About the album
Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1905-1963) is one of the most significant but least-known symphonic composers of the 20th century. This set of three hybrid SACDs, issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the German composer's death, features his eight symphonies played by the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic and Chamber Philharmonic Orchestras under the batons of several major conductors, including Christoph Poppen, Osmo Vanska, James Gaffigan and Markus Stenz.
One of the most characteristic features of Hartmann's work is the way in which he forges contrasting stylistic elements and techniques from various periods of music history into a seamless unit. Moreover, one melody is found in all his symphonies, concealed to varying degrees. This melody is based on the Jewish song "Elijahu hanavi" about the prophet Elijah, whom the Jews anxiously await to bring them redemption. This yearning quality lies at the heart of the composer's music.
Two types of movement, adagio and scherzo, form the unmistakable axis of Hartmann's symphonic works, and the result is that the musical discourse continually takes place between expansion and energy, monumental stasis and a dynamic primal force toppling everything in its path. Hartmann's symphonic legacy most certainly deserves its rightful place in the canon, especially in English-speaking countries where it's been often overlooked.
Alle acht symfonieën van Hartmann op één album
Karl Amadeus Hartmann is een van de belangrijkste, maar minst bekende symfonische componisten van de 20e eeuw. Dit album is een eerbetoon aan de componist, 50 jaar na zijn dood. Alle acht symfonieën van zijn hand zijn op dit album te horen, gespeeld door het Nederlands Filharmonisch Radio Orkest en het Radio Filharmonisch Kamerorkest, geleid door verschillende grote dirigenten, onder wie Christoph Poppen, Osmo Vanska, James Gaffigan en Markus Stenz.
Een van de meest karakteristieke eigenschappen van Hartmanns werk is de manier waarop hij contrasterende stilistische elementen en technieken uit verschillende periodes van de muziekgeschiedenis weet samen te smeden tot één wonderbaarlijk geheel. Een bijzondere eigenschap is dat in al zijn symfonieën een zelfde melodie te horen is: de ene keer op de voorgrond en de andere keer verstopt achter talloze andere melodieën en harmonieën. Dit is telkens een melodie die gebaseerd is op het Joodse lied Elijahu hanavi over de profeet Elijah, op wiens komst de joden wachten voor hun verlossing. Dit smachtend verlangen is een thema dat in al zijn werken voorkomt.
Hartmanns symfonieën verdienen absoluut een plek in het canon van de klassieke muziek, zoals het Radio Filharmonisch Orkest hier op een wonderlijke wijze aantoont.
Der in München geborene Karl Amadeus Hartmann (1905-1963) war ganz ohne Zweifel der größte Symphoniker in der mitteleuropäischen Tradition nach Bruckner und Mahler. Erste Entwürfe und Versionen von sechs seiner acht Symphonien entstanden während eines der dunkelsten Kapitel in der Weltgeschichte. Gemeint sind die Jahre von 1933 bis 1945, als die Nazis an der Macht waren und als sich Hartmann nach und nach vollständig aus dem öffentlichen Leben zurückzog. Diese Periode, kulminierend in seiner „inneren Emigration“, war für Hartmanns kreative Entwicklung ein entscheidender Wendepunkt.
«Originario di Monaco, Karl Amadeus Hartmann fu senz’ombra di dubbio il più grande sinfonista della tradizione mitteleuropea da Bruckner e Mahler in poi. Gli abbozzi e le prime versioni di sei delle sue otto sinfonie ebbero origine in uno dei periodi più cupi nella storia dell’umanità – dal 1933 al 1945 –, quando i Nazisti erano al potere e Hartmann si ritirò gradatamente dalla vita pubblica. Questo periodo, che culminò nella ‘Innere Emigration’ di Hartmann, rappresentò una svolta decisiva nel suo sviluppo creativo.
Uno dei tratti più caratteristici della produzione di Hartmann è il modo in cui plasma elementi stilistici talvolta estremamente contrastanti e tecniche provenienti da diversi periodi della storia musicale in un’unità omogenea; in effetti questo è assai tipico della sua produzione nel suo complesso. Inoltre, una melodia che si trova in tutte le sue sinfonie, in cui è nascosta in maggiore o minore misura, emerge anche in Simplicius. Questa melodia è basata sul canto ebraico ‘Elijahu hanavi’ sul profeta Elia, che gli Ebrei attendono con ansia perché porterà la redenzione. Grazie alla presenza – qualunque sia la sua forma – di questo tema nella stragrande maggioranza delle sue opere, l’eredità sonora di Hartmann può essere ascoltata come un’astratta ed emozionante ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’.
Benché ricorra volentieri alla tradizione, sia nell’opera sia nella produzione opertistica, egli è tutt’altro che neoclassico. Nessuna delle otto sinfonie di Hartmann, per esempio, è modellata nella classica sequenza in quattro movimenti, che persino Mahler (che insieme a Bach, Beethoven e Bruckner era uno dei suoi grandi idoli) impiegò raramente.»
Maarten Brandt, dalle note di copertina
Artist(s)
The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra was founded by Albert van Raalte in 1945. In the ensuing years, several distinguished conductors have stood at the orchestra’s helm: Paul van Kempen, Bernard Haitink, Willem van Otterloo, Jean Fournet, Hans Vonk, Sergiu Comissiona, Edo de Waart and Jaap van Zweden.
Markus Stenz was appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Director in September 2012. As off the 2011-2012 season the American conductor James Gaffigan is principal guest conductor.
The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra worked with the world’s foremost guest conductors, including Leopold Stokowsky, Kirill Kondrashin, Antál Dorati, Riccardo Muti, Kurt Masur, Mariss Jansons, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gennady Rozhdestvensky and Valery Gergiev.
The renowned conductor Bernard Haitink has accepted a position as patron offered to him by the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Bernard Haitink started his impressive career in 1954 with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting his first concert before an audience on 19 July of that year. Later (in 1957) he was appointed chief conductor of the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2014 that particular concert will have taken place 60 years ago. Bernard Haitink and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra will observe this special 60th anniversary in a way yet to be announced.
As one of the flagship orchestras for the Dutch Broadcasting Authority, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic occupies a prominent place in two series at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, the Saturday Matinee and the Sunday Morning Concerts as well as the Friday Vredenburg series in Utrecht. All concerts are broadcast live on the Dutch national station, Radio 4 and through the international European Broadcasting Union connection.
A leading light on the Dutch musical firmament, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra guarantees adventurous symphonic programming, high quality performance and a plethora of concertante opera performances. World premieres and Dutch premieres of works by among others Koechlin, Martin, Franssens, Koolmees, Padding, Francesconi, Janácek, De Raaff, Oetsvolskaja, Vriend and Rijnvos were praised by critics and audience.
The orchestra’s discography is impressive and includes the complete Mahler Symphonies and orchestral works by Rachmaninoff under the direction of Edo de Waart. Ongoing recording projects include a Bruckner-cycle under the direction of Jaap van Zweden (Exton label) and the complete Shostakovich symphonies led by the British conductor Mark Wigglesworth (Bis label). Wagner’s Lohengrin, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Parsifal, performed by the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Choir and vocal soloists under the direction of Jaap van Zweden, were recorded for QuattroLive and Challenge Records and met with great critical acclaim. QuattroLive is the cd label of Radio 4, the Netherlands Broadcasting Music Center, Radio Netherlands Worldwide and the broadcasters NTR, AVRO and TROS.
The orchestra has garnered many prizes for releases of compositions by contemporary composers, including Jonathan Harvey, Klas Torstensson and Jan van Vlijmen.
The Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra appeared at festivals in Edinburgh, Brussels and Strasbourg, as well as at Singapore's Sun Festival. Recently the orchestra undertook tours to Great Britain, Germany and Austria and performed in the BBC Proms.
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