R. STRAUSS MACBETH Tone Poem Tondichtung Op

Edition Eulenburg No. 441

R. STRAUSS MACBETH Tone Poem Tondichtung Op. 23

Eulenburg RICHARD STRAUSS MACBETH Tone Poem Tondichtung Op. 23

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Preface ...... III Vorwort ...... IX Préface ...... XV Macbeth ...... 1

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Ernst Eulenburg Ltd 48 Great Marlborough Street London W1F 7BB PREFACE

If we exclude the early ‘symphonic fantasy’ Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony (1808) and Aus Italien and the two large-scale orchestral Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique (1831), but works with ‘symphony’ in their title (Domestic the true ancestors of the Straussian tone poem and Alpine), Richard Strauss wrote seven tone were the more concise, one-movement works poems1 between 1886 and 1898, that is be- officially designated ‘overtures’ – Beethoven’s tween the age of 22 and 34. Six of these are in Egmont (1809), Coriolan (1807) and Leonore the regular repertoire of the world’s leading No. 3 (1806), Mendels sohn’s Hebrides (1830) symphony orchestras. The brilliance of their and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1826). scoring, the memorability of their melodies and Schumann’s concert overtures were in this line, the immediacy of their impact commend them emulated half a century later by Elgar in Frois- to audiences, performers and conductors alike. sart (1890), Cockaigne (1901) and In the South When they were new, they outraged conven- (1904). The chief developer of the genre, how- tional opinion. Today, when they are generally ever, was Liszt, who composed two pro- regarded as romantic classics, they still arouse gramme symphonies, the Faust and the Dante, controversy between those who rank Strauss as and a series of 12 one-movement symphonic a great composer and those who find him poems (his own term) while he was at Weimar flawed by spiritual and aesthetic deficiencies, between 1848 and 1861. Liszt’s symphonic a cynical manipulator of listeners (most of poems, which include Les Préludes (1848), whom are only too willing and happy to be ma- Mazeppa (1851), Die Ideale (1857) and Or- nipulated by such a master). pheus (1854), are less descriptive than The heyday of the symphonic poem lasted Strauss’s; his use of the epithet ‘symphonic’ is about 70 years, from 1850 to 1920. Briefly, the the clue to his aim to give a binding inner sym- symphonic poem is the most concentrated phonic logic and thematic development to his manifestation of programme music, that is, single-movement structures, however loosely music which tells a story or is deliberately de- episodic their outward form. scriptive. The symphonic poem chimed in per- Liszt’s example was followed more enthu- fectly with the Romantic’s wish for interrela- siastically in Bohemia, Russia and France than in tionship of all the arts and especially the inter- Germany, with outstanding contributions to the action of music and literature. Thus the drama repertoire by Smetana, Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, of the opera house was imported into the con- Saint-Saëns, Franck, Dukas, and Debussy, cert hall. In addition, the invention, develop- amongst others. In Germany, however, only a ment and improvement of instruments, and the handful of composers trod this Lisztian path consequent enlargement of the symphony or- and it did not include the giants Wagner and chestra, with the widening and intensifying of Brahms, nor Bruckner and Mahler. In 1885 its expressive capabilities, encouraged com- Hugo Wolf completed his Penthesilea; from posers to attain a more sophisticated and com- Schoenberg in 1899 there came Verklärte Nacht plex style. Not only could the sounds of nature and Pelleas und Melisande in 1902–3. The be imitated in music, but the characters of men minor figure Alexander Ritter (1833–96), who and women, their ideals and emotions, could married Wagner’s niece and worked with Liszt, be described. The two works which advanced wrote several Lisztian tone poems. Ritter was the range of programme music were an orchestral violinist, and it was while he was at Meiningen playing under his friend Hans 1 ‘Tone poem’ (Tondichtung) was the term Strauss himself von Bülow that he met the 21-year-old Richard coined and which he preferred to ‘symphonic poem’ IV Strauss who, in 1885, had been invited by Bülow fest, conducted by Strauss. Recording: Orchester to be his assistant conductor. Strauss was brought der Staatsoper Berlin (1926). up in a strictly classical tradition. His early works Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, nach alter Schelmen- are in line of descent from Schumann and weise in Rondeauform für grosses Orchester ge- Mendelssohn. His father, principal horn player setzt (Till Eulenspiegel’s merry pranks, after an old rogue’s tale, set in rondo form for large or- in the Munich Court Orchestra for 42 years chestra), Op. 28, 1894–5. First performance: from 1847–89, detested Wagner as man and Cologne, Gürzenich concert, 5 November 1895, musician and hoped his son would do likewise. Cologne Gürzenich City Orchestra, conducted When Strauss went to Meiningen he was in the by Franz Wüllner. Recording: Orchester der full flush of Brahms-worship. But Ritter changed Staatsoper Berlin (1929). all that. He urged Strauss to follow Berlioz, Liszt Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus spake Zarathustra), and Wagner in developing the expressive ele- Op. 30, tone poem freely after Nietzsche, 1894–6. ment in music. Under Ritter’s influence he was First performance: Frankfurt, 27 November 1896, introduced to Wagner’s writings and to the phi- Frankfurt Museum City Orchestra, conducted by losophy of Schopenhauer. To quote Strauss on Strauss. this period of his development: Don Quixote, introduzione, tema con variazioni, finale. Fantastische Variationen über ein Thema ritter- New ideas must seek out new forms for themselves: lichen Charakters (Fantastic Variations on a the basic principle adopted by Liszt in his sym- theme of Knightly Character), Op. 35, 1896–7. phonic works, in which the poetic idea really did act First performance: Cologne, Gürzenich concert, simultaneously as the structural element, became 8 March 1898, Cologne Gürzenich City Orche- from then onwards the guideline for my own sym- stra, conducted by Franz Wüllner (solo cellist phonic works.2 Friedrich Grützmacher). Recording: Orchester der Staatsoper Berlin, with Enrico Mainardi Strauss’s tone poems (whether or not they are (cello), Karl Reits (viola) (1933). so described on their respective title-pages) Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life), Op. 40, tone poem, may be usefully listed here in chronological 1897–8. First performance: Frankfurt, 3 March order and with details of first performances, 1899, Frankfurt Museum City Orchestra, con- and subsequent recordings conducted by the ducted by Strauss. Recording: Bayerisches Staats - composer: orchester (1941). Symphonia Domestica (Domestic Symphony), Op. 53, Macbeth, Op. 23, tone poem (after Shakespeare). First 1902–3. First performance: New York (Carnegie version (unpublished) 1886–8; second version Hall), 21 March 1904, Wetzler Orchestra, con- 1889–91. First performance (revised version): ducted by Strauss. Recording: Wiener Philhar- Weimar, 13 October 1890, Weimar Court Orches- moniker (1944). tra, conducted by Strauss; first performance of Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64, rescored revised version: Berlin, 29 February 1911–5. First performance: Berlin, 28 October 1892, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted 1915, Dresden Court Orchestra, conducted by by Strauss. Strauss. Recording: Wiener Philharmoniker Don Juan, Op. 20, tone poem, 1888. First performance: (1944). Weimar, 11 November 1889, Weimar Court Orchestra, conducted by Strauss. Recording: Orchester der Staatsoper Berlin (1929). Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration), Op. 24, tone poem, 1888–9. First performance: Eisenach, 21 June 1890 (meeting of Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein), Eisenach Tonkünstler-

2 Richard Strauss, ‘Recollections of My Youth and Years of Apprenticeship’ in Recollections and Reflections (Zürich, 1949) V Macbeth heim orchestra that year. But no public performance was given until 1890, at Weimar. Despite its opus number, Macbeth is the first Strauss was still dissatisfied, not with the struc- of Strauss’s tone poems, although it had its first ture but with the scoring. For five months, until performance after both Don Juan and Tod und 4 March 1891, he reworked the instrumenta- Verklärung. This was because the work was put tion. The second performance – in effect the aside after completion and later revised. Strauss first of the work as we know it today – was probably began to sketch it in the spring of given in Berlin on 29 February 1892, when the 1887. It was completed early in 1888 and sent piece had a tremendous reception. Bülow, now to Hans von Bülow, who criticised the ending converted to the work’s worth, described its (a triumphal march for Macduff), saying: sound as ‘overwhelming. The composer has never had a reception like this in Berlin be- It is quite in order for an Egmont overture to end 6 with a march celebrating the triumph of Egmont, but fore.’ Strauss himself thought it ‘fabulous [...] a symphonic poem called Macbeth cannot end with there’s no longer a single theme that doesn’t the triumph of Macduff.3 “stand out”’.7 Strauss cast Macbeth in sonata form, but in Strauss took the point. He was by now at work his own adaptation of it for his poetic purposes. on Don Juan. He wrote to Bülow on 24 August The development section is much longer than 1888: the recapitulation and contains two independent For the time being Macbeth lies contentedly buried episodes, each with a new theme. There is no in my desk, while the dissonances will see if they attempt to follow the plot of Shakespeare’s can eat each other up. Don Juan will perhaps go to play in any detail – we are spared any Berlioz- keep him company soon.4 like witches. As in Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and In this long letter he further explained his Juliet, certain episodes are identifiable, but musical outlook to his mentor: generally the work is a character-study of Mac- beth and Lady Macbeth. It is music that stands I still think it’s better to follow one’s true artistic independently of its programme: its weakness, conviction and to have said something wrong up a the reason for its relative neglect, may be that blind alley than something superfluous while keeping it falls between two stools. It is not so graphic to the old, well-trodden high road [...] From my F that – as in the case of Till Eulenspiegel – the minor Symphony onwards I have found myself ‘ trapped in a steadily growing antithesis between the listener demands to know what it is about’, nor musical-cum-poetic content that I have wanted to is its thematic invention so compelling that – communicate and the form of the ternary sonata- as in the case of Don Juan – the listener does movement which we have inherited from the classics not care what it is about. Yet Macbeth is un- [...] The precise expression of my artistic ideas and justly overlooked. It is not a work of genius but feelings and stylistically the most self-reliant of all of nascent genius. It repays careful listening. my works to date, the one in which I was most Macbeth anticipated Also sprach Zarathustra conscious of my intentions, is Macbeth.5 in beginning with a fanfare-type motif which Strauss provided Macbeth with a new end- acts throughout as a unifying theme. It represents ing in 1889. It was almost certainly this revised the idea of kingship: version which he ran through with the Mann- Ex. 1                3   Willi Schuh, Jugend und frühe Meisterjahre: Lebens- f chronik 1864–1898 (Zürich, 1976), 148; English translation mf marc. 3 by Mary Whittall, Richard Strauss: A Chronicle of the Early Years, 1864–1898 (Cambridge, 1982), 142. Subsequent references are to the English edition. 4 ibid., 145 6 ibid., 144 5 ibid., 146–7 7 ibid., 144 VI There are two Macbeth themes, identified as Ex. 4 such in the score, the first a militaristic, vault- Vl. 2   ing theme in D minor, the second more subtle                  in its depiction of regal character flawed by in- p p espr. stability: Ex. 2 Now, after an accelerando, comes the first                episode with the return and grandiose expan-         f molto espr. sion of Ex.1 to signify Duncan’s arrival at the castle. Lady Macbeth’s themes, particularly     Ex.4, are much in evidence in the subsequent      passage, before Strauss embarks on a finely constructed symphonic development of the The Macbeth section ended, Strauss goes into protagonists’ main themes, an excellent piece A major for Lady Macbeth, the key in which of composition, tautly argued and orchestrated several of his operatic heroines were to move in unmistakable manner – this is post-Don and have their being (Salome and Arabella, for Juan Strauss. Throughout this passage Ex.1 is example). To emphasise that he is principally a binding factor and Lady Macbeth is repre- concerned with Lady Macbeth’s influence on sented by her more turbulent second theme and her husband, Strauss quotes from the play in by Ex.4. The climax is the knocking which the score: alarms Macbeth after the murder of Duncan Hie thee hither, and which leads into the second episode, a brief That I may pour my spirits in thine ear, exchange between Macbeth’s first, martial And chastise with the valour of my tongue theme and Lady Macbeth’s Ex.4. A second All that impedes thee from the golden round, climax is followed by the repetition of the Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem Macbeth exposition from the start of the tone To have thee crown’d withal. poem. This brief recapitulation ends with the (Act I, scene 5) death of Macbeth and his wife, hers being The future dramatist is audible in the theme for signalled by faltering fragments of Ex.3. Quiet woodwind and strings Strauss devises to por- fanfares – the triumph of Macduff – begin the tray the feminine allure and sexuality of Lady coda, which is mainly concerned with a final Macbeth: version of the dolce figure that stood for the Ex. 3 best in Macbeth’s character. appassionato, molto rubato It is a reminder of how far we are from the Fl. and Cl.        musical world of 1889 that Strauss’s father and                           Bülow should have been disturbed by the dis-         pp sonances in Macbeth and by the ‘monstrousness’ of its orchestra. But it is clear from Macbeth that Strauss, like Wagner and Mahler, did not A second theme indicates the conflicting ele- enlarge the orchestra merely because he wanted ments in her personality. Having completed the to make a huge noise; he wanted a wider, more exposition, Strauss begins the development varied tonal palette, a more intense harmonic with a dialogue between Macbeth and his wife, expressiveness, the chance for a richer back- the latter gradually assuming dominance. Both ground to solo instruments. One interesting are given extra themes in this section, he a ro- feature of the scoring of Macbeth is the use of mantic figure marked dolce, she a serpentine a bass trumpet, which he added to the score in melody which coils round Macbeth so that he 1890 as ‘the only possible bridge and interme- agrees to her murderous plans: diary between trumpets and trombones’ to soften VII the brass. He had encountered it while work- dramatic conflicts of the characters of Macbeth ing at Bayreuth in the summer of 1899: Wagner and his wife; and the ending of the work, from used it in the brass section of The Ring. the off-stage side-drum roll and fanfares, is the- With hindsight, we can see that Macbeth is atrical in conception. the work of an embryonic opera-composer. The music is at its most alive and compelling in the Michael Kennedy

VORWORT

Schließt man die frühe „Sinfonische Fantasie“ ren und eleganteren Stil ermutigt. Nicht nur Aus Italien und zwei groß angelegte Orchester- konnten die Geräusche der Natur von der Musik werke, die die Bezeichnung „Sinfonie“ in ihrem nachgeahmt werden, auch der Charakter der Titel (Alpensinfonie und Sinfonia Domestica) Menschen, ihre Ideale und Gefühle, konnten tragen, aus, dann komponierte Richard Strauss veranschaulicht werden. Die beiden Werke, die zwischen 1886 und 1898, also zwischen seinem den Bereich der Programmmusik weiterent - 22. und 34. Lebensjahr, sieben Tondichtungen.1 wickelten, waren Beethovens „Pastorale“ (1808) Sechs davon sind Bestandteil des regulären Re- und Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique (1831). pertoires der führenden Orchester der Welt. Die wirklichen Vorfahren von Strauss’ Ton- Ihre brillante Instrumentierung, unvergessliche dichtungen jedoch waren die prägnanteren, ein- Melodien und unmittelbare Wirkung machen sätzigen Werke, die offiziell als „Ouvertüren“ sie beim Publikum wie bei den Musikern und bezeichnet wurden – Beethovens Egmont (1809), Dirigenten gleichermaßen beliebt. Ihre ersten Coriolan (1807) und Leonore Nr. 3 (1806), Aufführungen jedoch empörten die Vertreter Mendelssohns Hebriden (1830) und Ein Som- einer konventionellen Anschauung. Und ob- mernachtstraum (1826). Ebenso dazu gehören wohl sie heute im Allgemeinen als romantische Schumanns Konzertouvertüren, die Elgar ein Klassiker gelten, erregen sie noch immer Kon- halbes Jahrhundert später in Froissart (1890), troversen zwischen jenen, die Strauss für einen Cockaigne (1901) und In the South (1904) großen Komponisten halten und denjenigen, nachahmen sollte. Der bedeutendste Komponist die ihm intellektuelle und ästhetische Mängel allerdings, der dieses Genre weiterentwickelte, vorwerfen und in ihm einen zynischen Mani- war Liszt, der zwei Programmsinfonien, Faust pulator der Zuhörer sehen (die meisten derjeni- und Dante, und während seiner Zeit in Weimar gen lassen sich nur zu gern von solch einem von 1848 bis 1861 eine Reihe von 12 einsätzigen Meister manipulieren). sinfonischen Dichtungen (um seine eigenen Die Blütezeit der Tondichtung dauerte ca. Worte zu gebrauchen) schrieb. Liszts sinfonische 70 Jahre, von 1850 bis 1920. In Kürze, die sinfo- Dichtungen, einschließlich Les préludes (1848), nische Dichtung ist der konzentrierteste Aus- Mazeppa (1851), Die Ideale (1857) und Orpheus druck von Programmmusik, d. h. von Musik, die (1854) sind nicht so anschaulich wie die von eine Geschichte erzählt oder ganz bewusst an- Strauss; seine Verwendung des Beinamen „sin- schaulich gestaltet ist. Die Tondichtung deckte fonisch“ gibt einen Hinweis, dass er seinen sich perfekt mit dem Wunsch der Romantiker einsätzigen Strukturen eine bindende, innere nach einer Verbindung aller Künste und beson- sinfonische Logik und thematische Entwick- ders der Wechselwirkung zwischen Musik und lung geben wollte, wie locker episodisch auch Literatur. So wurde das Drama aus dem Opern- immer ihre äußere Form war. haus in den Konzertsaal verlegt. Durch die Mit größerer Begeisterung als in Deutschland Erfindung, Entwicklung und Verbesserung der folgte man Liszts Beispiel in Böhmen, Russland Instrumente und der sich daraus ergebenden und Frankreich. Herausragende Beiträge zur Vergrößerung des Sinfonieorchesters, die wie- Erweiterung des Repertoires kamen u. a. von derum eine Erweiterung und Vertiefung der Aus - Smetana, Dvořak, Tschaikowsky, Saint-Saëns, drucksmöglichkeiten mit sich brachte, wurden Franck, Dukas und Debussy. In Deutschland die Komponisten nun auch zu einem komplexe- beschritten nur wenige Komponisten den Weg Liszts, schon gar nicht die Giganten Wagner 1 Strauss selbst nannte seine sinfonische Dichtung „Ton- und Brahms oder Bruckner und Mahler. 1885 dichtung“, ein Begriff, den er bevorzugte. X vollendete Hugo Wolf seine Penthesilea; Schön - sung): Weimar, 13. Oktober 1890, Weimarer Hof - berg schrieb die Verklärte Nacht 1899 und Pelléas orchester, dirigiert von Strauss; Uraufführung und Melisande 1902/03. Der weniger in Er- der neu orchestrierten Fassung: Berlin, 29. Februar scheinung tretende Alexander Ritter (1833– 1892, Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester, di- 1896), der Wagners Nichte heiratete und mit rigiert von Strauss. Don Juan, Op. 20, Tondichtung, 1888. Uraufführung: Liszt arbeitete, schrieb verschiedene Liszt-ähn- Weimar, 11. November 1889, Weimarer Hof - liche Tondichtungen. Ritter war ein Orchester- orchester, dirigiert von Strauss. Aufnahme: geiger, und während er in Meiningen unter sei- Orchester der Staatsoper Berlin (1929). nem Freund Hans von Bülow spielte, traf er Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24, Tondichtung, 1888/89. den 21 Jahre alten Richard Strauss, den von Uraufführung: Eisenach, 21. Juni 1890 (Konferenz Bülow 1885 als persönlichen Assistenten einge- des Allgemeinen Deutschen Musik vereins), laden hatte. Strauss war in eine grundsätzlich Eisenach Tonkünstlerfest, dirigiert von Strauss. klassische Tradition hineingewachsen. Die frühen Aufnahme: Orchester der Staatsoper Berlin Werke schließen an Schumann und Mendels- (1926). sohn an. Sein Vater, der 42 Jahre lang (1847– Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, nach alter 1889) erster Hornist beim Münchner Hofor- Schelmenweise in Rondeauform für großes Or - chester gesetzt, Op. 28, 1894/95. Uraufführung: chester war, verabscheute Wagner als Mensch Köln, Gürzenich-Konzert, 5. November 1895, und Musiker, und hoffte, sein Sohn würde ihn Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, dirigiert von Franz darin bestätigen. Als Strauss nach Meiningen Wüllner. Aufnahme: Orchester der Staats oper ging, war er wie berauscht von Brahms’ Musik. Berlin (1929). Doch Ritter änderte dies vollständig. Er drängte Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30, Tondichtung frei Strauss dazu, sich Berlioz, Liszt und Wagner nach Nietzsche, 1894–96. Uraufführung: Frank- bei der Entwicklung einer ausdrucksstarken furt, 27. November 1896, Frankfurter Museums- Musik anzuschließen. Unter Ritters Einfluss orchester, dirigiert von Strauss. wurde er mit Wagners Schriften und der Philo- Don Quixote, introduzione, tema con variazioni, finale. sophie Schopenhauers konfrontiert. Strauss selbst Fantastische Variationen über ein Thema ritter- äußerte sich wie folgt über diesen Zeitabschnitt lichen Charakters, Op. 35, 1896/97. Urauffüh- rung: Köln, Gürzenich-Konzert, 8. März 1898, seiner Entwicklung: Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, dirigiert von Franz Neue Ideen müssen neue Formen für sich entwickeln: Wüllner (Solocellist Friedrich Grützmacher). das Grundprinzip, das Liszt in seinen sinfonischen Aufnahme: Orchester der Staatsoper Berlin, mit Werken aufnahm, in denen die poetische Idee wirklich Enrico Mainardi (Cello), Karl Reits (Viola) (1933). gleichzeitig als das strukturelle Element fungierte, Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40, Tondichtung, 1897/98. wurde von da an das Prinzip meiner eigenen sinfo- Uraufführung: Frankfurt, 3. März 1899, Frank- nischen Werke.2 furter Museumsorchester, dirigiert von Strauss. Aufnahme: Bayerisches Staatsorchester (1941). Im Folgenden werden Strauss’ Tondichtungen Symphonia Domestica, Op. 53, 1902–03. Uraufführung: – gleichgültig ob sie auf den entsprechenden New York (Carnegie Hall), 21. März 1904, Wetz- Titelblättern als solche bezeichnet werden – in ler Symphony Orchestra, dirigiert von Strauss. chronologischer Reihenfolge und mit Angaben Aufnahme: Wiener Philharmoniker (1944). zur Uraufführung sowie zu Aufnahmen, die vom Eine Alpensinfonie, Op. 64, 1911–15. Uraufführung: Komponisten dirigiert wurden, aufgeführt: Berlin, 28. Oktober 1915, Dresdner Hoftheater, dirigiert von Strauss. Aufnahme: Wiener Phil- Macbeth, Op. 23, Tondichtung (nach Shakespeare). harmoniker (1944). Erste Fassung (unveröffentlicht) 1886–88; Zweite Fassung 1889–91. Uraufführung (revidierte Fas-

2 Richard Strauss, „Erinnerungen aus meinen Jugend- und Lehrjahren“, in: Betrachtungen und Erinnerungen, Zürich 1949.