RICHARD CARRICK
Symphonic Prelude in C minor ANTON BRUCKNER
BORN: September 4, 1824, in Ansfelden (then a village, now a suburb of Linz), Austria
DIED: October 11, 1896, in Vienna
WORK COMPOSED: 1876
WORLD PREMIERE: September 7, 1949, Munich Philharmonic, Fritz Rieger conducting
PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Bruckner’s Symphonic Prelude receives its first DSSO performance this evening.
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani and strings.
DURATION : 6 minutes
It is practically mind-boggling that this work, written in 1876, was not conclusively attributed to Anton Bruckner until 146 years later! It was lost for a very long time and when it resurfaced after the Second World War in Rudolf Krzyzanowski’s (1859-1911) unpublished papers the authorship was contested.
For years the Symphonic Prelude was attributed to Gustav Mahler. On March 19, 1981, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Lawrence
Foster, performed a “Symphonic Prelude by Gustav Mahler.” This was based on a reconstruction provided by composer Albrecht Gürsching (19342017) who orchestrated a piano score that he, along with Mahler researcher Paul Banks, found in the Austrian National Library. They attributed it then to Mahler and their version is published by the publishing firm Sikorski. They had no knowledge of the original manuscript discovered among Krzyzanowski’s estate. The actual premiere of Symphonic Prelude was performed by the Munich Philharmonic in 1949 and was based on a copy of the manuscript. That version was then filed in their archives.
The story continues when conductor Wolfgang Hiltl did a meticulous analysis of the score in 1985 and attributed it to Bruckner. Hiltl created an edition that was published in 2002 by the publishing firm Doblinger. One of the clues as to the authorship is a handwritten note on the score “by Anton Bruckner.” However, the manuscript is in Krzyzanowski’s handwriting. The conclusion Hiltl and others have come to is that this may have been an orchestration exercise Bruckner gave to his student, Krzyzanowski. Even though there now exist two versions, with both having been recorded, the final word came in 2022 when it was published as being composed by Bruckner.
Why all the confusion? Both Mahler and Krzyzanowski were pupils of Bruckner at the time of the composition of Symphonic Prelude. The work was not included in Bruckner’s estate, which added to the confusion. Hiltl’s conclusion that it was an orchestration exercise for his students makes the most sense. Interestingly, the edition published by Sikorski is still available and still attributed to Mahler.
ANTON BRUCKNER
JEAN SIBELIUS
Symphony No. 3 in C major, Op. 52
JEAN SIBELIUS
BORN: December 8, 1865, in Hämeenlinna, in the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland
DIED: September 20, 1957, in his home, Ainola, at Lake Tuusula, Järvenpää, Finland
WORK COMPOSED: 1906-07
WORLD PREMIERE: September 25, 1907, in Helsinki; Helsinki Philharmonic Society, Sibelius conducting
PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Symphony No. 3 by Sibelius was previously performed by the DSSO in 1983 and on April 28, 2012.
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani and strings.
DURATION : 29 minutes.
On January 19, 1905, Sibelius wrote to his wife, Aino, “This is the crucial hour, the last chance to make something of myself and achieve great things.” Almost three years had passed since the premiere of his Second Symphony, which established his reputation as the first Finnish composer to achieve international prominence. The grandiosity of Sibelius’ first two symphonies makes it understandable that his Third Symphony was met with puzzlement and confusion; where is the flair and opulence that made his first two symphonies such successful works?
Musicologist James Hepokoski wrote of the Third that it was in part a “counter-response to Mahler's expansive Fifth Symphony, which he had studied in 1905.” With this Sibelius created a form that would concentrate on the “hidden secrets of sound itself,” which would become more and more evident in his
subsequent works. I imagine this as taking time to smell the roses; Sibelius is in no hurry to move from one idea to another - in a sense he wants us to absorb the acoustical sounds and not only the melodic lines.
The first movement, marked Allegro moderato, is notable for its economy of material and organic development. The movement opens with a simple yet compelling theme in the cellos and basses, setting a tone of pastoral serenity. This theme is soon taken up by the winds and developed through a series of variations that highlight Sibelius’ skill in orchestration. The movement’s structure is reminiscent of classical models, but the harmonic language and rhythmic vitality are unmistakably modern, reflecting Sibelius’ unique voice.
The second movement, Andantino con moto, quasi allegretto, offers a lyrical contrast to the first. It begins with a gentle, hymn-like theme in the woodwinds, evoking a sense of introspection and calm. The thematic material is developed with a lightness and clarity that is characteristic of Sibelius’ middle period. The movement’s episodic structure, with its shifting moods and textures, creates a tapestry of sound that is both intricate and deeply expressive.
The finale, Moderato - Allegro (ma non tanto), is the symphony’s most ambitious and innovative movement. It opens with a mysterious, almost hesitant theme that gradually gains momentum, leading to a vigorous and triumphant conclusion. This movement is particularly notable for its use of a chorale-like theme, which is introduced by the brass and subsequently developed by the full orchestra. The finale’s seamless integration of thematic material from the previous movements creates a sense of unity and coherence that is both satisfying and compelling.
One critic wrote: “While the symphony echoes elements of the magisterial eloquence and galactic monumentalism of the first two symphonies, it is much more cheerful and free-wheeling- and shorter – in its presentation. He seems to purposefully avoid the “excesses” of the symphonists of the time – Richard Strauss, Alexander Scriabin, and Gustav Mahler.” Sibelius’ Third Symphony is not as popular with audiences as the First, Second and Fifth, but it truly is a masterpiece that created the ground work for his later works and it continues to inspire and captivate.
RICHARD WAGNER
Wesendonck Lieder, WWV91 RICHARD WAGNER
BORN: May 22, 1813, in Leipzig, Germany
DIED: February 13, 1883, in Venice, Italy
WORK COMPOSED: 1857-58
WORLD PREMIERE: Undocumented
PERFORMANCE HISTORY: Wagner’s Wesendonck Songs were performed by the Orchestra on March 12, 2005 with soprano Helen Donath. In 1949 Regina Resnik sang the fifth song (Traume) with the DSSO.
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, trumpet, timpani, strings and solo soprano.
DURATION : 21 Minutes
Most parts of Richard Wagner’s life make for interesting reading and the backstory of his Wesendonck Lieder does not disappoint! In 1842 Wagner and his wife Christine Wilhelmine ‘Minna’ Planer (1809-1866) moved to Dresden where Wagner would eventually be appointed the Royal Saxon Court Conductor. However, his involvement with left-wing politics abruptly cut short his welcome there; he played a supporting role in the unsuccessful May Uprising, the last of the events known as the Revolutions of 1848. A warrant was issued for his arrest and the Wagners were forced into exile, eventually settling in Zurich. With no financial resources, Wagner was lucky, in 1852, to
befriend the textile merchant Otto Wesendonck, who extended the composer generous loans, and beginning in 1857, provided the Wagners lodging in a small house on his estate. Wagner and Wesendonck’s beautiful wife Mathilde, an amateur poet, soon became infatuated with each other.
Both marriages may have been in trouble, but this situation only exacerbated the situation. Minna discovered a letter from Wagner to Mathilde in April 1858. She accused him of adultery (not the first time she had this issue with him), which he vehemently denied and she packed her bags and left. Minna wrote a letter to Mathilde, that in part read: “I must tell you with a bleeding heart that you have succeeded in separating my husband from me after nearly twenty-two years of marriage. May this noble deed contribute to your peace of mind, to your happiness.” In her later letters Minna referred to her as “that filthy woman” and “that hussy.” Wagner and Minna never divorced, and he did support her until her death in 1866 (he did not attend her funeral because he was then too busy with Cosima von Bülow, then the wife of his friend Hans von Bülow, whom he married in 1870).
Mathilde wrote five poems that Wagner set to music: Der Engel (The Angel), Stehe still! (Be still!), Im Treibhaus (In the Greenhouse), Schmerzen (Sorrows) and Träume (Dreams). Wagner himself called Im Treibhaus and Träume ‘studies’ for Tristan und Isolde and used the musical ideas from these that he later developed in the opera. Träume provided the roots of the love duet in Act 2 and he developed the music for Im Treibhaus for the prelude to Act 3. The Wesendonck Lieder were originally written for voice and piano. Wagner wrote the orchestration for Träume and the other four were orchestrated with his approval by Austrian conductor Felix Mottl.
The relationship between Wagner and Mathilde Wesendonck inspired five passionate poems. As Mathilde wrote in her memoirs, he took each and gave to them a “supreme transfiguration and consecration” with his music.
Te Deum in C major, WAB 45 ANTON BRUCKNER
BORN: September 4, 1824, in Ansfelden (then a village, now a suburb of Linz), Austria
DIED: October 11, 1896, in Vienna
WORK COMPOSED: 1881-84
WORLD PREMIERE: May 2, 1885, Kleiner Musikverinsaal, Vienna; soloists Ulrich-Linde, Emilie Zips, Richard Exleben, Heinrich Gassner, Wiener Akademischer Richard Wagner Verein choir, Robert Erben and Joseph Schalk, piano (substituting for an orchestra), Bruckner conducting; with orchestra on January 10, 1886, Großer Musikverinsaal, Vienna; Hans Richter conducting
PERFORMANCE HISTORY: The DSSO performs Bruckner’s Te Deum for the first time this evening.
INSTRUMENTATION: Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, optional organ, strings, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone soloists and mixed chorus.
DURATION : 25 minutes
Anton Bruckner was a devout Catholic and nearly all of his compositions are imbued with a profound reverence. We think of Bruckner as mostly a composer of symphonies, but he also wrote a significant amount of sacred choral music. He called his Te Deum the “pride of my life.” Written around the same time as his Seventh Symphony, Bruckner was in full command of both choral and orchestral compositional techniques.
A Te Deum is a song of praise to God, traditionally attributed to St. Ambrose. From medieval times, it was sung as part of the Roman Catholic rite at the conclusion of Matins (the early morning service) on Sundays and feast days. The Latin incipit, Te Deum laudamus, means ‘We praise thee, O God.’ The balance of the text has certain lines in common with the Sanctus of the Mass, but other portions can vary, borrowing from several psalms. In modern times, the Te Deum has become a more secular musical vehicle, often sung as a hymn of thanksgiving, for example after a military victory or a special occasion such as a royal coronation.
Bruckner’s Te Deum was very successful at its full premiere in 1886, something that was not always the case at his premieres. There were almost thirty more performances of Te Deum during Bruckner’s lifetime. On his copy of the score, Gustav Mahler crossed out “for choir, solos, and orchestra, organ ad libitum” and wrote “for the tongues of angels, seekers of God, chastened hearts, and souls purified in the fire!” Mahler conducted a performance of Te Deum in April 1892 in Hamburg. Bruckner wrote: “The performers and the entire audience were deeply moved by the powerful structure and truly sublime concept. When it was over, I experienced what to me is the greatest triumph a work can have: the audience sat there in silence, motionless, and only after the conductor and the performers had left their places did a storm of applause burst out.”
ANTON BRUCKNER
