Liszt Funeral Odes from Hyperion

[Mark Thomas]

A quick note of recommendation for this new recording (details and samples here). Whilst "From the Cradle to the Grave" is familiar territory and the Mephisto Waltz is almost a lollipop, the first of the Faust episodes is less well known and I for one have never heard any of the sombrely impressive Three Funeral Odes before. The atmosphere is pretty dark and thoughtful throughout this well packed CD, but the four unsung works from this very sung composer are most rewarding.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Only a foolish person would claim familiarity with all of Liszt, but nonetheless I thought I knew my way around most of the music. Not so at all! For I also didn't know these Funeral Odes. Or at least not in the orchestral versions. (The piano solo versions were included in Volume 3 of the Leslie Howard series, and splendid they are.)

I listened to the new Hyperion over the weekend - and I agree: they are very impressive indeed and it is a most welcome disc.

What isn't clear to me - perhaps someone can help - is whether they are orchestrated versions of the solo works, or whether the latter are Liszt's own transcriptions of the original orchestral works. The notes in the Hyperion disc (by Leslie Howard!) don't tell us - and he is also silent about whether the orchestration is Liszt's own.....or could it possibly be by Raff? I haven't checked precise dates, but I think Raff was installed in the Altenburg at the time of composition of the Funeral Odes working on the early drafts of the symphonic poems?

Peter

[eschiss1]

Alan Walker writes of one of the Funeral Odes (both forms, noting an orchestral peculiarity of one of them I do remember- "take the E-sharp high!") - written in memory of his son Daniel - in the 2nd volume of his big Liszt biography... *goes and checks and edits* (index: 313 note, p.479 and note. )

313 note has to do with that 'Eis hoch nehmen' in the double-bass part of the orchestral score of La notte. Walker writes that "'Take the E-sharp high' was indeed a sophisticated demand (at a time) when most double-bass players of the day would have been hard-pressed merely to play the E-sharp in tune." (E-sharp above the staff. four bars of the string section of the score are reproduced on page 313, so that did not need to be stated . Walker adds in a note that the ode was not published until 1916 in its orchestral form, so that this didn't pose a problem in Liszt's lifetime anyway.)

He implies when he writes of the first of the funeral odes on page 479 (the only other place in this volume that they are mentioned) that the version for orchestra and mens' chorus came first, written soon after Daniel Liszt's death in December 1859 as an elegy. ("The practice of intoning [Lamennais' words] (during performance) has arisen during modern times, and it is very effective.")  IMSLP claims that the arrangement for solo piano of the first ode dates from 1864–66.

Will try to find out about the other two.

[eschiss1]

btw by that time I believe Raff had left/been given the boot...

[TerraEpon]

I would guess, based on the Serle numbers of both orchestral and piano versions, that the orchestral versions came first.

Such a shame this came with the Mephistos and (especially) Crade to the Grave....there's others truly rare orchestral Liszt to be had, both original and orchestrations. I guess they wanted the whole 'death' thing, though.

[Mark Thomas]

Confirming Eric's point, Raff left Weimar in 1856 and was only actively involved in preparing orchestral drafts of Liszt's ideas between 1850 and 1853. I do agree that it's a shame to have From the Cradle to the Grave yet again, but Hyperion's programming does work very well and I can see why they did it.

[alberto]

I own a deleted CD Koch SCHWANN published in 1996, coupling the three Traueroden with Tasso, Lamento e Trionfo (K.A. Rickenbacher, Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin-and male chorus in the first Ode).
The booklet claims that the three Odes were a first recording.
If I am not wrong the second Ode in orchestral version (Le Triomphe Funèbre de Tasso) was recorded -and still available- by Naxos.

[Jonathan]

Indeed alberto, the 3rd Funeral Ode - Le Triomphe Funebre du Tasse was recorded on Naxos along with Hungaria and Heroide Funebre (8.557847) on an excellent disc!
I also wish they had recorded some other orchestral works which have yet to be recorded, I'd like a decent version of A La Chapelle Sixtine (S360) for a start!  I did lobby Chandos about this but they decided to stop after their 5 volumes with Noseda, sadly.
As has been stated elsewhere, Raff had nothing to do with these pieces and all Leslie Howard says in his notes for volume 3 of his recordings is "Liszt's Funeral odes were composed between 1860 and 1866, and exist in a variety of versions..." (before going on to list them).  Oddly he doesn't mention the violin and piano version of La Notte and in the cover notes for my recording of that, also by Leslie Howard, no dates are given either.  This is on a 2 disc set on Hungaroton HCD 31879-80 and I can warmly recommend this to anyone who likes really obscure Liszt!

Sadly, this one was released a little too close to my birthday for pre-ordering but if I don't get a copy then I shall be ordering one!

[TerraEpon]

http://www.amazon.com/Liszt-Dante-Symphonie-Franz/dp/B000006N2S has A La Chapelle Sistene. I DLed just that work from eMusic, myself.

[Mark Thomas]

The same recording is also available from classicsonline.com. Thanks, TerraEpon

[eschiss1]

1860 and 1866? Hrm. My date for 1853 for the orchestral version of La Notte may be based on my mistaken assumption that he composed the work soon after Daniel's funeral, then. Will try to look into that.

[Alan Howe]

An old thread, I know, but I have to say (having just purchased this disc) that the Three Funeral Odes are astonishingly bold works for their time. If friends haven't sampled this CD, I urgently recommend it!