Frank Martin

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Tremendous news - for me at least! I notice that in May no less than Hyperion are to release the Frank Martin opera Der Sturm. And it has a pretty starry cast - with Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra / Thierry Fischer. I've waited many years for a recording of the complete piece, and ever since noticing it on the Hyperion website just 5 minutes ago I've been doing a little hop, skip and jump around my study. Early days yet, but thank you so much for this, Hyperion!

[albion]

Hear, hear! I collected a number of the discs in the excellent Chandos series, but my favourite is the one with extracts from this magical opera (http://www.chandos.net/details06.asp?CNumber=CHAN%209411), and I'm also really excited at the prospect of hearing the piece in it's entirity.

Here is the link to the prospective Hyperion release: http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/al.asp?al=CDA67821/3

[eschiss1]

Don't know this particular work I think but excellent news on principle, have always been glad to have been introduced to Martin's music!

[Alan Howe]

Can you give us an idea of the idiom, please? (I know the VC...)

[petershott@btinternet.com]

An impossible task, Alan, to give you an idea of the 'idiom' - for all I've heard of the work are Prospero's two monologues sung by Fischer-Dieskau (who was to have taken the role at its first performance in the mid-1950s, but who didn't on account of illness) on that famous DG recording issued in the mid-1960s. And listening to that is sufficient to make anyone sit up.

Since the Vn Concerto followed a couple of years later I guess the 'sound' is not too dissimilar - but then I don't know because I don't know the concerto. Thus we're stuck!

But Martin is someone of whom I've always wanted to hear more. It probably goes back to the 1960s when I was a mere schoolboy and happened to listen to an Anthony Hopkins radio talk on the Petite symphonie concertante - scored for 2 string orchestras, harp, harpsichord & piano. I was captivated. Much later came a series of Chandos discs conducted by Matthias Bamert. Some real gems there, but for some reason the series came to a halt after 4-5 discs. More recent years have seen stunning CDs of Le vin herbe, Golgotha and Der Cornet. But a look at the work list shows there is much - especially the chamber and instrumental work - that seems both unsung and unrecorded.

Where to place him? Very hard, since Martin always seems to me a quite uniquely distinctive composer. In other words you 'hear' all sorts of influences / other composers in him. But at the same time Martin is very much his own man and is quite unlike them. Bizarre comparisons I know, but I hear streaks of Debussy, Schoenberg, Ravel, Franck.....even a kind of Herbert Howells with teeth and a bark. Not very helpful! A broad brushstroke, but there is the emphasis on form, precision, an exact working out of musical ideas associated with German composers married up with a distinctly French lyricism and even lushness. The latter in particular provides a constant preoccupation with the tone-colours of individual instruments - hence the series of 'ballades' exploiting particular instruments. And into all that throw in a strongly religious composer and the writing of short oratorios where word and music are inextricably fused together as in the Bach cantatas.

Confused? Not as much as I. I'd quickly get the sack if someone was silly enough to employ me as a writer on music. But I hope these very very vague shotts (ha!) in the dark go just a little way towards answering the question.

Incidentally, back to Fischer-Dieskau. English was an unfamiliar language to Martin. So he used the Schlegel translation of Shakespeare. The sound of F-D singing those words is....utterly magisterial. Can't recall offhand who is singing Prospero on the Hyperion recording, but he's got a challenge confronting him. Poor chap!

[Delicious Manager]

Frank Martin can sometimes sound a little like a Gallic (yes, I know he was Swiss) Hindemith and his music can sound a little dry and academic. However, it is music that definitely rewards repeated listening. The Petite symphonie concertante is Martin's most-often-performed work and is not a bad place to start for the uninitiated. Here it is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiiCMnLoXWA

[Pengelli]

This is quite a cue for Hyperion since,as far as I can make out,this is a first ever release of the complete opera. It's also rather an unusual venture for Hyperion as they don't usually release full length recordings of 20th century opera's like this. Frank Martin always seems to me to be what you might call a connoiseurs composer. Very highly rated by his admirers,and looked on favourably by most main stream critics,yet like Koechlin & Roussel,(with one or two exceptions),his music never quite seems to have made it into the concert repertory. The DG recording,that included excerpts with Fischer-Dieskau,is widely regarded as having classic status. I really can't blame Peter for doing a 'hop,skip & a jump' (or even a jig or a conga)) after fishing out this pre-release. This is extremely tempting,to say the least. What a pity I used up my months 'quota'. (Maybe I could flog 'Dornroschen'?) Fortunately,there's plenty of room for both Humperdinck AND Martin in my world,and this one is definately going on my 'little list'. (There's also a magical connection here somewhere?!)
One final comment. The artwork! Hyperion,like Cpo,obviously take allot of care in choosing interesting & attractive designs for their cd's & this I think is one of their best. A painting by Richard Dadd,the so called, victorian 'Fairy Painter' who ended his days in a lunatic asylum,or what would in these more pc days be referred to as a psychiatric hospital,for,(no pun intended),murdering his dad. I don't think I'd even seen this one before. I could almost buy the cd set on that basis alone,but hopefully not!