Bruno WALTER (1876-1962)
Violin Sonata in A major (1908)
Piano Quintet in F sharp minor (1904)
Ekaterina Frolova (violin), Mari Sato (piano) (sonata)
Patrick Vida, Lydia Peherstorfer (violins), Sybille Häusle (viola), Stefanie Huber (cello), Le Liu (piano) (quintet)
rec. Joseph Haydn Hall, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Vienna, 10 May 2013 (sonata); 17 December 2012 (quintet)
NAXOS 8.573351 [59:26]
Bruno Walter (Schlesinger) was, of course, best known as one
of the greatest conductors of the first half of the last century and a champion
of the music of his friend, Gustav Mahler. Like so many musicians who become
conductors, however, he was also a composer – at least until about 1910
- and his compositions include: two symphonies and a Symphonic Fantasia, incidental
music for Hofmannstahl’s adaptation of Sophocles’ “King
Oedipus”, and numerous songs and choral works. There is also some chamber
music: a String Quartet in D major, a Piano Trio - and the Piano Quintet in
F and Violin Sonata in A recorded here. Following Walter’s death his
daughter offered her father’s papers to the University of Music and
the Performing Arts in Vienna and we should be grateful to members of the
staff for their sterling efforts in preparing the scores and organising performances
and recordings.
Despite his triumphs as a conductor Walter's personal life had its
share of disappointment and tragedy. That his compositions remained pretty
well unknown after their early performances was apparently a particular source
of sadness to him. In fact, it is only fairly recently that they have started
to be given any modern attention, although opinions as to their merits seem
to be divided. CPO recorded the First Symphony and, judging by the very favourable
MWI review (review)
this considerable work conjured up a sound world that was entirely Walter’s
- in spite of occasional Mahlerian influences. Another reviewer commented,
however, that it sounded like “proto-Berg with its murky chromatic harmony
and exciting, if overloaded, climaxes”. (If you wish to judge for yourself
there is also a recording of it available on YouTube.) The music on the present
disc (the only two of Walter’s chamber works music for which we still
have the complete scores) also has the occasional Mahlerian influence but
the worlds of Reger, Pfitzner and, to some extent, Richard Strauss are rather
more evident than Berg, at least to my ears. What is also evident is the probable
reason the works failed to make their way into the chamber music repertoire
- but we’ll come to that.
Walter’s three-movement Violin Sonata from 1908 is placed first on the
disc. It was written for his friend Arnold Rosé (leader of the Vienna Philharmonic
and the famous Rosé Quartet) and it turned out to be Walter’s final
chamber music composition and the only one to be published during his lifetime.
According to the booklet notes the violin part is very difficult and the piece
makes technical demands on both players although, to my ear, the difficulties
are not obvious - at least in these hands. After an arresting opening the
first movement Allegro con expressione settles down to Straussian
musings. The following Andante Serioso has a tango-like theme that
is, perhaps, the most memorable of the piece. The booklet notes that the score
of this movement is full of changing indications of mood (“serioso,
misterioso, lugubre, dolcissimo, impetuoso”, etc.) but these are not
particularly discernible and the music seems to meander in a similar vein
throughout. The final Moderato movement could have done with a faster
tune for contrast. The whole sonata is very listenable and is complex enough
to be moderately interesting but, ultimately, it lacks the memorable characteristics
of, say, the Strauss sonata.
I should say that the comments above reflect no adverse criticism of the musicians,
who give us a very intelligent performance with no technical shortcomings
to distract the ear. The violinist has a lovely, bright tone and she is supported
by a fine pianist. The recording is excellent, with just the right halo of
atmosphere. Apparently the sonata has been recorded before (in 1997 on VAI
vaia #1155) but I can find no trace of this recording to provide a comparison.
That said, I doubt that the present performance will be bettered.
The Quintet is in four movements and, although it opens with a theme that
could be related to the opening of Brahms’ Op 36 Sextet, we are again
in the sound world of Reger, Pfitzner and Strauss. It’s all very pleasant
stuff although, as with the sonata, I found it rather failed to grab my attention.
The first movement soon belies its marking (“Mit groß Energie”)
and meanders with the composer seeming to want to pick musical daisies. The
second movement (“Ruhig und heiter”) struck me as somewhat
agitated rather than being calm and serene but I still had a job spotting
what is referred to as the “fiery central section”. The third
movement (“Geheimnisvoll bewegt”) is ländler-like with
shades of Mahler and portamento is employed in a Mahlerian style to make some
phrases droop. The music of the final movement is episodic and, even on a
second hearing, somewhat without structure. Despite being marked “Feurig”
it is only intermittently and vaguely fiery. As for the booklet’s comment
that this movement “brings the quintet to a brilliant conclusion”,
“brilliant” is not a word that I would have employed here and
this could be a description of a different work. The piece threatens to finish
several times before finally coming to an end rather unexpectedly.
Despite a tendency towards matter-of-factness in the first movement I found
this set of musicians excellent and they sound as if they are interpreting
the score faithfully – with any shortcomings seemingly the fault of
the composer rather than of the ensemble. The recording is decent –
if slightly less so than that of the sonata, with performers set back from
the plane of the speakers and slightly more reverberation than would be ideal,
although it is very acceptable.
So here is yet another capable composer labouring in the generation after
Brahms and his ilk, producing some varied and listenable music but, like so
many others, failing to make a mark. I suppose it is asking a lot that this
small body of compositions should exhibit real originality but the lack of
obviously coherent structures or the sense of direction, purpose or atmosphere
that typifies much great music is probably what consigns it to the also-ran
category. At any rate, if this all sounds like damning with faint praise,
I enjoyed this budget disc (especially for the performances) and I shall return
to it. It comes as no surprise, however, that Walter is remembered as a conductor
rather than as a composer.
Bob Stevenson
Previous review:
Rob Barnett
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