1951 Frankfurt
Jun 22, 1951 – Jul 1, 1951
Frankfurt
Festival info
Start: Jun 22, 1951
End: Jul 1, 1951
Locations: Frankfurt
Hosting member(s)
Organized by the Hessischer Rundfunk Frankfurt in connection with the Second International Twelve-Tone Congress, the Summer Courses for New Music, Darmstadt, and the conference of the students of German music academies.
From a contemporaneous review
“The I951 I.S.C.M. Festival was held at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, the 1952 Festival at Salzburg, Austria. Both events are worthy of being regarded as symbols of the return of the two countries to the international musical scene.”
–Karl H. Wörner, “Austria” (the second segment of “Current Chronicle”),
The Musical Quarterly, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 4, October 1952, p. 600.
Jury
Johan Bentzon
Nadia Boulanger
Roman Palester
Alan Rawsthorne
Hans Heinz Stuckenschmidt
Concerts
Friday, 22 June 1951 at 20:00 – Special concert of German works presented by ISCM German Section featuring the Chorus and Orchestra of the Bayerischen Rundfunks conducted by Eugen Jochum
Karl Amadeus Hartmann (Germany, b. 1905; d. 1963): Symphony No. 3 (1948-49) [31′];
Carl Orff (Germany, b. 1895; d. 1982): Catulli Carmina for 2 Singers and Unaccompanied Chorus (1940-43) [24′] featuring Elisabeth Trötschel and Richard Holm;
Hermann Reutter (Germany, b. 1900; d. 1985): Concerto in Eb Major for two pianos and orchestra (in one movement), op. 63 (1947) [17′] performed by the composer and Heinz Schröter [WORLD PREMIERE];
Werner Egk (Germany, b. 1901; d. 1983): Sonata for Orchestra (1947/48) [20′].
Saturday, 23 June 1951, 11:00 – Opening ceremony
+ Charles Koechlin (France, 1867-1950): Chant funèbre à la mémoire des jeunes femmes défuntes for chorus, orchestra and organ, op. 37 (1902–08) [in memoriam] performed by the Chorus and Orchestra of the Hessischen Rundfunks conducted by Winfried Zillig and featuring organist Wilhelm Stollenwerck;
Raymond Chevreuille (Belgium [Wallonia], b. 1901; d. 1976): D’un Diable de Briquet, Conte radiophonique after Hans Christian Andersen for speaker, soprano, male choir and orchestra plus phonographic playback (1950) [40′] performed by Georges Génicot and Mariette Martin-Metten with the Male Chorus and Symphony Orchestra of INR (Brussels) conducted by Franz André (?).
Saturday, 23 June 1951, 20:00 – Kölner Rundfunk-Sinf.-Orch. and Kölner Rundfunk Choir conducted by Joseph Keilberth
Ernst Toch (United States, b. 1887 in Austria; d. 1964): Symphony No. 1, op. 72 (1950) [40′];
Jean-Louis Martinet (France, b. 1912; d. 2010): 6 Chants for Chorus and Orchestra [text: René Char] (1948) [27′];
Goffredo Petrassi (Italy, b. 1904; d. 2003): Coro di Morti, dramatic madrigal for male choir and orchestra [text: Giacomo Leopardi] (1941) [16′];
Antoni Szałowski (Poland, b. 1907; d. 1973): Fragments Symphoniques from the ballet Zaczarowana oberża (L’Auberge Ensorcelée) (1945 or 1946) [30′?] [WORLD PREMIERE].
Sunday, 24 June 1951, 20:00 – Chorus and Orchestra of the Hessischen Rundfunks conducted by Fritz Lehmann
Karl-Birger Blomdahl (Sweden, b. 1916; d. 1968): Symphony No. 3 ‘Facettes’ (1950) [23′] [WORLD PREMIERE];
Willy Burkhard (Switzerland, b. 1900; d. 1955): Piccola Sinfonia Giocosa for small orchestra, op. 81 (1949) [18′];
Léo Preger (France [Corsica], b. 1907; d. 1965): Chœurs spirituels for chorus and organ bass performed by Wilhelm Stollenwerck and conducted by Nadia Boulanger;
Guillaume Landré (Netherlands, b. 1905; d. 1968): Quatre Mouvements Symphoniques (1949) [14′].
Monday, 25 June 1951, 20:00 – chamber music concert
Robert Crawford (United Kingdom [Scotland], b. 1925; d. 2012): String Quartet, op. 4 (1949) [26′] performed by the Berlin String Quartet (Rudolf Schulz and Willi Kirch, violins; Hans Mahlke, viola; and Walter Lutz, violoncello);
Nininha Gregori (Brazil, b. 1925): Quatro poemas gregos antigos for soprano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and celesta (1950); sung by Gerda Schröder with Willy Schmidt (fl), Helmut Winschermann (ob), Heinz Korte (cl), Gustav Jung (bn), and Wolfgang Rudolf (cel), conducted by Winfried Zillig;
Giselher Klebe (Germany, b. 1925; d. 2009): String Quartet No. 1, op. 9 (1951) performed by the Berlin String Quartet [WORLD PREMIERE];
Toshiro Mayuzumi (Japan, b. 1929; d. 1997): Sphenogramme for contralto, flute, saxophone, marimba, violin, violoncello, and piano (1950) sung by Christa Ludwig with Willy Schmidt, Josef Salber (sx), Gerhard Klann (mar), Helmut Schmacher (vn), Hans Andrä (vc), and Wolfgang Rudolf and? Norbert Matzka (pf), dir. Zillig;
John Addison (United Kingdom [England], b. 1920; d. 1998 in the United States): Woodwind Sextet (1949) performed by Wily Schmidt, Helmut Winschermann (ob), Hans Hahn (cor A), Heinz Korte, Walter Pauly (bcl), and Gustav Jung.
Tuesday, 26 June 1951, 20:00 – RIAS Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ferenc Fricsay
Helmut Degen (Germany, b. 1911; d. 1995): Concert0 for String Orchestra (1946);
Olivier Messiaen (France, b. 1908; d. 1992): Cinq Réchants for 12 voices (1948) [18′] performed by the Chorale Marcel Courand;
Hans Erich Apostel (Austria, b. 1901 in Germany; d. 1972): Variationen über ein Thema von J. Haydn, op. 17 (1949) [19′];
Michał Spisak (Poland, b. 1914; d. 1965 in France): Sonata for Violin and Orchestra (1950) [32′] featuring Tibor Varga [WORLD PREMIERE].
Wednesday, 27 June 1951, 19:30 – Operatic performance featuring the Chorus and Orchestra of the Hessische Staatstheater (Wiesbaden) conducted by Franz-Paul Decker
+ Roberto Gerhard (United Kingdom [England], b. 1896 in Spain [Catalonia]; d. 1970): La Duenna – concert version (1945-49) [130′] [WORLD PREMIERE] featuring Herta Wilfert, Willi Friedrich, and Lieselotte Lorenz.
Thursday, 28 June 1951, 20:00 – Symph.orch. des SDR Stuttgart conducted by Hans Müller-Kray
Stanisław Skrowaczewski (Poland, b. 1923; d. 2017 in the United States): Pieśni nad pieśniami (The Song of Songs) for soprano and chamber orchestra, op. 26 (1949-51) sung by Hetty Plümacher;
Richard Mohaupt (Germany, b. 1904; d. 1957): Concerto for Piano und Orchestra (1938 rev 1951) featuring Helmut Roloff [world premiere of the revised version];
Fartein Valen (Norway, b. 1887; d. 1952): La Isla de las Calmas, symphonic poem, op. 21 (1934) [6′];
Jerzy Fitelberg (United States, 1903 (in Poland)-April 25, 1951): Nocturne for Orchestra (1944) [16′];
Herman D. Koppel (Denmark, b. 1908; d. 1998): Drei Psalmen Davids, op. 48 for tenor solo, chorus, and orchestra (1949) [27′] featuring Ejnar Kristjansson and the Chorus of the SDR Stuttgart.
Friday, 29 June 1951, 20:00 – chamber music concert
Vagn Holmboe (Denmark, b. 1909; d. 1996): String Quartet No. 1, op. 46 (1948-49) [27′] performed by the Erling-Bloch-Quartett (Erling Bloch and Lavard Frissholm violins; Hans Kassow, viola; and Asger Lund Christiansen, violoncello);
Felix Petyrek (Austria, b. 1892 (in what is now the Czech Republic); d. 1951): Gethsemane [text by Annette von Droste-Hülshoff] for soprano and string trio (1949) sung by Ilona Steingruber with the Kehr-Trio (Günther Kehr, violin; Georg Schmidt, viola; and Kurt Herzbruch, violoncello);
Alberto Ginastera (Argentina, b. 1916; d. 1983): String Quartet No. 1, op. 20 (1948) [21′] performed by the Köckert-Quartett (Rudolf Köckert and Willi Buchner, violins; Oskar Riedel, viola; and Jozef Merz, violoncello);
Jean Françaix (France, b. 1912; d. 1997): Wind Quintet No. 1 (1948) [24′] performed by the Quintette à vent de L’ORTF.
Saturday, 30 June 1951, 20:00 – SWF-Orch. Baden-Baden and the Chorus of the Hessischen Rundfunks (Frankfurt) conducted by Hans Rosbaud
Mátyás Seiber (United Kingdom [England], b. 1905 in Hungary; d. 1960): Ulysses, cantata for tenor, chorus and orchestra [text by James Joyce] (1947) [38′] featuring Herbert Hess?;
Luigi Dallapiccola (Italy, b. 1904; d. 1975): Il Prigioniero, opera in a prologue and one act – concert version [libretto by the composer] (1944-48) [50′] featuring Magda Läszlö, Scipione Colombo, Helmut Krebs, and August Steinkamp.
Sunday, 1 July 1951, 11:00 – Special concert of German works presented by ISCM German Section featuring the Orchestra of the Hessischen Rundfunks conducted by Winfield Zillig
Boris Blacher (West Germany, b. 1903; d. 1975): Orchester-Variationen über ein Thema von N. Paganini, op. 26 (1947) [16′];
Hans Werner Henze (West Germany, b. 1926; d. 2012): Concerto (No. 1) for Violin and Orchestra (1947) [25′] featuring Heinz Stanske;
Wolfgang Fortner (West Germany, b. 1907; d. 1987): Fantasie über die Tonfolge B-A-C-H for two pianos and orchestra (1950) [18′] featuring Edith Picht-Axerfeld and Carl Seemann;
Paul Hindemith (West Germany/United States, b. 1895; d. 1963): Symphonische Tänze (1937) [30′].
Sunday, 1 July 1951, 19:00 – operatic performance featuring the Orch. der Stadt. Bühnen Frankfurt conducted by Bruno Vondenhoff
Ernst Krenek (Austria/United States, b. 1900; d. 1991): Das Leben des Orest, grand opera in five acts, op. 60 (1928-29) featuring Adam Fendt, Rosl Zapf, and Helmut Melchert.
The following additional work was also programmed but was not performed
Bernd Alois Zimmermann (West Germany, b. 1918; d. 1970): Violin Concerto (1950) [18′] (It was however reprogrammed and performed during the 1952 ISCM Festival in Salzburg.)
Sources
Gianmario Borio and Hermann Danuser (Editors): Im Zenit der Moderne. Die Internationalen Ferienkurse für Neue Musik Darmstadt 1946-1966. Geschichte und Dokumentation in vier Bänden, vol. 3 (Freiburg 1997) (available online via Issuu).
Anton Haefeli, Die Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM), Ihre Geschichte von 1922 bis zur Gegenwart (Atlantis Musikbuch-Verlag, 1982), pp. 505-507 [in German].
Nicolas Slonimsky, Music Since 1900, Sixth Edition edited by Laura Kuhn (Schirmer Reference, 2001), pp. 448-449.
Karl H. Wörner, “Austria” (the second segment of “Current Chronicle”), The Musical Quarterly, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 4, October 1952, pp. 600-606 (available online via JSTOR).
(annotated by Frank J. Oteri, in progress)