Othmar Schoeck Venus

[Alan Howe]

In all the discussion of the merits of the operas of Zemlinsky and Schreker, I have been remiss in neglecting to mention Othmar Schoeck, and in particular his radiantly beautiful opera, Venus. For me, and it's just a personal opinion, this opera is as fine as anything by the two other composers mentioned. It is an extraordinary outpouring of late-late Romantic lyricism, and the recording on MGB featuring that great Straussian soprano Lucia Popp is one of the neglected gems of the current catalogue. Excerpts here:
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Othmar-Schoeck-Venus-op-32-Oper-in-3-Akten/hnum/7322530

[Alan Howe]

OK, I'll go further: the end of Act 1 of Venus is among the most glorious in all opera - period. I'll take it over anything operatic by Schreker or Zemlinsky.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Fortunate we are - for there is no need to choose between Schoeck and Zemlinsky or Schreker!

Venus is, indeed, a glorious opera. And that MGB recording has not gathered any dust on my shelves since I bought it 15 years ago. Try also Erwin und Elmire, and the quite astonishing Penthesilea, the latter fully up there with Elektra. Two wonderful String Quartets, and a beautifully lyrical Violin Concerto.

It is hard to account for Schoeck's neglect, at least in the UK. Fischer-Dieskau championed his songs, but even that advocacy hasn't made much difference. For me, his music is firmly rooted in Brahms and Schumann, and yet (especially with the later works) is so bursting with expression that it approaches the world of Berg and Schoenberg (cf the 1st String Quartet). Ironical it is that Schoeck's music was cold-shouldered by 20th century composers and commentators who, if they bothered to listen to it, would have found their own prejudices rapidly evaporating.

Incidentally, a first rate life & works is to found in Chris Walton's biography published in 2009. And a curse on those Amazon sellers who want absurdly silly prices for the relatively small number of Schoeck recordings available.

[JimL]

I've heard tantalizing tidbits of that VC in the Time Warner Classical Masterpieces channel (always late at night, when I can't stay awake to hear the whole thing, drat!)  What label is it on and what else is on that CD.  IIRC the Genesis LP of the Goetz PC 2 was paired with a work of Schoeck (I think it was for strings).  Anybody recall what it was?

[eschiss1]

My first acquaintance with Schoeck's music was with the cello concerto; I'm still most familiar with the cello and violin concertos (the horn concerto's really good too- but the violin concerto, whether or not I recognize it, I always catch before the announcer on the radio if only because of that unmistakable false ending!!!), but tend to enjoy most everything of his I hear...
Eric

[febnyc]

Message from a very unsung-opera-savvy friend:

Yes I have this opera and like it very much. It is in Schoeck's more romantic style, like his violin concerto and some of his lieder, and is quite accessible. Schoeck can also be quite modern, and his opera Penthesilea does have some simillarities to Strauss' Elektra, although not quite as discordant. I can listen to Penthesilea and enjoy it while I find Elektra the one Strauss opera I can't abide. Schoeck's greatest works are his lieder. He was a fine vocal composer and I'm certain you would enjoy Venus.

However I don't agree with Mr. Howe in saying it is superior to all of Zemlinsky. I think Zemlinsky's operas like Der Zwerg, and A Florentine Tragedy are greater works. But if you want an opera from the same period that is superior to all of them it is Melartin's Aino which I've mentioned to you before. I think you, and the whole Unsung board, would find this glorious. Also Taktakishvili's Mindia, is of supremely high quality, as is Paliashvili's Absalom & Eteri which is superior even to his Daisi.

[Alan Howe]

It's amazing how one's words can be twisted! I said I would take the end of Act 1 of Venus over anything by Schreker or Zemlinsky. A purely personal opinion, in other words. I don't think I said anywhere that Venus is superior to the operas of the other two: that's a much grander and more sweeping claim.

Aino by Melartin, eh? I must investigate...

[Alan Howe]

OK, listened to the audio samples of Aino at Amazon and duly ordered it! Not sure it has Schoeck's ecstatic lyricism, but I'm certainly looking forward to hearing it in toto...

[febnyc]

Fast work - you'll enjoy Aino.

The aforementioned operas by Taktakishvili and Paliashvili - of which I am fortunate to own one recording of Daisi - are gorgeous (Gorgeous Georgians?).  Very hard to locate, though.

[Alan Howe]

Any hint as to where those gorgeous Georgians can be found? (I've tried the usual sites and drawn a blank.)

[Alan Howe]

Is this the source...?

http://www.georgian-music.com/free_music/classic.php

[febnyc]

Alan - My exposure to these has been through CDs from a friend who has managed to find the original LPs and who transferred the works to disc for me.  These operas have not been commercially recorded in the modern (CD) age as far as I know. 

That source appears to be a good one for information and for some sound clips - but it's very hard to find the operas themselves, unless you watch eBay and rummage through used vinyl.

They're chock full of robust, full-blooded music.  The singers (whoever they are!) are marvelous and it's wondrous to imagine these operas locked up behind the Iron Curtain, for the most part, and unheard by the world outside.

[Alan Howe]

They certainly sound as if they contain good music - although the recordings available online must be pretty ancient!

[JimL]

Fast work - you'll enjoy Aino.

The aforementioned operas by Taktakishvili and Paliashvili - of which I am fortunate to own one recording of Daisi - are gorgeous (Gorgeous Georgians?).  Very hard to locate, though.

Was that a Gorgeous George joke?

[febnyc]

The aforementioned operas by Taktakishvili and Paliashvili - of which I am fortunate to own one recording of Daisi - are gorgeous (Gorgeous Georgians?).  Very hard to locate, though.

Was that a Gorgeous George joke?
[/quote]

Uhhh....yup.  (Thanks for noticing.   )