An die Hoffnung

"An die Hoffnung" (To Hope), Op. 124, is a Lied for alto or mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Max Reger, setting a poem by Friedrich Hölderlin. He composed it in Meiningen in 1912 and dedicated it to Anna Erler-Schnaudt, the singer of the first performance. It was published by Edition Peters the same year.[1]

"An die Hoffnung"
Lied by Max Reger
Anna Erler-Schnaudt, the first singer of the orchestral song
CatalogueOp. 124
LanguageGerman
Composed1912 (1912)
DedicationAnna Erler-Schnaudt
Published1893: London
Scoring

History

Reger composed the orchestral song in Meiningen in 1912.[1][2] It was his only attempt in the genre, while he orchestrated some of his other songs originally set for voice and piano.[3] It was his first setting of a text by Friedrich Hölderlin, his poem "An die Hoffnung".[4]

Reger had an affinity to the alto voice, collaborating with the singer Anna Erler-Schnaudt whom he met probably in 1906.[5] Reger dedicated the work to her, and she was the soloist in the first performance in Eisenach on 12 October 1912. The composer conducted the Meininger Hofkapelle. The song was published by Edition Peters the same year, the vocal score in September, the parts in November.[1]

Reger requested the singer to perform in his memorial service in case of his death. She remained dedicated to him after his death, giving the autograph of the piano version of An die Hoffnung and several other memorabilia to the Max-Reger-Institute.[5]

Text and music

The poem was published in two versions, the first titled "Bitte" (Request), the second "An die Hoffnung". Reger combined the text of the first, making minor changes to the wording, with the title of the second.[6]

Reger scored work for a low female voice (alto or mezzo-soprano), and an orchestra of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three timpani and strings.[1] The music is influenced by Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.[4] Reger made a piano version.[1]

Selected recordings

Carl Schuricht conducted in 1955 the first recording, with Christa Ludwig and the NDR Symphony Orchestra, complementing Bruckner's Symphonies No. 7 and 8.[7] Hermann Scherchen recorded it along with other works by Reger in 1960 with the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie and Margarethe Bence as the soloist.[8] Leon Botstein conducted in 2001 a recording with Catherine Wyn-Rogers and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, complementing Reger works such as Vier Tondichtungen nach A. Böcklin.[9]

References
  1. Institute 2017.
  2. Biography 2012.
  3. JPC 2017.
  4. Lembfrid 2017.
  5. IMRG 2017.
  6. Preface 2017.
  7. Schuricht 1955.
  8. Scherchen 1960.
  9. Lace 2001.

Bibliography
  • Lace, Ian (2001). "Max Reger (1873–1916) / Four Tone Poems after Arnold Böcklin". musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 17 April 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Lempfrid, Wolfgang. "Orchesterlieder – Einführung" (in German). koelnklavier.de. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  • Mercier, Richard; Nold, Donald (2008). The Songs of Max Reger: A Guide and Study. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9781461707233.
  • Parsons, James (2004). "The Cambridge Companion to the Lied". Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521804714.
  • "Max Reger Curriculum vitae". Max-Reger-Institute. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  • "Reger und die Altstimme" (PDF). Mitteilungen No. 7 (in German). Internationale Max Reger Gesellschaft. 2003. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  • "An die Hoffnung Op. 124 / für Alt, 2 Fl, 2 Ob, 2 Kl, 2 Fg, 4 Hr, 2 Trp, 3 Pk, Streicher" (in German). Max-Reger-Institute. 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  • "Max Reger: Hermann Scherchen dirigiert Reger" (in German). JPC. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  • "Preface" (PDF) (in German). repertoire-explorer.musikmph.de. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  • "Scherchen Conducts Reger / Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie". arkivmusic.com. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  • "Carl Schuricht conducts Bruckner and Reger in Hamburg" (in German). musicandarts.com. 1955. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
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