Johannes Verhulst
seems to be a casualty of the syndrome
to which followers of the early wave
of romanticism were prone. Like Gade
and Sterndale Bennett he enjoyed the
admiration of Mendelssohn and Schumann
(whose Overture, Scherzo and Finale
was dedicated to him) and, as with
these, his early romantic urge lapsed
into conservatism. As the leading conductor
in The Netherlands (and by all accounts
a very fine one) his days as a composer
were all but finished with his sole
symphony of 1841, though thanks to his
own promotional efforts this work and
his Mass (also available from Chandos)
held a place in the repertoire of his
own country till his death. In his last
years his conservatism and above all
his refusal to perform Wagner (though
he did conduct Bruckner’s 3rd
Symphony) transformed him from Holland’s
most esteemed musician – he was simply
referred to as "the Great Man"
– into one if its most reviled. He spent
his last years in splendid isolation.
The three overtures
are ably put together with suggestions
of Mendelssohn and Schumann, and also,
particularly in the first, touches of
Rossini too, not only in the cut of
the melodies but in the relatively exuberant
percussion writing. The symphony has
rather more stature: I suppose I don’t
know enough Dutch music to be able to
say if it has any specifically Dutch
character but it seems to breathe a
similar Nordic air to Gade and stands
up fairly well beside at least some
of that composer’s symphonies. I realise
I don’t sound wildly enthusiastic but
it is a well-made, likeable piece. Some
time it might be interesting to hear
some of Verhulst’s songs to Dutch texts
since here at least he must have been
compelled to strike out on a path of
his own.
Opp. 2 and 8 are billed
as first recordings. Op.3 is also available
from NM Classics as part of a collection
of overtures by various Dutch composers
which I haven’t heard. The Symphony
was recorded in 1981 by the same orchestra
under Hans Vonk as part of a four-volume
survey of Dutch music, once available
from Olympia. I must say that if you
have this latter there is little point
in adding the present disc to your collection.
I have never thought of Vonk as a particularly
characterful conductor, but by the side
of Bamert he seems to be so. Bamert
has the busy Mendelssohnian string writing
very neatly executed but that is about
the sum of it. Vonk has far more long-term
phrasing and rhythmic buoyancy (the
Eroica-influenced accents on
the second beat of so many bars in the
first movement do not slog, for instance).
The music has more light and shade in
his hands, with the possible exception
of the second movement where Bamert’s
slightly broader tempo has its attractions.
Whether prospective purchasers should
hold their fire in the hopes of a reissue
of the Vonk performance only they can
decide, but if you buy this disc and
do not find a great deal in the Symphony
the fact remains that Vonk may lead
you to think otherwise (as he did in
my case).
Neither players nor
engineers do anything to suggest that
the Hague strings are more numerous
or more rich-toned than is the reality.
The rather overbearing brass and wind
and resonant sound may seem typical
of Chandos, but since the earlier Olympia
recording sounds remarkably similar
I take it to be a faithful reflection
of this particular hall. The notes are
detailed and useful, and do not attempt
to pitch Verhulst’s claims unrealistically
high.
Christopher Howell
Residentie Orchestra The Hague/Matthias Bamert
