Julius Röntgen - Symphonies Nos. 5, 6 & 19 (David Porcelijn)

Information

Composer: Julius Röntgen

• Symphony No. 6, "Rijck God, wie sal ic claghen"
• Symphony No. 19, "B.A.C.H"
• Symphony No. 5 in A minor, "Der Schnitter Tod"

Marcel Beekman, tenor

Consensus Vocalis

Netherlands Symphony Orchestra

David Porcelijn, conductor

Date: 2012

Label: CPO

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Review

There are many definitions of “freedom” in music beyond the question of whether a work is tonal or not. Julius Röntgen’s harmonic language is conservative and traditional, but his style regarding form and content is completely free. These three symphonies demonstrate this fact particularly well. Symphony No. 5, inspired by the events of the First World War, has a finale setting a poem (and a melody) from the Thirty Years’ War, “There is a reaper and his name is Death, and he has power from the great God.” The next symphony in line, No. 6 in one movement, the opening of which you can hear below, borrows an early 16th century Dutch tune, “Great God, to whom shall I lament?” Both works ask for a mixed choir to sing the texts, the former also requiring a tenor soloist (here the pure-voiced Marcel Beekman).

Between 1930 and 1932, roughly speaking, Röntgen composed 19 symphonies (!), including his Symphony No. 19 on the BACH theme. He had apparently composed a piece on this theme in 1870 and played it for Liszt, who told its young composer that the work was junk. That episode ended Röntgen’s relationship with and respect for Liszt forever, but not his love of Bach. This symphony is an unpretentious, graceful essay in four tiny movements lasting only about 16 minutes. Only the finale is notably contrapuntal, but the music has a timeless quality somehow evocative of its subject. As with the other issues in this marvelous ongoing series, the performances are excellent. David Porcelijn, always a reliable guide to unfamiliar repertoire, gets impressive results from the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra. The choir sings beautifully, and the engineering is first class. Very highly recommended.

— David Hurwitz

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Julius Röntgen (9 May 1855 – 13 September 1932) was a German-Dutch composer and teacher. Privately educated, he began composing at age eight and studied under prominent musicians like Ferdinand David, Carl Reinecke and Franz Lachner. A meeting with Brahms in 1874 had a decisive influence on his compositional style. Settling in Amsterdam in 1877, Röntgen co-founded the Amsterdam Conservatory and helped establish the Concertgebouw building. He composed over 650 works in almost every genre, evolving from Romanticism to modern experimentation. His first wife was Swedish composer Amanda Maier.

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David Porcelijn (born 7 January 1947) is a Dutch composer and conductor. He studied flute, composition, and conducting at the Royal Conservatoire of Music in The Hague. Porcelijn has conducted major orchestras worldwide, including the London Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony. He held leading roles with ensembles such as the Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and the RTS Symphony Orchestra in Belgrade. A co-founder of Ensemble M, he promoted contemporary music from 1974 to 1978. Porcelijn has recorded extensively and taught conducting in both the Netherlands and Australia.

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