Symphony No. 9 (Henze)
The Ninth Symphony of the German composer Hans Werner Henze was written in 1997.
It is a
German Army as a young man during World War II. His earlier Requiem
is in many ways a precursor to this work.
Across its seven movements, and in parallel with the novel, it recounts the story of a fugitive from the
plane trees to make crosses with which to crucify recaptured fugitives (movements two and three). The sixth movement is a delirious episode in a cathedral where the fugitive's faithless encounter with Christian imagery is contrasted with the death of an escapee in the previous movement, and the arrival of attack dogs at the end. The final movement depicts the fugitive's eventual escape in a ship (sailing down the Rhine
in the novel). However, the ending, like much else in the work, is ambiguous, contrasting the individual's successful escape with the fact that the general threat remains at large.
Movements
- Die Flucht (Escape)
- Bei den Toten (Among the Dead)
- Bericht der Verfolger (The Persecutors' Report)
- Der Platane spricht (The Plane Tree Speaks)
- Der Sturz (The Fall)
- Nachts in Dom (Night in the Cathedral)
- Die Rettung (The Rescue)
Premiere
It was premiered on 11 September 1997 at the Philharmonie,
Berliner Philharmoniker conducted by Ingo Metzmacher. The performance was also recorded by EMI
.
References
- Notes to EMI recording of Henze's Ninth Symphony by Christoph Schlüren, Hans Werner Henze and Hans-Ulrich Treichel, 1998
- Walter-Wolfgang Sparrer, "Henzes Neunte--ein Musikdrama ohne Szene," Neue Musikzeitung, October 1997
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