Hans Pfitzner: Cantata, "Von deutscher Seele" Part 1 "Mensch und Natur" 3-6

Hans Pfitzner (1869-1949)
"Von deutscher Seele" (Of the German Soul)
A Romantic Cantata after texts by Joseph von Eichendorff
for four solo voices, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ

Agnes Giebel (soprano)
Hertha Töpper (alto)
Fritz Wunderlich (tenor)
Otto Wiener (bass)
Orchestra and Chorus of the Bavarian Radio
Joseph Keilberth cond.


Part One: "Mensch und Natur" (Man and Nature)
Pt 3 of 6

Orchestral Interlude:
"Abend" (Evening)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• cantata
• chorus
• Pfitzner
• Eichendorff
• Giebel
• Töpper
• Wunderlich
• Wiener
• Keilberth

[mmmjjjyyynnnhhhttt]

Last night I was getting tired ("muede", as the Germans would say).

"Abschied", op. 10, No. 3 is certainly neat,

actually "Sehnsucht", op. 10, No. 1, is the Ebm song of which I was thinking !

At New England Conservatory, where I studied after being in Europe,

we choral conducting grad students took a voice class.

For my required song to sing I did "Sehnsucht".

My fellow students couldn't get over its beauty.

They termed it "the find of the year".

Please...I'm NOT bragging.

[FiDiTanzer528]

@mmmjjjyyynnnhhhttt

OK, I am familiar with "Sehnsucht". Agreed it is a wonderful song.

[mmmjjjyyynnnhhhttt]

Oops...getting late...

should read "Abschied"...

Seit 1979 habe ich WENIG Deutsch

gesprochen oder geschrieben.

Hoffentlich habe ich nicht zu viele Fehler gemacht?!?

[FiDiTanzer528]

@mmmjjjyyynnnhhhttt

Thanks for your post. I'll have to check out "Abschied". Not sure if I have that one. I so agree that Pfitzner should be better known. I am seeing more of his music being uploaded to YT so perhaps he will be someday.

[007strauss]

What a wonderful music!

[Searchandpreserve]

I´m delighted that You did this great work for the whole Cantata! It to me again confirms that Pfitzner is my favourite composer. It´s a pity You didn´t post "Der Gärtner" and "Waldeseinsamkeit" yet, imho his best songs.

[mmmjjjyyynnnhhhttt]

Before going home for good in 1979,

I was able to take with me copies

of a lot of Pfitzner's Works,

including most of his 100 or so Lieder.

One art song I adore is "Abshied"!

Granted, it's in Eb Minor (six flats),

but it's exquisite!

[mmmjjjyyynnnhhhttt]

Anyway...Prestel wanted to do "Von deutscher Seele", op. 28,

but Liedertafel-Chor didn't really have the forces...

soooh we never did it...disappointing, but Prestel made the right choice.

This 'Abend' passage, as you know, utilizes TWO Harps: so schoen!

I love the pictures you have here, depicting twilight.

The 'Nacht' section that follows has that DEEP brass Choral, as you know.

Why o W-H-Y is Pfitzner so UNKNOWN???

"The Last Romanticist" had unfortunate political ties, didn't he?

[mmmjjjyyynnnhhhttt]

I believe(?!?) I've connected with you before...Karen, right?

Gosh...duirng the late 70s I was accompanist

for the Liedertafel-Chor in Salzburg, Austria

under the late Kurt Prestel,

my professor and good friend at the Mozarteum.

As you may know, Prestel was conductor of the Bavarian Radio Choir

but long before I knew him.

He introduced me to Pfitzner, very unknown in the USA,

and immediately I fell in love with his music...so schoen...WOW!

<continued...?