Donald Satz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>My interest in Van Gilse was aroused when I read that his music had
>similarities with that of Franz Schmidt who I like very much.  Anyone
>familiar with Van Gilse's music? What's your opinion, and do you see
>similarities with Schmidt? The NM disc is available from EVERY CD.

I do not know the record you mentioned, mostly two orchestral works, his
2nd symphony (1902-03) and his Treurmusiek (Dirge) from "Thijl" (1940
IIRC).

Spontaneous associations are rarely fully inadequate, and although I had
only fleetingly thought of Franz Schmidt (whom I love), there may well be
hints of the more waltz-like parts of Schmidt's 2nd symphony in the scherzo
of van Gilse's 2nd, and the more dramatic climaxes can be related to
Schmidt's 4th, but rather distantly.

Van Gilse's 2nd is one of his very few early works which he kept interested
in throughout his life, enough indeed to revise it several times.  It
appears that the work initially was a rather thick "Symphonic Fantasy" and
became a "Symphony" only after thorough revision and shortening in 1928.
(Van Gilse's music was forbidden by the nazis during WWII and the score was
kept in a safe place by the then administrator of the Arnhem Orchestral
Society.) The overall structure is almost traditional, with an introductory
Andante & Allegro energico, followed by a delightful, mild and graceful
scherzo.  The third movement serves both as a slow movement, quite an
agitated and impassioned one indeed, and a majestic Andante finale.

The flowing introduction would rather remind me of Alfven's 2nd symphony,
and more generally Richard Strauss and Mahler come to mind, albeit in a
more pastoral mood, slowly paced, with classical poise, harmonically less
complex, and the intense splendour of Schmidt's 2nd is hardly in sight
here.  On the other hand, there is a serenity, a sincerity and refinement
-- giving its full worth to each inflexion -- which are captivating, if
hardly spectacular.  The liner notes to the Donemus LP recording mention
Brahms and Bruckner for the finale.  Once again, they can be traced in the
music, but the atmosphere is transparent and consistent enough to avoid
idiosyncracy.  The ending is simple, with no acceleration or excitement
whatsoever, quite effective in its unaffected nobility, far from any
bombast.

The late Treurmusiek (recorded on a beautiful Olympia CD in the Residentie
Orkest [den Haag] series) starts in a distinctly Mahlerian manner, much
sterner than, say, R.Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel.  Long, tormented melodic
lines played by the strings convey an even stronger feeling of bareness,
mourning and solitude.  Their free contrapunctal handling manages to keep
the sensation of linearity, but add some kind of healing quality before the
funeral march gathers momentum.  It is uneasy to explain what makes van
Gilse's sorrowful eloquence so individual despite the obvious Mahlerian
colour, maybe I could best describe it as a mix of introversion, obstinacy,
as though a simple man were struggling to do violence to his own silence
and force himself into uttering words of revolt.  When the arch returns to
its source, the impression is more that of extinction than of relief.

Finally van Gilse probably is not as original as Schmidt in stylistic
terms, but he speaks unerringly with a direct, distinct, profound voice.

Chamber music of his could be very substantial indeed, since his symphonic
works do not rely so much on orchestral effects.

I hope it helps,

Best wishes,

Thanh-Tam Le
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