Engelbert HUMPERDINCK (1854–1921)
More Than a Myth – Chamber Music & Songs
rec. July 2020, Johanniter-Kirche, Mühlen Eichsen, Germany
Sung texts in German only
HÄNSSLER CLASSIC HC21022 [64:01]
This Hänssler Classic release comprises predominantly neglected and rarely encountered chamber works, mostly miniatures, and an assortment of songs by Engelbert Humperdinck, seven of which are world premiere recordings.
Humperdinck is widely known for a single masterwork: his much-loved Märchenoper (Fairytale opera) Hänsel und Gretel. (The melodrama Königskinder is sometimes encountered but I have yet to see it programmed.) However, he also wrote a considerable body of works in several genres, including a number of theatre scores, none of which has come anywhere close to attaining the popularity of Hänsel und Gretel.
Humperdinck’s friend Johannes Degan, a district judge, was also an amateur baritone and a violinist who led his own string quartet. Humperdinck’s association with him was unquestionably the impetus behind several of his chamber works and songs, and the opportunity to have them performed. The best known of the chamber works were written at each end of Humperdinck’s composing career: his three-movement Piano Quintet in G major from 1875 is a product of his early twenties and the String Quartet in C major is a late work from his sixties in 1920, nothing of which is contained here.
There are sixteen chamber works on this album, including eight Lieder sung by Belarusian baritone Nikolay Borchev. Five of the eight chamber works without voice are miniatures lasting less than five minutes. A few works stand out, including the teenaged Humperdinck’s first completed chamber work, the Menuett for piano quintet in E-flat major, written in 1872. This melodic Allegro is attractively carefree and easy on the ear. Showing the composer’s more profound side, the Quartettsatz in E minor from 1873 is a substantial Allegro movement taking just under twelve minutes; a degree of anxiety and regret imbues the writing here.
Humperdinck was a devotee and friend of Richard Wagner, assisting him for a time with the premiere of Parsifal in 1882, and in 1875 Humperdinck completed an arrangement for piano and six strings of the Vorspiel (Prelude) of Tristan und Isolde. Although it is played most satisfactorily, this arrangement doesn’t work well for me, as it lacks intensity, leaving me disappointed.
I experience the Violin Sonata in A major from 1874, cast in two movements, as another unsatisfying work. The shorter opening movement is the better of the two, being resolute and a touch serious in character, while the seven-minute Allegro has a more positive outlook but tends to tread water and does not hold my interest. However, the Notturno in G major for violin and string quartet from 1879 is one of Humperdinck’s most attractive works and a jewel. It is marked Andante tranquillo and is of a calming disposition; the string writing is pleasingly melodic and the solo violin playing by Thomas Probst is adept.
Borchev sings the Lieder well, his voice being focused and sturdily projected, although occasionally there is some minor unsteadiness. He communicates the import of the text most agreeably. The Wiegenlied (Lullaby), written to a text by Elisabeth Ebeling, is attractive, and the Ballade, a setting of Hans Arnold verse using the sensitively played piano and string quintet arrangement by Thomas Probst, is also highly appealing; Borchev’s warm baritone blends well with the instrumental quintet, communicating a shadowy tension.
There are no problems with the clear, evenly balanced sound quality here. Hänssler provides a booklet with the sung German texts but no English translations, which is disappointing for a release jointly aimed at the English-speaking market. The booklet essay written by Christian Ubber and translated into English from German is helpful and interesting.
Certainly, the majority of these pieces are not among Humperdinck’s finest chamber works and I doubt whether many would be regarded as essential. I enjoyed reviewing the highly recommendable 2007 Humperdinck album on CPO, that features the late String Quartet in C major and five early chamber scores from the 1870s, including the Piano Quintet in G major (review). That release duplicates three works on this new Hänssler album: the Menuett for Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Quartettsatz in E minor and Notturno in G major for string quintet and despite the consistently splendid performances here, it is a far superior choice for exploring Humperdinck’s chamber works.
Michael Cookson
Works:
01. Menuett, for piano quintet in E-flat major, EHWV 18 [6:54]
02. Das zerbrochene Ringlein, for voice & piano, EHWV 43 [2:39]
03. Salonstück, for cello & piano in A minor, EHWV 65* [1:24]
04. Die Wasserrose, for voice and piano quintet, EHWV 58 [1:49]
05. Vorspiel zu ‘Tristan und Isolde’, EHWV 192 (After Wagner’s opera ‘Tristan und Isolde’), (arr. chamber ensemble) [6:33]
06. Ballade in A major, EHWV 36* [2:45]
(arr. Thomas Probst for voice & chamber ensemble)
07. Quartettsatz, in E minor, EHWV 22 [11:48]
Violin Sonata in A major, EHWV 29*:
08. I. Andante con moto [3:23]
09. II. Allegro [7:00]
10. Das Lied vom Glück, for voice & piano, EHWV 51 [2:02]
11. Wiegenlied, for voice, piano & string quintet EHWV 115.1 [2:43]
12. Albumblatt, for violin & piano in F major, EHWV 147* [1:38]
(Dedicated to my dear daughter Editha on her confirmation day)
13. Die wunderschöne Zeit, EHWV 27* [3:28]
(arr. Thomas Probst for chamber ensemble)
14. Albumblatt in C major, EHWV 99* [2:15]
(arr. Friedrich Hermann for violin & piano)
15. Notturno in G major for string quintet, EHWV 63 [4:23]
16. An die Nachtigall, for voice & piano, EHWV 163 [1:41]
17. Altdeutsches Minnelied, for voice and string quintet EHWV 161.1* [0:51]
Given as world premiere recordings *
Performers:
Nikolay Borchev, baritone (tr. 2, 4, 6, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17)
Thomas Probst, violin (tr. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13)
Elenora Pertz, piano (tr. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16)
Ursula Fingerle-Pfeffer, violin (tr. 1, 5, 7, 11)
Susanne Unger, violin (tr. 4, 6, 11, 13, 15, 17)
Daniel Schwartz, viola (tr. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 15, 17)
Clara Berger, cello (tr. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 15, 17)
Jörg Ulrich Krah, cello (tr. 5)
Karsten Lauke, double bass (tr, 5, 6, 11, 17)
