Peter Benoit (1834-1901) De Schelde

[Alan Howe]

An oratorio dating from 1867:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/de-schelde/hnum/6455876

[Wheesht]

Perhaps not such an "evil penguin" after all, if both the music and the recording are good. Some record labels do have strange names...

[Sibeliusfan]

If you hesitate, first listen to the historical (1966) performance on Youtube of the Belgian Radio Orchestra conducted by Léonce Gras. Although the sound quality isn't perfect, you'll hear enough to decide if you want this oratorio in modern hifi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1biA0u-WVw8

[Alan Howe]

What did you think of the piece?

[Sibeliusfan]

I think it is rather long. I like the melodies that Benoit wrote, the overture contains really fine music. But the text is quite dreary, oldfashioned nationalistic. For the listeners who do not understand Dutch that won't be a problem, unless they read the translations in the booklet. When you do speak Dutch you better stick to the music and try to forget what they are singing. The 1966 performance has the disadvantage of singers pronouncing their Dutch far too 'noble'. I am curious which soloists will sing on this new recording. And do try it for yourself; De Schelde has some rewarding moments.

[Alan Howe]

What's the idiom? Conservative or are there any more progressive elements?

[Mark Thomas]

I've known for years the recording which is on YouTube, and think De Schelde a piece which has some fine moments. No doubt not knowing a word of Dutch helps. Benoit's idiom, here and elsewhere, always reminds me of Bruch - his music often has a certain nobility to it. It's quite colourfully orchestrated (and in that respect he betrays some French or maybe operatic influence), and he is no slouch melodically, but for his time he's unadventurous harmonically, and his tempi tend to be moderate (or at least, that's how they are interpreted). I don't get the impression that he was a great composer, but rather that he was a competent one who wrote music which, while not challenging or especially exciting, is distinctly enjoyable.

[Alan Howe]

That's very helpful. Thanks, Mark.

[Sibeliusfan]

Indeed, Benoit was certainly not a great composer. For Belgium, and especially for the Dutch speaking provinces (Flanders) he was the man who gave the rather discriminated Flemish peoples their nationalistic music. His orchestral works, for instance concertos for flute and piano, are rather plain. His oratorios, on Flemish subjects like the river Scheldt (De Schelde), the painter Rubens (Rubens Cantate) were the works that made him the voice of the Flemish nationalism.
Before Benoit it was not done to publish serious works on Dutch texts, at least in Belgium, where the leading classes all used French. After Benoit there came a whole Flemish school of composers, with for instance Paul Gilson, August de Boeck and Arthur de Greef.
But after 150 years the nationalistic bombast has done its job. What remains is quite conservative music. Bruch? Maybe, but then the Bruch on one of his minor days.

[Revilod]

I recently got to know Benoit's piano concerto and thought it was one of the most exciting unsung concertos I've heard for a long time. Strong material, no empty virtuosity and an almost Beethovenian sense of purpose, to the first movement in particular. The finale ("Fantastic Hunt in the Night") is a tremendously vivid Lisztian tour-de-force.

[adriano]

Benoit's Great Mass ("Hoogmis", once issued on Discover) proves that he was an excellent composer. I like also his Requiem and the Rubenscantata (which is perhaps less valuable). De Schelde is an important work with much beautiful music. At his time it would have been great to have it performed with living pictures and choreography instead of an oratorio. Those old recordings still sound well enough in order to enjoy this music. Also the Naxos CD with two of his concertos is very much enjoyable

[Sibeliusfan]

Maybe my verdict was too harsh. It is enjoyable music, gentle but not extraordinary (in my humble opinion). I had forgotten his Hoogmis, which was broadcasted on the Belgian radio, that contains some fine music (like De Schelde, but now I am repeating myself!)