ROBERT SCHUMANN Complete Symphonic Works VOL. III

OREN SHEVLIN WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln HEINZ HOLLIGER ROBERT SCHUMANN Complete Symphonic Works • Vol. III recording date: April 8-11, 2013 Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129 23:59 I. Nicht zu schnell 11:51 II. Langsam 4:08 P Eine Produktion des Westdeutschen Rundfunks Köln, 2013 lizenziert durch die WDR mediagroup GmbH III. Sehr lebhaft 8:00 recording location: Köln, Philharmonie executive producer (WDR): Siegwald Bütow recording producer & editing: Günther Wollersheim Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120 recording engineer: Brigitte Angerhausen (revised version 1851) 28:56 Recording assistant: Astrid Großmann I. Ziemlich langsam. Lebhaft 10:25 photos: Oren Shevlin (page 8): Neda Navaee II. Romanze. Ziemlich langsam 3:57 Heinz Holliger (page 10): Julieta Schildknecht III. Scherzo. Lebhaft 6:45 WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln (page 5): WDR Thomas Kost IV. Langsam. Lebhaft 7:49 WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln (page 9): Mischa Salevic front illustration: ‘Mondaufgang am Meer’ Caspar David Friedrich art direction and design: AB•Design executive producer (audite): Dipl.-Tonmeister Ludger Böckenhoff OREN SHEVLIN e-mail: [email protected] • http: //www.audite.de WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln © 2014 Ludger Böckenhoff HEINZ HOLLIGER Remembering, Narrating Schumann’s Cello Concerto contains movements are recalled in the same way the same in another: only the material is On 2 September 1848 Robert Schumann many recollections of Mendelssohn. It as Beethoven had done in his Ninth Sym- different”. Schumann noted this maxim no composed a piece for piano and called opens with three wind chords similar phony. Schumann also referred to his own later than 1834, at the age of twenty-four, it Erinnerung [recollection], inserting to those in the overtures to A Midsum- works: in the transition from the fi rst to the and he followed it in his ideal of musical the subtitle “4. November 1847”. This mer Night’s Dream and Ruy Blas. Imme- second movement he quotes a song-like poetry and in the many literary references date was the day of Felix Mendelssohn’s diately after that, the solo instrument motif from his Piano Sonata in G minor, permeating his piano oeuvre ever since his death. His fi rst “Song without words”, makes an appearance over a lilting string Op. 22, the lyrical secondary idea from the Papillons Op. 2. The new element in 1850 the prototype of poetic Romantic piano accompaniment in the manner of Men- last movement. As in the Piano Concerto, is Schumann’s wealth of experience, both pieces, makes an appearance in Schu- delssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. the soloist looks for, and fi nds, dialogue as a composer and as a performer, which mann’s small memorial work. Two years The three movements merge into one partners from the orchestra; in the slow he can utilise for his open aesthetics; new, later, Schumann and his family moved to another, as is also the case in Men- movement, this is his “alter ego”, the prin- particularly, are his partly encouraging, Düsseldorf: he had been appointed music delssohn’s Piano Concerto in G minor. cipal cello from the ensemble, as well as partly sobering and disappointing experi- director of the city where Mendelssohn The fi rst theme, introduced by the solo- his counterpart in the woodwind section, ences with his dramatic works, notably had worked just over one and a half dec- ist, almost becomes an “idée fi xe” for the bassoon. Schumann continues this lin- his Scenes from Goethe’s Faust which he ades previously. On Thursday, 24 Octo- the entire work: it dominates the fi rst guistic approach to communication: for- produced in several bursts, and his opera ber 1850 Schumann conducted his fi rst movement, reappears in the transition mally defi ning passages are constructed as Genoveva, based on the eponymous play programme. This included Mendelssohn’s to the last movement and then emerges recitatives, as instrumental Sprech gesang. by Friedrich Hebbel. Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 25, with in the middle of the fi nale. Across vari- The composer seeks out the proximity to An example of these moments of the- Schumann’s wife Clara as soloist. On ous transformational stages, it comes literature, and to the art of narration and atrical consciousness is the transforma- that day he noted in his diary: “Finished very close to the principal theme of lyrical stylisation, and not only in his songs, tion which the work’s three opening the cello concerto.” He had worked on Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony which but also in his instrumental works, in their chords undergo during the course of this piece, which was to appear in print Schumann had reviewed extensively in his form as well as their diction. the concerto. In the fi rst instance, they in 1854 as his opus 129, for exactly two Neue Zeitschrift für Musik. The vicinity to poetry is nothing new herald special occurrences: the opening weeks. During these fourteen days, he The theme of musical reminiscences in Schumann: from the beginning, this main theme, then the fi rst entry of the had also studied Mendelssohn’s score and goes further: before the beginning of the formed a crucial component of his musi- full orchestra leading into the secondary Clara had practiced the solo part. fi nale, the main themes of the previous cal thinking. “The aesthetics of one art are theme, then the transformed reappear- ance of the opening section, and fi nally, ture – with one single exception: there, immediately before the quote from the the fi nale lunges out of the slow inter- piano sonata, the transition into the sec- mezzo with a breakthrough to A major; ond movement. After the beginning of the here, the major tonality comes during the fi nale, however, they become a compo- course of the fi nale, and when it does, it is nent of the theme: they no longer refer not so much a breakthrough but a process to something else, but morph into the which one can identify by its result rather main issue themselves. Finally, the musi- than by its spectacular beginning. cal structure features discreet traces of The move to Düsseldorf marked a sublimated theatrical thinking. In the cello new era for Schumann: not only did the concerto, not only the soloist appears as a forty-year-old, for the fi rst time in his life, protagonist, but, in a metaphorical sense, take on a salaried leading role of a civic also the theme with which the soloist is music institution, but the year 1850 also introduced. It undergoes metamorpho- represented a caesura in his career as a ses, impacts on its environment – the composer. Until then, he had tackled all orchestra – at the same time reacting to principal musical genres in a methodical it. The work focuses on interaction rather approach. The years between 1840 and than confrontation between the individual 1850 are generally labelled by the genres and the collective. The stylisation of dra- that he placed on centre stage: the song matic situations and developments, the year of 1840 was followed by the sym- differentiation of musical communication phony year (1841) and the chamber music (melody, declamation and gesture) and year (1842); 1843 and 1844 were dedi- the interlocking of the three movements cated to the oratorio, in 1844 he studied far exceed what Schumann had achieved the Art of Fugue, whilst he completed the fi ve years previously in his piano concerto piano concerto in its fi nal three-move- which has the same layout of key struc- ment form in 1845, and 1846/47 were OREN SHEVLIN

mostly reserved for his opera project. another sensation: both Clara Schumann for a decade before Schumann again took symphony this also results in the urging In 1850 he had completed his explora- and Franz Liszt appeared in it, together it up in December 1851 in order to write quasi-narrative impetus being restrained tion of musical genres. Schumann had and individually – “she, the consummate out a new score. In the process, he heav- and thus the revolutionary aspect of the reached a new level of refl ection in his mistress, with him, who bears the name ily revised the work. through-composed concept being mod- work; he examined his musical language ‘King of the Piano’”, the Leipziger Allge- He did not touch the basic struc- erated. and its poetic basis, he extended his intel- meine Zeitung enthused. This eclipsed ture, retaining the one movement for- Listening to both versions, the changes lectual inventory to include fundamental everything else, including novelties writ- mat which nonetheless contains all four in instrumentation, particularly in the questions of aesthetics: the relation- ten by Schumann, even though the same customary movement types of a sym- outer movements, immediately become ship between immediacy and stylisation, reviewer praisingly commented on the phony. However, he shifted the accents apparent. It is probably fair to assume direct and indirect speech in music and – symphony that he was left “undecided in the relationship between tradition and that the reason for these was not just again – the question of reciprocal perme- whether the powerful invention or the innovation by way of seemingly minor a change in Schumann’s sound ideals. ability in musical genres. mastery of instrumentation, particularly adjustments: he extended the transition Johannes Brahms made a pertinent com- in the Romanze and the Scherzo, should into the fi nale and, before its beginning, ment with regard to this. He preferred The second version of be admired more”. Nonetheless, the inserted a “tension fermata” – by halting the fi rst version, concurring with Schu- the D minor Symphony response from the press remained mea- the proceedings for a moment, it her- mann’s dictum of 1834: “The fi rst concep- Schumann’s period of review and refl ec- gre; the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, which alds the appearance of something new, tion is always the best and most natural. tion in Düsseldorf also included revis- Schumann himself had founded in 1834 accentuating the structure rather than The mind errs, emotions do not.” (The ing his D minor Symphony which was and which he had published as chief editor the continual fl ow of the work. This cor- composer who, at one point, had wanted the second “valid” one to be composed for ten years, printed only a short notice, responds to another decision: in keeping to become a poet, put these words into in 1841. At and after its première it had whereas reviews of other works were with tradition, Schumann repeats the the mouth of Meister Raro who, as a not met with the anticipated level of markedly more extensive; Schumann did fi rst section, which presents the themes, member of the imaginary Davidsbund, recognition. That was mostly due to the not want to be accused of self-publicity. in the outer movements. In his fi rst ver- arbitrated between the contrasting tem- circumstances of the concert at the Leip- Both Leipzig music publishers, Breitkopf sion, he had dispensed with this struc- peraments of Florestan and Eusebius as a zig Gewandhaus on 6 December 1841 – und Härtel and C.F. Peters, decided not tural principle. The fact that he generally wise and experienced authority.) When the occasion at which it was performed to publish the work for economic rea- prescribed slower tempi matches a con- it came to publishing the D minor Sym- for the first time. It was dominated by sons, so it was to remain in the drawer sistent tendency of his in the 1850s; in the phony as part of the complete edition, Brahms wrote to Clara Schumann – who and deleted them at others. The fi nale, quashed and scattered; life had moved literarisation of musical form – he did was championing the revised version – for instance, was placed directly after an on to an era of whitewashed restoration. not deem it obsolete, as is proved by the in December 1889: “I fi nd it enchant- advanced developmental stage of the fi rst With his concept of a work whose move- composition of his cello concerto which ing how the lovely work immediately movement, as though it was picking up a ments run into one another, forming a he completed around one year before the appeared in charming, appropriate garb. thread dropped earlier. In the revision, he dramatic or narrative continuum, Schu- revision of the D minor Symphony. The Why did Schumann later drape it so included the soaring motif in this context, mann came very close to Liszt’s ideal of references to Mendelssohn in this work heavily? His bad Düsseldorf orchestra with which he opened the fast main sec- the symphonic poem. However, in con- also show that Schumann re-interpreted may have duped him into doing that.” In tion of the fi rst movement following the trast to the latter, Schumann rejected the larger-scale, multi-part forms such as his instrumentation, Schumann took into slow introduction. With this, he empha- a clarifying programme in words as this the concer to and the symphony as “narra- account the sound and possibilities of the sised the structural symphonic element, would constrain the music and its per- tions without words”, as it were, regard- orchestras he knew and with whom he the new approach in contrast to the suc- ception. In 1841 Liszt’s tone poems were ing them as bigger siblings of the “songs worked.1 The Düsseldorf ensemble was ceeding continuation. dreams of the future, for they did not without words”. According to Schumann, not exclusively made up of professionals Comparing the two versions, one yet exist. In 1851 his advocates declared neither genre required explanatory liter- but also of good amateurs; it seems likely might feel like Eusebius in the fi ctional them to be the music of the future. Schu- ary programmes to elucidate the poetic that he sometimes gave an important line dialogue of the three Davidsbündler, mann, who held Liszt in high esteem (a and dramatic content. to several instruments as a safety meas- noted down by Schumann in 1834: “Two feeling that was reciprocated by the ure. Brahms’ comment, however, cannot variants can often be of the same value.” other composer), feared that a decision Habakuk Traber be the sole explanation for the “thicker” They were written at different times. The for programme music might lead to an Translation: Viola Scheffel instrumentation, not least because, in original composition was written during aesthetic short circuit between the arts. his revision, Schumann made some pas- the Vormärz (i.e. the period leading up The fact that, in his revision, he discreetly sages more transparent. It also does to the March Revolution of 1848 in the reinforced the traditional aspects of the not explain why the composer clarifi es states of the German Confederation); the genre, was also a reaction to the New thematic references at certain points, manner in which literary techniques are German School who, at this point, set exploited for musical means is pioneer- the tone in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik 1 For further information on this topic please see book- let of audite 97.678, Vol. 2 of the WDR Sinfonieorches- ing. In 1851, however, the aspirations of which Schumann had founded. However, ter’s complete Schumann recording. the March Revolution of 1848 had been once he had found the concept – i.e. the OREN SHEVLIN

Oren Shevlin was born in 1969 in Oldham, England. He studied at Chethams School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and completed his studies at the Guildhall School of Music, London, and at the Hochschule für Musik, Cologne, graduating both times with the highest honours. His teachers were Raphael Sommer, Boris Pergamenschikow and Frans Helmerson. Oren Shevlin won 2nd Prize at the Interna tional Paulo Cello Competition in Helsinki in 1996 as well as at the Rostro po vich Cello Com pe ti tion in Paris with the 2nd Grand Prix in 2001. With his duo part ner, Mariko Ashi kawa, he was also a prize-win ner at the ARD International Compe tition Munich in the category Cello-Piano Duo in 1992. Oren Shevlin has been principal cellist of the WDR Sinfonieorchester since 1998. In ad- dition to giving numerous solo performances with the WDR Sinfonieorchester he has also performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Finnish Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philhar- monic, Kölner Kammerorchester, Deutsche Kammeraka demie Neuss, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de France and the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln. As a soloist Oren Shev- lin has collaborated with numerous conductors including Sir André Previn, Eliahu Inbal, Peter Rundel, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Christoph Eschenbach, Emilio Pomarico and Oliver Knussen. He has appeared several times at the Wigmore Hall in London. Being also an enthusiastic chamber musician Oren Shevlin regularly performs with his piano trio, the Shevlin Trio. Moreover his chamber music partners have included artists such as Pinchas Zukerman, Fazil Say, Renaud Capucon, Christian Gerhaher, and the Auryn quartet. Oren Shevlin is a founding member of the “Kammermusik für Köln” chamber concert series. He plays a Matteo Goffriller (1730) and a very rare John Frederick Lott cello (1850) – on which the present recording of the Schumann Cello Concerto was made. WDR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA COLOGNE conductors such as Fritz Busch, Erich Kleiber, Otto Klemperer, Karl Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, Günter Wand, Sir Georg Solti, Sir André Previn, Lorin Maazel, Claudio The WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne was formed in 1947 as part of the then Abbado and Zubin Mehta have performed with the orchestra. The WDR Symphony North West German Radio (NWDR) and nowadays belongs to the West German Orchestra tours regularly in all European countries, in North and South America and Radio (WDR). Principal conductors were Christoph von Dohnányi, Zdenek Macal, in Asia. Since the season 2010/2011 Jukka-Pekka Saraste is the Chief Conductor of Hiroshi Wakasugi, Gary Bertini, Hans Vonk and Semyon Bychkov. Celebrated guest the orchestra. HEINZ HOLLIGER

Heinz Holliger is one of the most versatile and extraordinary musical personalities of our time. He was born in Langenthal, Switzerland, and studied in Bern, Paris and Basel (oboe with Emile Cassagnaud and Pierre Pierlot, piano with Sava Savoff and Yvonne Lefébure and composition with Sándor Veress and Pierre Boulez). After taking fi rst prizes in the international competitions in Geneva and Munich, Mr. Holliger began an incomparable international career that has taken him to the great musical centres on fi ve continents. Exploring both composition and performance, he has extended the technical possibilities of his instrument while deeply committing himself to contemporary music. Some of the most important composers of the present day have dedicated works to Mr. Holliger. As a conductor, Heinz Holliger has worked for many years with leading orchestras and ensembles worldwide. The artist’s many honours and prizes include the Composer’s Prize of the Swiss Musician’s Association, the City of Copenhagen’s Léonie Sonning Prize for Music, the Art Prize of the City of Basel, the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize, the City of Frankfurt’s Music Prize, the Abbiati Prize at the Venice Biennale, an honorary doctor- ate from the University of Zürich, a Zürich Festival Prize and the Rheingau Music Prize, as well as awards for recordings; the Diapason d’Or, the Midem Classical Award, the Edison Award, the Grand Prix du Disque, among others. Heinz Holliger is in high demand as a composer. His opera on Robert Walser’s “Schneewittchen” at the Zürich Opera House received great international acclaim. Other major works are the Scardanelli Cycle and the Violin Concerto.