March 22, 2019

  • Smetana in Sweden

     

    Smetana: Swedish Symphonic Poems
    Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra/Leos Svarovsky
    Naxos 8.573597
    Total Time:  58:34
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    Ma Vlast is one of those classic collections of symphonic poems that often illustrates the height of 19th Century Romanticism and Nationalist music.  Biedrich Smetana (1824-1884) would begin that work almost two decades after the pieces that are featured in this new Naxos release with the odd title of Swedish Symphonic Poems.  The composer had left his Bohemian homeland for better financial prospects after 1848.  He would land in Gothenburg and begin teaching music at a school he set up.  Choral conducting and composing would also occupy his time.  It was a bit too isolated for him, but from 1856 to 1862 he would often return as pianist and conductor.

    This fascinating period between the late 1840s and 1850s saw the development of the symphonic poem by Franz Liszt.  Smetana had heard the virtuoso play and had also more recently attended performances of the Faust Symphony and Die Ideale.  It was also a time when Smetana had been conducting performances of Berlioz (specifically the Symphonie Fantastique and Romeo and Juliet).  Liszt’s style and approach then certainly inform some of the music that is heard on this collection.  Each of the pieces here are perfectly aligned with some of the popular sources for the period.

    The album opens with a symphonic poem inspired by Shakespeare.  Richard III, O. 11 (1858) was composed in Sweden during a series of familiar illnesses and deaths.  Smetana does not try to create an entire musical retelling of the story but focuses instead on the scene from before the Battle of Bosworth.  There is a sort of limping idea that connects us musically to the king here.  The music has some hints at battle but focuses on the appearances of the people Richard has killed who haunt him in his tent on the eve of the battle and his death.  The music has moments of relative calm followed by bursts of dramatic energy and excitement that swirl about.  Thematically, there is nothing that truly stands out, but the work is a great example of mid-century orchestral style not overcome by Wagnerian chromaticism as of yet.

    Schiller’s poetry has its place in the canon of German and Austrian music so it is rather interesting to see music for his historical trilogy Wallenstein as a source of inspiration for the Czech composer.  Though the political intrigue and warlike setting certainly beg for dramatic music.  Smetana’s Wallenstein’s Camp, Op. 14 (1859) was intended to be a sort of overture to the plays, but here it has been transformed into this symphonic poem structure with scurrying start to depict crowds, folkish dancing, and an interesting section featuring trombones and tuba (a bit innovative for the time).  After a moment of calm representing the sleeping army camp there is a call to arms and a final march section.  It is a rather exciting little work that certainly deserves more attention with some fine solo lines and early folkish influences that would blossom further in Smetana’s later work.

    The most Scandinavian of the pieces here is undoubtedly Hakon Jarl, Op. 16 (1861).  Completed in Gothenburg, the symphonic poem is based on the tales of a Viking warrior as told by the Danish poet Oehlenschlager.  Hakan Harl essentially terrorized Norway for some 25 years in the 10th Century.  The story depicts the struggle and battles between him and the Christian, Olaf.  The conflict thus is set up between the believers of ancient Norse gods and Christianity.  It is a rather interesting concept to depict in music which Smetana does by setting this work with framing segments depicting first the sorrow of the oppressed Christians and then later their victory over Harlan.  The battle is depicted in the central portion of the work.  This is also a rather striking piece which even features a little harp cadenza and some striking harmonic chromaticism.  At times, this is a rather stunning piece of music and perhaps the best of the lot.

    The album concludes with the third movement scherzo from the composer’s earlier Festive Symphony, Op. 6 (1854).  The symphony was originally written to celebrate the marriage of the emperor whom Smetana wished to honor with a dedication of the work.  The other three movements use the Austrian Hymn as a common thread.  This movement does not and with his own nationalist leanings to a free Bohemian state it is no wonder that this movement would be extracted and performed often by the composer rather than the whole work.  Here it makes for a fitting encore.

    The Slovak Philharmonic is the perfect orchestra to explore these works and they are aptly led by Leos Svarovsky who finds ways to invigorate the music with a sense of forward motion.  The music is shaped well here.  Sometimes it feels like there are some hard edits, but nothing to pop one out of the music’s style or structure.  These are really solid dramatic pieces with melodic ideas that do not quite linger as much as some of the composer’s later works.  But, these are still some rather fun discoveries for those who like to explore mid-19th Century orchestral music.  There is something to be said about these early attempts at storytelling in music from popular legends and literature.  Performances of these pieces tend to be often featured together.  A survey of Smetana’s music on Chandos is higher-priced alternative.  Most likely Naxos will reveal more from these forces surveying these lesser known works.  You can track down a full recording of the symphony on Naxos 8.573672 which is a good run through of the piece.  The current release was recorded back in 2014 and is only now seeing the light of day, though it appears to have been available in Slovakia in 2015.