VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN
The photo above shows the elegant interior of the Konzertshaus in Berlin where “The Prison” described by Neville Cardus in the Manchester Guardian as “one of the most remarkable works of our time” received its first performance in nearly 75 years on September 27th and where it proved itself to be a work of distinction, amply worthy of further performances - in other words, I really enjoyed it which is more than can be said of the eurolines coach journey there and back. I’d never been to Berlin by coach before and it was definitely the first and last time that I ever will!
“The Prison” is Smyth’s last major work, although she had been planning to write it for almost 20 years before finally laying pen to paper, after the death from cancer of the poem’s author, Harry Brewster, her lover and artistic collaborator. The work is scored for chorus, two soloists and orchestra and Smyth considered this her finest “the only one of all my works with which I am even moderately satisfied”. It received its premiere in Edinburgh in February 1931 under the baton of Dame Ethel herself. Subsequently it was performed in London (rather badly, by all accounts, with a sick Boult at the helm) and then again in Manchester as part of the Smyth 75th Birthday concert series.
The work’s title refers to the nature of life and death and concerns a man’s inner discussion with
his soul. Stylistically the music lies somewhere between Debussy and Tippett: Pelleas with a touch of a Child of our Time (the latter was written five years after ‘The Prison’). That it is NOT Brahmsian in style, despite Smyth’s early influences was emphatically demonstrated by placing it in the programme between two of Brahms’ own choral works “The Song of Destiny” and Nänie. Smyth has her own style and a composing voice with passionate directness and honesty that comes straight from the heart. At this performance, her intentions were well served by the Baritone, Johannes Schwärsky singing the role of The Prisoner and, particularly, by the American Soprano Malinda Haslett who stepped in a short notice to learn the role of His Soul.
Typical of Smyth’s style, the scoring is a kaleidescope of orchestral colours that weave together
like warp and weft requiring a deft control that was managed excellently by conductor Kerstin Behnke with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie and the Berliner Capella. Given her crusading efforts to achieve equal status for women in the world of professional music, Dame Ethel would, no doubt, have been delighted by the presence of a woman on the rostrum.
The Berliner Capella specialise in singing ‘forgotten’ choral works and will be giving a performance of more of Smyth’s music in June 2009.
Berlin was as wonderful as ever - clear blue sky, good food, lovely people and, as a bonus, the Berlin Marathon including the Inline Skater Marathon
Finally, I am indebted to MusicSales for the gift of a full score of “The Prison” prior to the performance.
Ethel Smyth’s Prison in Berlin
Monday, 6 October 2008
