August KLUGHARDT (1847-1902)
Violin Concerto Op. 68 in D major (1895) [39:44]
Symphony No. 3 Op. 37 in D major (1879) [38:02]
Mirjam Tschopp (violin)
Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau/Golo Berg.
rec. Dessau, 2008-9.
CPO 777 465-2 [77:46] 
Trust CPO to dig deep into the world of nineteenth cnetury German romantic
music.
The 1895 Violin Concerto is the second of two; the other dates from 1894.
Despite his reverence for Richard Wagner Klughardt's second concerto owes
more to Brahms and even Dvorak than to Richard of Bayreuth. Mirjam Tschopp
gives a very confident and strong performance in a four movement work that
is romantic, rhetorical and muscular. The best episode is the third movement
which strikes me as sincere. Its tenderness is fulsome and it speaks of a
generous Brahsmian heart. The finale is not specially original or fresh but
it entertains and reminds me of a sort of Teutonic Symphonie espagnole.
The concerto ends with a conventional gestural sign-off.
The Third Symphony was premiered in Neustreilitz in 1879. It was written after
he had completed his opera Iwein - apparently a Wagner-influenced work.
I am glad to have had my curiosity stirred and satisfied by this work which
despite its adherence to conventional language is smooth and nicely rounded
in a Brahmsian way. Its third movement is a grand imperial essay yet cheery
rather than bombastic. This is more of an example of the pictorial symphony
rather than one a compellingly structured exposition of the grand verities.
Draeseke had greater symphonic strengths. Klughardt seems to be more in the
Lachner and Huber realm with a touch of the orchestral suites by Ludolf Nielsen.
Klughardt’s Cello Concerto and some other orchestral works can be heard on
Sterling (review
review).
The Auf der Wanderschaft suite is on Antes
and again Berg was the conductor of the Dessau orchestra. Both Chandos
and Cedille
have recorded his Schilflieder trio.
I do hope that CPO will record the other Klughardt symphonies; there are five
in total.
Rob Barnett