Walter Braunfels Childhood and Youth

Walter Braunfels: Childhood/Youth “The whole of Munich is also saturated with artistic creativity…” by Katrin Pollems English translation by Maroula Blades and Joerg Heinrich Walter Braunfels’ family came from Frankfurt. His father, the jurist and ‘the man of letters’ Ludwig Braunfels, had in his second marriage with the 32 year younger Helene Spohr, a great-niece of the composer Louis Spohr, four children. Walter Braunfels was born on 19.12.1882. He was the youngest. When he was only three years old, his father died at the age of 75. His childhood was primarily determined by the musical world of his mother. Vocally talented, the mother had played with Liszt, the older sister Tilli was a pupil at famous Hochschen Conservatory in Frankfurt, studying under Clara Schumann and others. As a child Walter Braunfels musical talent was recognised at an early stage. He remembers “already with seven years he played the Bach’s Inventions off by heart and a little later Suites and Partites.” 1 But later he found his ability to read notes and to play from musical scores insufficient, that’s why his mother ‘searched’ a way through, “to overcome my resistance to systematic studying. She read to me, how much Mozart had to practice, yes and how his father tied him to the piano chair if he didn’t want to practice sufficiently, whereupon I rudely declared: ‘But I don’t want to be a Mozart.’ ” 2 He rather loves to improvise on the piano and to compose modest lyrical pieces. At the age of twelve he is accepted as a student at the Hochschen Conservatory and a pupil of James Kwast. “Often we were allowed to publicly play on two pianos, like a Clementi-Sonata, and then Bach’s C-Major-Concert, and we were just too mischievous, not to make a joy out of it, that one after the other came in after about one and a half bars and then we played that atonal construction through with military rage.” 3 One evening as James Kwast spoke about his daughter to Walter Braunfels: “Think about it, now Mimi has eloped with Pfitzner,” he feels especially touched, “that this man not only made romantic music, but also began his life so romantically.” 4 This is the beginning of a great and mutual respect from both composers. Pfitzner performs works from Walter Braunfels. After one performance of the “Vögel” (“Birds”) he wrote: “Thank God, you still write music.” 5 Braunfels becomes a committee member in 1918 in the Hans Pftizner Organisation, which was founded by Thomas Mann Pfitzner and later introduced under others the Cologne premier of Pfitzner’s “Christelflein.” The humanitarian high school enriched Walter Braunfels musical world. He rearranges the Roland-Saga to an opera libretto and translates Greek dramas. Already his father created the translation of “Don Quixote” and the “Nibelungenliedes,” which is still valid today. In 1921 it appears to the composer, as his own librettist, as still “never possible to compose a ‘finished’ text, the word forms itself to me only in the moment of musical growth. Only then it submits itself to the music in contrary to the dramatic liveliness of the opera.” 6 In his work dominates the setting of lyrics to music, which he often changes. Unlike Richard Strauss, he does not find a congenial librettist like Hugo von Hofmansthal, which is why he chooses works from world literature from different epochs as a presentation for his operas. Beside Artisophanes (“Die Vögel”–“The Birds”), Tirso de Molina (“Don Gil von den grünen Hosen”–“Don Gil from the green trousers”) and de Coster (“Ulenspiegel”), he is occupied with E.T.A Hoffmann (“Prinzessin Brambilla”–“Princess Brambilla”), Grillparzer (“Der Traum ein Leben”–“The Dream one Life”) and Paul Chaudel (“Verkündigung”–“Proclamation”). The whole artistic storms and urges of the youth ends curiously in the knowledge at seventeen years old: “possibly I am already talented enough to become a good musician, but the music is not beautiful enough to dedicate the life to.” 7 And so after he passes his six form examinations, he decides to study law and national economics – to give his life a “more world facing direction.” Walter Braunfels as a student in Munich (about 1902) He goes to Munich in the summer term of 1901. He already dispels the fears of his mother in one of the first letters: “Such a young fellow in such a large foreign city, that perhaps must seem strange. But look, Munich may have the size of London, I might not know a soul closer here and I would immediately feel at home here anyway. For the highest goddess of the Munich society, the informality in knowing how to lull the worst homesickness of a youth driven from distant shores by soothing and sprinkling balsam into the deepest wounds of the soul…” 8 The Munich of the prince regent time “shined”… Many windows are open, and out of many, music vibrates on the streets, exercises on the piano, the violin or the violoncello, sincere and well-meant amateur efforts. But in the ‘Odeon’, like one hears, there are serious studies on numerous grand pianos. Young people, that are whistling the Nothung-Motive and in the evening filling the back of the modern playhouse, carrying literary newspapers in the side pockets of their jackets, wander in and out of the university and the city library.” 9 It is the heyday of the city as a city of art, which is described in the famous first line of Thomas Manns narration “Gladius Dei” published in 1902. Walter Braunfels eagerly falls into the realm of music and theatre life of the city and outlines in long, spontaneous letters to hismother, the fascination of the art- drenched atmosphere for the recipient. Only on direct enquires from his mother, he dutifully reports about his studies; his accounts concerning theatre and concert impressions read much more enthusiastically with its entire impartiality, the judgement is formed rashly sometimes, but often it does not take itself too seriously: “It followed Richard Strauss ‘Tod und Verklärung’ (‘Death and Transfiguration’), from his symphonic works so far as I know them, definitely the most important. It has parts that are so ingeniously felt in truth, one is really stunned. On one place like the last struggle from death’s already firm packed body, as the last gurgled pain-rattle of the dying is painted in tones, I believe I would sink unconsciously from the chair, if I would not have such a good nature…” 10 Beside the studies he resumes an arrangement of the Oedipus material and composes the first songs. He represents a friend as music critic, what makes his reports home somewhat more differentiated, but none the less drastic. “Monday: Kaim Concert. The newest Marter-Symphony from Mahler, which he conducts himself. The 1 st set: After the instruments have thoroughly attempted all positions of the highs and lows, it comes as a rising leitmotif (notes following with signature Margarethe) led by popular songs which are instantly pleasant. At the 2 nd set the ‘Scherzo’ I had the opportunity to observe on a woman who sat in front of me, wearing a low décolleté, how it looks when someone experiences tingles down the spine. 3 rd set Mozart-like in character with R. Strausscher over orchestration, the final set mainly engages a very simple poem out of the “Knaben Wunderhorn,” which a Viennese female vocalist with a sweet glib tongue very charmingly performed. The whole work took 50 minutes, the artistic mob cried with delight over this ‘feat’, and I have never had in my life such bliss.” 11 He began again to make a great deal of music. Braunfels is introduced into the society and enjoys the reputation, which is acknowledged through his musicality and his over extravagant playing lust. “On Sunday there was a great dinner from Hofrat Schmidt. Naturally I had to play. The people were so satisfied and begged so often for more [and they meant it seriously, that I could finally remembered the following programme 1) Fantasy and Fugue G-minor, Bach 2) Ballad from Brahms 3) 2 Etudes from Chopin] Fantasy over Nibelungs 5) Rhapsody from Liszt 6) Fantasy over the bell ( … ) But the final effect still had to come. I don’t know how, but the conversation came to the magnificent: ‘Alle meine Entchen…’ (A German nursery rhyme). There my host teased me: When you can do something, you should fantasize over it.” At the Munich Artists Theatre Walter Braunfels introduced himself as a stage composer – with his music to Shakespeare’s “Was ihr wollt”. Here is a backdrop sketch, which Julius Diez created for the then production (1908). That appealed to my sense of honour and I managed to bring the best fantasy to life, from Bach to Richard Strauss – an exalted hymn on it! – how everything in the world connects. The guests appeared to be somewhat baffled. They chattered excessively. Only a very charming son of the house stood glumly in a corner and sighed: Now I can’t hear anymore: ‘Now everyone thank God,’ without thinking about ‘Alle meine Entchen’. That is decisively painful for a religious soul.” 12 Walter Braunfels was one of last pianists, who ended his piano evenings with a theme given by the audience over which he freely improvised. Many of his later orchestral works, which had themes developing in free variation form, are full of passion for virtuosic improvisation. In 1902 he broke loose innerly from the overheated Munich atmosphere and forced the decision upon himself to leave the city: “Munich is a very beautiful episode in my life.

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