Gesangsszene
Encyclopedia
Gesangsszene is the final composition of the German
composer
Karl Amadeus Hartmann
.
Unfinished at his death, it is a setting in translation of part of Jean Giraudoux
's drama Sodome et Gomorrhe (Sodom and Gomorrah
). It is scored for orchestra and baritone
, with some of the text spoken. A performance lasts around 25 minutes.
Begun in 1962, in the early stages of the Cold War
, in the apocalyptic vision of Giraudoux's setting, it reflects Hartmann's ongoing concerns with the folly of empire-building. Hartmann had resisted the Nazi regime in the 1930s and 1940s, and had witnessed the development of other, violent successors. Hence his use of Giraudoux's text suggests an ongoing folly, that the constructors of empire never learn.
The final strophe
, left uncomposed at Hartmann's death is spoken, unaccompanied.
It was premiered in Frankfurt
on 12 November 1964, the year after Hartmann's death, with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
, for whom it had been written, as soloist and the orchestra of the Hessischer Rundfunk
under Dean Dixon
.
Neglected for several years after its premiere, the work has recently become more established in the repertoire, with baritones such as Matthias Goerne
championing its cause in the concert hall.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Karl Amadeus Hartmann
Karl Amadeus Hartmann
Karl Amadeus Hartmann was a German composer. Some have lauded him as the greatest German symphonist of the 20th century, although he is now largely overlooked, particularly in English-speaking countries.-Life:...
.
Unfinished at his death, it is a setting in translation of part of Jean Giraudoux
Jean Giraudoux
Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His work is noted for its stylistic elegance and poetic fantasy...
's drama Sodome et Gomorrhe (Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah (play)
Sodom and Gomorrah is a play written in 1943 by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux.Sodom and Gomorrah is a biblical tragedy on relations between men and women and the impossible satisfaction between both sexes so different expectations...
). It is scored for orchestra and baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, with some of the text spoken. A performance lasts around 25 minutes.
Begun in 1962, in the early stages of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, in the apocalyptic vision of Giraudoux's setting, it reflects Hartmann's ongoing concerns with the folly of empire-building. Hartmann had resisted the Nazi regime in the 1930s and 1940s, and had witnessed the development of other, violent successors. Hence his use of Giraudoux's text suggests an ongoing folly, that the constructors of empire never learn.
The final strophe
Strophe
A strophe forms the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. In its original Greek setting, "strophe, antistrophe and epode were a kind of stanza framed only for the music," as John Milton wrote in the preface to Samson Agonistes, with the strophe...
, left uncomposed at Hartmann's death is spoken, unaccompanied.
It was premiered in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
on 12 November 1964, the year after Hartmann's death, with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is a retired German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous lieder performers of the post-war period and "one of the supreme vocal artists of the 20th century"...
, for whom it had been written, as soloist and the orchestra of the Hessischer Rundfunk
HR-Sinfonieorchester
The hr-Sinfonieorchester is the radio orchestra of Hessischer Rundfunk, the public broadcasting network of the German state of Hesse. Until 2005 it was the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, a name still used for international tours....
under Dean Dixon
Dean Dixon
Charles Dean Dixon was an American conductor.Dixon was born in New York City, where he later studied conducting with Albert Stoessel at the Juilliard School and Columbia University. When early pursuits of conducting engagements were stifled because of racial bias , he formed his own orchestra and...
.
Neglected for several years after its premiere, the work has recently become more established in the repertoire, with baritones such as Matthias Goerne
Matthias Goerne
Matthias Goerne is a German baritone.Born in Weimar, he studied with Hans-Joachim Beyer, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf....
championing its cause in the concert hall.