The Last Works for String Orchestra

September 2015 | MusicWeb International | CD The Last Works for String Orchestra

 

John Quinn

(...) This second disc, which has a much shorter playing time, is given over to three works for string orchestra by a composer whose name and music were completely new to me. The Swiss composer, Caspar Diethelm was a native of Lucerne. Among his composition teachers were Hindemith and Honegger. He taught at the Lucerne Conservatoire between 1963 and 1993. Besides a busy musical life he was heavily involved in politics and in conservation. As can be deduced from the opus numbers of the three works recorded here, he was a prolific composer. The three compositions in question were written in the last year of his life – the 12 Segments for string orchestra were completed only weeks before he died.

The Passacaglia bears the title ‘A white Christmas rose on the small grave’. The note in the booklet is by Esther Diethelm and she tells us that the grave to which the title refers is that of Caspar’s daughter, Jutta, who died in 1992. The piece may be short in length but it’s powerful and intense; clearly – and unsurprisingly – strong emotions were at play here. Sharing the same opus number is Consolatio and as the title implies the tone of the music is, perhaps, more accepting. However, the work is no less serious of purpose than its companion piece.

Twelve Segments for string orchestra consists of short movements – most are less than two minutes in duration – and it’s helpful that each is separately tracked on the CD. Most of the individual component pieces are in moderate or slow tempo – only five of them are marked to be taken quickly. However, there’s a good deal of variety in the music and despite the preponderance of slow-moving music I think that Esther Diethelm is right to say that the work “has almost divertimento characteristics”. The composer was evidently highly experienced in writing for strings and he wove into his score a good number of solo opportunities for the principal players of the orchestra; here these are all taken very well indeed. It’s attractive, well-crafted music and the performance appears to be expert. As with the Rütti symphony, Diethelm’s music has been accorded very good recorded sound.

There’s some interesting music on this pair of discs and opportunities to hear these pieces are unlikely to be frequent. The programme spills over onto two CDs but I believe that Guild offer the set at an advantageous price, making this a competitive proposition for collectors who are keen to explore less familiar repertoire in expert performances.