My Christmas vacation starts today. I took some time to listen to De Vocht’s Choral Symphony again.
I’m surprised that I find it hard to come to a balanced conclusion. The good news is, of course, that any addition to Belgian music history is valuable. De Vocht’s aesthetics, however, pose some problems.
The De Vocht foundation clearly states that their latest issue consists of “historical material and has a documentary character”.
Most recordings date from the early sixties and are far from perfect. They are serviceable, but the sound is boxy and the performance style is dated – in spite of having the composer (often) as conductor.
The works : a mixed bag that reflects, blatingly, an era gone by.
Belgium and the Netherlands can boast a very rich history of great poets and writers, but De Vocht seems to favor his – now forgotten –contemporaries who use a difficult to swallow, overwrought, (romantico-religious) poetic style ( Albrecht Rodenbach, Jozef Muls, Bert Peleman, Jozef Simons). Peleman is is by far the worst. His text for the cantata “Primavera” (1965) is an amalgam of worn clichés : eyes are clear as crystal, golden hair flows in the wind and mankind should worship God for all those sprouting, heaving, juice pumping wonders of Spring!
For those who read Dutch:
God schiep mij: welig bloeien
Zijn vuur blijft mij doorschroeien!
Door Hem werd ik bevrijd,
Tot bloesemkind gewijd!
God created me, luxuriant flowering!
His fire burns in me!
Through him I was liberated,
Consecrated a blossomchild!
Etc etc
CD1 opens with the Choral symphony ( Symphony for large orchestra and chorus to use De Vochts own title). No irritant text here!
De Vocht leads a fast paced performance (1963) with his own Royal Chorale Caecilia and the Antwerp Philharmonic. Vaughan Williams in exotic mood, Miklos Rozsa, Puccini, a dash of Milhaud & Honegger and a host of Russian Romantics come to mind….The fast movements can be described as vitalistic & triumphant, the slow movement is a pastorale,reminiscent of Nielsen’s 3rd symphony ( Idoubt that De Vocht knew Nielsen’s works in the 1930-ies).
Still De Vocht has a knack for very catchy tunes ( they do stick in the mind!) all of his own and I’m sure that a top notch recording of this work could be a real winner.
The recording is dim, has no depth and many orchestral details are lost
On the same CD , some orchestral songs ( soprano and/or chorus & orch.) vary from “coy”,”sweet” and “cheerful” to “solemn”, “sentimental” and ”charming”.
A series of 9 purely choral works, performed in 1987 by the VRT Radio choir, sound much better and offer a substantial panoply of De Vocht’s talent.
CD 2 opens with Primavera. A “rural pastorale” for soprano, tenor, chorus & orchestra.and at ca 50 minutes the longest work in the box. De Vocht never changed his style, and one can easily imagine that by 1965, young composers and critics considered him as a dusty museum relic. Yet, even with Peleman’s awful text, I’m inclined to state that real sincerity & dedication shine through. Surely, De Vocht is not a “great” composer, but neo Romantic & slightly sentimental souls may like this paean to Nature, Love & God.
The very bombastic Easter Alleluia is happily very short - a loud, brash performance doesn’t help.
In 1934 De Vocht composed a Te Deum. Purists are allowed to call it pompous, for today I’ll stick with “solemn and majestic”….It’s built on a three note tubular bell motiv and strives for a grand, prayerlike effect.
Intrigued?
0:)The Cd’s can be ordered from
Lodewijk de Vochtfonds
Italiëlei 213, box 12
2000 Antwerp
Belgium
20,- € + postage.
Ps: it is quite possible that De Vocht’s real importance lies in his legacy of “Gebrauchsmusik” for choral amateurs and the church.
