Unsung Composers

Willem de Haan (1849 Rotterdam – 1930 Berlin)

Willem de Haan was a Dutch composer, a pupil of Nicolai, de Lange, and Bargiel; later in Leipzig Cons. (1870–1). In 1873 he became a music director at Cäcilia Singverein in Bingen am Rhein on the interecession of Ferdinand Hiller and Friedrich Gernsheim. From 1876 he led the Mozartverein in Darmstadt, in 1877 the second capellmeister at the orchestra of the Hoftheater there and as Hofkapellmeister in 1878 (Wikipedia) / 1895 (Baker's). He stayed in Darmstadt until 1914; in 1919 he withdrew completely from the music world. Towards the end of his life in 1923 he settled in Berlin with his daughter.

A list of his works assigned an opus number:

• Acht vermischte Stücke, for piano 4-hs, Op. 1
• Quatre feuilles d'album, for piano, Op. 2
• Violin Sonata, Op. 3
• 3 Lieder, Op. 4
• Skizzen zu Andersen's Bilderbuch ohne Bilder, for piano, Op. 5
• 2 Duette, for soprano and alto w/ piano, Op. 6
• Aus dem Mittelalter, for men's chorus, Op. 7
• Der Königssohn, cantata, Op. 8
• Die Grazien, for three women's voices w/ piano, Op. 9
• Harpa, cantata, Op. 10
• Das Grab im Busento, cantata, Op. 11
• Die Kaisertochter, opera (1885), Op. 12
• 4 Lieder, Op. 13
• Zwei symphonische Sätze, Op. 14
• Fantasiestücke, for piano and violin, Op. 15
• Das Meer, for men's chorus, Op. 16
• 3 Lieder, Op. 17
• Vier Idyllen, for piano 4-hs, Op. 18
• Die Inkasöhne, opera (1895), Op. 19
• Friede auf Erden, for men's chorus, Op. 20
• Das Lied des Zwergen, for soprano w/ piano, Op. 21
• Das Lied vom Werden und Vergehen, cantata, Op. 22
• Das Märchen und das Leben, cantata, Op. 23
• Zwei Idyllen und ein Intermezzo, for piano, Op. 24
• 3 Lieder, Op. 25
• 5 Lieder, Op. 26
• 3 holländische Lieder, Op. 27
• Van twee Koningskinderen, for mixed chorus, Op. 28
• 3 Lieder, Op. 29

The composer's estate, with many unpublished compositions, is found at Technische Universität Darmstadt's library. Some of his compositions without opus numbers include:

• Die kleine Seejungfrau, overture (1871)
• Macbeth, incidental music (1882)
• Bonifacius, incidental music (1912)
• Ostara, concert-overture (1922)

Overture "Die kleine Seejungfrau"

The score of de Haan's early Overture to H.C. Andersen's fairytale "The little Mermaid" is dated "Leipzig de 15. Febr. 1871" on the last page of its manuscript. The scanned manuscript can be found on the website of Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln.

The earliest info on its performances I could find is in the Kölnische Zeitung (26.4.1872), where according to an advertisement, the performance was to be led by the composer. I couldn't find further info or reviews of this performance. However, in 1873 the Overture was given again in Köln with the Kölnische Zeitung advertising this upcoming performance of the Overture being given, contradictorily, "zum Ersten Male". There followed a somewhat mixed review in Kölnische Zeitung (22.12.1873). Here is the part concerning this Overture:

QuoteRecht freundliche Aufnahme fand ein Erstlingswerk eines jungen Musikers: "Ouverture zu Andersen's Märchen", "Die kleine Seejungfrau" von Willem de Haan. Richtiger wäre es ein Instrumentalsatz über das Märchen zu nennen. Denn man merkt etwas vom feuchten Element darin, auch von der kleinen Seejungfrau und am meisten von der Palette, auf der eine viel kunstgeübtere Hand schon früher die Farben zu solchen coloristischen Effecten gemischt. Es ist die alte solide Ouverturenform, langsame Einleitung, thematisch aufgebauter bewegter Satz und leider dazu noch ein die Wirkung abschwächender letzter Satz, der ausklingt, als ob ein unlösbares Fragezeichen hinter ihm stehe. Der Erfindung und der Arbeit ist einiges Verdienst nicht abzusprechen, aber einstweilen schätzen wir an dieser "Ouverture" höher, was sie verspricht, als was sie leistet.

All in all, I found this Overture pretty excellent and enjoyable. It is somewhat lengthy, though. The orchestral writing is very detailed and gracefully put together with good craftmanship, outstanding even for a composer's early work, all things considered.

I wanted to take some extra time to make the score and parts, too. The materials can be freely downloaded from IMSLP, once copyright check clears (usually in a few days).
https://imslp.org/wiki/Die_kleine_Seejungfrau_(Haan,_Willem_de) (https://imslp.org/wiki/Die_kleine_Seejungfrau_(Haan,_Willem_de))

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsrGE4SRsdA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsrGE4SRsdA) - Dorico + Noteperformer

3 other works, including the violin sonata and 2 Symphonic pieces Op.14 (also the opera The Emperor's Daughter, op.12, after Georg Wilhelm Jacoby), can be found so far on IMSLP.
Ersten male has sometimes meant "for the first time in that place", I've found when reading journals from that time.

This article (https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?aid=omt&datum=18940115&query=(text:%22Willem+de+Haan%22)&ref=anno-search&seite=3) in the Österreichische Musik- und Theaterzeitung, Heft 15, 1894 gives some interesting information about him and mentions that it was at the first performance of the overture to The Little Mermaid that he met Hiller and Gernsheim.

Quote from: Wheesht on Saturday 12 August 2023, 18:38This article (https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?aid=omt&datum=18940115&query=(text:%22Willem+de+Haan%22)&ref=anno-search&seite=3) in the Österreichische Musik- und Theaterzeitung, Heft 15, 1894 gives some interesting information about him and mentions that it was at the first performance of the overture to The Little Mermaid that he met Hiller and Gernsheim.

Very nice, thank you for finding this article!

Quote from: eschiss1Ersten male has sometimes meant "for the first time in that place", I've found when reading journals from that time.

That is probably the case - first time in another city, in another venue, with another orchestra etc.

For those able to read Dutch (or German, it's quite close), there's this biographical article on De Haan (https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=dts:26717:mpeg21:0003) in Caecilia from 1876.

QuoteErsten male

The full phrase is 'zum ersten Mal(e)' (the 'e' is optional in the Dative case). It simply means 'for the first time'.

Zwei symphonische Sätze, Op. 14

This work, in essence a symphonic poem lasting around 20 minutes, was published in 1888 in versions for orchestra and piano duet. In the first section Fahrt zum Hades, a somber introduction leads to passages of varying intensity with some exciting orchestral effects sprinkled in. The storm eventually calms down to a reprise of the opening motifs. The second section Elysium opens with a short fanfare taken from the first section but is otherwise written in a pastoral style.

Conductors interested in performing the work should inquire with the Fleisher library, who appear to have the score as well as the instrument parts in their collection  :)

Printed score (IMSLP scans) reproduced in Dorico with Noteperformer virtual instruments:

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/G2TWHfmo5II?si=doU-0GqYMm1dAnEA (https://youtu.be/G2TWHfmo5II?si=doU-0GqYMm1dAnEA)


EDIT: I've updated the original post with a more detailed opus list.

Thanks very much indeed, Tuomas. Very enjoyable music, well written and featuring strong thematic material.

Evidently de Haan was a conservative rather than a radical, but at least that means good compositional technique rather than noise for noise's sake. Wikipedia (in German) has him as a student of Bargiel in Berlin and attending the Leipzig Conservatoire for a year; he was also helped along in his career by Hiller and Gernsheim. Although he conducted Wagner's Ring and Tristan und Isolde in Darmstadt, only faint traces of Wagner's influence are to be found in this music, e.g. in some of the brass writing in the first of these two movements. Otherwise, this is music by an outstanding craftsman - just the sort of stuff that Hans Franke could have pilfered and passed off as his own...