BEETHOVEN transformed VOLUME 2

BOXWOOD & BRASS Beethoven Transformed, Volume 2 Virtuoso arrangements for Viennese Harmonie of music by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) arr. c.1812 by Friedrich Starke (1774–1835) Egmont, Op. 84 1. Overture [6:04] Boxwood & Brass Egmont, Op. 84: Incidental Music arr. 2018 by Robert Percival (b.1970) Rachel Chaplin oboe 2. Lied: die Trommel Gerühret (Clara’s Song) [1:30] Nicola Barbagli oboe 3. Entr’acte III [3:19] Emily Worthington clarinet 4. Clärchens Tod bezeichnend (The Death of Clara) [2:21] Fiona Mitchell clarinet 5. Siegessymphonie (Egmont’s Dream – Victory Symphony) [2:01] Robert Percival bassoon Takako Kunugi bassoon Sonata Pathéque, Op. 13 Anneke Sco natural horn arr. anon (Vienna 1810) Kate Goldsmith natural horn 6. Grave – Allegro molto e con brio [8:37] Jacqueline Dossor double bass 7. Adagio cantabile [4:32] 8. Rondo: Allegro [5:28]

About Boxwood & Brass: Symphony No. 7, Op. 92 arr. anon (Vienna 1816) ‘Boxwood & Brass prove dazzlingly persuasive 9. Poco sostenuto – Vivace [14:15] advocates of the form... vibrant musicality, a wonderful warmth 10. Allegreo [7:57] of sound and total technical precision... these thoughul and assured 11. Presto [4:44] performances bring to life every subtlety and colour in these works.’ 12. Allegro con brio [5:09] BBC Music Magazine

‘Creamy clarinets combine aracvely with punchy Total playing me [66:06] horns and burbling bassoons to give this music a special Viennese verve.’ The Observer The Harmonie in Beethoven’s Vienna Krommer’s Partas are the best-known examples. Indeed, in Vienna, even opera The sound of the Harmonie – an ensemble transcripons were arranged to conserve the of pairs of oboes, clarinets, horns, bassoons, order and dramac structure of the original usually with a double bass or contrabassoon – music. The oboist Josef Triebensee, one of was a defining feature of the soundscape of the most important figures in Harmoniemusik Vienna at the turn of the nineteenth century. during the period, asserted that the pleasure This formaon had its roots in the small of the listener stemmed from the ‘joy of the wind ensembles of the mid-eighteenth arst’ (die Freude de Künstler) in performing century, but became a parcular Viennese well-wrien arrangements that reflect the speciality from 1782 when Emperor Joseph spirit of the original composer – testament II established his ‘kaiserliche und königliche to the arsc standards of the best Harmonie’. Soon, Viennese-style 8- and Harmonien. 9-part Harmonien were found wherever Joseph II’s influence was exercised, or his Ludwig van Beethoven, Sigmund Anton favour sought. Steiner and the Chemische Druckerei arrangements These late-eighteenth century Harmonien are now mostly associated with the Aer 1800, the twin forces of declining performance of opera arrangements as aristocrac patronage due to the Napoleonic Tafelmusik, and serenades in outdoor wars and growing public demand for what sengs (as depicted by Mozart in Don was beginning to be defined as ‘art music’ Giovanni and Cosí fan Tue), but it would began to re-shape Viennese musical culture. be a mistake to understand them simply as Vienna’s flourishing publishing industry purveyors of aracve ‘background’ music. offered an outlet for Harmoniemusik From the 1780s unl the 1810s arrangers, whose work was in less demand Harmoniemusik was frequently heard in from private patrons. In parcular, both indoor and outdoor concerts Beethoven’s friend and publisher Sigmund throughout Vienna as well as in private Anton Steiner championed Harmoniemusik performances. The high arsc standard through his publishing house, the Lamoral d’Egmont of these Harmonien inspired the Chemische Druckerei or ‘chemical print composion of substanal original works, works’ – a reference to the new technique of which Mozart’s Serenades and Franz of lithography, developed by the company’s founder Alois Senefelder. In 1810, an advert to see why this tale of tyranny, revoluonary may explain why no wind arrangement was sonata’s enduring appeal. promised that the firm’s Harmoniemusik struggle, sacrifice and eventual freedom issued. In light of this, Boxwood & Brass’s arrangements were ‘edited by renowned caught his aenon. Set in sixteenth century bassoonist Robert Percival has followed the Beethoven composed the symphony and famous masters from the original scores, Brussels, the honourable Count Egmont is pracce of Viennese arrangers by creang a between 1811–12 and it received its first with special care, and with an exact the leader of his people against the Spanish suite that presents the original dramac performance in December 1813 in a benefit knowledge of the effects of wind instruments’ invader, but is conflicted by his loyalty to the structure of the play in a compact form. concert for soldiers injured in the Bale of – an indicaon of the pride that was invested righul Dutch king, a loyalty that leads to Aer the overture we hear Clara’s song, Hannau, a strategically important clash in the arrangements by their creators, as his arrest and execuon. His love, Clara, in lamenng the oppression of her people; during Napoleon’s retreat to France. The well as the compeve nature of the market. despair at having failed to rouse the then Beethoven’s third entr’acte, depicng programme also featured Beethoven’s populace to rescue him, takes poison. In the the heroic character of Egmont himself. ‘Bale Symphony’, Wellingtons Sieg: both The three arrangements presented on this night before his death Egmont dreams of This is interrupted by the march of the pieces captured the public mood and disc – the Egmont Overture, Sonata Pathéque freedom personified as a heavenly Clara, approaching Spanish army, followed by remained extremely popular throughout and Seventh Symphony – are all from and goes willingly to the scaffold sure in Beethoven’s depicon of Clara’s off-stage Beethoven’s lifeme. In 1816, Steiner Steiner’s Chemische Druckerei. Each was the knowledge that his sacrifice will inspire death, her failing heartbeat evoked by announced the first publicaons of issued as a standalone publicaon outside the downtrodden cizens to victory against faltering horn chords. Aer a brief extract Beethoven’s Seventh and Eighth of Steiner’s main Journal für Harmonie, which their oppressor. from Egmont’s final vision of Clara, the suite Symphonies, giving equal prominence to concentrated on the more usual fare of concludes with the victory music as it the orchestral score and parts and to opera and ballet arrangements. The Egmont overture became popular as a appears in Starke’s seng of the overture. arrangements for 9-part Harmonie, piano Harmoniemusik versions of significant concert piece, and this Harmonie version, and strings. However, only a single copy instrumental works such as symphonies made by Friedrich Starke, was issued in The Sonata Pathéque and Seventh Symphony of the wind arrangement of the Seventh were not unheard of prior to this, but 1812. Before seling in Vienna in 1810, Symphony is extant, and none of the Eighth these sengs of Beethoven’s works Starke was a travelling horn player and Like the Egmont Overture, the Chemische represent a significantly more ambious regimental Kapellmeister. He soon became Druckerei arrangements of Beethoven’s Starke’s Egmont arrangement is quite faithful undertaking and arguably show nine-part a close acquaintance of Beethoven, who Seventh Symphony and Sonata Pathéque to the original work, but the arrangements Viennese Harmoniemusik in its most admired his playing and entrusted him with were probably movated by the popularity of the symphony and the sonata are very advanced stage of development. the musical educaon of his nephew, Karl. of the original works. The ‘Harmonie … different from each other, as also is their A prolific arranger, Starke’s version of the arrangé de Sonata Patheque’ was first relaonship to their ‘other’, original versions. Egmont Overture and Incidental Music Egmont overture is very effecve, showing adversed by Steiner in 1810, with no Both change the key-relaonships between a strong understanding of the idiom and arranger aributed, and over a decade aer the movements: the symphony transposes Beethoven composed his overture and the capabilies of the instruments. the first publicaon of the piano version. the first, second and fourth movements incidental music for Goethe’s Egmont in Arrangements usually appeared when a down from A to G but the keeps the third in 1810 against the backdrop of Napoleon’s The Egmont incidental music was not work was sll fresh and new, so this its original key of F; the sonata keeps the second occupaon of Vienna, and it is easy published during Beethoven’s lifeme, which unusually long interval is testament to the original key of the outer movements (C minor), but moves the middle one up a tone from technical capabilies of the instruments to adding new countersubjects and bass notes Two factors are crucial to understanding A-flat to B-flat. In both cases this puts the their limits, and indeed somemes beyond: and filling out the harmony. Most audacious why Steiner, who made such strong claims majority of the music into more comfortable for instance the part for Grand Fagoo plays are the changes to the slow movement, for the fidelity of his arrangements, should keys for the woodwinds, and allows the use almost connuously and uses a low B-flat in where the arranger adds an upbeat to publish such free interpretaons. The first of more flexible and versale horn crooks, ways that would not have been possible on highlight the horn solo and weaves a is that in the early nineteenth century, but it also alters our percepons of the contemporary instruments. For this reason, delicate filigree around Beethoven’s musicians considered their responsibility pieces. we use a double bass rather than a famous theme. Though technically to be to the spirit of a musical work, not contrabassoon, as many historical challenging, especially on instruments of its text. Secondly, we know that Beethoven The arrangement of the symphony omits Harmonien did. the period, the highly idiomac approach told Steiner arrangements of his works some musical material, possibly in order to shows a great deal of knowledge about ‘must all be checked by me and, wherever avoid tonalies that were simply too difficult The change in sonority from orchestra to the workings of wind instruments. The necessary, corrected’. It is certain that for wind instruments, and perhaps to make Harmonie demands a reconsideraon of result is extremely virtuosic ensemble Beethoven was aware of these the long piece shorter and less physically the character of the music. Wagner’s wring, in parcular exploing the arrangements, highly likely that he demanding. The first and second movements descripon of the seventh symphony as possibilies of the natural horn for sanconed them, and possible that he are complete except for the omission of a ‘the apotheosis of the dance’ has coloured colour and drama. looked over them before publicaon. single bar in the coda of the second views of the work since the mid-nineteenth There even remains the tantalising movement, a change we have preserved. century, but in the 1810s it is much more The extreme liberes taken with these two possibility that he had a hand in them The third movement, however, is likely to have been associated with works prompt the queson of who is himself, but in the absence of manuscript truncated into a tradional 3-part structure, heightened emoons of military conflict, responsible for them. Wenzel Sedlak score or leers we can never know for sure. oming Beethoven's extended extra parcularly given the context of its (1776–1851) has been convincingly repeat of the enre scherzo and trio. The premiere. The noon of it as another kind associated with the symphony by last movement is rather more heavily of ‘bale symphony’ provided a pretext for several writers: the oboe, clarinet and abridged, but the form of the orchestral us to re-interpret the music in a way that horn wring certainly matches the style version means that a lengthy middle embraces the robust and varied colour of Sedlak’s known arrangements. Georg secon can be omied whilst sll palee of the Harmonie, rather than Druschetzky (1745–1819) has been linked retaining the feeling of a modified rondo. striving to imitate the orchestral original. to the Pathéque, but the evidence is circumstanal and the style of arranging Though the arranger of the symphony As in the symphony, the arranger of the and instrumental wring differs from his 1 Intelligenz-Bla zur Allgemeine musikalische skilfully distributes almost all of the musical Sonata Pathéque makes significant normal pracce. Sedlak is also unlikely Zeitung VI, January 1804, 25-27. lines of the original work amongst the changes, but rather than omit difficult here for similar reasons. Starke is a 2 Wiener Zeitung, 30 May 1810, 60. woodwind of the Harmonie, the resulng material, they completely re-compose enre stronger possibility, and he certainly had 3 Beethoven to Steiner, 1 February 1815. arrangement is exceponally taxing in terms secons, even in one instance adding new the skill in wring for the horn that is The Leers of Beethoven, vol. II:495, Emily of physical stamina. It also pushes the bars. They also expand the middle textures, shown here. Anderson, editor & translator. London: Macmillan, 1961. Boxwood & Brass

Established in 2013, Boxwood & Brass is a group of exceponal period wind players specialising in the wind chamber music and Harmoniemusik of the Classical and early-Romanc periods. Boxwood & Brass’s members perform with the world’s leading period-instrument orchestras, including the Orchestre Révoluonnaire et Romanque, Academy of Ancient Music, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, and Bach Collegium Japan. Boxwood & Brass’s concert appearances include the Holywell Music Rooms, St John’s Smith Square, and the York Early Music Fesval, and they have broadcast numerous mes on BBC Radio 3. The group is ensemble-in-associaon at the University of Huddersfield. Boxwood & Brass have previously released Music for a Prussian Salon (2016) and Beethoven Transformed Vol. 1 (2019) on Resonus Classics to unanimous crical praise. www.boxwoodandbrass.co.uk More titles from Resonus Classics Performing materials Acknowledgements Music for a Prussian Salon: Franz Tausch in Context All works edited and prepared by Robert Boxwood & Brass are very grateful to all our Boxwood & Brass supporters for funding this recording, in parcular: RES10177 Percival from original sources. The University of Huddersfield John Abramson ‘[...] virtuoso writing for each instrument, Instruments Peter Chapman performed with spirit and vigour’ Amanda Claridge Gramophone Rachel Chaplin oboe (Richard Earl Nir Cohen-Shalit aer J. F. Floth, Dresden, 1807) Mahew Dart Steven Devine Nicola Barbagli oboe (Richard Earl Penelope Dossor aer J. F. Floth, Dresden 1807) Ausn Glahorn Emily Worthington clarinet (Peter van der William Goldsmith Beethoven Transformed, Volume 1 Poel aer H. Grenser, Dresden c.1810) Trevor Grant Boxwood & Brass Fiona Mitchell clarinet (Guy Cowley aer Anthony Halstead RES10249 H. Grenser, Dresden c.1810) Jonathan Julyan Craig Kridel ‘[...] the distinctive sounds of their period Robert Percival bassoon (Peter de Koningh Jeremy Lawrence instruments help to bring this music vividly to life. aer H. Grenser, Dresden c.1810) Ian H. Learner I have enjoyed very much both of the previous Takako Kunugi bassoon (Peter de Koningh John Mason aer H. Grenser, Dresden c.1810) Sandra McColl CDs by this enterprising group, and await with interest the continuation of this promising series. Anneke Sco natural horn (M.-A. Raoux, Toby Miller Early Music Review Paris c.1820) R. Mounord Andreas Parmerud Kate Goldsmith natural horn (Courtois Carl Rosman neveu aîné, Paris c.1820, kindly Fiona Russell and Jeremy Garside © 2020 Resonus Limited loaned by the Bate Collecon) Paul Sharrock è 2020 Resonus Limited Jacqueline Dossor double bass (Anonymous, Recorded at the Naonal Centre for Early Music, York on 3–5 February 2019 Northern Italy, likely Bologna, c.1740) Our thanks also to the following people: Producer, engineer & editor: Adam Binks with assistance from Steven Devine Delma Tomlin and all at the Naonal Centre Session photography © Resonus Limited for Early Music; Andy Lamb and the Bate Collecon; Recorded at 24-bit/96kHz resolution University of Oxford, for allowing us to use their Cover image and photography: Tom Bowles Courtois neveu aîné horn; Peter and Yvonne Seymour; RESONUS LIMITED – UK Clare and Lawrence Brown; and Jan Flowerdew for providing accommodaon during the recording. [email protected] www.resonusclassics.com RES10270