ERICH LEINS DORE
CONDUCTING THE CONCERT ARTS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Yt ERICH LEINSDORF was born in Vienna in 1912. At the age of 22 he received his first
mA # important conducting engagement as assistant to Bruno Walter in Salzburg. Later
Pay 2) on he also became chief assistant to Toscanini in the preparation of the various
(3 operas done at Salzburg Festivals. Since his arrival in the United States in 1938,
© he has served as the principal conductor of German opera at the Metropolitan
co 3 i) Opera in New York; the conductor and musical director of the Philharmonic Orch-
bY estra in Rochester, New York; and the director of the New York City Opera Com-
. pany. On his numerous tours in this country he has been guest conductor with the
San Francisco Opera Association, the NBC Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony,
the St. Louis Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Abroad, he has conducted the London
Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Philharmonic Orchestra
of Radio Holland. At present he spends much of his time on tours, appearing as guest conductor with many
of the nation's leading symphony orchestras and opera companies.
January 21, 1958, marked the twentieth anniversary of Mr. Leinsdorf's career in the United States. On
that same day in 1938, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, conducting Wagner’s
“Die Walkiire."””
This album was recorded in Los Angeles, a city that has one of the largest pools of outstanding
musical talent in the world. The Concert Arts Symphony Orchestra consists of individually selected
artists, chosen by Mr. Leinsdorf from among the best musicians in Los Angeles.
Few, if any, composers have been the subject of as much controversy as Richard Wagner. The controversy
started during his lifetime and it continues today.
In one field, however, there has been hardly any debate—the immense effect that Wagner has had on the
art of orchestration. There were others during the nineteenth century, notably Berlioz and Rimsky-Korsakov,
who experimented with various effects and noted their theories in valuable text-books, but it remained for
Wagner to begin a new era in the use of the orchestra. From opera to opera, we can see his orchestra expand
and become more expressive, to become the true mover of emotion and action.
This recorded concert covers almost the entire cycle of Wagner's development, from the Romantic and
relatively simple Tannhiuser to the deeply involved Gétterdammerung. Although the former already has the
sound which we recognize as Wagner’s, it is harmonically and orchestrally close to the works of other com-
posers of the period. The sound of the latter could be only Wagner. To learn how the sound of the Wagner
orchestra evolves, it is best to consider these works chronologically.
side one
Lohengrin: PRELUDE TO ACT III
Tannhauser: OVERTURE
Gotterdimmerung: SIEGFRIED’S FUNERAL MUSIC
siaqe two
Die Meistersinger: DANCE OF THE APPRENTICES and
PROCESSION OF THE MASTERSINGERS
Die Walkiire: RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES and
MAGIC FIRE MUSIC
Tannhiuser: OVERTURE
Wagner wrote Tannhauser during 1844 and 1845, when he
had just reached the age of thirty. The form of the Overture
is essentially the same as the one used by other Romantic com-
posers, such as Weber or Meyerbeer, one which utilizes the-
matic material from the entire opera and sets its prevailing
moods. His orchestra is also the conventional one—two flutes
and piccolo, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four French
horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba, percussion,
and strings.
There is, however, one innovation—two of the French horns
are equipped with valves. The invention of the valve system
was the single event which, more than any other, revolutionized
the mid-nineteenth century orchestra, and Wagner was the first
composer to make extensive use of it. It gave the horns the
freedom to act as an independent melodic and harmonic choir,
equal to the strings. And already here Wagner, later often
identified with his powerful use of brass, uses them to their
fullest.
The Overture begins with the melody of the famous Pilgrims
Chorus, approaching from afar. After a climax, the melody
slowly fades away, and another tune is heard, capricious and
dancelike, typifying the Saturnalian joys of the Venusberg,
where Tannhiuser in the opera is enticed by the Goddess of
Love.
In the music that follows, the subjects identified with the
Venusberg alternate with melodies from other parts of the
opera and the Overture ends with a triumphant and majestic
restatement of the Pilgrims’ Chorus.
Lohengrin: PRELUDE TO ACT lll
Lohengrin marks the climax and close of the German Romantic
Opera. After completing it in 1848, Wagner did not compose
for six years, during which period he developed many of the
ideas he was later to realize in the Ring operas and in Tristan
und Isolde. s
The Prelude to Act III is one of the most brilliant and con-
cise compositions that Wagner wrote. In it, Wagner has in-
creased the number of woodwinds from two to three in each
group—flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons. The Prelude pre-
pares for the scene in which Lohengrin and Elsa are escorted
to their nuptial chamber, with much jubilation and joy.
The entire orchestra joins in the statement of the first theme.
The second theme, stemming from the same basic idea, is stated
by the brass choir accompanied by strings and woodwinds.
For a fleeting moment of repose, a delicate woodwind mel-
ody is heard, after which the Prelude ends with the same
exuberant joy with which it began.
Die Walkie: RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES — >
MAGIC FIRE MUSIC i
Wagner came closest to his ideal of a universalymusic drama
with his gigantic cycle of the four Ring operas. Hie worked on
them during a period of over twenty years—DiéQWalkiire, the
second one, was composed between 1854 and 1856. To create
an instrument which could express the element ince of his
superhuman characters and stories, Wagner agai créased the
size of his orchestra—he raised the number of liprns to eight,
and added such instruments as the bass clarinet amt the English
horn in the woodwinds, the bass trumpet arid the bass
trombone in the brass. a!
The Valkyries were the fierce and war-thirsty daughters of
the god Wotan, and after each battle they would carry the slain
warriors to Valhalla. The Ride of the Valkyries comprises the
orchestral prelude to Act III and several passages of the open-
ing scene. It is without equal in the orchestral literature in its
wild, storm-filled fury.
A quiet, lovely passage follows, in which Wotan bids fare-
well to his daughter Briinnhilde, after having condemned her
to eternal sleep. Wagner here uses strings divided within each
section—another device which he was the first to use extensively.
‘Wotan summons the fire to surround the sleeping Briinnhilde
and, as it starts to flicker, the fire motive is heard from piccolo
and harp.
This motive builds to a glittering climax and slowly quiets
down.
The Ride and the Fire Music were especially edited by Mr.
Leinsdorf to include music from the third act of Die Walkiire,
without destroying any important vocal passages.
Die Metstersinger: DANCE OF THE APPRENTICES —
PROCESSION OF THE MASTERSINGERS
Die Meistersinger von Nirnberg was composed between 1862
and 1867; it would seem almost like a diversion during the
time when Wagner was spending most of his efforts for the
completion of the Ring. In it, Wagner makes his only return
to the form of the Romantic opera with its typical potpourri-
like overtures, arias, duets, and ensembles. The satirical attack
of the opera against stuffy music critics is well known. Also
noteworthy is Wagner's emphasis on the color of the period of
the Meistersinger, the early sixteenth century, by his use of
Bach-like counterpoint and German protestant chorale.
The Dance of the Apprentices from Act III has been referred
to as the only waltz Wagner ever wrote. The location is a field
outside the city of Niirnberg, where people are gathering for
a song contest. After a brief introduction, the waltz-tune is
heard. This is followed by the Procession of the Mastersingers,
built on the Meistersinger motive, which is also heard in the
Prelude to the entire opera.
The Procession builds to a magnificent climax, setting the
stage for the colorful contest.
Die Gotterdammerung: SIEGFRIED'S FUNERAL MUSIC
Die Gotterdammerung, composed between 1869 and 1874, is
the last opera of the Ring tetralogy. It is a magnificent finale
in which Wagner sums up his entire musical philosophy. He
found his profoundest expression in the tone-poem usually
called Siegfried’s Funeral Music.
Again, Wagner augments his orchestra to create the effects
he deems necessary. To enforce the horn section, he brings in
a choir of four so-called “Wagner-Tuben” (Wagner himself
designed this smaller, modified version of the bass tuba), and
to extend the bottom range of the brasses, he adds a contrabass
tuba. These additions give the orchestra a massive, shattering
tone, fitting the tragic character of the scene.
The music is built entirely on the /eitmotives from all four
of the Ring operas.. We hear the motives of Siegfried’s lost race,
the Walsungs, of the Sword, Siegfried the Hero, and Siegfried’s
Horn Call. But here one motive dominates them all, the motive
of Death.
AVOID DAMAGE.
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