SKU: PR.41641576L

UPC: 680160636549. 11 x 17 inches.

The 1712 Overture stands out in P.D.Q. Bach's oeuvre for two reasons, among others: it is by far the most programmatic instrumental piece among those by the minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein so far unearthed, and 2) its discovery has led to a revelation about the composer's father, Johann Sebastian Bach, that has exploded like a bombshell on the usually serene musicological landscape. The overture is based on an anecdote told to P.D.Q. Bach by a cousin, Peter Ulrich. Since P.U. Bach lived in Dudeldorf, only a few miles down the road from Wein-am-Rhein, he was P.D.Q.'s closest relative, and he was, in fact, one of the few members of the family who was on speaking terms with P.D.Q. The story, related to P.D.Q. (fortunately for us posterity types) in a letter, may be summarized thus: The town of Dudeldorf was founded by two brothers, Rudi and Dieter Dudel, early in the 18th century. Rudi remained mayor of the newborn burg for the rest of his long life, but Dieter had a dream of starting a musicians' colony, an entire city devoted to music, which dream, he finally decided, could be realized only in the New World. In 1712, he and several other bagpipers sailed to Boston, never to return to Germany. (Henceforth, Rudi became known as der deutscher Dudel and Dieter as the Yankee Dudel). Unfortunately, the head of the Boston Musicians' Guild had gotten wind of Dudel's plans, and Wilhelm Wiesel (pron. VEE-zle), known none too affectionately around town as Wiesel the Weasel, was not about to share what few gigs there were in colonial America with more foreigners and outside agitators. He and his cronies were on hand to meet Dudel's boat when it pulled into Boston Harbor; they intended to prevent the newcomers' disembarkation, but Dudel and his companions managed to escape to the other side of the bay in a dinghy, landing with just enough time to rent a carriage and horses before hearing the sound of The Weasel and his men, who had had to come around the long way. The Germans headed West, with the Bostonians in furious pursuit. soon the city had been left far behind, and by midnight so had the pursuers; Dieter Dudel decided that it was safe for him and his men to stop and sleep until daybreak. When they awoke, they found that they were in a beautiful landscape of low, forested mountains and pleasant fields, warmed by the brilliant morning sun and serenaded by an entrancing variety of birds. Here, Dudel thought, her is where I will build my colony. The immigrants continued down the road at a leisurely pace until they came upon a little church, all by itself in the countryside, from which there suddenly emanated the sounds of a pipe organ. At this point, the temptation to quote from P.U. Bach's letter to P.D.Q. cannot be resisted: They went inside and, after listening to the glorious music for a while, introduced themselves to the organist. And who do you think it was? Are you ready for this -- it was your old man! Hey, no kidding -- you know, I'm sure, that your father was the guy to get when it came to testing new organs, and whoever had that one in Massachusetts built offered old Sebastian a tidy sum to go over there and check it out. The unexpected meeting with J.S. Bach and his sponsors was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves, as the dreaded Wiesel and his men thundered on to the scene. They had been riding all night, however, and they were no spring chickens to start with, and as soon as they reached the church they all dropped, exhausted, to the ground. The elated Germans rang the church bells and offered to buy everyone a beer at the nearest tavern. There they were taught, and joined in singing, what might be called the national anthem of the New World. The melody of this pre-revolutionary patriotic song is still remembered (P.D.Q. Bach quotes it, in the bass instruments, near the end of the overture), but is words are now all but forgotten: Freedom, of thee we sing, Freedom e'er is our goal; Death to the English King, Long live Rock and Ross. The striking paucity of biographical references to Johann Sebastian Bah during the year 1712 can now be explained: he was abroad for a significant part of that year, testing organs in the British Colonies. That this revelation has not been accepted as fact by the musicological establishment is no surprise, since it means that a lot of books would have to be rewritten. The members of that establishment haven't even accepted the existence of P.D.Q. Bach, one of whose major works the 1712 Overture certainly is. It is also a work that shows Tchaikowsky up as the shameless plagiarizer that some of us have always known he was. The discovery of this awesome opus was made possible by a Boston Pops Centennial Research Commission; the first modern performance took place at the opening concert of the 100th anniversary season of that orchestra, under the exciting but authentic direction of John Williams.

SKU: BR.PB-5105-07

World premiere: Bremen, February 1, 1982

ISBN 9790004208557. 9 x 12 inches.

Gesualdo, Don Carlo, Furst von Venosa (1560-1613) gehort zu den eigenwilligsten italienischen Madrigal-Komponisten der Spatrenaissance. Seine ungewohnlich kuhne, selbst fur heutige Ohren modern klingende Harmonik, seine chromatischen Stimmfortschreitungen, seine ubersteigerte expressive Tonsprache regten mich schon vor Jahren zu einer grosseren Orgelkomposition an und inspirierten mich 1981 zu den >>Sinfonischen Metamorphosen<<. Dieses Werk ist eine vielgestaltige weitausgesponnene Fantasie. Sieben choralartige typische Klangbeispiele aus Gesualdos spaten funfstimmigen Madrigalen (4., 5. u. 6. Band) werden teils streng, teils frei zitiert und von Holz- oder Blechblasern intoniert. Diese Zitate gliedern, als formale und inhaltliche Schwer- und Ruhepunkte, den Verlauf des gesamten Werks. Jedes Zitat steht zu Beginn eines neuen Satzabschnitts; die darauffolgenden >>Metamorphosen<< entwickeln sich als rhapsodische kontrastreiche Charakterstucke. Im >>Preludio<< werden aus den vertonbaren Buchstaben vom Namen >>Gesualdo<< (G - E - Es - A - D) schwebende Klangflachen, rezitativische Gedanken und ein pragnantes rhythmisches Paukenthema gebildet. Diese ,,Grundelemente (Grundstrukturen) tauchen im Verlauf des Stucks immer wieder leitmotivisch auf. Im zweiten Abschnitt stehen sich lineare Streicher-Episoden und dichte Blaser-Klangballungen kontrastierend gegenuber. Der dritte Teil lauft als Passacaglia (Thema ist der Bass eines Gesualdo-Zitats) in mehreren Variationen ab. Im vierten Abschnitt dominiert lebhafte Streicherbewegung, kontrapunktiert von tiefen Blaser-Signalen. Der funfte Teil steigert sich- nach kantablem Beginn- zum ekstatischen Trauermarsch. Abschnitt sechs stellt sich als >>Rondello<< dar, mit um sich selbst kreisenden Klangfiguren (in verschiedenen Tongruppen (zwei, drei, funf). Im siebten und letzten Teil wird die verhalten-resignierende Stimmung des Anfangs beschworen, ehe eine knappe Stretta in den hymnischen Schluss mundet. In den Textender ausgewahlten Zitatstellen geht es meist um Todessehnsucht, Liebesqual und Verzweiflung. z. B. 1. und 2. Zitat: Moro lasso, al mio duolo (Ich sterbe, matt, an meiner Qual) (6. Buch) 3. Zitat: Gia piansi nel dolore; o dolorosa Sorte (Schon weinte ich in Schmerzen, oh schmerzliches Geschick) (6. Buch) 4. Zitat: Ahi gia mi discolero (Ach schon entfarbte ich mich) (Wehe, der Tod kommt) (4. Buch) 5. Zitat: Dolcissima mia vita (Mein allerliebstes Leben) (Dich zu lieben oder zu sterben) (5. Buch) 6. Zitat: lo moro (Ich sterbe) (5. Buch) Dem Werk liegen zwar eine Reihe von dodekaphonischen Strukturen zugrunde (die teilweise von Gesualdos Klangzitaten abgeleitet wurden), doch sind die einzelnen Abschnitte auf,,tonale Pfeiler (G - E - A - D) gegrundet; das Stuck beginnt in G und endet aufD, ist also ubergeordnet tonal konzipiert, - der Versuch einer Synthese moderner Ausdrucksmittel von Vergangenheit und Gegenwart. Die >>Metamorphosen<< sind ein Stuck Bekenntnismusik - Bekenntnis zum Leben und Schaffen Gesualdos, eines Mannes, der vom Schicksal gezeichnet war, denn der Chronik Neapels bekannt war durch die Ermordung seiner ersten Frau und ihres Liebhabers. Dieser eminente Musiker war zugleich ein Mensch von ubertriebener Sensibilitat und wilder ekstatischer Heftigkeit: ,,Er wurde von einer Horde von Damonen heimgesucht, die ihm keine Ruhe gaben, heisst es in einem zeitgenossischen Bericht. Seine Kunst und sein Leben stand unter dem Gesetz der inneren Zerrissenheit, zwischen Auflehnung und Resignation (Verzweiflung und Hoffnung), zwischen Zartheit und Leidenschaft. Davon will meine Musik etwas aussagen. (Jurg Baur)CD:Sinfonieorchester des Westdeutschen Rundfunks, cond. Rudolf BarschaiCD Thorofon CTH 2270Bibliography:Abels, Robert: Studien zur Gesualdo-Rezeption durch Komponisten des 20. Jahrhunderts (= Studien zur Musik 20), Leiden u. a.: Wilhelm Fink 2017, pp. 277-345, 485-489.Wallerang, Lars: Die Orchesterwerke Jurg Baurs als Dialog zwischen Tradition und Moderne, Koln: Dohr 2003.