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瑞士經典音樂家系列(8) 奧特馬爾·舍克 (Othmar Schoeck) (1886-1957) 海德堡城堡 Schloss Heidelberg 2022.10.8

 


奧特瑪·薛克(Othmar Schoeck,1886-1957)是著名的瑞士作曲家和指揮家,他以大量的藝術歌曲(Lieder)歌曲集而聞名。儘管他的音樂風格在職業生涯中不斷演變,但他通常與調性F和傳統形式保持著密切的聯繫,這使他與一些追求不和諧音的同時代作曲家區分開來。

生平與教育

薛克於1886年9月1日出生於瑞士布倫嫩,父親是風景畫家阿爾弗雷德·薛克。他最初考慮追隨父親的腳步成為一名畫家,但最終選擇了音樂。1904年至1907年間,他在蘇黎世音樂學院學習,主修作曲、指揮、鋼琴、聲樂和樂理。在此期間,他接觸了當代音樂以及胡戈·沃爾夫的作品,後者對他的歌曲創作產生了重大影響。1907年至1908年,他進一步在萊比錫音樂學院師從馬克斯·雷格爾學習作曲,磨練自己的技藝。


職業生涯與音樂風格

1908年回到蘇黎世後,薛克開創了作曲家、鋼琴伴奏和指揮家的多重事業。他擔任過多個指揮職位,特別是1916年至1944年擔任聖加侖交響樂團的音樂總監。他還曾作為客座指揮與著名的樂團合作,例如瑞士羅曼德管弦樂團史卡拉歌劇院管弦樂團

薛克的音樂風格常被描述為晚期浪漫主,其特點是感性而嚴謹。儘管他在中期作品中融入了一些現代主義元素,但他從未放棄調性。他的音樂以其旋律價值和在傳統和聲框架內對不和諧音的有效運用而著稱。一些學者將他的風格與1930年代和1940年代的保羅·亨德密特相提並論。


主要作品與貢獻

  • 藝術歌曲(Lieder)和歌曲集: 這可以說是薛克對古典音樂最重要的貢獻。他創作了近400首藝術歌曲,歌詞選自海因里希·海涅、赫爾曼·黑塞、約瑟夫·馮·艾興多夫、路德維希·烏蘭德和戈特弗里德·凱勒等著名詩人。他的歌曲集,例如《悲歌》(Elegie)和《活埋》(Lebendig begraben),尤其因其深刻的表現力和對胡戈·沃爾夫和理查·施特勞斯歌曲創作傳統的發展而備受推崇。
  • 歌劇: 薛克創作了數部歌劇,儘管很少上演,但評價很高。他著名的歌劇包括:
    • 《彭忒西勒亞》(Penthesilea,作品39): 於1927年在德累斯頓首演,這部獨幕歌劇被認為是他「現代」階段的重要作品,展現出比他抒情歌曲更為激進甚至暴力的風格。它改編自海因里希·馮·克萊斯特的戲劇。
    • 《維納斯》(Venus,作品32)
    • 《瑪希米拉·多尼》(Massimilla Doni,作品50): 於1937年在德累斯頓首演。
    • 《迪蘭德城堡》(Das Schloss Dürande,作品53): 改編自約瑟夫·馮·艾興多夫的中篇小說。
    • 《科利布拉多的唐·拉努多》(Don Ranudo de Colibrados,作品27)
    • 《埃爾溫與埃爾米爾》(Erwin und Elmire,作品25)
  • 器樂作品: 儘管他為無聲樂的管弦樂團創作較少,但他的器樂作品包括:
    • 兩首弦樂四重奏(作品23和作品37)
    • 小提琴協奏曲(作品21,獻給史蒂菲·蓋爾)、大提琴協奏曲(作品61)和法國號協奏曲(作品65),通常配以弦樂團伴奏。
    • 室內樂,包括小提琴和大提琴奏鳴曲。
    • 管弦樂作品,如《小樂隊小夜曲,作品1》和《弦樂團夏夜,作品58》。
  • 合唱音樂: 薛克也創作了一些合唱作品,包括清唱劇如《漁夫和他的妻子》(Vom Fischer un syner Fru,作品43)和《艾興多夫清唱劇》(Eichendorff Cantata,作品49)。他的《鼓聲》(Trommelschläge,作品26)為合唱和管弦樂而作,受沃爾特·惠特曼詩歌影響,是一部令人震撼的作品,標誌著他的風格轉向表現主義。

影響與同時代人

薛克早期的學習使他接觸了廣泛的音樂。他與馬克斯·雷格爾的學習無疑塑造了他的作曲方法。後來,他嘗試了不和諧音,受到阿諾德·荀貝格、阿爾班·貝爾格和保羅·亨德密特等作曲家的影響。儘管受到這些影響,薛克仍保持了其獨特的聲音,融合了浪漫主義和現代主義風格。他還與赫爾曼·黑塞、托馬斯·曼和詹姆斯·喬伊斯等文學人物合作並受到他們的欽佩。


遺產

儘管薛克在世時是瑞士的領先作曲家,並贏得了威廉·富特文格勒和迪特里希·費雪-迪斯考等著名音樂家的讚賞,但他的音樂在國際上的聲譽並非一直穩定。這部分歸因於他對德語歌詞的強烈專注以及其本質上的晚期浪漫主義風格,這在第二次世界大戰後的前衛音樂中被認為有些「過時」。然而,近年來,人們對他的作品重新產生了興趣,他的許多作品現已錄製發行。奧特瑪·薛克音樂節也積極推廣他的音樂,並促進對他生平與作品的深入探討。



Othmar Schoeck (1886-1957) was a prominent Swiss composer and conductor, primarily known for his substantial output of art songs (Lieder) and song cycles. While his musical style evolved throughout his career, he generally maintained a strong connection to tonal harmony and conventional forms, setting him apart from some of his more dissonant contemporaries.

Life and Education: Born on September 1, 1886, in Brunnen, Switzerland, Schoeck was the son of landscape painter Alfred Schoeck. He initially considered following in his father's footsteps as a painter but ultimately chose music. He studied at the Zurich Conservatory from 1904 to 1907, focusing on composition, conducting, piano, voice, and theory. During this period, he became familiar with contemporary music and the works of Hugo Wolf, a significant influence on his song writing. He further honed his skills by studying composition with Max Reger at the Leipzig Conservatory from 1907 to 1908.

Career and Musical Style: Upon his return to Zurich in 1908, Schoeck established a multifaceted career as a composer, piano accompanist, and conductor. He held various conducting positions, notably serving as the musical director of the St. Gallen Symphony Orchestra from 1916 to 1944. He also appeared as a guest conductor with esteemed ensembles like the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala.

Schoeck's musical style is often described as late-Romantic, characterized by its sensuous and stringent qualities. While he embraced certain modernist elements, particularly in his middle period, he never abandoned tonality. His music is noted for its melodic values and effective use of dissonance within a traditional harmonic framework. Some scholars have drawn comparisons between his style and that of Paul Hindemith from the 1930s and 1940s.

Major Works and Contributions:

  • Lieder (Art Songs) and Song Cycles: This is arguably Schoeck's most significant contribution to classical music. He composed almost 400 Lieder, setting texts by renowned poets such as Heinrich Heine, Hermann Hesse, Joseph von Eichendorff, Ludwig Uhland, and Gottfried Keller. His song cycles, such as Elegie and Lebendig begraben ("Buried Alive"), are particularly admired for their expressive depth and their development of the song-writing traditions of Hugo Wolf and Richard Strauss.
  • Operas: Schoeck composed several operas, which, though rarely staged, are highly regarded. His notable operas include:
    • Penthesilea (Op. 39): Premiered in 1927 in Dresden, this one-act opera is considered a major work from his "modern" phase, showcasing a more radical and even violent style compared to his lyrical songs. It's a setting of Heinrich von Kleist's drama.
    • Venus (Op. 32)
    • Massimilla Doni (Op. 50): Premiered in Dresden in 1937.
    • Das Schloss Dürande (Op. 53): Based on a novella by Joseph von Eichendorff.
    • Don Ranudo de Colibrados (Op. 27)
    • Erwin und Elmire (Op. 25)
  • Instrumental Works: While he wrote less for orchestra without voice, his instrumental compositions include:
    • Two String Quartets (Op. 23 and Op. 37)
    • Concertos for Violin (Op. 21, dedicated to Stefi Geyer), Cello (Op. 61), and Horn (Op. 65), often with string orchestra accompaniment.
    • Chamber music, including violin and cello sonatas.
    • Orchestral pieces like Serenade for Small Orchestra, Op. 1, and Summernight for String Orchestra, Op. 58.
  • Choral Music: Schoeck also composed a number of choral works, including cantatas like Vom Fischer un syner Fru (Op. 43) and Eichendorff Cantata (Op. 49). His Trommelschläge (Op. 26) for chorus and orchestra, a harrowing piece influenced by Walt Whitman's poetry, marked a significant turn towards Expressionism in his style.

Influences and Contemporaries: Schoeck's early studies acquainted him with a broad range of music. His time with Max Reger undoubtedly shaped his compositional approach. Later, he experimented with dissonance, influenced by composers like Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Paul Hindemith. Despite these influences, Schoeck maintained his individual voice, synthesizing Romantic and modernist styles. He also collaborated with and was admired by literary figures such as Hermann Hesse, Thomas Mann, and James Joyce.

Legacy: Despite being a leading composer in Switzerland during his lifetime and attracting the admiration of prominent musicians like Wilhelm Furtwängler and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Schoeck's music has not always enjoyed a stable international reputation. This is partly attributed to his strong focus on the German sung word and his essentially late-Romantic style, which was sometimes perceived as "démodé" by the post-World War II avant-garde. However, in recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in his work, with many of his compositions now available on recordings. The Othmar Schoeck Festival also actively promotes his music and fosters critical engagement with his life and works.






奧特馬爾·舍克 (Othmar Schoeck) (1886-1957): 一位瑞士作曲家,主要以其豐富而富有表現力的歌曲套曲 (Lieder) 而聞名,但也創作了器樂和戲劇作品。




《活埋》 (Lebendig begraben) Op. 40 (為男中音與樂團而作的歌曲套曲)


《仲夏夜》 (Sommernacht) Op. 58 (為男高音與樂團而作的歌曲套曲)


《降B大調小提琴協奏曲》 (Violin Concerto in B-flat major, Op. 21)


《彭忒西勒亞》 (Penthesilea) Op. 39 (歌劇)


《D小調第一號弦樂四重奏》 (String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op. 25)


《小夜曲》 (Serenade for Oboe, English Horn, Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn, Op. 1)


Othmar Schoeck (1886-1957): A Swiss composer primarily known for his extensive and expressive song cycles (lieder), but also wrote instrumental and dramatic works.


Lebendig begraben Op. 40 (song cycle for baritone and orchestra)

Sommernacht Op. 58 (song cycle for tenor and orchestra)

Violin Concerto in B-flat major, Op. 21

Penthesilea Op. 39 (opera)

String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op. 25

Serenade for Oboe, English Horn, Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn, Op. 1