Julius Rontgen: Aus Goethes Faust Machteld Baumans, soprano Marcel Beekman, tenor Andre Morsch, baritone Andre Post, tenor Mark Richardson, baritone Dennis Wilgenhof, bass Gijs van Schoonhoven, organ Koor van de Nationale Reisopera Enschede Netherlands Symphony Orchestra David Porcelijn, conductor cpo 77311 Executive Summary: Derivative, simplistic, and yet utterly charming. Perhaps Rontgen is still enough of an unrecognized name that some information regarding his background is appropriate. Born in 1855, he came from a musical family. The best known of his teachers was Carl Reinecke. Rontgen enjoyed the friendship of Grieg and Brahms. He was a fine pianist who performed often and was, from time to time, the accompanist for the likes of Carl Flesch and Pablo Casals. One of the founders of the Amsterdam Conservatory, he served as its Director for several years. On his retirement he published a biography of Grieg and some of the letters of Brahms. Rontgen enjoyed only sporadic performances of his music in his own lifetime. A highly prolific composer, many of his works remain unperformed. Written in 1931, his "Aus Goethes Faust," for soloists, chorus, and orchestra, is a rather childlike exploration of that tragic play. Perhaps it is a strange conception of the Goethe, but it is one that produced some wonderfully rich music. From the opening strains of this glorious music you know that you are in the company of a great expressive artist. The first section, "Prologue in Heaven" is grandiose, reminding one of the music of many of his contemporaries; from Brahms and Grieg to Korngold, Mahler, and Saint-Saens. While the music is clearly derivative, it is far from second rate. There is not the depth, or profound expression, of a Brahms or a Mahler, but a voice that is clear and speaks with a totally unaffected simplicity. The orchestral interlude "Faust's Invocation of the Earth Spirit," something of a recapitulation of the opening, "Prologue in Heaven," coupled with music of the charming second section, the "Song of the Earth Spirit," is lighthearted in tone. Even in the dungeon scene, as Faust's Gretchen tells us of her fears and sadness, we aren't particularly drawn into any great sense of angst. Instead, we are mesmerized by the beauty of the music. Mephistopheles follows with an almost capricious warning; the last measures ending enigmatically with a gesture reminiscent of the closing measures of the scherzo of Mahlers Second Symphony. I was left wondering if Rontgen was suggesting that there might have been a hope of resurrection even for Mephistopheles. Rontgens depiction of Walpurgis Night wont have you sitting on the edge of your seat. It is rather tame, not of the same ferociousness of Mussorgskys essay. The work closes with an apotheosis in the "Chorus mysticus." While it is indeed quite beautiful, I found this final section to be weaker and less convincing than the music that preceded it. A simple recapitulation of the opening "Prologue in Heaven," would have, for me, been more engaging. The work is a curious mixture of gestures. The program notes alert us to the fact that Rontgen quotes a wide variety of thematic material from other sources; from old songs to the music of Bach. The melodic line, harmonic rhythm, and phrase structure in many sections, especially the lighthearted "Auerbach's Cellar in Leipzig: Carousing by Jolly Fellows," a setting of Hassler's "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden," is perhaps the most eclectic section, with an almost Gilbert and Sullivan quality to it. "There was a king in Thule" brings us the suggestion of an early French Chanson. According to the liner notes, the entire score was written in four days! Indeed, there is a spontaneity to the music that makes such a claim credible. This music captures the spirit of a young person full of the love of life. What is difficult to believe is that it was written by a 76 year old man in the next to the last year of his life. This is music that comes to us in that twilight of Romanticism that brought us the likes of a Korngold. The music is sumptuous, richly orchestrated, filled with expression and an almost folk-like melodic invention. If you can suspend your notions of the tragic and profound nature of the Goethe, and set aside any concerns regarding the eclectic nature of the music, you will be left with a joyous listening experience. While the musicians were almost a bit too respectful, and seemed to lack a bit of the lightness and charm of the work, the performances were suggestive of the highest level of musicianship. The recorded sound is superb. Karl Miller *********************************************** The CLASSICAL mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's HDMail High Deliverability Mailer for reliable, lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html