Hans PFITZNER (1869-1949)
Palestrina (1917 – no Opus number): Three Preludes [22.21]
Das Herz, Op.39 (1931): Love theme [7.12]
Das Käthchen von Heilbronn, Op.17: Overture (1905) [16.30]
Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Guntram, Op.25: Prelude to Act One (1894) [11.33]
Capriccio, Op.85: Prelude (string sextet) [11.03]
Feuersnot, Op.50: Love scene [6.37]
Orchestra of Deutschen Oper Berlin/Christian Thielemann
rec. Jesus-Christus-Kirche, Berlin, October 1995
DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON PRESTO 449571-2 [75.24]
Although he wrote many other works Pfitzner’s reputation
rests firmly on his fourth opera, Palestrina, written 1912-1916 and
first performed in 1917. Its subject is the composer Palestrina’s struggle
to write a mass, the Missa Papae Marcelli, which is supposed to have
saved polyphonic music for the church. It is written in a rich post-Wagnerian
idiom and is one of a series of German operas about artists and their relation
to the society of the time which began with Wagner’s Meistersinger
and after Pfitzner continued with Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler
and Henze’s Elegy for young lovers. There are no doubt others.
In Germany Palestrina is considered a classic and it is reasonably
often performed and recorded. I first got to know it through the splendid
recording by Rafael Kubelik, who rather specialized in these works –
he also recorded Meistersinger and Mathis der Maler. In
Britain it had one semi-professional production in 1981 and a full-scale production
at Covent Garden in 1997 and 2001,
at which the conductor was Thielemann, as on this disc. I saw both of these
and am convinced it is a masterpiece. It is, however, an intensely serious
work – I have heard it described as ‘like Parsifal but
without the jokes’ – so those wondering whether to take the plunge
may be interested in this disc, which introduces the work through the preludes
to the three acts.
The first begins with a gentle theme on several flutes – incidentally,
unusually for a German composer Pfitzner includes an alto flute in the score
– then expands into a most beautiful, gentle and sad piece portraying
Palestrina’s sadness following the death of his wife. The second introduces
us to the Council of Trent and the squabbling churchmen. This is savage, with
much splendidly vigorous writing for the brass. The final prelude returns
us to a mood closer to the first. The three together make up a satisfying
suite which provides a fair summary of the work in orchestral terms.
Das Herz was Pfitzner’s last opera, given the honour of two
simultaneous premieres in 1931, under Furtwängler and Knappertsbusch. However,
a poor libretto soon led to its departure from the repertory. The Love theme
is in fact the prelude to the second act and is a work with some similarity
to the prelude to the first act of Palestrina, but even more delicate and
gentle. It is a lovely piece.
Das Käthchen von Heilbronn was a play by Kleist for which Pfitzner
wrote an Overture and incidental music. The play is about witchcraft and the
Overture summarises its action in an episodic way which approaches the style
of Strauss’s tone poems. I have to say that I find it too episodic and
much too long.
During their lifetimes Pfitzner and Strauss were seen as rivals, though Strauss’
international success soon came to overshadow Pfitzner. At this distance in
time their idioms don’t seem that different, though Pfitzner seems to
have been the more conscientious craftsman and Strauss the more virtuosic
and also the more casual. Here we are given two rarities. Guntram
was Strauss’s first opera, on a Wagnerian kind of subject, and it was
a failure. The overture, which is reminiscent of that to Lohengrin,
was fairly frequently performed by its composer and it maintains a toe-hold
on the repertory. His second opera, Feuersnot, features a magician
in love with Diemut who finally yields to him: this is represented orchestrally
in the Love Scene excerpted here. This is a typically opulent Straussian display.
Not being a perfect Straussian I don’t know that I shall ever get round
to listening to these two operas complete, so I am glad to have what are probably
their two best passages excerpted here.
Between these two we have the prelude to Strauss’s last opera, Capriccio.
This is scored for string sextet and is so played here. It is a ravishing
piece, much the best known of these three Strauss works and a wonderful addition
to the not very large repertory of works for string sextet.
This was Thielemann’s first recording. He had already conducted Palestrina
in the opera house and also a good deal of Strauss. This repertory was his
choice: far from dutifully working his way through rarities in order to make
a mark, he champions them all with love and understanding.
There is no exact competition for this disc. Sawallisch recorded an all-Pfitzner
disc in 1988 and this is still in the catalogue. This was worthwhile but Thielemann
is far more imaginative and he also gets the exactly right sound from his
Berlin forces, whether it is the delicacy of the flutes, the snarl of the
brass or the long lyrical line of the string passages. There are several other
recordings of the Strauss works, though not in this combination.
I have to say that the recording, made in the Jesus-Christus Kirche, a familiar
recording venue for DG engineers at that period, is not quite transparent,
and tends to be congested in climaxes but this is a small matter. There is
a useful English sleeve-note by the Pfitzner expert John Williamson (see also
Owen
Toller's Pfitzner/Palestrina book). Notes in three other languages
are by three other writers. Thielemann contributes a short interview about
his admiration for Pfitzner. The Palestrina preludes here are really
superb.
Stephen Barber
Previous review: Paul
Godfrey
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