Musical Memories
Oct 24, 2011
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I can’t believe how fast these last twelve months have passed. It seems like only last week that we were performing Mahler’s fifth symphony at Belfast Festival at Queen’s and every week was an ongoing trial chasing the 1st horn position. But it has been a year and thankfully I’m now sitting in the much sought after chair, and here we are back to Festival time. I remember as a young boy how long a whole year seemed and now as I get older it is Christmas, Easter, Summer and back to Christmas again in a flash. As every year passes I forget certain events, but then out of the blue I will hear certain music that triggers a past event that was previously lost in the vaults of my mind.
This week at the Festival we are teaming up with our young colleagues from the Ulster Youth Orchestra and Ulster Youth Choir, for a performance of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana”
Carmina Burana– Latin for “Songs from Beuern” (short for:Benediktbeuern), is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces of Old French or Provençal. Some are a mixture of Latin and German or French vernacular.
This piece was first staged in Frankfurt by the Frankfurt Opera on June 8, 1937, and Shortly after the greatly successful premiere, Orff wrote the following letter to his publisher, Schott Music:
- “Everything I have written to date, and which you have, unfortunately, printed, can be destroyed. With Carmina Burana, my collected works begin.”
Several performances were repeated elsewhere in Germany. The Nazi regime was at first nervous about the erotic tone of some of the poems, but eventually embraced the piece. It became the most famous piece of music composed in Germany at the time. The popularity of the work continued to rise after the war, and by the 1960s Carmina Burana was well established as part of the international classic repertory.
I have performed this piece many times during my career and every time I play this music I am transported back in time to when I was a young boy growing up in Glasgow and this music was used in an advert for Old Spice aftershave, and I can still replay the advert in my mind, and almost smell the classic manly aroma wafting from my father. Now that is what I call “the power of advertising”.
The second concert we are giving this week also has a strong musical memory for me. We are performing with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, an opera superstar whom I grew up listening to in my music class at school. At that point in my life I had no idea that I would one day share the same stage as this opera legend, and now here I am sharing the stage with her for the second time.
The first time, and the time I will remember most fondly, was back in Scotland in 2005 when I was rehearsing with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for a concert with Dame Kiri. At the beginning of that week I received a phone call from the previous Ulster Orchestra 1st horn Chris Blake. He phoned me to offer me my job in the 3rd horn chair. So for me when I hear Dame Kiri, I am again transported back to a very happy memory.
I hope that I am not alone with my musical memories, and that every time you listen to the Ulster Orchestra and friends, you take home a musical memory of your own.
The tide recedes, but leaves behind bright seashells on the sand.
The sun goes down, but gentle warmth still lingers in the land,
The music stops, and yet it echoes on in sweet refrains . . .
For every joy that passes, something beautiful remains. (Anon)
Paul Klein Principal Horn
1 Feedback comment
Clare Stevens
So, how were the two concerts for you, Paul - did they live up to your memories? How did the youngsters get on in Carmina Burana? I was at it, and the orchestra sounded great - as did the wonderful choirs. But it was such a shame the programmes didn\'t include texts/translations - the ideal in fact would have been surtitles. I know there is a problem because of the bawdy nature of some of the texts, but it is quite difficult for the audience to listen to an hour of narrative that they can\'t follow.
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