Hans GÁL (1890-1987)
Symphony no.2 in F, op.53 (1942-43) [44:52]
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Symphony no.4 in D minor, op.120 (1841/1851) [27:43]
Orchestra of the Swan/Kenneth Woods
rec. 5-6 December 2012, Civic Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon. England. DDD
AVIE AV2232 [72:35]
The two Avie cycles involving Gál’s symphonies have both proved highly
entertaining and enlightening. Kenneth Woods and Stratford-upon-Avon-based
Orchestra of the Swan (OOTS)'s four-disc series has already given
pairings of Austrian composer Hans Gál's symphonies with one of
Schumann's, a composer Gál admired and wrote about. Volume one paired
their Thirds (Vie AV2230, review), whilst volume two Schumann's Second and
Gál's Fourth (Avie AV2231, review); volume three reversed these numbers for
Schumann's Fourth and Gál's Second (Avie AV2232, review).
Beside Gál's appreciation of Schumann, there is another
justification for this combination, in that Gál's music is
'old-fashioned' by modernist standards, and self-evidently
descended from Schumann. Mellifluous, elegant, limpid and nostalgic are four
tags that might attach to almost anything Gál wrote, and that certainly goes
for the Second Symphony. As in the Third and Fourth, there are echoes from
the outset of Strauss, then Mahler and perhaps Bruckner.
By way of succinct description of the work, Woods quotes Gál's own
programme notes: "The first movement is a calm, freely formed
introduction, which presents some of the motives that are important for the
further course of the work. The following lively and energetic movement
stands between this introduction and the broadly laid out Adagio which forms
the heart of the Symphony; it acts as a 'drama of the world'
[Weltspiel] between the two parts of a meditation which is turned completely
inwards. The actual conflict and its working out is left to the last
movement, which, starting out from a passacaglia-like episode, develops into
an extended sonata form and, in an ever more calming coda, spins itself
again into the withdrawn mood of the introduction, turned away from the
world."
In fact, this rather dry note does not really do justice to the invention
and drama of the work. It also suggests a rather introverted, sombre tone,
which would be entirely understandable in light of the tragedy that
repeatedly impinged on Gál's life immediately before its completion
in 1943: the death of his mother, the suicide of his aunt, sister and
youngest son - all in the same calendar year. On the contrary, however,
humour and warmth abound, particularly in the second movement scherzo, and
lyrical tenderness and hope are always more prominent sentiments than
outright melancholy or despair. This big, impressive work has only recently
been rescued from oblivion. The OOTS' performance of it in 2012 was
its first for fifty years, according to the notes - though the Northern
Sinfonia's recording under Thomas Zehetmair (Avie AV2225) took place
in 2010, which obviously predates it a little.
Gál aside, Woods and the OOTS' Schumann series has been something
of a revelation, the smaller forces bringing much clarity to a composer
whose symphonies have often been unfairly accused of textural thickness. As
Woods points out, the score of the Fourth was revised by an older, wiser
Schumann "for performance by the 45 or so musicians of his Düsseldorf
orchestra or the Leipzig Gewandhaus, (not a modern symphony orchestra of
over 80 players)".
There are dozens of recordings of Schumann's Fourth available - and
that is considering only the full cycles. Thankfully, the modern trend is
for smaller ensembles for Schumann, Roger Norrington's
'HIP' cycle for the German Hänssler Classic label among the
most high-profile (94.602). There are even many recordings of
Schumann's original version of this work - favoured and published by
Brahms - and those wishing to compare Schumann's improvements to the
original can do much worse than to turn to another Avie recording, again
with Thomas Zehetmair leading the Northern Sinfonia (Avie AV2125).
Nevertheless, no one buying this disc for the Gál, as is most likely, will
be disappointed by what is a particularly refreshing reading of Schumann. On
the other hand, Woods's account of Gál is close enough to
Zehetmair's that those who already own the latter will not
necessarily feel compelled to acquire the former. Woods's movement
timings are almost identical to Zehetmair's, the main (but minor)
difference being his slower-by-a-minute account of the central Adagio, true
to the composer's metronome markings. Notwithstanding, the growing
legion of Gál fans will certainly want both sets. In his notes, Woods - now
carving out a third impressive career, besides conductor and cellist, as
annotator - describes the Second Symphony, not unreasonably, as "a
wartime masterpiece that contemplates peace both personal and
universal." More emphatically still, on his website he calls Gál
"the best damn Austro-German master you didn't know
existed."
There is also an apparent argument here that Avie have been
wasteful in launching these two side-by-side series - Zehetmair's may
well not be a full cycle - especially as Gál is paired each time with a
composer who has been prolifically recorded. Woods has discussed this
question in interviews and online, citing above all the huge financial
commitments and risks necessary to get such a project recorded, especially
considering the fact that Avie actually operates an "artist
ownership" business model. Thus, though Franz Schmidt's four
symphonies would have made a daringly provocative pairing, and any four of
Karl Weigl's would have thrown up some interesting comparisons, the
inclusion of the entirely bankable Schumann or Schubert makes realisation
quicker and indeed more likely. As Woods expresses the "the realities
of recording in the modern age", starkly: "To those of you who
feel like you don’t need or want another Schumann or Schubert, I would just
encourage you to think of that half of your purchase price as a small but
incredibly valued contribution to the next recording."
Woods' expansive, well written essay on the composers and their
symphonies comes in English, German and French. This recording has the same
decent sound quality as the previous disc. Incidentally, besides Zehetmair,
there is more quality orchestral Gál already available on Avie - the Violin
Concerto, Violin Concertino and Triptych for Orchestra (Avie AV2146), as
well as the Cello Concerto paired with Elgar's (Avie AV2237, review). Woods the cellist performs Gál's String Trios
with his Ensemble Epomeo colleagues on Avie AV2259 (review).
Byzantion
Contact at artmusicreviews.co.uk
Masterwork Index: Schumann
symphony 4
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