Karl Müller-Berghaus - Opera on Kalevala

[Hilleries]

This is an interesting find, and a quick search on this board resulted in nothing about this composer. Has anyone heard anything from him?

[Alan Howe]

In a word, no. How fascinating.

[sdtom]

in a word no

[BerlinExpat]

This would seem to be Die Kalewainen von Pochjola

[Alan Howe]

If you go here...
http://www.kalewainen.fi/
...you can sign up for a newsletter about the proposed performance next year under Leif Segerstam.

[Mark Thomas]

Müller-Berghaus was born plain Karl Müller who, with his three brothers, in 1856 formed the Müller Brothers Quartet on the demise of a famous quartet of the same name which had comprised their father and his brothers. The junior quartet became well known in it's own right and was appointed quartet to the court of the Duke of Meiningen. Müller had an independent career as a violinist, conductor and orchestrator in Wiesbaden, although I wasn't aware that he also composed in his own right. In the early 1870s be married the soprano Elvira Berghaus, and the couple took on their double-barrelled surname. He was a friend of Raff.

[MartinH]

When I saw this I recognized the name, but couldn't place it. A quick search refreshed the memory: there are a couple of orchestral arrangements of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, which pops up from time to time on concerts, and the better of the ones I've played is the K Muller-Berghaus. There have been several recordings, the Boskovsky/London Philharmonic one graces my shelves.

[pcc]

The Müller-Berghaus orchestration of the Liszt was for many years the standard one, and was recorded many times before the Second World War. I haven't ever heard it "live", and there are many other similar pieces which are almost extinct from even pops programmes. (There's another discussion.)

[jani]

The opera is called Die Kalewainen in Pochjola. It is in four acts. Karl Müller Berghaus (1829-1907) finished this opera probably in late 1890 in Turku, where he was conductor of musical society (now Turku Philharmonic orchestra) 1886-1895). This opera is not only opera he wrote, he also wrote at least other two: Der Inka-Schatz and Sacharina.  Both of these are known to survive only in part. His papers are in Stuttgart (Handschriftenabteilung der Württenbergischen Landesbibliothek). There are orchestral compositions too, like Finnish rhapsody.

What is known about Die Kalewainen in Pochjola, only second act was performed in Turku in 1890, before whole opera was finished. So 2017 performance is indeed a world premiere. What is interesting, is that both orchestral score and vocal score were published in Germany by Zumsteeg in 1892.

The four acts of the opera are 1) Die Brautwerbung, 2) Sampo, 3) Achtis Wiederbelebung, 4) Der kampf um's Glück.

[Alan Howe]

Very interesting indeed. Thanks!

[Alan Howe]

Will the opera be recorded, I wonder? (I've just had my first newsletter through about next February/March's performances; unfortunately it was all in Finnish!)

[jani]

I think they will broadcast it in internet worldwide. I hope the performance will later appear on dvd or cd.