Szymanowski's operas (King Roger, Hagith, Husband Lottery)

[Maciek]

What? I haven't started threads dedicated to any of Szymanowski's operas yet? Well, let me fix that with a 3-in-1 (though The Husband Lottery is in fact an operetta)... Poland has only had something like 2 or 3 world class opera composers (I'm probably being unfair and forgetting someone important ) so each one is madly worshipped over here.

I'm not going to give a comprehensive overview of the Król Roger recordings since I haven't heard all of them yet (there are only about 5 anyway). You'll find many helpful comments in the older forum (Król Roger and Recommendations for Szymanowski's King Roger).

There's no use discussing Hagith recordings either, since there's only one (AFAIK) - this DVD, which I haven't got yet:

(DUX 5898A19294)
(OK, it would still make sense to discuss it - but I haven't got it so...)

And The Husband Lottery remains unrecorded - so if you want to hear it, come on over to Cracow. I'm not planning a trip there in the immediate future, so can't promise a detailed report yet.

Right now: anxiously awaiting the release of the King Roger DVD! (Cover pictured below.)

[Todd]

Thanks for the heads-up regarding the Krol Roger DVD and the Hagith DVD.  I didn't even know about the latter.  On the to-buy list they go.

[Maciek]

Todd, you may also want to add this to your list (I may as well post it here since the Szymanowski thread isn't exactly thriving ):



Kaja Danczowska's newest Szymanowski album (with her daughter at the piano) - released early December.

I can't say anything specific about it, as it hasn't arrived in my mailbox yet (how slow can mail be around Christmas?! I was expecting it around Wednesday!). But judging by bits and pieces I've heard on the radio it is has got to be an absolutely riveting disc!

[BachQ]

it hasn't arrived in my mailbox yet (how slow can mail be around Christmas?! I was expecting it around Wednesday!).

Oh, the Humanity!

[Maciek]

I've found an amazing Roxana's song today. I already have a favorite Roxana (Olga Pasiecznik) but this perfomance by Ewa Bandrowska-Turska is mesmerizing as well:

http://www.youtube.com/v/skfqhcs8kcw
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skfqhcs8kcw)

Performance details:
Ewa Bandrowska-Turska
Conducted by Dr [Frieder?] Weissmann
1930
Odeon O 217812 b.

[Dax]

Thanks for the Roxana, Maciek.

This may be of interest. It's an old broadcast of Hagith c.1982

http://www.sendspace.com/file/t8w850

[Maciek]

Mmm, thanks!

(I have the DVD but I dislike the production so much that I can hardly listen to the music - so this might be what I need! )

[dh2479]

There is a DVD of Szymanowskiy's operetta THE LOTTERY OR HUSBAND NO.69 (with English subtitles) that can be purchased directly from the Opera Krakowska http://www.opera.krakow.pl/?id=393

I saw the production life on stage - it is one of the best operetta productions I ever saw!

[Maciek]

Hi and welcome!

I've actually mentioned that before (in this post), but it's indeed a good idea to bring it up on this thread as well.

[abidoful]

Maciek,
I purchased this item few weeks ago:




I had never heard it before... I thought it was written to a german libretto by Feliks Dörmann in 1912-13 but apparently this was translation in to Polish since they sang in that language.

It was very interesting to hear it, and I waited long before I purchased it since it was heavily overpriced (something like 60 e) but when the price went down I immediately ordered it. It's on sale at amazon. 

Since I absolutely adore Szymanowski, I am very happy to have this work now on DVD. I am of course familiar with King Roger and love it, there is a wonderful recording conducted by Simon Rattle. But HAGITH I believe had not been recorded before this...? I'd like to purchase the piano score somewhere to get to know it more intimitely (I think I saw it in some library here...).  HAGITH was a special interest to me since I love early Szymanowski too. Even the little infamous FIRST SYMPHONY! I have always been interested the fact how Szymanowski was so near in that phase of is his life  to the contemporary German music, even to the second viennese school! Especially the songs op.17 are amazing in that respect, they are so close to the second viennese stuff!I even remember somewhere seeing a document where I spotted that his songs were performed in a same concert along with works by Schönberg, Reger, Pfitner and others (didn't they-Schönberg and Webern?- have a concert society of a sort?) . And he even lived in Vienna for few years, right when he was composing HAGITH. It woud definately be interesting to know is there any contemporary documents and memoirs about Szymanowski in Vienna- with whom did he mingle? Did he know Schönberg well? Or Berg? Or Webern, Mahler, Reger, Strauss?What were their recollections of each other? They must have appreciated his music since they included his works in their concerts!

So I was very interested to hear how HAGITH was like. It belongs to a group of works- from this interesting but little difficult period- of opuses 15-25 which constitutes the FIRST SYMPHONY, the (destroyed  ) PIANO TRIO, the SONG opuses17, 20, 22 and 24 THE SECOND SYMPHONY, the PENTHESILEA, the VIOLIN ROMANCE and the SECOND PIANO SONATA. Apparently it has lot's of common with those works. In Wikipedia there is a mention that it has been compared to SALOME. And Szymanowski himself acknowlidged it's perhaps too close dependence on Strauss. So people who admire Salome and that kind of late-romanticism may find much to enjoy here!

It's in one act at about 80 minutes. Very rich textures,  even quite thick most of the time. A rather big orchestra 4/3+engl.horn/
5/4/6/4/4/1/4/2/organ/celesta/strings/ mixed choir (S A T B ). Harmonically sounds similar to ,say- the FIRST SYMPHONY or the SONGS OP.17. Very chromatic stuff, but few places are exceptionally diatonic; the choruses for instance (I believe this was first time Szymanowski had written for the choir?) and the love duet between Hagith and Solomon. The latter is very beatiful, a real melody which returns in the death scene of Hagith (soorry- a spoiler )
I thought the ending was little abrubt, btw 

Very good performances, nice-looking costumes. And attractive cover and DVD altogether!

[Maciek]

I'd like to purchase the piano score somewhere to get to know it more intimitely (I think I saw it in some library here...).

Hi abidoful!

It's not the same thing as holding the physical score in your hands, but they have Hagith down at IMSLP:
http://imslp.org/wiki/Hagith,_Op.25_(Szymanowski,_Karol)

[abidoful]

Hi abidoful!

It's not the same thing as holding the physical score in your hands, but they have Hagith down at IMSLP:
http://imslp.org/wiki/Hagith,_Op.25_(Szymanowski,_Karol)

Yeah, one certainly can make some analysis of the harmony, Thanks a lot Maciek! Looks very "post-wagnerian" I'm sure I spotted a motive that appeared in the First Symphony
What would be very interesting though; to have a look of the full orchestral score

[Maciek]

You're welcome.

FWIW, I don't remember all of the details, but I do remember that Szymanowski more or less hated writing Hagith, at least by the point when he was finishing it. It was some sort of obligation, he simply had to do it because someone he owed a lot to was involved. But by the time he was writing the ending his music had become completely different and he didn't have much heart for that project.

[abidoful]

FWIW, I don't remember all of the details, but I do remember that Szymanowski more or less hated writing Hagith, at least by the point when he was finishing it. It was some sort of obligation, he simply had to do it because someone he owed a lot to was involved. But by the time he was writing the ending his music had become completely different and he didn't have much heart for that project.

Yeah, I read that too---- I think it was even harder with the LOTTERY OF HUSBAND....(?) At this time he had number of difficult/unsuccesfull/abandoned projects;
- Salome op.6 (an orchestral song) disappeared??Was destroyed??What??
-The First Symphony- He didn't like it, huh?? Where's the slow movement I've heard he planned??
- The Lottery of Husband- I read he hated doing that?? Was it never even performeed during his lifetime??
- Hagith- I guess he just loosed faith in this project as his infatuation with German culture was vanishing...?

Go figure, I'm crazy about them

[jerome]

Kaja Danczowska's newest Szymanowski album (with her daughter at the piano) - released early December.

I can't say anything specific about it, as it hasn't arrived in my mailbox yet (how slow can mail be around Christmas?! I was expecting it around Wednesday!). But judging by bits and pieces I've heard on the radio it is has got to be an absolutely riveting disc!

Very interesting : her DG album with Zimerman is amazing. I would be glad to compare both version. Did you finally receive it ? Can you tell me where I can find it please ? It looks like a very confidential issue... thanks !

[Guido]

Who are the other two world class opera composers? And does writing one superb opera make you a world class opera composer? I'll redact my skepticism if you think that Bartok is as well!

[knight66]

Jerome, Maciek is on holiday just now. No doubt he will give you the information when he gets back.

Mike

[Wendell_E]

Who are the other two world class opera composers? And does writing one superb opera make you a world class opera composer? I'll redact my skepticism if you think that Bartok is as well!

I'd guess Moniuszko and Penderecki. 

[jerome]

 Maciek, maybe you've missed my question, four posts above ?
I'd really like to know more about this piano-violin album. Sorry for my insistence... 

[bhodges]

Hi jerome!  Just a friendly suggestion: you might send Maciek a private message, with a link to your post with the question.  Most of the moderators (including me) don't see even half of what's posted on the board, so that might be the best way to get his attention. 

--Bruce