As a composer, Berger was very prolific writing twenty one
symphonies, concertos, oratorios, eighteen string quartets, sonatas, and organ works.
His violin sonata of 1964 won the Prince Rainier III Composition Award in
Monaco and his Sixth String Quartet the First Prize in Liège in 1965. One of
his violin concertos earned him the First Prize in Brussels in 1966. Berger
also wrote a series of books about the artistic qualities of sonatas, another
series about string quartets, a guidebook for concertos and books about
classical composition theory.
Berger rejected the idea of avant-garde taking the view that
everything is part of a huge development that started at the beginning of
musical history. Berger’s music combines moderate modernism, Romanian
avant-garde, sonata form and Transylvanian Protestant hymns. He stated that his
musical influences were Reger, Hindemith and Schoenberg.
CPO http://naxosdirect.co.uk/labels/cpo-records
have just released new recordings of Berger’s Viola Concerto, Op.12 and his Symphony
No.4, Op.30 with Nils Mönkemeyer (viola) www.nilsmoenkemeyer.com and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin www.rsb-online.de conducted by Horia Andreescu www.kdmueller.eu/en/artists/conductors/51-horia-andreescu-v
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| 777 756-2 |
The Allegro moderato of Berger’s Viola Concerto, Op.12 (1959) opens with a flowing theme for viola against pizzicato strings. As the music progresses the full orchestra enters and the viola theme becomes more passionate. Berger gives Reger, Hindemith and Schoenberg as his musical influences which might suggest to some a somewhat academic style of composition; however, this music is full of romantic fervour with even a hint of Szymanowski in its golden glow. There are glimpses of a twelve tone style but well upholstered in a romantic guise. Mönkemeyer’s tone is exemplary, moving from rich and glowing to astringent as the music requires. This is a glorious, flowing, ever developing movement which after a cadenza ends with a quiet coda.
The orchestra opens the darker more subdued larghetto to which the violins join to
lift the atmosphere a little, weaving some lovely passages with Mönkemeyer
drawing some lovely sonorities. The Finale.
Tema con variazioni is a faster
flowing series of variations, with just a hint of Bartok, that bring a
multitude of moods with some lovely effects for the viola beautifully done by Mönkemeyer
before leading to the dynamic close.
Berger’s two
movement Symphony No.4, Op.30 (1964) is
subtitled Tragic Symphony. Mysterious
night sounds hover in the opening of the Allegro,
meditative e serioso. The music rises to an outburst. A plaintive cor
anglais is heard against a hushed orchestra with the cymbals then bass drum
sounding quietly to which a fluttering flute joins. The music soon develops to
a faster dynamic section, before moving to a quieter flowing passage with
woodwind. There is a section where brass have a say before rising to another climax.
The music alternates in mood between quieter and meditative, and louder and
more agitated. There are some lovely
little details in the orchestra with Horia Andreescu and the Rundfunk
Sinfonieorchester, Berlin on fine form. Eventually the music reaches a climax, where
the orchestra broadens on a horn passage as the music descends to woodwind and
percussion before rising up again, then falling to a lovely quiet extended
string melody. An oboe passage leads to a livelier section as the music quietly
makes its way to the brilliant coda.
A slow, quiet opening for strings introduces the Largo, fervido e serioso, a calmo ma fluente
before a plaintive flute is heard against the strings, which become more
animated as woodwind join. The music calms before rising up in a passionate
string section with percussion before dropping back. Eventually the orchestra
suddenly takes off with an outburst at the start of a livelier section. Soon
the volume lessens but not tempo before the music builds again, really
thrusting along. Halfway through, the music drops to a quieter, slower pace
with woodwind playing against a string background. Strings open a new section
with woodwind interventions before they begin to rise, then fall back. The strings
then broaden in a slow passage before brass enters over pizzicato strings. This
leads the music forward, with individual woodwind instruments entering to take
the lead, before brass and pizzicato strings return, followed by flute and
strings that slowly lead to the quiet coda.
A symphony consisting of two movements marked Allegro and
Largo may suggest a lack of variety but this is far from the case with each movement
containing a variety of moods in each movement.
These excellently played works are very worthwhile hearing. The
recording is excellent and there are detailed booklet notes.
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