Miserae, symphonic poem, 1933-34
This symphonic poem was written during a crucial point in Hartmann’s musical career, in the year after the advent of Nazism and his decision to go into internal exile. It was his first purely orchestral piece, and widely regarded as his first symphony although not titled as such, and laid the groundwork for his subsequent eight symphonies. It was presented at the International Society for Contemporary Music festival in Prague in 1935, conducted by Scherchen. An inscription on the score explicitly proclaims solidarity with the people and makes a statement against the establishment of the first concentration camp at Dachau.
to friends, who had to die hundredfold, who are sleeping for eternity – we will not forget you. Dachau 1933-34. The work is set in adagio, Hartmann’s characteristic tempo choice to demonstrate anger, mourning and quiet confidence. The work expresses intense emotions punctuated by agitato sections, expressing moral anguish and political outrage. Hartmann’s solidarity with the Jews is conveyed most prominently in his allusions to Jewish liturgy. In one of the adagio sections, the monodic incantational style of Jewish folk melody is featured prominently in the espressivo bassoon theme. The opening theme in the horns in F set against the wood block is also similar to the sounds of prayer. The first sonata theme, an extended march-like passage in the cellos and basses [e.g. 1], is derived from the apocalyptic funeral march at the opening of Mahler's Second Symphony ("Resurrection"). One of the main themes begins as a quotation of Janáček's opera Z mrtvého domu (From the House of the Dead), set in a Siberian prison and based on Dostoyevsky's novel about his stay in a similar prison for his socialist involvements. The four strident crotchets in major thirds played by the violins is derived from the orchestral introduction of the opera, and the tempo indications are exactly the same: Moderato, crotchets = 132bpm. Perhaps this was Hartmann's tribute to the early victims of Nazi persecution.
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Unrevised version
Ernest Bour / Southwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra (1976) |
Style and Harmony
Symphonic works - unlike music with text (i.e. songs and operas) - are more obscure with their political messages, given the abstract nature of the form. Hartmann makes use of a quasi-rhapsodic musical structure in Miserae as it is a confessional work. The alternation of sombre passages with more driven sections is symbolic of the struggle the people felt at a turning point in history. His political commentary and ideas manifest themselves in the harmonic and stylistic features of the piece. The use of jazz cymbals along with more conventional instruments is interesting, but what is more significant is the combination of characteristics associated with Stravinsky, Schoenberg and Mahler, musicians who were denounced by the Nazis.
Besides the earlier-mentioned reference to Mahler’s Second Symphony, much of Miserae’s adagio moments feature the brass in an unsettling, dark and subdued sing-song manner, reminiscent of nocturnal music by Mahler.[24] The imaginative use of the orchestra in varying levels of intensity and combinations also recalls Mahler’s compositional style.
Some elements of Stravinsky’s music can be identified in the motoric drive and harmonic stasis of some of the agitato sections, where a climax is reached not by the development of melodic material, but the relentless repetition of figurations. One such example is at figure 12, where the oscillating figures played detaché in the strings are punctuated by off-beat sforzandi, building up tension [e.g. 2]. The result has something of the catastrophic quality of Berg's climaxes. Hartmann’s constructive use of rhythm recalls the style of Berg - often the rhythmic characteristics of a particular section is more clearly perceptible as a thematic idea than the melodic contour or the intervallic motifs. This is especially true of the agitato sections [e.g. 3], where the marcato, irregular placement of accents is more striking as a musical idea than the melodic contour. Moments of harsh dissonances created by saturated chromaticism also recall the early music of Schoenberg.
Thus, Hartmann's balance of a traditional large-scale form and more modern harmonic language helped create the depth of expression necessary for a work that aimed to capture the nuances of anger, helplessness and defiance.
Besides the earlier-mentioned reference to Mahler’s Second Symphony, much of Miserae’s adagio moments feature the brass in an unsettling, dark and subdued sing-song manner, reminiscent of nocturnal music by Mahler.[24] The imaginative use of the orchestra in varying levels of intensity and combinations also recalls Mahler’s compositional style.
Some elements of Stravinsky’s music can be identified in the motoric drive and harmonic stasis of some of the agitato sections, where a climax is reached not by the development of melodic material, but the relentless repetition of figurations. One such example is at figure 12, where the oscillating figures played detaché in the strings are punctuated by off-beat sforzandi, building up tension [e.g. 2]. The result has something of the catastrophic quality of Berg's climaxes. Hartmann’s constructive use of rhythm recalls the style of Berg - often the rhythmic characteristics of a particular section is more clearly perceptible as a thematic idea than the melodic contour or the intervallic motifs. This is especially true of the agitato sections [e.g. 3], where the marcato, irregular placement of accents is more striking as a musical idea than the melodic contour. Moments of harsh dissonances created by saturated chromaticism also recall the early music of Schoenberg.
Thus, Hartmann's balance of a traditional large-scale form and more modern harmonic language helped create the depth of expression necessary for a work that aimed to capture the nuances of anger, helplessness and defiance.