More Richard Wetz from cpo

[M. Henriksen]

cpo have announced upcoming releases for late September, among them Richard Wetz's Ein Weinachtsoratorium auf alt-deutsche Gedichte.

A late work by Wetz, this oratorio for soprano, baritone, mixed choir and orchestra was composed in 1929.

Details from cpo here:
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Richard-Wetz-1875-1935-Weihnachtsoratorium-op-53-auf-alt-deutsche-Gedichte/hnum/4100516

More details about the work (in German):
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weihnachtsoratorium_(Wetz)


A bit too early for Christmas in September maybe, but this release can still be interesting!


Morten

[Rainolf]

I regard Wetz's Christmas oratorio as one of his greatest works. It could be compared in style with the Requiem (the opening is very similar), which is somewhat of a dark counterpart to the oratorio. Overall this work is dominated by bright and lyrical moods, culminating in a solemn and joyful Haleluja double fugue, but there are even harsh episodes, which recall the 3rd Symphony, 2nd String quartet and the Requiem, especially in the first part, when the chorus cries out for the arrival of Christ.

In November 2010 I was in the concert performance of the oratorio. It was broadcasted on Christmas. The recording quality is better than that of the Requiem, which suffers much from the bad acustic conditions of its recording location.

[eschiss1]

He began composing it in 1927, it was published in 1929 (shows up in Hofmeisters Monatsberichte in the middle of that year), I'd say rather composed 1927-9 or somesuch unless there's more evidence that he didn't put his pen down on the work until sometime in 1929, and yes, these things do matter to some extent- apologies...

(Of the 2 quartets I have heard only the first- downloadable for free from IMSLP in both parts and recording- and while I can't compare it for harshness to the 2nd, it seems to me to be both harsh and - as was suggested to me- adequately elegiac.  Spare in its own way, in an oddly Magnard-ish sort of way... is a particular moment ,which I can't look at without the recently republished (by Musikproduktion Höflich) score (I'll see if I can borrow a copy at a library somewhere) but have heard- the expectation of a full-bodied finish to the first symphony with several full-scored chords- followed (if Bader and his orchestra played this right) by one off-the-beat, oddly-scored?, last octave? fifthchord (CG)? C. (I say Magnard-ish because it reminds me of nothing so much as how Magnard 3 ends- with the orchestra in midair replaced by just about nothing - though Magnard did things like that - specifically and in a broad sense- as part of his personal style, what a Fanfare writer called his brusquerie?)
(Grats to MPH for republishing the aforementioned symphony whose score was earlier available only at the Library of Congress in the United States at least, a trek lazy me has not often made... they listed the symphony as Wetz symphony in A minor, also, I think.)

[Rainolf]

I haven't thought of Magnard in the context of Wetz untill now, but I think, a comparison between the two is not false. At least it's the very serious character of their music, which relates them.

There was a recording of String quartet No. 2 made in the early 1990s by the Mannheimer Streichquartett, published by MDG, together with quartets by Günther Bialas (1907-1995) and Michael Denhoff (*1955). This recording seems to be out of sale since many years. I haven't seen it in the internet for offering, even not as second hand CD.

The second Quartet is in four movements, too, but in a more traditional form (with a sonata movement at the beginning). The first two movements are rather dark, using much chromatic polyphony. Then there's a spooky Scherzo and an often march like "per aspera ad astra" finale, which he characterised as "in the Spirit of Ulrich von Hutten". Indeed in this music I hear a spiritual relation to Battle Songs from the Reformatoric era.

[Rainolf]

If you want to know more about Wetz's life and works: Last year a book was published about the composer (in german). It contains the first Wetz-biography, written by Rudolf Benl, who is surely the person, who knows best the circumstances of the composer's life. Then there are letters by and articles about Wetz, as teacher and about his work: the symphonies, the songs, the Requiem, the Passacaglia for organ and (my contribution) the 2nd string quartet.

Rudolf Benl (editor): Richard Wetz (1875-1935). Ein Komponist aus Erfurt (= Veröffentlichungen des Stadtarchivs Erfurt 3), Erfurt 2010.

It could be bought at Stadtarchiv Erfurt:

http://www.erfurt.de/cocoon/ef/bservice/app/zustaendig/stelle.html?id=103

or here:

http://www.buchhandel.de/detailansicht.aspx?isbn=9783941020030

[chill319]

368 pages illustrated for 16.30 euros? What a bargain.

Unfortunately it appears that Buchhandel.de sells to Canada but not to the U.S. Meanwhile, the Erfurt city website has lots of info on the book but does not seem to sell it. Am I missing something?

[Rainolf]

Yes, the Erfurt Archive Website has no shopping section. For buying the book you must send a mail to it. The Email adress is:

stadtarchiv@erfurt.de

Try it with a text like the following:

"Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren!

Ich interessiere mich für das Buch "Richard Wetz (1875-1935). Ein Komponist aus Erfurt" und würde es gerne von Ihnen erwerben.

Meine Adresse ist: [your adress]

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

[your name]"

I don't know about the act of payment, but I think the Archive will inform you about this. I can ask Dr. Benl about this, if you want.