Friedrich Hegar's "Manasse"

[Reto Schärli]

I've recently been scrolling, reading and playing trough a lot of my fellow countrymens' music. There are so many great Swiss composer, who still are extremely neglected. Huber and Suter have been topics on this forum too, but Hegar's "Manasse" has only been mentionned once, in 2018 by hadrianus:

http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,6494.msg72143.html#msg72143

I studied the piece a bit yesterday and was wondering if anyone else knows it? Any opinions on this?

I just found out that it was performed in Zurich in June 2018, but as far as I'm informed there are no recordings yet!
Which other pieces by Hegar are worth a listen? I know he wrote a lot of choral music, a Violin and a Cello Concerto...

[Alan Howe]

From Wikipedia:

Friedrich Hegar (11 October 1841 – 2 June 1927) was a Swiss composer, conductor, violinist, and founding conductor of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich from 1868 to 1906. Hegar was born in Basel and died in Zürich at age 85.

[adriano]

Hi Reto :-)
Unfortunately I could not attend that 2018 Zurich performance of "Manasse".
I studied this score long ago: It's a masterwork.
I struggled to get this piece recorded on Naxos already in the 1980s.
Swiss Cultural Muscl Institutions like Pro Helvetia and SUISA Foundation are only interested in promoting contemporary composers, mainly their favourites (who have already received enough money), no matter what kind of (mostly intellectual) bulls**t they write. They have no respect towards our great musical past, their reprentatives and responsibles are in greater part musical ignoramuses. And they do not support CD productions anymore.
I've given up struggling for my cause: In Switzerland nobody is aware that I have conducted 21 CDs with forgotten/neglected Swiss music of the 19th/20th Century - and this on foreign labels! For this commitment I am more known and appreciated in Germany, England and in the USA.

[Reto Schärli]

Thank you so much, Hadrianus I'm very happy to find at least one person who knows the piece as well. I still have to get more into it, though I liked it a lot when playing through.
It's really a big pity and I so completely agree with you concerning how we Swiss people treat our cultural heritage. It's shameful...

I wrote to conductor Anna Jelmorini, who performed the piece in 2018 and whom I know personally as I assisted in her production of "Le Laudi" by Suter. She said the concert was recorded, but unfortunately she refused to pass on a recording, for whatever reasons...

I am very aware of your great recordings with the Brun Symphonies as well as I know your recording of Suter's d minor Symphony (he is one of my favourite composers!!!). I really feel sorry that there is only a very small audience for these and public response is so small...It's stupid politics! Have made similar experiences myself, it very much depends on who is in charge of the orchestras, often the managers and/or chief-conductors have no understanding, then chances are zero...

I am delighted by your projects, however! There is such a lot of interesting stuff to discover and I'm really happy to have found this group here!

I guess the "Manasse" would be a rather expensive project to record/perform, most probably a good idea would be to program it within a given festival (as in 2018). Really a pity, as I read that the piece was very often performed in its time...

[adriano]

Reto, your posting (thanks very much for it - particularly for your compliments of my recordings) inspired me to re-study the score of "Manasse" again, after so many years! One amongst many ways to try to survive emotionally this traumatizing period, in which even music has become difficult to do, except in solitude - feeling constantly terrified to become a victim of this sudden modern "plague".
But you will perhaps get more chances to conduct "Manasse" one day: you are a more experienced and professionally formed conductor, with a notable biography. In comparison, I am but an amateur.

[Alan Howe]

Could either of you give us some idea of the character and quailities of 'Manasse', please?

IMSLP tells us that 'Manasse', Op.16 (in English: 'Manasseh' - i.e. the wicked King of Judah) is a 'Dramatic Poem' and dates from 1890. It is scored for 4 soloists, chorus and orchestra.

[adriano]

Here is the vocal score
https://imslp.simssa.ca/files/imglnks/usimg/c/c9/IMSLP249979-PMLP405173-Hegar_-_Manasse_VS.pdf

and here is the concert program of the mentioned Zurich performance
https://www.maennerchor.ch/manasse-oratorium/

I leave it up to the more expert Reto to describe the music.

Here is another choral work by Hegar:
https://www.amazon.com/University-Zurich-Various-VARIOUS-ARTISTS/dp/B00TR9X9OY

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Adriano.

I'm assuming that Hegar was musical conservative, judging by this Violin Sonata in C minor, Op.6:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szcULs5Mj-I&list=OLAK5uy_nFbJH6YF-NKvRX79B3wFUwVN7Kp2hbBw4 (I)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8oF3K3DJXw&list=OLAK5uy_nFbJH6YF-NKvRX79B3wFUwVN7Kp2hbBw4&index=5  (II)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qOe88NCwG4&list=OLAK5uy_nFbJH6YF-NKvRX79B3wFUwVN7Kp2hbBw4&index=6 (III)

[matesic]

Reto asks which other works or Hegar are worth a listen. I'd say the string quartet of 1920 (his last published opus), although my rendition on imslp calls for considerable tolerance...
https://imslp.org/wiki/String_Quartet%2C_Op.46_(Hegar%2C_Friedrich). It's also found its way onto youtube. I'd certainly say conservative, although very "late" romantic with distinct echoes of Verklaerte Nacht

[Alan Howe]

I don't hear anything as chromatic as the Schoenberg in FH's String Quartet. Late romantic, certainly, but perhaps more in Draeseke territory (Draeseke was a contemporary, after all).

[Reto Schärli]

I just played through it once again and the more I study the piece, the more I really start to deeply love it! Will give some more detailed description soon. Very happy that this seems to fill Hadrianus's days as well Hadrianus is by no means an "amateur"!!! You have an impressive recording legacy and you're certainly by far more experienced than myself.

I have always been very fascinated as a conductor by rather obscure composers, in particular if they have a certain connection to a place, orchestra or other contemporaries we're dealing with more often. In the case of Hegar I never understood why for example in Zurich no-one plays or remembers him! He was THE big musician in Zurich for over 50 years! Conductor of Tonhalle Orchestra, Composer, Teacher and extremely influental as a pedagogical figure in general at the Conservatory, Choir Conductor and much more...

Maybe it's a very Swiss phenomenon (I dare say this, I guess ): We'd never value a composer or artist as as high as for example in Germany they hold Brahms, even if he were at a comparable level. No I'm not speaking about Hegar at the moment, no comparison intended! I am absolutely not nationalistic, but as I happen to be a Swiss conductor I have always been interested in finding valuable pieces by Swiss composers! And believe me: There are far than enough! But nobody plays them!

The tribute really goes to Adriano, as you have been very active in promoting these unsung composers! We have to keep on going, in the end the public reaction has to decide as well on the value of this music. But the problem is that there are hardly any opportunities...

I really very much hope to be able to make a contribution to this all as a conductor! Not for myself, but because I truly believe in the value of e.g. "Manasse"! I feel a responsibility to use my competences (however limited they might be in some places) to encourage such pieces. At the moment - and particularly now during the lockdown period - things unfortunately don't look too good... However, we can have our moments of happiness studying and playing such great works as the Hegar.

[Alan Howe]

So: what's 'Manasse' like, please?

[Reto Schärli]

Thanks to Alan Howe and Matesic for the links! I will have to dive closer into it, am very curious to find out more.
In particular, I'd be interested in finding out whether there is a big development in his compositional style. The Violin Sonata seems to be a very early piece, the String Quartet a late composition. At the moment I unfortunately know too little music by Hegar to be able to judge it in an adequate way... Will give some thoughts and am very interested to hear your opinions on it!

"Manasse" is a work from his "middle period", written in the early 1880s (it was first performed in Zurich in 1885), his Opus 16.

The subtitle claims the piece to be a "Dramatic Poem in 3 Scenes", to a text by the then very-well known Swiss poet and journalist Joseph Victor Widmann (1842-1911). Despite the biblical story of Manasse, son of the priest Jojada, this classification seems to me to fit exactly the character and formal conception. It's rather a really "dramatic" piece, not an oratorio!

The orchestra (as can be seen also on IMSLP) consists of a standard-sized romantic orchestra with double winds, the vocal parts include Mixed Choir and four soloists:

Manasse (Tenor)
Nicaso, his wife (Soprano)
Esra, commander of the Jewish people (baritone)
A Messenger (Bass)

A short fugal orchestral prelude precedes the first scene. There's a huge build-up, culminating in a b flat Major climax.

The first scene makes use of the choir and Baritone Soloist (Esra). It starts off with a big hymn of praise to God, some of it in majestic homophone writing, some of it very polyphonic and chromatic. All this is interspersed with Arioso-like and Recitativo passages for Esra. After a big caesura, the commander of the Jewish people reminds them that God likes only faithful people and accuses Manasse of having married a wife from a foreign tribe. The music becomes more animated and only in the end there is a change to bright D Major, recapitulating the initial hymn of praise, though with different motives. This all culminates in a big Fugue for the choir.

The second scene begins in a very different atmosphere: A choir of Reapers is heard, coming home from their field. The music is very pastoral and almost folk-song like (I'd imagine a lot of Hegar's vocal pieces for Male Choir to be in this style, but have to check out...). A short recitativo following this passage firstly introduces Manasse: He praises the Lord and the beauty of nature, followed by a passionate arioso of Nicaso, leading to a very large and highly ardent duetto of the lovers. The choir comes in and announces "Wehe! Unheil naht" (mischief) as the Messenger is about to enter and take Manasse before the high-court. Nicaso deplores her misfortunate situation and wants to leave Manasse, but the later declares his love and loyality to his wife. The anxious people ask for Manasse's decision and after his questions agree to follow him. Again, a triumphant chorus, praising the title hero's wisdom and force ends this scene.

Scene No. 3 starts with a very sombre d minor recitativo (after a short, almost funeral-march-like introduction) of Esra, announcing the consequences for Manasse and his people should he not renounce his woman. The music brightens up again, as the commander on the contrary sings about the pleasures given to the people who follow God's law. Manasse is sent in and has to reply to the choir of Priests (big fugal parts for Male choir here!). There is again a very tender aria within for Nicaso, leading into a duetto, as she is desparately looking for a solution to the situation. But Manasse refuses to leave her and is condemned by Esra (very big and long C Minor climax!). He and his people finally realise that the situation is very serious, but consolation, love and the hope to build the altar in Garazim and praise God there take over. Again, a very hymn-like music like in the first scene is heard and the piece gradually dies away with the beautiful text:

"Über Sonnen, über Sternen wohnt der heil'ge Herr der Welt!"
(The holy Lord of the World lives upon the sun and stars)

Stylistically I hear a lot of Wagner, in particular the harmonic language reminds me of the First Akt of "Walküre" in many places. Some of the big Choral Fugues with the prominent use of pedal points certainly show an influence of Mendelssohn and Brahms. Not that he stole, but the harmonic language as well as the overall formal and dramaturgical conception of some parts are reminiscent. Compare e.g. the beginning of Nicaso's music in the second scene with the music following Siegmund's "Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond"...
If Hegar is at all remembered as a composer, then it's chiefly for his choral music, in particular for male choir. Also in such a big piece like "Manasse" the choir gets assigned a lot of the music, be it in the role of the "people" or the male choir "acting" as the priest who cast a spell over Manasse and his people. Concerning the form I could most likely compare it to late Verdi operas: There are recitativos, followed by arioso and large choral parts. The scenes are composed as one piece, with subdivided sections for the soloists.

In my opinion the piece really is totally worth a revival! I feel that despite the big dimensions (I'd assume the composition to be around 100-110 minutes in performance duration) the composer managed to find a very clever and varied dramaturgical concept! I firmly believe that the piece still "works", though the text is very 19th century, in some places seemingly old-fashioned, though not bad. The story is emotionally overwhelming and multi-dimensional, once one dives into it (and I just started... ).

I'd be happy and grateful to Adriano to provide further insight, as he certainly knows the piece longer and better than I do. Or anyone else who can do more contributions to this or other Hegar pieces. I just found out that apparently his manuscripts are preserved in Basel. Once this *** situation is over, I'll need to give this a try and look for some more and interesting stuff there. Does anybody know about this?
And completely by coincidence I will be working with the Soprano who sang the role of Nicaso in Zurich in June 2018. Will certainly ask her about the experiences with the piece....

[Reto Schärli]

Btw the Vocal Scores seem to be still available for sale at Musikverlag Hug. which surprises me.
Concerning the full score it's very difficult to get, but I was extremely lucky that some time ago I found it in an antiquarian bookshop in Zurich. I think it has never been properly "printed", the score looks like a manuscript (though very proper!!!) copy.
I might consider uploading it on IMSLP one day...

Is there any possibility of inserting photographs here? If that's the case, I'd like to send you some pictures of what the score looks like (y)

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for this detailed description.

Unfortunately we have no facility here to 'store' files of scores. However, you could always post a link to a file-sharing site...