During the Weimar Republic (1919-1933), German opera flourished as never before. Not only popular hits such as Krenek's 'Johnny spielt auf' and Weill's 'Threigroschenoper' stem from this period, but also Hindemith's famously scandalous works, as well as several much more traditional, but no less fascinating works by Strauss. A prominent role was also reserved for Egon Wellesz (1885-1974) at this
… time. Wellesz was born in Vienna, where he studied piano, composition and musicology - one of Wellesz's teachers was none other than Schönberg. After 1918 Wellesz presented himself as a composer and scientist; he was professor of music history in Vienna from 1929 to 1938. The Austrian Anschluss near Nazi Germany forced him to flee abroad. Wellesz went to England and stayed there for the rest of his life. The work 'Die Bakchantinnen' from 1930 included here was Wellesz's ninth opera. The subject is based on Euripides' tragedy Pentheus, which describes how Dionysos avenges his aunt Agave, Princess of Thebes, for having his mother - Agave's sister - killed. At Dionysos' hands, Agave and the other women of Thebes become intoxicated (they are the Bacchantes) and kill Pentheus, the son of Agave. It is not until Agave is sober that she realizes that she herself has helped bring about the divine retribution. The classicist subject is typical of Wellesz, who had a great interest in Greek antiquity. This was not only expressed in the choice of fabric, but also in a special kind of Bewegungschöre, created by Wellesz in collaboration with several directors and choreographers in an attempt to revive the dance of Greek theater. In idiom, Wellesz moves between the extremes of his time; it is clearly more modern than Strauss's late Romantic tradition, but less innovative than Hindemith. Die Bakchantinnen has been recorded here by soloists, the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Gerd Albrecht. The latter has repeatedly proven to be able to work exceptionally well with repertoire from this period and this performance underlines that once again. (JvG) it is clearly more modern than Strauss's late Romantic tradition, but less innovative than Hindemith. Die Bakchantinnen has been recorded here by soloists, the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Gerd Albrecht. The latter has repeatedly proven to be able to work exceptionally well with repertoire from this period and this performance underlines that once again. (JvG) it is clearly more modern than Strauss's late Romantic tradition, but less innovative than Hindemith. Die Bakchantinnen has been recorded here by soloists, the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin conducted by Gerd Albrecht. The latter has already proven several times that he can handle repertoire from this time exceptionally well, and this performance underlines that once again. (JvG)more
