It seems amazing, that not so long ago, critics were
dismissing Korngold as ‘more corn than gold’ because he had committed
the cardinal sin of diminishing his talent by composing for films. Thankfully,
because of a steady increase in the flow of new recordings of the composer’s
operas, orchestral, chamber, and instrumental music, over the last two
decades or so, this prejudice and ill-informed view has thankfully just
about been eradicated. This Harmonia Mundi release reveals another golden
seam in Korngold’s oeuvre, closing another important gap in our knowledge.
Here are thirty-six of the composer’s songs (he composed around forty)
ranging from the early, heavily-influenced, Twelve Lieder of 1911 (when
the composer was barely into his teens), to the radical, advanced harmonic
language of the Drei Lieder Op. 18 of 1924.
Of course, most of us came to know Korngold through
his film scores. Several of these songs were taken from his work for
Warner Bros. His last song ‘Sonnett für Wien’, composed in 1953,
for example, used one of the effulgent melodies from a long-forgotten
Errol Flynn film Escape Me Never (1946). [I recommend the Korngold
film score album in Charles Gerhardt’s ‘Classic Film Scores’ series,
released by RCA in the 1970s. This album (RCA Victor GD87890) includes
an eight-minute suite of music from Escape Me Never that
is a breathtaking profusion of gorgeous melodies in the grand Viennese
operetta tradition].
The opus 38 collection (1948), written and sung in
English is rooted in film music too: ‘I wish you bliss’ has the beautiful
lyrical main theme theme composed for the film Devotion (about
the Brontë family); ‘Wings’ has a motif from Juarez; ‘Old
Spanish Song’ is a plaintive little gem from The Sea Hawk ("Stood
a maiden at her window… ‘My love is far from me’."); the robust
and rollicking ‘Old English Song’ was written for, but not used in The
Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex. The only newly-composed song
from this collection, ‘My Mistress’ Eyes’, is from Shakespeare and is
full of irony as the singer damns his love with faint praise.
In 1993 Chandos released a Korngold album (CHAN 9171)
that included the orchestral version of the Op. 14 Abschiedslieder
(Songs of Farewell), in the quasi-operatic style of Strauss and Mahler,
hauntingly sung by contralto Linda Finnie with the BBC Philharmonic
conducted by Sir Edward Downes. I wholeheartedly agree with Brendan
Carroll who suggests, "They are probably his finest work in the
genre". The songs were inspired by the huge loss of life in World
War I. Here we have original 1921 version. ‘Sterbelied’ (Requiem) is
a setting of Christina Rossetti’s famous verses – "When I am dead,
my dearest, Sing no sad songs for me…", the music heartrendingly
beautiful in its mournfulness. ‘Dies eine kann mein Sehen nimmer fassen’
(This one thing my yearning can never understand) mixes defiance, longing
and hopelessness; the accompaniment is ravishing. ‘Mond, so gehst du
wieder auf’ (Moon, thus you rise once more) has a beauty that is silvery
yet also numb and desolate, the piano part is particularly affecting
– a wonderful song. ‘Gefasster Abschied’ (Resigned Farewell) brings
some sign of hope for a new life and future love.
This collection contains many first recordings including
songs transcribed from the manuscripts and performed here for the very
first time. The first surviving example of Korngold’s songs is ‘Knabe’,
written when the prodigy was only seven years old. By the age of fourteen,
he had composed a two-act ballet, chamber music and his first important
orchestral work, the Schauspiel Overture. And, about this time,
he began work on the twelve songs that comprise Op. 5 as a birthday
gift for his father. Most were never published. Brendan Carroll thinks
this was due to the influence of his father – Papa was clearly ‘not
willing’ - for only three of them were later printed (as Op.9). For
this recording, Helmut Deutsch, writing in an additional note, to the
excellent main notes by Brendan Carroll, explains that he had to work
from scarcely decipherable manuscripts held in the Library of Congress
in Washington. His work has revealed 12 early Korngold songs of estimable
value. Yes, some are clearly salon pieces, and some have the clear imprint
of Schubert but all have charm. One of these Das Mädchen (The Maiden)
anticipates the Old Spanish Song (see above). The three songs from this
collection that Korngold returned to in 1916 as a foundation for the
Op.9 compilation were: the dreamily evocative ‘Schneeglöckchen’
(Snowdrop) – "It was like soft singing in the garden tonight…";
the light-hearted, Schubert-like ‘Das Ständchen’ (The Serenade);
and the extraordinary, ghostly Nachtwanderer (The Night Traveller) with
its spectral tones "He rides at night on a brown steed…dark night
is man’s enemy…". To these three songs Korngold added three more
to complete Op. 9: ‘Liebesbriefchen’ (billet-doux), inspired by one
of Korngold’s early girl friends, is one of the loveliest of all his
songs, ‘Das Heldengrab am Pruth’ (The Hero’s Grave on the Pruth) contrasts
eerie piano effects, brilliantly evoking the haunted atmosphere of the
burial ground, with more intimate memories of the fallen hero; and ‘Sommer’
(Summer) is distinguished by the piano’s gently bubbling semi-quavers
recalling Mahler before the song settles into a ravishing arpeggio accompaniment
to the lovely melody. So many times I found my ear captivated by the
beauty of Korngold’s piano writing.
Drei Leider Op. 18 (1924) are songs described by Korngold
as character studies for his opera Das Wunder der Heliane. They
are richly chromatic and frequently bi-tonal. ‘In meine innige
Nacht’ (Into my profound night) is ghostly, remote and desolate.
The abrasive ‘Tu ab den Schmerz’ (Dismiss, pain, flee, longing) has
bi-tonal material in E flat major and A minor.
Of the remainder, all gems, I must mention the following:
‘Vesper’ (1911) with its sombre tolling-bell accompaniment, the droll
gourmet humour of ‘Die Gansleber im Hause Duschnitz’ (The Goose-liver
at the Duschnitz House); and the sweetly nostalgic Was du mir bist (What
are you to me).
Baritone, Dietrich Henschel rises to the challenges
of these often demanding songs (especially those comprising Op. 18)
sensitively colouring his voice according to their mood and atmosphere.
He is splendidly partnered by pianist Helmut Deutsch who reveals all
the striking beauty of Korngold’s piano writing.
Ian Lace
Dietrich Henschel (baritone)
with Helmut Deutsch (piano) 