What a delightful collection
this is; nothing serious, nothing profound,
just fun.
All the works are associated
with the celebrated German spa town,
known as the ‘summer capital of Europe’
that attracted the rich and the famous
seeking rest and cures throughout the
19th century. So many prominent
artists visited, amongst them: Paganini,
Berlioz, Liszt, Clara Schumann, Brahms,
Mark Twain, Dostoyevsky and Turgenyev.
It was important that guests were catered
for in a musical as well as a medical
sense
The main work, lasting
almost 20 minutes, is Koennemann’s Der
Fremersberg, premiered in Baden-Baden
in 1853. Koennemann had moved from Prague
to Baden-Baden and was to work there
until his death in 1890. Der Fremersberg
is a musical tribute to a mountain in
the vicinity of the spa. Listening to
it today one might be forgiven for thinking
it was film music, it is so graphic.
The style is eclectic and the influences
many: Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn
and Schumann especially. The work is
in four sections played without breaks.
It opens with a hunting scene with horn
calls and regal fanfares echoing around
the sound-stage as the margrave and
his followers canter and gallop into
view. Serene pastoral music follows
as the hunters disperse. Rustic folkdance-and-song-like
material follows as villagers enjoy
the sunshine but an approaching storm
scatters their celebration. Cue-in all
sorts of effects, bass drum rolls becoming
evermore furious, rattles, firecrackers,
a wind machine – it is as if Ferde Grofé
has been let loose in Baden-Baden. This
really is a hell of a storm and fantastic
fun. The poor margrave is isolated in
all this violence, he breaks down, prays
and in the nick of time is saved by
the sound of the ringing of a hermit’s
bell and the sound of praying monks
that lead him to the Fremersberg monastery.
All ends peacefully as everybody (well
the orchestra) intones a grateful Te
Deum.
Baden-Baden vied with
Paris for the attention of Offenbach.
A series of his operettas were performed
there and a new ‘opéra bouffe’,
La Princesse de Trébizonde
was premiered at the Spa on 31st
July 1869. It told the story of an apparently
hopeless romance between a prince and
a circus artist (it had a happy ending).
The overture has the typical Offenbach
high spirits and sparkle mixed with
something of Gilbert and Sullivan-like
pathos.
Konrad Kreutzer’s Das
Nachtlager von Granada music was
played at the inauguration of the new
Baden-Baden Theatre on 6th
August 1862 by the sovereign, the Grand
Prince of Baden. The work is therefore
suitably regal and noble with a darker,
stormy middle section and jolly hunting
music.
Of course Baden-Baden
catered for devotees of both afternoon
bandstand concerts and evening symphony
concerts. One can imagine Arban’s Carnival
in Venice fantasy and variations being
a favourite afternoon choice. Jean-Baptiste
Arban was the renowned soloist ‘on a
new instrument on which everything was
playable, from the soulful to the virtuosic
and which therefore became very popular:
the cornet à pistons,
which came to be generally known simply
as the piston. It was a peculiarly
French variation of the trumpet, following
the invention of valves (pistons)
in 1825. It was softer in tone and ‘spoke’
more quickly than the regular trumpet
and was long popular in French orchestras.
Matthias Höfs shows incredible
virtuosity, speed and clarity, in his
playing of this well-known tune. One
can imagine audiences going wild and
demanding repeats again and again. Another
very memorable track.
Johan Strauss II visited
Baden-Baden on three occasions and gave
highly acclaimed concerts with the Baden-Baden
orchestra. The two Strauss numbers here
are sheer delight. Ballsträusschen
is all gaiety and sparkle while Lob
der Frauen is more dreamily romantic.
The music of another
Baden-Baden visitor, Charles Gounod,
ends the concert. The Entr’acte from
his opera La colombe is limpid,
dainty ballet-like
Werner Stiefel and
his Baden-Baden players deliver sparkling
unrestrained performances and once again
we are grateful to Sterling for premieres
of so much charming music.
Nothing serious, nothing
profound; this is a fun collection that
sparkles - sheer delight.
Ian Lace
see also review
by Jonathan Woolf
*Matthias Höfs (trumpet) 
