Not content with recording Thuille’s string quartets with
the Signum Quartet on C5049 Capriccio next turn to his Lieder.
Matthias Wiegandt's note for this disc tells us that there was a Munich
school to which Thuille belonged. Its other members were Clemens von
Franckenstein, Richard Wetz and Paul von Klenau. Wetz’s three
symphonies have been recorded by Sterling (
review)
and CPO (
review).
Klenau’s music has been taken up, at least in part, by Dacapo
(
review ~
review ~
review).
I hope that there is more to come from that source including his reputedly
tempestuous and inventive operas. Thuille tutored many composers including
Ernest Bloch.
Thuille’s music has its intrinsic pleasures though he can also
be seen as a sort of precursor to his younger friend, Richard Strauss.
This German composer was of approximately the same generation as Mahler
but older-fashioned and happy to slake his thirst from the Romantic
mainstream as we know from his orchestral and chamber music.
Unlike Schoeck and Diepenbrock the mood of these songs is well varied
both in text and in musical treatment. The poets set include Eichendorff,
Keller and Julius Bierbaum alongside the lesser known Gustav Falke,
Carl Hauptmann, Heinrich Leuthold and Robert Hamerling. The linguistic
limits within which Thuille operates are marked out by Schubert, Schumann
and Brahms. There are dramatic songs such as the surging
Waldesgang
but we also encounter hushed seraphic scenas such as
Botschaft
and magically poised settings like
Waldeinsamkeit.
Die Nacht
reflects a mysterious slow whirlpool of emotion.
In meine traumer
heimat is saturatedly intense. Trekel is in strong clear voice
as he is also in the Toccata set of Peggy Glanville-Hicks’
Sappho
opera. His voice is resiliently lively and sanguine of tone. Just
listen to him when it comes to
In goldener Fülle. Thuille
is well served here both by Trekel with lieder and by stalwart accompanist
Hartmut Holl.
Capriccio provide background notes and print his songs’ texts
in the original German but without translations into English.
Worth bearing in mind that there is also an Oehms CD (OC 805) of Thuille’s
lieder. It contains: 5 Lieder, Op. 4, 5 Lieder, Op. 19, 3 Brentano
Lieder, Op. 24, 3 Mädchenlieder, Op. 36, 3 Eichendorff Lieder
for 3 Solo Women’s Voices. The singers are Rebecca Broberg (soprano),
Frank Strobel (piano) with Ksenija Lukic (soprano) and Heike Kohler
(alto). If you develop a taste for Thuille’s songwriting then
that would be your next stopping off point.
Thuille’s Piano Concerto and Symphony of the mid-1880s have
been recorded by
CPO.
Much missed
ASV
and thankfully still with us
CPO
gave us the two Piano Quintets as did
Champs
Hill as part of a wider-ranging selection of the chamber music.
Do read Eric Schissel’s
fine
article about Thuille. It sets the scene in admirable detail.
Thuille is a serious entrant in the lieder stakes - exponents and
enthusiast of the lied need to hear this Capriccio disc. Discoveries
await and good ones too.
Rob Barnett
Track listing
Im Mai, Op. 4. No. 3;
Allerseelen, Op. 4, No. 4;
Ganymed, Op. 4, No. 5;
Waldesgang, Op. 7, No. 1;
Nachtlied, Op. 7, No. 3;
Botschaft, Op. 7, No. 4;
Nächtliche Pfade, Op. 7, No. 5;
Nicht daheim, Op. 7, No. 6;
Jahreszeiten, Op. 7, No. 8;
Waldeinsamkeit, Op. 12, No. 1;
Die Nacht, Op. 12, No. 2;
Sehnsucht, Op. 15, No. 2;
Des Narren Regenlied, Op. 19, No. 3;
Zauberblick, Op. 26, No. 1;
Der traurige Jäger, Op. 26, No. 2;
Devotionale, Op. 27, No. 1;
In meiner Träume Heimat, Op. 27, No. 2;
In goldener Fülle, Op. 27, No. 3;
Die Insel der Vergessenheit, Op. 27, No. 4;
Der Alte, Op. 32, No. 2;
Abendlied, Op. 32, No. 3;
Neujahrslied
