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Walter Braunfels’ Te Deum Sees Netherlands Premiere

Mar. 30, 2011

"… anyone who makes a conscious effort to read the words of the Te Deum will be bound to say that nowadays only those who are believers have the right to set them to music." The composer Walter Braunfels made these remarks in 1921 at the Viennese premiere of his work for chorus, solo voices and orchestra Te Deum, which sees its Dutch premiere on April 23 by the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra of Amsterdam led by Marcus Stenz. The composer behind the beloved opera Die Vögel crafted in Te Deum a work of lush, emotional orchestrations with dynamic and impressive vocal passages, recalling fragments of the Adagio from Mahler’s 10th Symphony. Throughout his life Braunfels’ music skillfully avoided the fashionable strains of modernism at the time and instead strove for an expressive and beautiful lyricism in a style more influenced by composers such as Brahms, Pfitzner and Debussy. The music of Te Deum reveals not only a dedicated artistic craftsman but also a passionately devout convert. Alexandra Maria Dielitz writes on Te Deum:

In composing Te Deum, the composer stated that it "sprang from conviction." His aim was simply to communicate that conviction to others. In spite of this, Braunfels's Te Deum is anything but an ascetic work of religious interiority: rather, he used overwhelming tonal masses, richly flowing melodies, sophisticated harmonies and a firm grasp of dramatic form to create a confessional work of positively Baroque voluptuousness.

A German composer whose music was celebrated between the World Wars of the 20th century, Braunfels and his music fell into oblivion after his death, due in no small part to his music being derided as "degenerate" music by the Nazis. The music of this composer who prized the German classical-romantic idiom is experiencing a renaissance of late including the revival of Die Vögel at Los Angeles Opera in 2007 conducted by James Conlon and the Decca recording of the opera released in 1996. Purchase the album here.

Learn more on the life and work of Walter Braunfels at www.universaledition.com.

Walter Braunfels
Te Deum (1920-1921)
for soprano, tenor, mixed chorus, orchestra and organ
2pic.3.2.ca.4.bcl.4.cbsn-4.3.3.btba-timp.2perc-2hp.pno.org-str
60’

Die Vögel (1913-1919)
an opera in 2 acts
libretto (Ger) adapted by the composer after Aristophanes
5 sopranos, low soprano, 6 tenors, 3 baritones, high bass, 4 basses and SATB chorus
3.1.ca.2.2-4.2.3.1-timp.2perc-cel.2hp-str
120’

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