Hans Gál (1890-1987)
Music for Voices – Volume Two
Borealis/Bridget Budge and Stephen Muir
Ian Buckle (piano)
rec. 2020, Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall, University of Leeds, UK
Texts and English translations included
Toccata Classics TOCC0644 [72]
The previous volume in this enterprising series devoted to the vocal music of Hans Gál was released in 2020; it was reviewed appreciatively by John France. I’ve become acquainted with Gál’s orchestral music, including his very interesting symphonies, but I’d previously been unaware of his vocal output. As the very detailed booklet essay makes clear, the composer regarded this as an important strand of his creative output.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Hans Gál enjoyed a successful career, first in his native Austria and also, for a few years, in Germany where he was appointed Director of the conservatoire in Mainz in 1929. He was hounded out of that post when the Nazis came to power in 1933, whereupon he returned to Vienna. The annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938 ended his career prospects in Austria also. He was lucky enough not only to escape Austria but to find sanctuary in Britain. He took up residence in Edinburgh, making his home there for the remainder of his life; from 1945 until his death he was a lecturer at Edinburgh University. The present collection of pieces includes music from both his pre-war and Edinburgh periods.
In the former category, we find Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, which date from 1928. These are for female choir with piano. In the first of them, ‘Advent’ an attractive air of freshness is imparted through the sound of the women’s voices and the rippling piano part There’s fragile beauty in the second song, ‘Adagio’ and the concluding ‘Sankt Nepomuk’ is a cheerful, humorous setting. I found much to enjoy in the music, and the performance by the ladies of Borealis is spirited.
Drei Gesänge (1929-30)is another pre-war set. This time, the songs are for SATB choir a cappella. They’re all accomplished settings; my favourite is ‘Wiegenlied’. This song is gentle and easeful, making an immediate appeal to the listener. I admire the control with which Borealis sing it.
The other pre-war set is Drei Porträtstudien. These are for male voices with piano accompaniment. The texts are whimsically humorous poems by Wilhelm Busch (1832-1908). I like very much the way the male singers of Borealis characterise these songs; they tackle them with evident relish, as does pianist Ian Buckle. In the last of the three songs, ‘Der Unvorsichtige’ (The Careless One), Buckle has to contend with a very demanding, fast-moving piano part; he delivers the music with aplomb. The end of this particular song is very entertaining; I won’t spoil it by saying more. I will say, however, that these songs demonstrate Gál’s sense of fun.
As I indicated, some of the sets of songs here recorded straddle the war. However, there are some wartime compositions too. The Two Madrigals to Poems by Thomas Lodge date from 1939-1940. Three Lyrics to Poems by Thomas Moore were written in 1942. As it says in the notes, the Moore songs were composed at a time when wartime constraints meant there was no realistic prospect of either performance or publication. One presumes, therefore, that Gál felt compelled to write them for his own satisfaction. The three poems, by the Irishman Thomas Moore (1779-1852), are in English. They form one of three collections on this CD that set English words and it seems to me that Hans Gál demonstrates in all three sets that he was as comfortable setting English texts as he was setting poems in his native German tongue. The first of the three Moore songs, ‘Sacred Song’, is described in the notes as “one of Gál’s finest and most deeply felt creations, imbued with a profound sense of sincerity that pervades the piano and vocal lines alike”. I wouldn’t dispute that verdict. That said, the second song, ‘Echo’ is very beautiful and it exerted a strong appeal to me. The final song, ‘Cupid’s Lottery’ is carefree and jolly.
The other two sets of songs come from quite a bit later in Gál’s career. Spätlese (Late Harvest) is a collection of six songs for unaccompanied male voices. These offer opportunities for characterisation which the men of Borealis seize with alacrity. I very much enjoyed the lively ‘Bruder Augustin’. By contrast, ‘Abendlied’ is relaxed and tranquil; it features an unremittingly high first tenor part and there’s a delicious harmonic surprise right at the end. ‘Nachtgesang’ is a calm slumber song which features interesting, unexpected harmonies. The concluding ‘Der faule Schäfer’ (The Lazy Shepherd) is a robust, witty offering which presents another opportunity for characterisation – and there’s a surprise ending. The male singers of Borealis do these songs very well.
Songs of Youth (1959) were composed for an American ladies choir. The third of the five songs, ‘Tell me where is Fancy bred’ is an inventive setting of Shakespeare. I especially relished the pealing (and appealing) way in which the words ‘Ding, dong, bell’ are set at the end. The concluding song, ‘Epilogue’ is a fine composition; the vocal writing is very fluent.
This is a most interesting collection of choral songs. Hans Gál was, on this evidence, a fine composer of music for choirs. Borealis, a professional chamber choir based in the north of England, is an accomplished ensemble which tackles Gál’s music confidently and capably. I do have one reservation, though. At times, the soprano line seems overbright, almost verging on edgy. I do wonder if a different recording venue might have helped. I have the impression that the acoustic of Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall is rather immediate. Whilst acknowledging that all the repertoire is secular, it might have been preferable to record the singers in a more sympathetically resonant church acoustic. Other listeners may not be troubled by this issue – evaluating voices is notoriously subjective – and in any case there is much to admire about the singing. Furthermore, the choir and their conductors are to be congratulated on successfully recording this neglected repertoire.
The documentation is excellent. As well as the sung texts and, where appropriate, English translations, the booklet contains a comprehensive essay about the music; this is co-authored by the conductors, Bridget Budge and Stephen Muir and Eva Fox-Gál, the composer’s daughter.
Previous review: John France (January 2023)
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Contents
Drei Lieder nach Gedichten von Rainer Maria Rilke, Op 31 (1928)
No.1 Advent
No.2 Adagio
No.3 Sankt Nepomuk
Drei Gesänge, Op 37 (1929-1930)
No.1 Der römische Brunnen
No.2 Am Abend
No.3 Wiegenlied
Spätlese, Op 91 (1966)
No. 1 Bruder Augustin
No. 2 Abendlied
No. 3 Nachtgesang
No. 4 Grabschrift
No. 5 Trutzlied
No. 6 Der faule Schäfer
Two Madrigals to Poems by Thomas Lodge (1939-1940)
No.1 Her Rambling
No.2 Carpe Diem
Drei Porträtstudien, Op 34 (1929)
No. 1 Der Fromme
No. 2 Der Weise
No. 3 Der Unvorsichtige
Songs of Youth, Op 75 (1959)
No.1 Crabbèd Age and Youth
No.2 Love is a Sickness
No.3 Tell me where is Fancy bred
No.4 Capriccio
No.5 Epilogue
Three Lyrics to Poems by Thomas Moore (1942)
No.1 Sacred Song
No.2 Echo
No.3 Cupid’s Lottery
