Gottfried von EINEM (1918-1996)
Concerto for Orchestra, Op. 4 (1944) [19:05]
Hunyadi László, Op. 59 (1981-1996)
Three Gifts for Orchestra [15:46]
Serenade for Double String Orchestra, Op. 10 (1949) [13:04]
Nachtstück for Orchestra, Op. 29 (1960) [12:00]
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin/Johannes Kalitzke
rec. Großer Sendesaal, RBB, Berlin, 2018
CAPRICCIO C5357 [60:00]
Gottfried von Einem is known more for his operas than for his orchestral music, and it's the first time I've heard any of it. My previous encounters with this composer have been through his wonderful string quartets. There seems to be an aura of mystery surrounding his parentage. He was born in Bern on January 24 1918 the son of the diplomat William von Einem, but at the age of twenty learned of the identity of his real biological father, one Count László Hunyady. He spent most of his early life in Germany and worked as Kapellmeister and répétiteur at the Berlin State Opera and Bayreuth. Between 1941-43 he studied composition with Boris Blacher. After the war he was heavily involved with the Salzburg Festival and the Vienna State Opera. He died in 1996 aged seventy-eight.
His music is basically of a tonal idiom, but there are times when he dips his toe into the waters of atonality. At one stage in the 1960s he went through a neo-Classical period. For me, he has a unique style, which combines generous lyricism, rhythmic vitality, dance-like energy, jazz, improvisation and Romantic elements. Also notable are his explorations of orchestral timbres. The music featured here is deftly scored, imaginative and colourful.
Work started on the Concerto for Orchestra in 1943 following the success of his Capriccio, Op. 2. He came to the attention of Herbert von Karajan via Leo Borchard of the Berlin Philharmonic. Karajan commissioned the Concerto and premiered it with the Staatskapelle in Berlin on 3 April 1944. It's in three movements. The first has a blithe ebullience. The slow movement offers some calm with its dreamy wanderings, sounding almost other-worldly. A stormy introduction ushers in the finale, which has a pastoral episode at one point and later some jazzy interjections. It was because of these latter features that the Nazi's considered the work 'degenerate'.
Hunyady László, Op. 59 is subtitled Three Gifts for Orchestra and was a commission from the Philharmonica Hungarica in 1981. Its title pays tribute to Hungary and his biological father. It evokes the courtly milieu of the Renaissance world of the noble family of the Hunyadis. It was premiered by the orchestra under Uri Segal in 1982. The Gifts are titled: “How the White Swan Laments"; "Song of the Volvodess Lupul"; "How Yesterday's Death of the Count Saddened Me". The first is intensely lyrical, whilst the second is animated and busy. The third, as the title suggests, is elegiac in tone.
A tonal piece "intended to put the listener in a good mood and entertain him in a stimulating way..." is how the composer describes his Serenade for Double String Orchestra of 1949. He dedicated it to Ferenc Fricsay, who had premiered his opera Dantons Tod at the 1947 Salzburg Festival. Fricsay did the same for this work in January 1950. Three of the movements convey affability and good humour, whilst the Adagio is more serious in intent, with a static and subdued demeanour.
In 1960, when Edward Benjamin, a patron of the Philadelphia Orchestra, commissioned von Einem for a 'restful' orchestral piece lasting about ten minutes, the composer responded with Nachtstück. Eugene Ormandy and his forces did the honours. It is basically an Adagio in C minor, recalling to mind the slow movements of Gustav Mahler.
Superbly recorded with real presence, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under Johannes Kalitzke do full justice to these compelling scores. The documentation is excellent. This is a standout disc which offers generous rewards.
Stephen Greenbank
