) we learn about the situation of the Jews after the foundation of their state in Zion. Esra, their leader (the bass/Baritone part) praises God, but one has to be aware of menaces: Amongst them are heretic women, deserving Jehovah's curse and punition. In fact, Manasse (tenor), son of the high priest Jojada, is married to Nicaso (soprano) one of them. Decisions must be taken.
In the second scene we make the acquaintance of Manasse's people: reapers return from their daily work; Manasse contemplates the appearing of night. Nicaso has more eyes for Manasse than for the stars. This gives the occasion to a beautiful love duet, which is interrupted by the chorus, announcing the arrival of a messenger. Manasse is summoned to appear in front of Jerusalem's judges – unless he gives up his union with Nicaso – under the thread of being banned from his people. The chorus is appalled, but Manasse encourages them to follow him. Nicaso joins them too.
In the the third scene, Esra and his follower's chorus complaint ends up into hopeful thoughts about the future of the people of Israel. Manasse and his followers appear and he is called to defend himself. During the questioning, Manasse reveals himself to be a true believer in God, but thanks to Nicaso's intervention ("You hard men, don't you know any pity! Isn't your God a God of Love?") more tension surges in the audience. In a beautiful aria she praises her love for Manasse, and how strong it is, giving power to life. Esra carries on, more and more hatefully and condemns Manasse and his people. Manasse cannot imagine himself separated from his wife and his people and feels desperate. He summons his followers to return home, and they start a fervent hymn. Nicaso joins in, encouraging everybody to stay away from temple walls and fanatic priests and to return to the open country near the Mountain where they come from and where God resides.
Thanks - that's very helpful in 'situating' the work in its musical and historical context.
Indeed it is. Thanks, hadrianus. At first hearing my impression is that the performance is rather "safe", and that more more drama could have injected into the score. That's a shame, but it's a fault common with many revivals of once-famous works. I do agree that its straightforwardness is an asset, the work is easy to follow on first acquaintance (especially now we have a brief synopsis, thanks again) and there are some lovely set pieces, although I can't say that I found the thematic material particularly memorable, but that may come on repeated hearings.
I think, the third scene is musically the most interesting and variated one. In my opinion, some tempi are a bit too slow, especially in the first scene. A bit more temper in the overall interpretation could indeed help a lot. The singers are quite good.
Yes, I think the whole performance could do with more 'oomph', to put it crudely. In a work with such prominent quasi-operatic solo parts, better singers - particularly the bass-baritone and tenor - would also make the whole work more of a pleasure to listen to. Think what an impression, say, René Pape and Jonas Kaufmann would make in this music. The famous US soprano, Janet Perry, though, is very fine, as befits her international reputation. Whenever she sings, it is as if the performance is given an added and very special glow.
May I ask a more general question? It's to do with the representation of evil in music. What I was wondering was whether Hegar's idiom is too 'nice' adequately to depict evil in music. In other words, I shudder at the evil of Hagen in Götterdämmerung or of Klingsor in Parsifal, but I'm not sure I really believe what I'm hearing in Hegar's music.
I think Hegar's and Widmann's intentions were more ideological, even moralistic. The music does not describe action, but human thoughts and conflicts due to intolerance. After all Widmann's (soft-core) adaptation does not include murder and destruction. The drama develops towards Manasses trial and decision and the triumph of (marital) love above religious alienation. Manasse's followers are paceful and innocent peasants and not revolutionary outsiders worshipping idols. One even gets the impression that (contrarily to the original Bible version) Esra's accusations could be proofless; based perhaps on a sort of "racist plot". Manasse, during his defense, says "Don't you see that Heaven reflects in my face and that my body has been built by God's hand?". Mount Garizim, where he, his family and his people live, is their real temple of God, amidst free nature, far from rigid walls and pillars of stone.
I'm not sure whether Hegar/Widmann's intentions make for a convincing drama, though. It's all too 'pleasant', to my ears at least.
The problem, of course, may be the avoidance of any treatment of the true evil into which the historical Manasseh and his people sank before the King's repentance. In addition, Manasseh, although he himself instituted reforms, was never able to lead Judah out of their rebellion and idolatry. It feels like a one-sided treatment of the real story resulting in rather one-dimensional music.
In the end Manasseh wasn't a noble figure, but rather a tragic one...
You are perfectly right Alan. The drama is not really convincing - and totally one-sided di per sé; but many oratorios (and operas) from that time come up with similar problems. In my opinion, Hegar's musical setting of Widmann's text is convincing and sincere, and still makes of this oratorio a valuable (and edifying) one. We are 12 years away from Elgar's "Gerontius" and 43 from Walton's "Belshazzar"...
Thanks for those valuable insights, Adriano.
Quote from: hadrianus on Tuesday 31 March 2020, 14:32
You are perfectly right Alan. The drama is not really convincing - and totally one-sided di per sé; but many oratorios (and operas) from that time come up with similar problems. In my opinion, Hegar's musical setting of Widmann's text is convincing and sincere, and still makes of this oratorio a valuable (and edifying) one.
I completely agree, though this really doesn't make the piece worse. The general question is just: What would you expect from such a piece?
@ Alan Howe: Sorry, but I kind of don't get the issue about devil... maybe stupid me, but where should he appear in the story? Obviously, the idea of "love conquering everything" was more important for Hegar/Widmann - as already pointed out by Adriano.
May I suggest something (certainly NOT to criticise anyone here!): I think the problem with this discussion is the aspect of "form"! I really don't consider this piece an oratorio! Yes, it has a theme from the bible, but the overall structure is much closer to the late Verdi operas, in particular "Aida". It's interesting that Kretzschmar (the author of the German introduction I uploaded the other day) suggests the piece to be staged! There is also a biographical point behind that as we know from the letters between Widmann and Hegar (which are preserved in Bern and Basel today) that they had an opera project in mind for some years...
Any opinions on the form of the piece?
@ Adriano: Do you really hear a lot of Brahms? The musicologists often seem to make this connection, though I believe (proof my wrong,please!) that it's basically a biographical thing: Hegar was associated with Brahms, it was also Brahms who opened the new building of the Tonhalle Zurich, a program for which Hegar wrote a "Festive Overture". I hear some Brahms in the first scene, but my overall impression is that it's heavily infused by Wagner! I personally don't think of it as being too avantgarde, but neither conservative. It's about what I'd expect from a piece at around 1888, by a German-speaking composer ;)...
Quotebut I kind of don't get the issue about devil... maybe stupid me, but where should he appear in the story?
I think you misunderstood me - I was talking about the issue of 'evil' (Übel) which was an essential component of the story of the historical figure of Manasseh as King of Judah, not the 'devil' (der Teufel).
I don't find the work at all operatic, or Wagnerian (which isn't meant as a criticism - merely a statement of fact). As Adriano suggests, it seems to me much more like an internal, or psychological, drama.
The piece certainly is a heavy challenge for any conductor! It needs so much flexibility, also from the orchestra and a really convincing overall conception. My personal approach - if that's of any interest at all - would be similar as to an opera. It's important to point out the big climaxes and to have an overview. This work would certainly need a good "Kapellmeister",who is very familiar and very experienced not only with sacred choral music, but in particular with late-romantic opera! Requirements are high!
Any other thoughts on that?
Regarding the recording, for which I am very grateful: For my taste Räto Tschupp fails, most probably due to a lack of operatic experience. This is critic on a high level, but: The tempi very often are horribly too slow, most prominently in the beginning of Scene 3 where Esra sings "nicht enden soll das frohe Saitenspiel", which has to be an outburst of utmost joy! He seems far too shy of going risks and of "painting an extreme picture". The orchestral playing is not satisfying, but that's a matter of taste, there are (even for a live recording situation) too many places where there are big problems in ensemble playing...
I could add many more things I noticed, but don't want to write a novel here...
I'm much more interested in other people's opinions on the recording...
Quote from: Alan Howe on Tuesday 31 March 2020, 20:58
Quotebut I kind of don't get the issue about devil... maybe stupid me, but where should he appear in the story?
I think you misunderstood me - I was talking about the issue of 'evil' (Übel) which was an essential component of the story of the historical figure of Manasseh as King of Judah, not the 'devil' (der Teufel).
Ah ok, I see. That makes sense, I think I got your point ;) Sorry about that!
In German we have the lovely saying: "Der Teufel steckt im Detail!", which means
"The Devil is in the detail" - so in this case in the form of an absent letter...
Regarding "evil" I agree with you, there could have been some dramatic layers added to the piece, definitely.
That would be a theological discussion, but I have always wondered in general how we must think of Esra (from what I read in the Bible). I'm not yet decided upon that - on the one hand he was sent to establish law and order, on the other hand he never made a big "brutal" impression on me either... Isn't it all a matter of the point of view one takes?
Maybe someone has to write a piece on "Esra", there would be possibilities of showing him as a "victim" as well...
The Old Testament can come up with a lot of dramatic potential for this kind of pieces, can't it?
@Reto
I did not write that I am hearing "a lot of Brahms"; I just quoted what has generally been written about Hegar's style.
@ Everybody: Please let me discontinue writing further opitions on this subject. I must use my little energies for more urgent and important matters...
I don't hear Brahms - or Wagner. It seems to me a middle-of-the-road late-19thC German idiom.
Quote from: hadrianus on Tuesday 31 March 2020, 21:09
@Reto
I did not write that I am hearing a lot of Brahms; I just quoted what has generally been written about Hegar's style.
Ok, I see. Completely agree with this, though I really don't see much Brahms in the pieces by Hegar that I know so far.
@Alan Howe: Maybe the question of "operatic" is a matter of definition. I agree with you both that certainly the text by Widmann has a psychological design, in fact I consider this idea the main thing of the piece because after all it's this message transported that counts. The plot certainly is not operatic at all, I'm completely on the same page as you.
However, the musical setting into scenes (which themselves are sub-divided into smaller units, as pointed out rightly by Kretzschmar) is an operatic idea after all, also the formal conception in detail of those (in particular interesting is the fact of where the Choir enters). They build up to big dramatic outbursts that - consider it operatic or not- have a tremendous emotional intensity. I take the original subtitle "dramatic poem in 3 scenes" very literally!
Maybe the question of "operatic" or not is not too relevant, I just really want to point out that the piece is not "standard German oratorio" tradition as its design is more dramatic-lyric than symphonic, which I think is a rather unique thing in the time (proof my wrong!).
its title is Dramatic Gedicht, iirc, so some dramatic quality somewhere is suggested, but not necessarily operatic. "Oratorio" is not on the score, though...