Das Geisterschiff from Carl Tausig

Carl Tausig, (1841-1871) is remembered today mostly for his brilliant achievements as a pianist and a substantial legacy of piano transcriptions on works by Scarlatti, Bach, Schubert, Beethoven, Weber, Chopin, Liszt and Wagner. However, more recent studies showed that deep down, he nurtured great ambitions in becoming a composer. His letters are full of enthusiastic references from large scale works in progress such as the Liebesimphonie (Symphony of Love), a symphonic poem called Manfred and even an orchestral piece inspired by the four knights of the Apocalypses. How far he may have gone in this field, if it wasnt for the tragedy of his passing from typhoid fever at only 29 years, is a matter of intriguing speculation. Actually Tausig was a true restless Faustian character, who besides being an all around musician (pianist, conductor, composer and pedagogue) was also deeply versed in philosophy, natural sciences, mathematics and was even considered one of the best chess players in Berlin. Personally acquainted with Liszt, Wagner and Brahms and surrounded by all the aesthetic antagonism that proliferated among those factions, it is comprehensible that in his few surviving original compositions he hadnt yet found his own voice so to say. But even when Tausigs compositions show, in a greater or lesser degree, a debt to the above mentioned composers, we can still be surprised by amazing flashes of originality. This is the case of his Ballade opus 1 Das Geisterschiff (The Ghost ship), written in 1860 under the influence of the homonymous poem by Strachwitz. Originally, The Ghost ship was an orchestral piece. In his premiere it was surprisingly well received, even the fearsome Hanslick, who later criticized Tausig so severely, was positive. Until this day no trace of the orchestral score could be found, and it is plausible to assume that it was never printed and that the orchestra performed from hand copied parts. Strachwitzs poem depicts the encounter of two vessels in a stormed sea, one commanded by humans and the other a ghostly Viking Boat who is driving to the North Pole, a place which represents purity and peace. Much is told about Tausigs inner Sturm und Drang in choosing such a powerful poem for his first serious compositional attempt. Later, following a nineteenth century tradition, he made his own piano solo version. Although we may miss the differentiated timbers and orchestral colors that only a symphonic ensemble can produce, truth is that some dissonances appear much more threatening on the piano. The Ghost ship shows some interesting compositional devices, such as a whole tone scale, (in the midst of the nineteenth century!) a chromatic glissando-which in Tausigs transcription made his first appearance in the piano history- and finally some strong influences of Wagner.

Giulio Draghi

Category:

Music

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• Tausig
• Carl
• Geisterschiff
• tausig
• Giulio
• Draghi
• ghost
• ship
• piano
• TAUSIG

[aspergershawn]

thanks for posting this - I have the score of the Geistershiff and it does indeed have a chromatic glissando which is performed twice in the score. Tausig made a note in the score explaining how to do it - he suggests taking the white keys with one hand and the black keys with the other hand to do it. I had no idea that he had suggested that, I can do a chromatic glissando in one hand using two fingers (any two fingers will do, I prefer 2 and 3, using the back of the nail to make the glissando

[LeoOrnstein]

Why don't you remove the extension of the video from the title? Greetings from Torino : )

[LeoOrnstein]

Thank you very much for let me discover both the composer and the piece! Why don't you remove the "wmv" from the title?

[LeoOrnstein]

Thank you very much for let me discover both the composer and the piece! Why don't you remove the ".wmv" from the title?

[Aribert81]

Tausig was and is one of the greatest pianists all over the time! I hope, that one day everybody will remember of his name! He will stay a legend, which outlive all time!!

[Aribert81]

i did not have heard such great and manly music before!

[ernastine]

Extraordinary to hear this great piece by Tausig - for the first time. More than a century later it gives an impression of his passionate power.