http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/symphonic-prologue-to-the-opera-tieflanddalbert/ (http://sdtom.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/symphonic-prologue-to-the-opera-tieflanddalbert/)
New to me I found this work to be very satisfying to my ear. I enjoyed the oriental references and the influence that Debussy had on this work. It is completely different from his symphony in f which I've listened to but yet to give some serious time to it. That work is quite influenced by Brahms.
Tom
Is anyone else on the forum familiar with this work?
Tom
The prolog and opera have been recorded a few times, and I've downloaded the vocal score, but I can't say yes yet, unfortunately. Will try to change that soon.
We can certainly say that 'unsung' is an understatement
Tom
I know the Prelude to the opera and the opera itself. Great stuff. I also know "Die Toten Augen", "Der Golem" and "Die Abreise". All very different works. "Die Toten Augen" in particular is close to being a masterpiece. It is completely indelible melodically. D'Albert, like Massenet, was one of those operatic composers, it seems, who was able to adapt his style quite considerably to suit the nature of the material he was working with. He had a very wide range. In his concert music, as you say, the splendid Symphony is very Brahmsian while the Second Piano Concerto clearly shows the influence of Liszt.
If I had to choose one, D'Albert would be my favourite unsung.
I agree wholly. D'Albert is a much underrated composer, particularly in the field of opera. The 4 you mention which are, I think, the only ones so far recorded are truly splendid and each one different.
He's by no means my favourite unsung, but I appreciate the rich mix of his music. Brahms obviously looms large in his early music, Liszt can be heard in the piano writing in his two PCs, and then there is sort of exotic Straussian verismo to be found in his operas. Ultimately I don't think any of his music quite scales the heights, but I'm often pleasantly surprised at how good his stuff is. A composer well worth pursuing.
This is a particularly good introduction to the piano muisc:
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDH55411&vw=dc (http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDH55411&vw=dc)
Richard Strauss is certainly present in d'Albert's operas, but there are, not surprisingly, subtle differences in his harmonic and melodic language. Die Toten Augen is particularly Straussian, I think, while there seems to be a more expressionist cast about Der Golem. Parts of Die Abreise are almost like G. & S. but there is also a glorious tune which could be from a Strauss song. In Tiefland I hear more of Wagner. But this doesn't mean d'Albert's music is just a ragbag of reminiscences of other musical styles - it's the problem with trying to give people an idea of the music by references to mainstream composers they may know.
Parts of "Die Abreise" are almost like G. & S.
Hardly surprising considering he studied with Sullivan and is said to have composed the Overture to "Patience". The list of d'Albert's operas is so enticing and so varied. Even jazz influenced d'Albert ("The Black Orchid") I believe.
QuoteEven jazz influenced d'Albert ("The Black Orchid") I believe.
This is very true, Revilod. "The Black Orchid" is another wonderful d'Albert opera that was produced in Augsburg in 2003. A recording was available at the time from www.theater.augsburg.de but I don't know if it's still available. The set has no number I'm afraid.
The connection to Sullivan is born out in Charlotte Pangels' biography in which it states that Sullivan set the instrumentation of his operas as exercises for d'Albert. Unfortunately Pangels doesn't state which operas he's supposed to have orchestrated. As d'Albert joined the National Training School for Music in 1874 (Pangels) or 1876 (Wikipedia) it would seem that the operas to come in question would have been
Trial by Jury (1875),
The Sorcerer (1877) or even
H.M.S. Pinafore (1878). I guess
Patience (1881) would be possible before he moved on to Vienna in that year.
As I stated in my review I heard references to the style of Debussy along with the oriental mysticism and Wagner.
Tom
I got to know the work through an old Eurodisc LP with the leads sung by Rudolf Schock, Isabell Strauss, and Ernst Krukowski, the "pit" featuring the Berlin Symphony under Hans Zanotelli. At the time, it was easier for me to hear echoes of Wagner and the Strauss of Guntram than of Debussy in the score. That was fine with me since Wagner's operas have been one of the peaks of my musical education. On the other hand, I immediately found Sibelius's Luonnatar, not to mention Bloch's Macbeth, more memorable. I've never been haunted by the d'Albert, no doubt partly because of accidental factors unrelated to the score.
I think it is amazing what each of hear in this particular work. It is one that I'll revisit often.
Tom
For lovers of this operatic work in full and prompted by this thread, I checked on e-music for the Prologue (which I found and shall download soon). However, the reason for this post is that I also found the whole of the opera was available there for just over a pound, via three tracks at 42 pence each!! Just sometimes, their charging policy of 42 pence per track works out quite well!
Cheers
Richard
I don't wish to take issue with any of the comments in this now quite extended thread or intend to disparage anyone's enthusiasm for Tiefland (far from it!).
Yes, it is a good opera to listen to once in a while....but it surely isn't that good? Rather an overblown piece maybe?
But I can't help being irked by the fact that glancing through Amazon UK there are available no less than 18 different complete recordings of it (including now somewhat historical ones). And given the competition between, as it were, 18 different purveyors of Tiefland, they are often extremely inexpensive.
In comparison, there are few or even no commercial recordings of other works. For example, there are two String Quartets (Op. 7 in A minor, and Op. 11 in E flat major). Quoting from the Silvertrust catalogue, of the first "Brahms and Hanslick were astounded a 23 year old could write such a mature master quartet"; and the second was "dedicated to Brahms with his approval....this is a rich, late romantic work with many original ideas".
Given such accolades wouldn't folk agree that the world might be a slightly better place if we had, say, 17 different recordings of Tiefland and 1 of the quartets?
Are you suggesting that we don't have a recording of the quartets? (Sarastro Quartet, Pan Classics, 1997. Only available used from Amazon.com, but it is still available used at the moment (one copy, US$ 49.99.))
Point granted, Eric. I was aware of the Sarastro Quartet recording. But I presume the disc is now deleted? And with only 1 (remarkably expensive) copy available on Amazon.com (and none on Amazon.uk), I think my point still stands! All I'm asking is for a currently available commercial recording of the quartets as against yet another (19th?) account of an over-recorded opera. Not unreasonable surely!
Ah. I get you. I have (excuses, excuses, excuses!) difficulty telling what people mean, a lot of the time... one thing, or another?... but really, I do apologize!
Utterly no need for an apology, Eric, for I wasn't upset by your comment. After all, strictly you were right. I had written there was no commercial recording of the d'Albert quartets. You replied, 'Ha, yes, there is'. But then I'm sure we can agree that the Sarastro recording, now being obtainable by only one well endowed person in the world, can be ignored. Would be good, eh, if it was re-released. I should apologise to you for not being clear!
And as I at least think I've heard one or both of the quartets, I think they're worth a quiet suggestion-wise-poke in some quartet's direction (I'm trying to remember if I saw it mentioned in some other group's repertoire, online, besides Sarastro- or even theirs, now)- and perhaps a CD (erm- or whatever they use now) label... :) anyhow... erm... *poke.*
Oh. This out-of-date and tentative repertoire suggestions page from 7 years back is what I half-noticed- I wonder if anything ever came of it?...
Edinburgh Quartet (http://www.edinburghquartet.com/site/info/repertoire/0607.htm)
Both Tiefland and Der Toten Augen are wonderful operas! I don't want to see another effing Rigoletto; come one Met, do something interesting.
I'm a bit surprised that we got off the topic and started to talk about the opera when I was talking about orchestral prologue. I've not heard the opera and likely will not given the vast amount of material I've not heard that does interest me.
Tom
Well, discussion of the prologue is a natural prologue to discussion of the opera... (though the ex-mathematician/logician in me does not like that sentence one bit.)
Quote from: sdtom on Monday 16 September 2013, 16:39
I'm a bit surprised that we got off the topic...
Well, the topic's merely been extended a little...