OTTO M. ZYKAN Violoncellokonzert Beethoven’S Cello
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OTTO M. ZYKAN Violoncellokonzert Beethoven’s Cello Heinrich Schiff ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien . Leif Segerstam Wiener Philharmoniker . Zubin Mehta 1999 20 YEARS 2019 2 © Nikolaus Korab © Nikolaus OTTO M. ZYKAN (1935 – 2006) Violoncellokonzert – Auf der Suche nach konventionellen Gefühlen Drei unterschiedliche pathetische Sätze für Violoncello und Orchester (1981) 1 = 112 06:06 ♩ 2 = 80 11:44 ♩ 3 = 112 15:01 ♩ Beethovens Cello – Drei Sätze für Cello und Orchester (2005) 4 Teils Entschlossen 10:32 5 Teils Entrückt 11:02 6 Teils Entlehnt 09:27 TT 64:04 Heinrich Schiff, cello 1 — 3 ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien 1 — 3 Leif Segerstam, conductor 4 — 6 Wiener Philharmoniker 4 — 6 Zubin Mehta, conductor 3 Wolf Wondratschek Gedicht für Marcel Richters & Heinrich Schiff Da beweist einer sein ganzes Können, seine Tapferkeit, seine Liebe zum Freund, Gott auf Zeit und engstem Raum, hinein in die nicht geleerten Papierkörbe der großen Komponisten, der Sänger unter den Vögeln, dem Rascheln im Unterkleid der fremden Frau, die den Träumen, die du hast, befiehlt. Lass dich fallen, tu dir weh, wie nur zuvor, gib deinen Küssen und den Farben Wärme, sag den Buchstaben die Wahrheit, gib dein Geleit jeder Zeile, die dich erreicht im Herzen. Sag es! Sag es! Sag: Hölle, erhör uns! Die toten Hände Wiens werden dir applaudieren, die Hände der Welt, die dir die Schönheit zerbrachen. Steig tiefer. Da unten bist du allein. Aber sei leise, leise wie keiner es je vor dir gewagt hat. 4 musical projection and sheer joy of playing. Those who followed him, ma- ny of which were his students, addi- tionally have perfection. Zykan wrote his most beautiful cello melodies for Heinrich Schiff, and later enjoyed when others played them as beautifully: Nachtstück für ein Schiff (1975), which emerged from the trio Verborgene Erinnerungen (1973) as a reminiscence of Schubert’s pleading in Zykan’s songs (and the music to the Otto M. Zykan’s favorite instruments above, deeply human story). Two cel- were the double bass (the instrument lo concertos are Schiff’s, deeply con- for demonstratively serious expres- nected with each other and Zykan’s sion), the vibraphone (which the pi- oeuvre in general: the ending of the anist was longing for because of its first concerto is taken from the end- endless sound), and the cello. ing of Zykan’s opera Der Zurückgebli- ebenen Auszählreim – Theater für ein The cello probably came third; it com- Opernhaus and also appears as the bines the characteristics of all his fa- ending of Beethoven’s Cello. vorite instruments and, thanks to its nearly endless range, adds irony. If The first cello concerto, Violoncel- one can play as low and as high, they lokonzert – auf der Suche nach konven- can also bear stories such as that of tionellen Gefühlen – drei unterschiedli- the member of the Vienna Philhar- che pathetische Sätze für Violoncello monic, commenting on a locked bath- und Orchester, was commissioned by room door: “well, it doesn’t have to the Kulturamt der Stadt Wien and pre- be today …”. The cello is the instru- miered in 1982. Leif Segerstam con- ment that can do anything; also, be- ducted the Vienna Radio Symphony cause Heinrich Schiff lived in Vienna. Orchestra with Schiff as the soloist. Amongst his generation, Schiff was Zykan describes it as “40 minutes of unique in his energy, temperament, seriousness”. 5 In conversation with Dr Hartmut Kro- Z: Austrian contemporary composers, Zubin Mehta, and was sponsored by nes, Zykan says: “ ‘Solemn’ is a very I would say. Swarowski Kristallwelten. Zykan had common word these days, and I find K: But your success was huge even if already listened to Beethoven’s Eroica this music quite solemn. During this you count the international com- during his childhood, which was filled performance at the Musikverein, it posers, wouldn’t you agree? with music, and rediscovered Beetho- has become apparent to me how sol- Z: There was applause; I cannot say ven during his short old age. He wrote: emn it really is. Solemnity and conven- more than that. tionality have to be aligned, because “Beethoven seems to be present in all the conventional is mostly solemn, but There is a document by Zykan that de- phases of the life of someone who is obviously there are different levels of scribes the work nearly bar by bar: At interested in music. While not being seriousness. Pathos is also serious- the beginning “some kind of a battle the only one that cannot be ignored, ness in the true sense of the word, over semitones and the expansion of he might be without competition in his even if nowadays it is its exact oppo- the tonal range. The semitone battle is ability to master any conceivable con- site in many cases. However, I real- illustrated by shrill sixteenth note trip- cept of musical expression in such per- ly wanted pathos in the sense of se- lets”, and in parentheses: “It can safely sonal, diverse and concise ways. From riousness, particularly because I have be assumed that the vibraphone part Die Wut über den verlorenen Groschen a reputation as a comic person, and is unplayable, therefore some sim- to the Arietta from the piano sonata people would not necessarily expect plifications have been added to the Op. 111, there is a never-ending arch. something serious and solemn from score.” From measure 120, the strings His heroic pathos was the emotion of me.” Schiff adds: “It has been written have the “role of a locomotive”, and my childhood, his virtuosity the magic for me.” During the interval of the con- the brass instruments “expose them- of my youth, his precision the respect cert, the ORF broadcast a conversa- selves heroically”, before the cello of my adulthood, his depth, humor and tion between Dr Krones and the ner- brings the semitone battle to a “gentle superiority the love of my old age. vous composer: ending”. The second movement starts with “the ten-thousandth attempt of a About three years ago, I randomly K: Let me congratulate you first on timbre composition: low fur, high metal came across the Scherzo of the Ero- this enormous success; I have not (I doubt that it was worth the effort), ica again, and the cheerfulness of his heard such a success for a con- before the cello brings some music”, music struck me like a flashlight, as temporary composer in Musik- “conventional, but cold feelings”. I had not noticed it before. The third verein for a long time. movement of this concerto, which I Z: That might be due to the fact that Beethoven’s Cello – Three Movements composed first, came immediately contemporary composers are not for Cello and Orchestra was premiered from this impression. Knowledgeable played in Musikverein. in December 2005 by the Vienna Phil- listeners will notice that Beethoven’s K: I would not generalize like that. harmonic Orchestra, conducted by Scherzo meanders through every 6 measure and every part, even if Lit- the measures, it became evident that tle Zykan tries to not have his fingers both movements are of nearly identi- burnt through too close proximity … cal length, even if there are 25 years However, also the first and second between their composition! movements are also spiritually linked to the aura of a phantasy that Beetho- Coincidence? Calculation? Necessi- ven uniquely realized. ty? Symbolic fate? Whichever it is, I find it symbolic that Zubin Mehta, who That much about the idea of the piece. conducted my last concert as a pia- The material, figuratively the other side nist (with Petrouchka ), herewith con- of the coin, connects with the earli- ducts my first appearance as a com- er concerto from 1981, which I some- poser in a subscription concert of the how felt to be unfinished. Even if it Vienna Philharmonic. Let’s hope that was highly successful thanks to its in- fate does not go as far that this is my tense expression, the concerto some- last piece altogether … Talking about how showed that I was not a good the material side of things, it must be enough composer yet to release it in- mentioned that the Swarovski Kristall- to the world, and I put it aside. Only welten were generous enough to fund its sweet and passionate melancholy the commission which enabled this that ends the first movement has nev- piece to materialize.” er left me. Maybe that was due to Heinrich Schiff (who luckily was the As if he had to escape his own fore- soloist at the time too), who left the fi- seeing, Zykan spent his last days nal top B which he had conquered be- working on an orchestral piece which fore with a level of energy that should he called Debussy. simply be forbidden … I wanted to hear that again. Therefore, I had the idea to Irene Suchy aim for that very same ending again, which is why this time the first move- translated from German by ment ends with that phrase. When Martin Rummel I – purely out of curiosity – counted 7 OTTO M. ZYKAN Otto M. Zykan was born as the son of a guitar teacher in Vienna in 1935. He was a member of the Vienna Boys’ Choir for a year, before entering the music academy in 1946, where he was hailed as Friedrich Gulda’s successor. He studied piano with Marianne Lauda, Richard Hauser and Josef Dichler, as well as composition with Karl Schiske. Landmarks in his career as a concert pianist were the Kranichsteiner Musik- preis at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse in 1958, and the performance (from memory!) and recording of the com- plete piano works by Arnold Schoen- © Nikolaus Korab © Nikolaus berg in the 1960s.