This is an excellent
selection of polkas, gallops, waltzes,
marches a quadrille and a fantasia from
the pen of popular nineteenth century
Danish composer Hans Christian Lumbye,
often referred to as ‘The Nordic Strauss’.
The quality of the music more than justifies
Marco Polo’s confidence in presenting
the composer in this ninth volume of
their continuing series.
Lumbye, so celebrated
in his day for his popular orchestral
dance music, had a background as an
orchestral trumpeter in a provincial
regimental band. He progressed to earn
his living as a professional orchestral
musician. Inspired by a concert given
in Copenhagen of dance music from composers
such as Johann Strauss and Joseph Lanner,
Lumbye formed his own orchestra in 1840,
becoming their conductor and musical
director. Only three years later the
now world-famous Tivoli amusement park
opened its doors in Copenhagen. Lumbye
was appointed the conductor and effectively
‘composer-in-residence’ of the Tivoli’s
concert hall orchestra. For this orchestra
he composed a massive number of around
seven hundred works, mainly polkas,
marches and gallops, becoming Scandinavia’s
best-known dance composer. In addition
he wrote numerous orchestral fantasies,
tone-poems and ballet-divertissements.
He was clearly a more versatile composer
than his reputation would at first suggest.
I gained considerable
pleasure from this collection. Lumbye’s
writing is exceedingly entertaining
with strings often accompanied by flutes
rather than heavier woodwind, giving
a distinctive light and bright sound.
It is not difficult to imagine couples
in their tails and ball-gowns, dancing
the night away at the Tivoli on a balmy
summer’s evening. Lumbye seemed to have
an obsession for things royal and aristocratic.
I particularly enjoyed the Prince
of Wales, Galop (track 1) with its
references to the Scottish folksong,
‘Charlie is my darling’ and also the
Alexandra Waltz named after the
HRH Princess Alexandra of Denmark. This
latter incorporates short quotations
from both the Danish national anthem
and ‘God Save the Queen’. Lumbye’s frequent
musical dedications to regal figures
of the day must certainly have raised
his profile in the best circles (a case
of nineteenth century self-marketing
perhaps!). The Grand Duke Alexander
March (track 7) is a fine example
of a tuneful and appealing march. Following
a concert tour to Russia with his orchestra,
Lumbye began a fascination with the
Royal Family of Imperial Russia. This
became almost a fixation. The admirable
Souvenir of Peterhof, March (track
10), which the composer wrote in honour
of his visit to Peterhof Castle near
St. Petersburg, is dedicated to the
Emperor of Imperial Russia. It is notable
for its festive and sonorous character.
The booklet notes offer
a very accurate and most perceptive
description of Lumbye at his best: these
works "have a distinctive, lyrical,
almost pristine Copenhagen sound that
differs from the Vienna composers’ more
hot-blooded orchestral tone." Throughout
the programme the Tivoli Symphony Orchestra
under the direction of conductor David
Riddell play with great fervour, giving
a endearing and amiable performances.
There are one or two rough edges but
the enthusiasm and long-tradition of
these players in Lumbye’s music more
than make up for any minor limitations.
I found the shorter works, of around
two to three minutes, the more successful
and certainly more effective in sustaining
interest. His longer works seem at times
to be a little bit too much of the same;
too much of a good thing in fact.
The copious booklet
notes by Knud Arne Jürgensen, translated
by James Manley and Geoffrey Chew are
superb, most interesting and informative
and a model for all record companies
to follow. The sound quality from Marco
Polo is first-class.
There are many rewards
from this recording and Lumbye certainly
deserves to be known by a wider audience.
Michael Cookson
Tivoli Symphony Orchestra/David Riddell 