The subtitle of this
disc is Symphony No 10 and late overtures
etc. It makes for an intriguing programming
combination because, much as we might
think that Beethoven’s works are well
known, a great deal of this music is
quite obscure. The first movement of
a projected 10th symphony
is not a new creation at all – it was
premiered by the Royal Philharmonic
Society of London (for a commission
from whom Beethoven had begun the work)
in 1988 and has been performed in about
twenty countries, and recorded since
then. However, in comparison with most
symphonic Beethoven, it remains something
of a novelty. The "late" overtures
include that to Fidelio, which,
as Op. 72 can’t really be considered
that late, but also a collection of
theatre music from Beethoven’s last
years. Of these the overtures Die
Weihe des Hauses (‘The consecration
of the house’) and maybe Die Ruinen
von Athen (‘The ruins of Athens’)
are reasonably well-known, but the Namensfeier
and König Stefan overtures
do not get much exposure; and the Gratulations-Menuett
and funeral march from Leonora Prohaska
must rank as obscurities. In the case
of the former this is no bad thing –
Beethoven at his most pedestrian.
Nonetheless, the contrast
of familiar, if not hackneyed, material
with some interesting rarities does
make for an interesting listening experience,
especially with a composer whom we tend
to regard as so familiar. In the Cooper
re-construction of the 10th
symphony movement we hear a Beethoven
more classical than in the 9th.
The sketches that the composer left
yielded some 300 bars of music. Dr Cooper
added some 200 bars of development and
extrapolation from this material, (as
well as all the orchestration, of course)
so it can at least be claimed that everything
in the movement stems from Beethoven’s
own material. The result certainly sounds
Beethovenian, although in the context
of a symphony that was to follow the
9th one does wonder how much
more revision of the material Beethoven
himself would have undertaken. As mentioned
above, this is quite classical in execution,
and feels more like the Beethoven of
the 1st, 2nd or
8th symphonies than what
one might expect in a 10th.
Douglas Bostock has apparently worked
closely in collaboration with Barry
Cooper so the performance does have
some degree of authority. The Czech
Chamber Philharmonic performs with verve
and energy, albeit with a somewhat harsh
upper string tone in places.
Apart from the interesting
project of the 10th symphony,
the fascinating works on this recording
are the overtures Namensfeier
and König Stefan, the former
being the only concert overture that
Beethoven wrote. Gestated over a long
period, it was originally considered
for use as the overture to König
Stefan or Die Ruinen von Athen,
then recast from E flat into C and
contemplated as a vehicle for the inclusion
of Schiller's ‘Ode to Joy’ which eventually
found its way instead into the 9th
symphony. It was finally completed as
an overture "for any occasion,
or for concert use" and dated on
the Emperor’s nameday 1814. This has
lead to the title ‘Nameday’ overture.
Like the Namensfeier
overture, that to the singspiel König
Stefan is in a generally celebratory
mood and is here performed with gusto
and precision by Bostock’s Czech players,
the winds and brass being especially
fine. Like the music for Die Ruinen
von Athen, this was written for
the opening of a new theatre in Budapest,
and both works were premiered there
in 1812. As with the Namensfeier
overture it is surprising that these
excellent orchestral works are not heard
as frequently as, for example, that
to Fidelio, which shares many
similarities with these pieces. Of slightly
shorter length, but also of much interest
is the Trauermarsch from Leonora
Prohaska. The play was by the obscure
Friedrich Duncker and Beethoven composed
three short vocal numbers and the march
for it. However, the play never made
it to the stage and is now lost. The
Trauermarsch is an arrangement of the
‘Funeral March on the death of a hero’
from the piano sonata Op. 26. This is
an unusual aspect of Beethoven, but
it is surprisingly successful and the
orchestral treatment brings a sombre
dignity that is very Beethovenian.
Very late Beethoven
comes in the form of his last overture,
the increasingly popular Die Weihe
des Hauses. At over 11 minutes long
this is a substantial overture and certainly
to be rated amongst Beethoven’s finest
orchestral music. Bostock has the measure
of this work and the Czech Chamber Philharmonic
treat the sweeping grandeur of the opening
with dignified aplomb, carefully avoiding
overblowing it into bombast. Again,
woodwind and brass come across particularly
well. Although overall the orchestral
sound cannot be considered to be up
there with the greatest orchestras of
Europe, the performances are polished
and convincing. Of more interest, the
programme is imaginative and varied
and presents the composer from a slightly
different angle than just another series
of the symphonies would allow. Especially
for people who find bulk Beethoven somewhat
overbearing, this disc brings a selection
of fine orchestral music without so
much of the weight and scowl.
Peter Wells
See also review
by Michael Cookson
Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra/Douglas
Bostock