Sir Edward ELGAR (1857-1934)
Max Hanft (piano), Radosław Szulc, Julita Smoleń (violins)
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks/Howard Arman
rec. live, 26 October 2019 Herkulessaal, Munich (From the Bavarian Highlands); studio, 2020, BR Studio, Munich
Full sung English texts in booklet.
List of song titles and track numbers given at end of review.
BR KLASSIK 900522 [65:37]
The feature work on this new BR-Klassik album devoted to Edward Elgar’s Part-Songs is his set of Six Choral Songs with the title From the Bavarian Highlands. This work, together with a further fourteen part-songs, spans the period 1894-1925 and their publication was no doubt in line with the demand from choral societies and festivals, a tradition that was flourishing in Britain and other European countries as a major part of community and musical life. In Austria and Germany in particular, the choral tradition attracted both a cappella chorus and accompanied compositions from great composers, notably Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Bruckner and Brahms, who all contributed significantly to the genre.
On this album, artistic director Howard Arman is conducting the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Choir of the Bavarian Radio), an almost fifty-strong group in outstanding form. Of course, the Munich-based chorus is not singing in its mother tongue, yet the high quality of the performance surely offsets any minor shortcomings which are only to be expected.
Written in 1895, Elgar’s set of Six Choral Songs – From the Bavarian Highlands was written between the Serenade for Strings and The Black Knight, both from 1892, and in 1899 the Enigma Variations, a work which would grant him life-changing success. Elgar was inspired by a holiday in Bavaria with his wife Alice, spent largely in Garmisch, a town dominated by the nearby Zugspitze mountain. Each song was subtitled with the name of a place they had enjoyed visiting and it was Alice who provided the folk-like texts which she ‘imitated from Bavarian Volkslieder and Schnadahüpfler’. While her texts are not especially inspiring, she articulates a recognisable sense of summer warmth, harmony and rejoicing which combine to evoke the happy recollections of their holiday. The songs are performed here in Elgar’s original scoring for four-part chorus with piano accompaniment, but the next year Elgar scored a version with orchestral accompaniment. In addition, there is an orchestra-only version of the music prepared by Elgar using song numbers: one, three and six with the title Three Bavarian Dances. Certainly, this set of Six Choral Songs will not be the most challenging music the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks has encountered, nevertheless, it is sung with joy and sincerity, and the piano accompaniments work just fine. Standing out for its joie de vivre and appealing rhythms is The Dance (Sonnenbichl), and Aspiration (Bei Sankt Anton) for the quite simply glorious singing.
Included in the remaining collection of part-songs are two additional, individual sets. The first, written in 1894, is the Two Part-Songs comprising of Snow and Fly, Singing Bird. These settings of Alice Elgar’s agreeable texts are recorded here in their original form for three-part women’s voices, two violins and piano. Especially worthy is the first song, Snow, with its surprisingly evocative text which, when combined with the music, provides a truly satisfying result.
The second set is the Five Part-Songs from the Greek Anthology, a work written by Elgar in 1902, shortly after the Dream of Gerontius. Elgar’s settings are translations by British poets of anonymous texts from Greek anthology, scored here for unaccompanied men’s voices. These Five Part-Songs from the Greek Anthology are probably my least favourite group on the album, which is mainly due to the essence of the texts; however, this is no reflection on the singing, which is first class.
Of the remaining seven part-songs, standing out for me is the memorable piece As Torrents in Summer. It is adapted from the final chorus of the epilogue from the early 1896 Cantata Scenes from The Saga of King Olaf with text adapted from Henry Longfellow’s verse in Tales of a Wayside Inn (1863). Elgar published As Torrents in Summer separately to King Olaf, as a part-song arranged for women’s voices and piano. Revelling in this short, yet much-admired score, the women’s chorus creates a captivating sound, both firm in ensemble and most attractive of tone.
Commendable, too, is the final work on the album, The Prince of Sleep for mixed choir, a 1925 setting of Walter de la Mare’s text. Elgar’s wife Alice had died in 1920 and the grieving widower clearly identified closely with de la Mare’s impressively detailed yet melancholy text which describes aching sorrow, poppy wreaths, overwhelming loneliness, vivid, dream-filled sleep, hooting owls and nocturnal woodland with lurking visions. Arman’s mixed chorus produces outstanding singing and, as with the other part-songs, the unity remains first class and the intonation delightful.
Directed by Howard Arman, the choir sings with accomplishment, commitment, and a frequently radiant quality. The choral singing is spirited but never overblown, displaying agreeable diction and achieving plenty of nuance. The contributions of pianist Max Hanft and violinists Radoslav Szulc and Julita Smoleń make valuable additions to the overall impact of the performances.
It has been several years since I last encountered an account of From the Bavarian Highlands. Of the alternative versions in the catalogue of Elgar part-songs without orchestral accompaniment, my single recording is from 2007 and performed splendidly by the Cambridge University Chamber Choir directed by Christopher Robinson and recorded at Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge; it comprises of the Scenes from the Bavarian Highlands plus fourteen other part-songs. Unquestionably, it has been rewarding to reacquaint myself with these Elgar part-songs in this beautifully sung new collection.
The Six Choral Songs – From the Bavarian Highlands was recorded in live performance in the exceptional acoustic of the Herkulessaal, Munich; the remaining part-songs were set down in the BR Studio. Full sung texts are helpfully provided in the booklet together with brief details of each of the sets and individual songs. Additionally, Howard Arman has provided an essay concerning the tradition of performing part-songs in Britain.
Elgar’s secular choral repertoire is light and undemanding; if it appeals, please do not be put off by a Bavarian chorus singing English texts as, without question, there is much glorious singing to enjoy here.
Michael Cookson
Previous review:
Nick Barnard
Contents
From the Bavarian Highlands – Six Choral Songs with piano accompaniment, Op 27 (1895) [23:13]
01. i. The Dance (Sonnenbichl) - Allegretto giocoso
02. ii. False Love (Wamberg) - Allegretto ma moderato
03. iii. Lullaby (In Hammersbach) - Moderato
04. iv. Aspiration (Bei Sankt Anton) - Adagio
05. v. On the Alm (Hoch Alp) - Allegro piacevole
06. vi. The Marksmen (Bei Murnau) - Allegro vivace
Two Part-Songs - Version for women’s voices, 2 violins and piano, Op 26 (1894) [7:50]
07. i. The Snow
08. ii. Fly, Singing Bird
Five Part-Songs from the Greek Anthology, for men’s voices, Op 45 (1902) [7:14]
09. i. Yea, cast me from heights
10. ii. Whether I find thee
11. iii. After many a dusty mile
12. iv. It's oh! to be a wild wind
13. v. Feasting I watch
14. Go, Song of Mine, for mixed choir Op 57 (1909) [4:08]
15. As Torrents in Summer (from epilogue of cantata Scenes from The Saga of King Olaf)
for women’s voices & piano, Op 30 (1896) [2:21]
16. Spanish Serenade, for women’s voices, 2 violins and piano, Op 23 (1891) [3:43]
17. The Reveille, for men’s voices and piano, Op 54 (1907) [6:02]
18. They Are at Rest, Elegy for mixed choir (1909) [3:33]
19. Weary Wind of the West, for women’s voices & piano, (1902/1930) [3:15]
20. The Prince of Sleep, for mixed choir (1925) [4:27]
