‘The Third Symphony
reflects impressions of Alpine wanderings.
There is a painting by Ferdinand Hodler
of the Jungfrau as seen from Mürren.
Autumn, bad weather – the Alps in their
most unfriendly, hostile aspect. This
picture inspired me – though secondarily.
The first impression was the mountain
itself, holding me in her tentacles’
Fritz Brun writing
to the conducter Hermann Scherchen
Once again Adriano
reveals another little known work and
leads us up a rocky mountain path to
reveal Brun’s grandiose Symphony No.
3 in D minor. The path is rocky making
demands on the listener and it is probably
only after repeated hearings that Brun’s
grand design will be fully appreciated.
The first movement’s music is densely
scored for a large orchestra; and there
are brief stretches of atonality and
dissonance that may seem daunting at
a first hearing. It is not only the
physical dimensions of the hostile high
mountain environment that concern Brun
but also the metaphysical - the struggle,
akin to that in Franck’s Symphony, of
escaping from darkness to light. The
music is strongly influenced by Brahms,
Bruckner and Sibelius. The very earnest
opening movement that expresses all
these evocations and sentiments does
have lighter moments, though - expressive
of the natural life on the lower Alpine
pastures.
The second movement
is in the form of ‘Variations on an
old Swiss-Italian Epiphany carol’ (‘We
Are The Three Kings’) and again the
shadow of Brahms looms large. The opening
mood, as the theme and the first variation,
Tranquillo, are stated, is solemn. The
second variation is slightly lighter
in hue and somewhat pastoral but then
comes an extraordinary variation, Alla
Marcia that is reminiscent of Korngold
in Robin Hood mode before the
music turns virile Brahmsian. The next
variation, Presto, is reminiscent
of the Walpurgis section of Berlioz’s
Queen Mab. Variation V is more
tender, a plaintive Bach-like aria with
an overlay of Berlioz while the final
variation, commencing affectingly with
a duet for two cellos, may remind one
of Marguerite’s music from La Damnation
de Faust. These two last variations
impress strongly.
The material of the
final movement bears strong relationships
to that of the first movement. Here
a benign Brahmsian influence in lyrical
and folk mode is predominant. Brun is
up in the Alpine slopes singing his
praise of nature – the music showing
a welcome light-heartedness (in places
it is almost boisterous) after the heavy
introspection of the opening movement.
Only an occasional passing cloud mars
the sunshine.
Adriano makes an eloquent
and passionate case for this rather
solemn epic symphony. Adventurous, persevering
listeners will discover riches.
Ian Lace
Adriano makes an eloquent
and passionate case for this rather
solemn epic symphony. Adventurous, persevering
listeners will discover riches. … see
Full Review
Editor’s Note
Fritz Brun was a Swiss
conductor, pianist and composer. He
studied with Mengelberg in Luzern and
then under Peter Fassbaender. He also
studied in Köln, Berlin and London.
Having made himself a hub of musical
activity in Bern and beyond he retired
in 1941 to devote himself to composition.
There are nine large-scale symphonies
and other substantial works:-
Violin Sonata (1902)
1. B minor (1908)
2. B flat major (1911)
3. D minor (1920)
String Quartet No.
1 (1924)
4. E major (1926)
5. E flat major (1930)
6. C major (1933)
7. D major (1937)
8. A major (1938)
Sinfonische Prolog
(1944)
String Quartet No.
2 (1944)
Variations for piano
and strings (1945)
Piano Concerto (1946)
Cello Concerto (1947)
9. F major (1950)
Festmusik Overtür
(1950)
Clarinet Sonata (1952)
Moscow Symphony Orchestra/Adriano 