Paul Juon (1872-1940): «Mysterien» – Tondichtung für Violoncello und Orchester скачать в хорошем качестве

Paul Juon (1872-1940): «Mysterien» – Tondichtung für Violoncello und Orchester

Paul Juon (1872-1940): «Mysterien» – Tondichtung für Violoncello und Orchester (Tone poem for Violoncello & Orchestra) Pi-Chin Chien, Violoncello - 簡碧青 大提琴 Artistic director of the "Taiwan International Cello Festival" (TWICF) 臺灣國際大提琴藝術節的藝術總監 https://www.twicf.org Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Tomasz Bugaj Taiwanese-Swiss cellist Pi-Chin Chien is an ambassador of Paul Juon's works for cello and his chamber music which she performed in numerous concerts in Europe and Asia. She discovered his tone poem «Mysterien» in a Swiss library in the late 90ties. In September 2002 she realized this first recording together with the Tripel concerto «Episodes Concertants» op. 45 with the Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tomasz Bugaj for the label Musiques Suisses. (www.pichin.net) Excerpt of the booklet-text by Walter Labhart: In a letter dated September 15th, 1923 to Schweri, the music director in Chur (Switzerland), the composer described his music as almost always being “austere with gloomy, Nordic colours”; this description suitably fits the triple concerto, but it is not appropriate for his tone poem from 1914 “Mysteries” op. 59 for violoncello and orchestra. Like the piano trio op. 39 “Gösta Beling” (1891) by Selma Lagerlöf, this rhapsodic composition was inspired by a Scandinavian novel. Premiered in Oldenburg on September 22nd, 1930 with the soloist Joseph Schuster, this work was inspired by Knut Hamsun’s “Mysteries” (1892), a story about a heroic man whose spirit was influenced by Nietzsche. In the programme note for the premiere, the composer wrote, “In spite of the reference to Hamsun’s book, this is not programme music. I was reading the book at the time of composition; the music only reflects the poetic mood of the book. For those who have read the book, certain musical passages may remind them of episodes from the book.” One of Juon’s most unusual compositions, this work begins with a recitativo solo in the cello with e-minor chords in the flutes; when the opening passage is repeated, it is followed by a fanfare in the trumpets. This piece, which is dedicated to his second wife Armande (Marie Hegner), foreshadows the work of other composers who earned a reputation for combining the most varied styles. The nearly Mediterranean transparency of the form is as surprising as the warmth of this music is, which is anything but austere or Nordic. The use of a row of chords to create such a sweet sound can also be heard in Ernest Bloch’s Hebrew Rhapsody “Schelomo” (1915/16) for violoncello and orchestra (composed a year after “Mysteries”) as well as in Hollywood film music produced by various composers. Born in Geneva, Bloch was profoundly interested in Jewish music; because Juon’s “Mysteries” had neither been published nor performed, there is no way Bloch could have known the music. Many of the novel melodic ideas in this music are similar to those used by Aram Chatschaturjan in his ballet music. Many of the instrumental techniques, particularly in the winds, were used nearly ten years later by Leos Janacek. With a typical Slavic theme in E-major and bravura passages for the solo cello, the second section, which begins attacca, is similar to the warm music of Antonin Dvorak. The third section, a lilting E-major barcarole in 6/4, is filled with the mild atmosphere of a summer night. The following section, also in E-major, is marked “Ländlich” and is inspired by Scandinavian dance music. Afterwards comes the reprise in a simplified version of the complex, opening section. The nearly oriental, sensuous work “Mysteries” by Paul Juon is certainly one of the most clever sounding pieces written by a Swiss composer. Its bewitching mood is comparable to Othmar Schoeck’s pastoral intermezzo “Sommernacht” op. 58, which was also inspired by a work of literature, a poem by Gottfried Keller.