Heinrich von HERZOGENBERG (1843–1900)
Sechs Mädchenlieder von Paul Heyse Op. 98 [12:30] (7)
Kanons aus dem neugrichischen Liebes-Skollen von Goethe Op. 79 (excerpts)
[7.32] (1,2,3)
Acht Lieder und Romanzen Op. 26 (excerpts) [11.11] (7)
Nachtlied [5.08] (1, 4, 5, 6)
Vier Notturnos (Gedichte von Joseph von Eichendorff) op. 22 [16.44]
(7)
Iris-Anna Deckert (soprano) (1); Sarah Wegener (soprano) (2); Anja Bittner
(soprano) (3); Ursula Eittinger (alto) (4); Andreas Weller (tenor) (5); Manfred
Bittner (bass) (6); Gotz Payer (piano); Ensemble cantissimo (7)/Markus Utz
rec. Radiostudio, Zurich, 14 October 2010 and the Konservatorium Winterthur,
Konzertsall, 11 February 2011
CARUS 83.451 [51.42]
In the CD booklet for this new disc of music for choir and vocal ensemble,
the composer Heinrich von Herzogenberg is described as best known for his
church music. In fact I had never heard a note of his music but know him from
Ethel Smyth’s autobiography ‘Impressions that Remained’. Smyth describes Herzogenberg
in these terms, “A more learned musician can never have existed”, she continues
saying that “he used to compose for a given number of hours daily and as may
be guessed the result was often dry”. Leipzig-based Herzogenberg and his wife
became friends of Smyth’s when she studied in Leipzig and in fact Herzogenberg
eventually became Smyth’s teacher.
Sechs Mädchenlieder von Paul Heyse are for 3-part
women’s chorus and piano. They set a cycle of poems which cover the emotional
life of a woman from imminent marriage, disillusion, love, unfulfilled desire
and finally self-determination. It is not clear when they were written but
they were probably designed for the Musik Hochschule where Herzogenberg taught.
They are coolly creditable, firmly in the Mendelssohn-Brahms axis as opposed
to the Liszt/Wagner one. The booklet describes them as masterly, but to me
the music fails to capture the strength of character in the poems; the songs
sound a little too much like the teaching exercise that they probably were.
That said, they are cleanly and nicely sung by the ensemble cantissimo and
might usefully find their way into the repertoire of all women’s choruses.
The Kanons op. 79 for three sopranos were written for a colleague’s
singing class. Here we are given three of the five. They were written after
Herzogenberg heard Brahms’s Kanons and decided he could
do better. I have to confess that I have never heard Brahms’s versions, but
here again Herzogenberg provides music which is nicely correct but fails to
grab the attention. Soloists Iris-Anna Deckert, Sarah Wegener and Anja Bittner
blend beautifully in the songs.
In 1879 Herzogenberg published eight 4-part female voice choruses as Acht
Lieder und Romanzen, here ensemble cantissimo contribute three of
them. Herzogenberg was the conductor of the Leipzig Bach-Verein and, we are
told, greatly valued pure singing. Two years before the publication of these
songs he had founded a choir school for the ladies of the choir, these songs
were undoubtedly practice material.
Finally the Vier Notturnos setting Eichendorff poems.
Eichendorff was Herzogenberg’s favourite poet and Herzogenberg set his poems
throughout his composing career; these songs date from 1876. The title Notturno
was often applied to piano music, but here Herzogenberg uses it for vocal
music which is themed on the night. The four songs are in distinctively contrasted
styles and the results are attractive. But again, despite the clean performances
I found myself thinking of didactic material. These are preceded by another
night piece, Nachtlied from Drei Gesange nach Dichtungen
von Friedrich Hebbel; this time for mixed voice ensemble. The male
voices make an interesting relief in the programme.
Heinrich von Herzogenberg perhaps deserves to be better known as a composer,
but this disc is not the disc to improve his reputation. The performances
are excellent, doing Herzogenberg a great service, but the music seems more
suited to the rehearsal room. Nothing on the disc remotely approaches the
vividness or intensity which Herzogenberg’s great contemporaries such as Brahms
could achieve in this repertoire.
Robert Hugill
Nothing here remotely approaches the vividness or intensity which Herzogenberg’s
great contemporaries could achieve in this repertoire.