I recently attended a concert at St David’s Hall in Cardiff given by The Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, conducted by Lothar Koenigs. The theme of the concert was Alma Mahler, wife of Gustav Mahler, and the works featured were by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871-1942), who tutored Alma and was romantically involved with her; Alban Berg (1885-1935), who’s final work, the Violin Concerto, was dedicated to the memory of Alma’s daughter, Manon, who tragically died of polio, aged 18; Alma Mahler (1879-1964) herself and finally Gustav Mahler (1860-1911). In between pieces, the actress, Tamsin Greig read extracts from Alma’s diaries, which were informative, romantic and amusing.
The programme opened with Sechs Gesänge Nach Gedichten Von Maurice Maeterlink, op. 13, which consists of a set of six songs by Zemlinsky. These six songs were based on the works of the symbolist writer Maurice Maeterlinck (1862-1949), who’s most famous work was the play Palléas et Mélisande, on which Debussy set his opera. The poems that Zemlinsky set are reflective of the impressionist and symbolist movement, in that they offer the half dream, half reality world that Debussy so well conveyed in his opera. Zemlinsky’s music though, in many ways, links the late romantic Vienna music with the new Vienna school of his pupil, Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) and his contempories. It was Schoenberg who persuaded Zemlinsky to orchestrate the songs in 1913. The first four had originally been written for voice and piano in 1910, with two added in 1913. Schoenberg conducted the first performance on March 31st 2013 in the infamous “Skandalkonzert”. Zemlinsky’s songs, were however received well by the audience. The songs were well sung by mezzo Maria Riccarda Wesseling, who was a replacement for the indisposed Michelle Breedt.
Berg was commissioned by American violinist, Louis Krasner to write a violin concerto in 1935, and was making slow progress until April 1935 when he heard of the death of Manon Gropius, who he was very fond of and requested the permission of Alma to dedicate the work to her memory. He then worked frantically through illness, further complicated by a wasp sting which turned to septicaemia, which ultimately ended his live on Christmas Eve of the same year. Krasner premièred the work on April 19th 1936 in Barcelona.
This work has two contrasting movements, and the work is both representative of serialism and the late romantic movement. The brighter opening movement can be compared to the young and vibrant life of Mamon, whilst the adagio section of the second movement is reflective of the tragic death of the girl. Berg used woodwind and brass to good effect in this work, with the clarinet having an important role in the life affirming first movement. The haunting adagio is given an eerie feel by the single pizzicato violin behind the soloist. The work ends on a more positive note on a B major finish, celebrating her life. As this was Berg’s final work it has the duality of being a requiem for both Mamon and himself. The soloist was the excellent leader of the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, David Adams.
Following the interval the attention was turned to the Mahlers. Alma Schindler was a talented composer in her own right, which Gustav Mahler failed to recognise early on and as a condition of their marriage forbid her to compose, which later in life he regretted after he looked at some of her scores. Four Songs for Middle Voice, constitute two songs from her early days and two songs composed around 1910, when Gustav encouraged his wife to take up song writing again. Like the Zemlinsky songs these were originally composed for voice and piano, and were later orchestrated by the Finnish conductor Jorma Panula.
The four songs, Licht in Der Nacht, Waldesligkeit, Ansturm and Ertelied, seem to get brighter as they progress. The opening song strikes a low note at the start, but by the time Wesseling reached the final song the texture of the music was far brighter and more lyrical.
Gustav Mahler was still to complete his tenth symphony when he died of blood poisoning in 1911, but is essence had completed the work in sketch form. Whilst writing this work, Mahler was going through a difficult time in his personal life, with disagreements with the management of his employer, the New York Philharmonic, his wife’s affair with Walter Gropius and health problems. He was seeing Siegmund Freud at this time to try and find help with these issues.
This performance featured the adagio from the Tenth Symphony, and the orchestra of WNO and conductor Lothar Koenigs were brilliant in this performance, bringing the evening to an exciting climax. The movement opens in an unusual way with the haunting sound of violas on their own, before the texture of the sound gradually builds. The brass section should come in for special praise with a brilliant solo trumpet, playing high parts, rarely heard on trumpet in orchestral music, joined by trombones and tuba. There was also a fine horn solo in this work. There is a great climax towards the end of this movement before a quieter coda to finish on.
This was an excellent performance by this excellent orchestra, well lead by Koenigs with good solo performances from Wesseling and Adams. The narrative by Tamsin Greig was also entertaining and informative.
References & Bibliography
Reynolds, P. (2013). International Concert Series: Orchestra of Welsh National Opera. [programme notes]. Cardiff. St David’s Hall.
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