Johann Abert

[Alan Howe]

Here's another fine composer:

Johann Joseph Abert (20 September 1832, Kochowitz, Bohemia, now Kochovice, Hoštka, Czech Republic – 1 April 1915, Stuttgart) was a German composer. An ethnic German from the Sudetenland, he is also known by his Czech name Jan Josef Abert.
Abert studied double bass at the Prague Conservatory with Josef Hrabě and also received lessons in theory from Johann Friedrich Kittl and August Wilhelm Ambros. In 1853, Peter Josef von Lindpaintner selected him as a double bassist for the Court Orchestra at Stuttgart, the royal capital of Württemberg. He became the Court Kapellmeister in 1867 and remained in this office, previously occupied by Lindpainter, Friedrich Wilhelm Kücken, and Carl Anton Eckerts, until 1888.
Abert composed chamber music and lieder, as well as several successful operas. Of his seven symphonies, the Frühlingssinfonie (Spring Symphony, No. 7) in C, the program symphony Columbus (No. 4), and the Symphony in C minor (No. 2) are generally considered to be the best. The Württembergische Landesbibliothek in Stuttgart and the Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach currently share responsibility for the preservation of his manuscripts and other personal papers.
Abert's son, Hermann, became a noted music historian.

Symphonies:

Symphony No.1 in B minor (1852)
Symphony No.2 in C minor (1854)
Symphony No.3 in A major (1856)
Symphony No.4 in D major, Op. 31 (1865), "Columbus (Musikalisches Seegemälde in Form einer Sinfonie)"
Symphony No.5 in C minor (1870)
Symphony No.6 in D minor (1890), "Lyrische Sinfonie"
Symphony No.7 in C major (1894), "Frühlingssinfonie"

Other works for orchestra:

Overture in E major for large orchestra (1850)
Overture in D minor for large orchestra (1851)
Jubilation Overture for large orchestra, dedicated to Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria (1855)
Festive Overture in D major, composed at the occasion of the Württemberg royal wedding (1874)
Concert Overture
Tragic March, dedicated to the soldiers fallen in 1866 war (1866)
Celebration March, for the 25-year anniversary of the reign of King Karl I (1889)
Festive March for Harmony Band for the anniversary of the Ulanen Regiment of Queen Olga of Württemberg (1883)

Concertos:

Polonaise and Introduction in D major for double bass and orchestra (1848)
Variations and Rondo in C major for double bass and orchestra (1849)
Introduction and Polonaise in C major for double bass and orchestra (1849)
Concertino in F major for double bass and orchestra (1851)
Rondeau for double bass and orchestra in C major (1852)

Chamber Music:

String Quartet in A, dedicated to Karl Eckert (1862)

Operas:

Anna von Landskron, libretto by Christian Gottfried Nehrlich, premiered 1858, Stuttgart
König Enzio, libretto by Friedrich Albert Bernhard Dulk, premiered 1862, Stuttgart
Astorga, libretto by Ernst Pasqué, premiered 1866, Stuttgart
Enzio von Hohenstaufen, premiered 1875, Stuttgart
Ekkehard, based on the novel by Joseph Viktor von Scheffel about Ekkehard von St. Gallen, premiered 1878, Hofoper Berlin
Die Almhoaden, based on the play The Clock of Almudaina by Don Juan Palon y Col, libretto by A. Kröner. Premiered 1890, Leipzig

[Alan Howe]

His 4th Symphony is basically 'Mendelssohn plus' in style, but hugely enjoyable because of its melodic generosity; my own wish would be to hear the last three symphonies and discover where the development of style hinted at in the biography of the composer (Hermann Abert: Johann Joseph Abert (1832–1915): sein Leben und seine Werke. 2nd extended edition, reprint of the Leipzig Edition. Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale, 1983) took him in his later years...

[Mark Thomas]

I've added a recent radio recording of Abert's Symphony No.3 in A to the German Music thread in the Downloads board. Not a work of genius, but well made msuic and very enjoyable all the same. His Columbus Symphony is (or was) available on the Capriccio label, coupled with the Double Bass Concerto and Variations for double bass & orchestra. I also have off-air recordings of a Concert Overture and a String Quartet if anyone is interested.

[eschiss1]

Hrm. These aren't publication dates (the concert overture in E wasn't published until 1872, I think) -maybe they're earliest-dates-known, which makes sense. (Again and e.g. the symphony no.3 in A was performed in January 1856 if not earlier but I have no idea when it was composed- perhaps the list people don't either... etc. unless there's better evidence, of speedy composition say... don't know.) The quartet in A seems to have opus no.25 . Don't know if there's a quartet no.2.

[eschiss1]

Ok, I found Hermann Abert's book (1916 edition) on Google Books- yes, as of 1916 the 3rd symphony was indeed in MS, right. (Allowing for my horrible German, pages 29, 172,  among the pages of the 1916 edition with something about the symphony, with page 172 having a theme (written out in small-score) - E A Cis D Fis E Cis A B... over a A bass- that may be from the symphony if I am understanding right- need to go listen. Will see if it gives tempi for the movements...)
Edit: may be, my foot. That's the first 9 seconds. (After the bass-drum roll or whathaveyou.)

(The music example, page 172 of http://books.google.com/books?id=xzSsAAAAIAAJ (visible in the US and some other regions) is preceded by these words most of which I get and the rest of which I can probably translate... Die A dur-Sinfonie trägt ausgesprochen pastoralen Charakter, wie schon das Thema ihres ersten Satzes lehrt: )

[Alan Howe]

Ekkehard is a very beautiful, predominantly lyrical opera in line of descent, I suppose, from Lortzing and Marschner, but on a grander scale. Well worth a listen, especially in the superb Capriccio recording which features a young Jonas Kaufmann as the eponymous hero.

Excerpts here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abert-J-J-Ekkehard-Opera/dp/B004B3LYUC/ref=sr_1_8_digr?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1319233778&sr=1-8

[eschiss1]

There's now or soon will be a commercial recording of the string quartet in A, I gather - News from the Abert-Gesellschaft?

[Alan Howe]

It's already available...
http://www.ars-produktion.de/Musik_aus_Stuttgart/topic/Suchergebnis/shop_art_id/191/tpl/shop_article_detail

[Alan Howe]

The String Quartet in A, Op.25 is a typical example of mid-nineteenth century German chamber music: not very original, I suppose, but just exquisitely made and with some marvellous melodic writing, especially in the deeply expressive Adagio which also has some extraordinary harmonies. The third movement Scherzo seems simply to bubble along - fabulous - and this is followed by a galloping finale with some surprising twists and turns.
Abert is a composer whose later music I'd very much like to hear - e.g. his last three symphonies, and most especially the very late Nos. 6 and 7 written when he was around 60.

[edurban]

Thanks for this, Abert has previously flown under my radar, but no more.  I enjoyed the 3rd symphony very much. 

Is Ekkehard the opera (mature) Mendelssohn never wrote?

David

[Alan Howe]

Is Ekkehard the opera (mature) Mendelssohn never wrote?
David

Possibly. It's certainly not in the Wagnerian tradition, being more a traditional lyric drama, although still on quite a big scale. It's well done in the Capriccio recording.

[eschiss1]

One of his symphonies (either no.2 from 1851  or no.5 in C minor) is listed, with two incipits, in RISM (id 280003209)  (only partially there, unless it's a one-movement symphony.)

(probably no.5 if the date from RISM- 1855 or later - is accurate.) (via copies of the parts at the Schlossmuseum, Sondershausen. Their library catalog, which I haven't consulted directly, might be interesting- I need to try to check it...)

[Alan Howe]

Re: The project to record the Abert symphonies with Gabriel Feltz and the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra for Sterling which never came to fruition:

I understand that there is a new effort under way at the moment with a different label - don't know which, but the odds are it's cpo.

Oh, excellent. Any more info, Ilja?

Not without betraying confidences I fear. But the SWR are still committed to supporting local musical heritage, and therefore in getting the Abert project off the ground.

Thanks, Ilja! That's good to know.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Have just relistened to the Bayer Records CD of Abert's "Columbus" Symphony and the Concerto and Variations for Double Bass and orchestra. What delightful pieces they all are. Alan described the symphony as being melodically generous - and so it is. So are all the pieces on this disk. I do hope we shall have the opportunity to hear the rest of his symphonies - and I must now explore the String Quartet.

[mikehopf]

Abert's Variations for Double Bass & Orchestra is recorded on the Haenssler Classics label with the title "Stuttgart Compositions".