BARGAIN OF THE MONTH
Felix MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY (1809-1847)
Incidental music: Antigone [55:27], Oedipus
[50:33], Athalia [63:19]
René Pape (bass)
Therese Hämer (Antigone)
Klaus Piontek (Creon)
Otto Sander (Oedipus)
Berliner Rundfunkchor
Männerchor 'Carl Maria von Weber'
Radio Symphony Orchester, Berlin/Stefan Soltesz (Antigone and Oedipus
at Colonnus); Das Neue Orchester/Christoph Spering (Athalia)
rec. 1991-2002, Berlin, Köln. DDD
BRILLIANT CLASSICS 94216 [3 CDs: 55:27 + 50:33 + 63:19] 
These rare examples of Mendelssohn's music for the theatre encompass Sophocles
and Racine and date from his last vintage decade. Allowing for the composer's
signature style they were written within the conventions of the first half
of the nineteenth century and the romantic movement. It took later generations
to lay tragedy and violence raw and bare. As it is we are in the same league
as Beethoven's Egmont and Schumann's Scenes from Goethe's Faust.
Malcolm Macdonald's notes are one of the selling points of this label. we
get a generously informative essay from which I learnt that Mendelssohn had
written music for some 15 theatrical productions of which only that to Midsummer
Nights Dream has achieved fame.
Antigone is a chiaroscuro of eight movements, all with orchestra,
but with elements of oration, solo singing and male choral contributions.
As elsewhere the choirs deliver the utmost clarity. There’s a male choir in
Antigone throughout. One can pick up aspects of a Wedding March in
track 7. The character of the plot is indulged in the actors rather than in
the choir. In the last movement very original woodwind trills add frisson
and shudder. It’s a very original touch repeated in the stern march elements
of the score.
Oedipus at Colonnus includes the bird-song bedecked and sweetly
undulant Zur rossprangenden Flur, O freund rising to glorious passionate
orchestral violins at 3:40. These are immaculately prepared and presented
performances. Ach war ich is redolent of the Pilgrim's March from
the Italian Symphony and the equivalent march from the Scotch. The
balladeer’s harp adds another tint to this fine score in the Wer ein langeres.
The conspiratorial night trudge carries over into Auf uns bricht. The
Er ist verstattet movement's halting address only adds to the overcast
allure of the piece. Weh uns has a slightly uncanny supernatural air
and the interplay between the voice of Antigone and the male voice
choir, always suave yet manly even in the softest of poetry, adds tangily
to this grand experience. The final scene, Weh uns ends in the grandest
possible manner. Orations are resoundingly delivered and are acted with glowing
conviction. One cannot fault this. One may only complain if one does not like
the mix of music and spoken word in which case, pilgrim, pass this set. But
that would be a pity given the glowing quality of the music.
René Pape in the two Sophocles scores is stern and mellifluous. Soltesz's
orchestra and choirs appear well coached and the recording is up to excellent
Capriccio standards.
Athalia was recorded a decade after the Sophocles discs. This
is more closely recorded and orchestral details take place very much under
the nose of the listener. You quickly adjust to its immediacy. The recording
was made in Köln's radio studios. There is greater romantic turbulence in
this score with Schumann being a clear influence and the harp much on show
in the overture and elsewhere including the Lasst uns movement. There
is only one spoken voice here, that of Dirk Schortemeier. The difference is
that when he speaks there is no orchestra - he provides the narrative nexus.
It's a reversal of the pattern in the Sophocles projects with one spoken voice
and four female soloists. Herz durch die ganzes welt has some truly
sweet chiming together of those four voices. Mendelssohn is such a poet of
the voice and the same can be picked up in the summery zephyrs of the antiphonally
laid out female and male voices of the O sent welch ein stern. The
stirring and sometimes stern yet not specially original War March of the
Priests will be well enough known having been extracted for other concerts
and collections. Truth to tell it is a little repetitive and by no means the
finest of this composer. The comforts of convention rather than inspiration
also arch over the finale but these are two exceptions to music that is generally
poetic, poignant and plangently romantic for all lovers of the Mendelssohn
oratorios, overtures and symphonies. Spering is every bit as effective as
Soltesz.
The sung and spoken words are not in the booklet. That said Mr Macdonald provides
a synopsis of the plotline though not track-related. All the spoken and sung
contributions are in German.
I wonder if the performing materials for the other theatre music is as readily
available for new recording projects. I hope so. It gives every sign of meriting
a complete Edition. Until then do not hold back. Just think: some two hours
and fifteen minutes of new and vintage Mendelssohn! The chamber music has
enjoyed a great renaissance over the last decade or so. Now the theatrical
Mendelssohn beckons. On this evidence these scores include much music of delightful
quality. These are pleasing recordings.
Rob Barnett
Something of an event and unmissable if you are a devoted Mendelssohnian or
an impassioned researcher of German romantic theatre music.