In the 1930s, Schulhoff’s work was blacklisted as
‘degenerate’ by the Nazi regime and, when the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia in
1939, he had to resort to performing under a pseudonym. In 1941, the Soviet
Union approved his petition for citizenship, but he was arrested and imprisoned
before he could leave Czechoslovakia. Schulhoff was deported to the Würzburg
concentration camp, near Weißenburg, Bavaria where he died from tuberculosis on
18 August 1942.
Schulhoff’s early works show the influence of Debussy,
Scriabin, and Richard Strauss but later he attempted to create musical
counterparts to the Berlin Dadaists as well as coming under the influence of
ragtime, dance music and jazz. His works include choral and vocal works, eight
symphonies, orchestral works, concertos, chamber works, instrumental works and
works for piano.
There have been a
number of recordings of Schulhoff’s music (see link at bottom of this blog).
Now Capriccio www.capriccio.at has released a fine recording of three of
his concertos.
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| C5197 |
The Molto Sostenuto of
the Concerto for piano and small orchestra, Op.43, WV66 (1923) opens
with a gentle upward scale and rippling flourishes that are soon underlaid by
an orchestral background, quiet, mysterious and rather magical. The piano motif
develops into a repeated rising and falling motif against this same background.
Eventually the piano leads to a broader passage, a romantic melody, tonally
free, in which the orchestra joins. Centrally the mysterious, impressionistic
nature returns with a light piano motif over a veiled, shimmering orchestral
sound that eventually becomes more and more dramatic, with percussion leading
to a pitch before quietening to timpani strokes at the end.
The second movement, Sostenuto,
opens with a quiet orchestral motif to which the piano, then clarinet add their
voice. It has a gentle, halting rhythm, quite distinctive in its style of
writing. There are some jazz inflections in the piano part with a fleeting
little orchestral theme. Again Schulhoff creates a rather magical atmosphere. There
is some lovely fluent, sensitive playing from Frank-Immo Zichner in the florid
piano chords. Soon the orchestra picks up the pace a little, though retaining its
veiled, dreamlike quality.
The piano re-joins in a series of flourishes before both
piano and orchestra lead into the Allegro
alla Jazz with a boisterous theme with the pianist playing chords that skip
over the keys and the orchestra at times riotous as the music forges ahead. A xylophone
is heard and a battery of percussion as Zichner plays scales up and down the
keyboard, at one point almost duetting with the xylophone. Soon the music quietens
with a plaintive violin melody accompanied by the piano before the orchestra
rises up and pushes the music forward, with the piano and xylophone entering as
the music charges to the coda.
This is a concerto that would prove highly attractive to
audiences in the concert hall.
Concerto Doppio for
flute and piano, string orchestra and 2 horns, WV89 (1927) has a confident
orchestral opening to the Allegro
moderato again very tonally free, at times sounding almost serial in
construction. Very soon the flute and piano enter in a lively theme that slows
to Schulhoff’s signature quiet mysterious sounds. The piano soon takes off again,
joined by the flute in a joyful little melody. Centrally there is a languid
section for flute and piano over a hushed orchestra that soon livens up and is
pushed forward with hints of Hindemith. The music slows and quietens to a solo
section for piano and flute, languid and flowing becoming increasingly florid
before the orchestra re-enters to lead the movement to a close.
The orchestra opens the Andante
in a subdued, rather romantic theme. The piano enters to work its own way with
the theme, soon joined by the flute in this gentle, nostalgic sounding melody. Soon
the piano and flute alone develop the melody before the orchestra re- joins as
the sad little theme leads to a quiet coda.
Pizzicato lower strings open the Rondo. Allegro con spirit before the piano and flute join in this
rhythmically lithe movement. The orchestra alone then bounces forward before
quietening as the piano and flute enter, with the orchestra giving a lovely
restrained accompaniment. The jolly little theme continues to rush forward shared
alternately between flute, piano and orchestra. Later there is a gentler
section for flute and piano, still rhythmic but gentle and slower. The orchestra
soon join in this slower section before slowly increasing in tempo as the music
bounces along. Rapid flute and piano passages are joined by the orchestra as
the music hurtles to a terrific coda.
There is some terrific playing from Frank-Immo Zichner and
Jaques Zoon in this attractive concerto.
Brass sound out to open the Allegro moderato of the Concerto for string quartet and wind
ensemble, W97 (1930) before the whole wind ensemble moves forward, again showing
hints of Hindemith. Soon the quartet joins in a tonally shifting theme with Schulhoff’s
choice of string quartet and wind ensemble certainly making for a distinctive
sound. Soon the music quietens as the theme is subjected to softer but still
rapid development, slowly building to more dynamic music, rhythmically
insistent. The quartet is present throughout though playing alone in the later
stages until the wind ensemble rejoin and lead to the coda.
The Largo brings a
gentle, mellifluous wind ensemble opening. When the quartet enters they provide
freer chromatic development of the theme. Slowly the music becomes more
agitated and forceful, showing a passion that has been muted before. Eventually
the music falls to a quieter, resigned passage though it is not without its passionate
moments before the hushed coda arrives.
The quartet opens the Finale.
Allegro con brio in a lively theme, soon joined by the wind ensemble as all
gloom is seemingly thrust aside. There is a lovely, dissonant section for
quartet accompanied by the wind ensemble and a little episode for pizzicato
strings and wind interventions, brilliantly written, before a bluesy theme is
heard, complete with bluesy brass, before rushing to the coda.
This unusual concerto is finely played by the Leipziger
Streichquartett and wind members of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester.
As a short ‘encore’ the orchestra gives us a terrific little
arrangement for orchestra, by Schulhoff, of Beethoven’s Rondo a capriccio, Op.129 (‘Rage over a lost Penny’) The
title on Beethoven's manuscript of the work is ‘Alla ingharese quasi un
capriccio’ with the familiar subtitle ‘Rage over a Lost Penny’ later added by
Anton Schindler.
This arrangement is great fun, finely orchestrated, pointing
up all the characteristics of Beethoven’s piece. Arranged in 1940, it belies
the circumstances under which Schulhoff was living.
This fine disc is well worth investigating. The performances
are excellent and receive a fine recording. There are informative booklet notes
See also:
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