Richard Wetz(1875-1935)

Started by Dundonnell, March 30, 2008, 01:45:31 PM

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vandermolen

Colin,

I think that what you say is very eloquent (not "rambling" at all) and I largely agree with you. I think that there is a big difference between composers who happened to remain in Germany during that period and enthusiastic supporters of the regime and, whatever the case, I think that one can still value the intrinsic worth of the music regardless of the political affiliations of the composer.

I love Atterberg's 3rd, 7th and 8th symphonies but am aware that the 7th or 8th (I don't have the information in front of me) was first performed in Hamburg in 1943.  I am a bit uncomfortable with this but it does not stop me appreciating the music as a great work.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

J.Z. Herrenberg

Morning, all! Continuing the discussion, what are we to do with a work like this:

http://www.requiemsurvey.org/composers.php?id=287

I understand your strictures, Jeffrey. But just suppose the music is really wonderful...

Art can be as messy as history.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Dundonnell

Quote from: Jezetha on April 09, 2008, 11:51:04 PM
Morning, all! Continuing the discussion, what are we to do with a work like this:

http://www.requiemsurvey.org/composers.php?id=287

I understand your strictures, Jeffrey. But just suppose the music is really wonderful...

Art can be as messy as history.

I doubt somehow that Erdlen's Requiem is wonderful music! Apparently he wrote a Cantata-the Saarkantata-commissioned to be broadcast before the inhabitants of the Saarland voted in the plebiscite to decide on reunion with Germany. Each section focuses on aspects of Nazi thought! Erdlen died in 1972 and continued composing after the war. Something tells me that it is pretty unlikely we shall ever hear much of it!!

On the other hand......Prokofiev wrote his Cantata for the 20th Anniversary of the October Revolution and the Cantata "Zdravitsa"(Hail to Stalin) and Shostakovich wrote a number of similar works.

vandermolen

Good morning to you too

I remember Andre Previn doing a TV programme years ago about forgotten composers. I recall that photograph of one dressed in a Nazi uniform. Maybe that is the one featured in Johan's post!
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Dundonnell on April 10, 2008, 12:11:12 AM
I doubt somehow that Erdlen's Requiem is wonderful music! Apparently he wrote a Cantata-the Saarkantata-commissioned to be broadcast before the inhabitants of the Saarland voted in the plebiscite to decide on reunion with Germany. Each section focuses on aspects of Nazi thought! Erdlen died in 1972 and continued composing after the war. Something tells me that it is pretty unlikely we shall ever hear much of it!!

I think you're right... Though a Double Fugue on 'Die Fahne Hoch' would still rank as an achievement.

Just joking.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Dundonnell

Quote from: vandermolen on April 09, 2008, 11:36:41 PM
Colin,

I think that what you say is very eloquent (not "rambling" at all) and I largely agree with you. I think that there is a big difference between composers who happened to remain in Germany during that period and enthusiastic supporters of the regime and, whatever the case, I think that one can still value the intrinsic worth of the music regardless of the political affiliations of the composer.

I love Atterberg's 3rd, 7th and 8th symphonies but am aware that the 7th or 8th (I don't have the information in front of me) was first performed in Hamburg in 1943.  I am a bit uncomfortable with this but it does not stop me appreciating the music as a great work.

It was Atterberg's 7th symphony which was premiered in Frankfurt in 1943 by Hermann Abendroth. Just to set the record straight!

The Danish composer, Paul von Klenau, whose symphonies I am discovering with much pleasure, worked in Germany in the 1930s although he returned to Denmark in 1940. One could also cite Jon Leifs, the great Icelandic composer, who also lived and composed in Germany during the thirties. And of course the controversy over your own Dutch composer, Henk Badings, Johan!

J.Z. Herrenberg

Yes, Badings has been almost totally neglected here because of his stance during the war. And I don't see his return to the concert-hall very soon. CPO is the only venue he'll be playing at for quite some time.
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

vandermolen

Quote from: Dundonnell on April 10, 2008, 12:24:27 AM
It was Atterberg's 7th symphony which was premiered in Frankfurt in 1943 by Hermann Abendroth. Just to set the record straight!

The Danish composer, Paul von Klenau, whose symphonies I am discovering with much pleasure, worked in Germany in the 1930s although he returned to Denmark in 1940. One could also cite Jon Leifs, the great Icelandic composer, who also lived and composed in Germany during the thirties. And of course the controversy over your own Dutch composer, Henk Badings, Johan!


I enjoy much of the music of Leifs. I gather that he was unjustly accused of Nazi sympathies. His wife was of jewish origins.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dundonnell

Quote from: Jezetha on April 10, 2008, 12:32:37 AM
Yes, Badings has been almost totally neglected here because of his stance during the war. And I don't see his return to the concert-hall very soon. CPO is the only venue he'll be playing at for quite some time.

I thought that there had been a recent mini-festival of Badings' music in Rotterdam in October?


J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: Dundonnell on April 10, 2008, 12:37:05 AM
http://www.donemus.nl/nieuws_details.php?id=1256&lang=EN

I missed that. Well, it confirms handsomely what I said earlier - the war generation is dying, and the 'banned' composers are coming back...
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

Dundonnell

Quote from: Jezetha on April 10, 2008, 12:38:57 AM
I missed that. Well, it confirms handsomely what I said earlier - the war generation is dying, and the 'banned' composers are coming back...

Indeed!

Leo K.

I'm enjoying Wetz's 1st symphony for the second time this morning, after having heard his three symphonies last weekend.

I'm pleased and excited to have been introduced to this composer by Sarge (in another thread here at GMG). Like Sarge, I dearly love these academic, rather conservative composers in the Brahms/Bruckner mold, who pursue their craft with serious dedication.

I really hope to be able to hear Wetz's string quartets sometime in the near future!

Scion7

Ah, I vaguely remember hearing some of this man's work on radio back in the early Eighties.

Someone tossed the violin concerto off YouTube - rats - I will have to seek it out elsewhere.

Investigating the music - thanks for the *bump* - love finding these 2nd-to-3rd tier composers who wrote very entertaining if not groundbreaking music.  They may not get the press these days that self-hip'd "critics" give some piece by, say, Cage or _____________, but neither will they cause patrons to flee a cafe/recital, knocking over their chairs in their rush to get out of the establishment, that many of these second-half-20th-century 'composers' can.

      ;)
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

eyeresist

From what I've heard, I think Wetz might be a composer I'd enjoy. It would be great if cpo would issue a box of their Wetz recordings - but then that might encourage people to buy it, which would never do!

There was a recording of the second string quartet, but it's NA:


Leo K.

Quote from: eyeresist on May 06, 2012, 09:42:02 PM
From what I've heard, I think Wetz might be a composer I'd enjoy. It would be great if cpo would issue a box of their Wetz recordings - but then that might encourage people to buy it, which would never do!

There was a recording of the second string quartet, but it's NA:



Man, I've got to hear Wetz's chamber music! Thanks for the heads up there!

Scion7

Wetz was,apparently, a strong German nationalist(as, of course, were many, many Germans of the period!). He joined the party and was, apparently, enthusiastic about its aims and policies.

From what I've been able to read here and there, he was one of the many Germans who, bitterly disappointed by the re-drawing of the map after Versailles, joined the party for pan-German nationalist feelings rather than any anti-Semitic ones . . . while not excusing him, he, like many others, "probably" thought that stuff would be pushed to the 'fringe' and forgotten as the politics recovered what he felt were German territories.  And like so many millions of others, he would have found out if he had lived just what sort of regime he had been supporting.  If anyone has found in a biography any statements or writings of his supporting the 'darker' aims of National Socialism, please bring these to this thread.  I'd be very interested in reading them.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Tapio Dimitriyevich Shostakovich

Do you guys have a preferation of any of his orchestral works?

mc ukrneal

Quote from: Tapio Dimitriyevich Shostakovich on October 29, 2012, 06:09:05 AM
Do you guys have a preferation of any of his orchestral works?
I'd start with Symphony No 1-3 on CPO. For example, this recording:
[asin]B00004HYO0[/asin]
Be kind to your fellow posters!!

Scion7

#39
Anyone heard or know of a recording of the string quartets he wrote?

Never mind - I'm blind - I see there is a prev post on the 2nd at least.  Duh.
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."