It's Not British but...The Music of Erwin Schulhoff

All the works on this CD are new to me. I am grateful to the outstanding liner notes prepared by Rebecca Stewart for assisting with the preparation of this review. 

Erwin Schulhoff in a nutshell. He was born in Prague on 8 June 1894. After encouragement from Antonín Dvořák, he entered the Conservatory, aged only ten. Further study in Vienna, Leipzig and Cologne followed. His teachers included Claude Debussy and Max Reger. After military service with the Austrian Army during the First World War, and a spell in a prisoner of war camp, he returned to Germany where he became a member of the avant-garde. He was influenced by jazz, popular music, the Second Viennese School and the Dadaist movement. In 1923, he returned to Prague to compose and perform and to later teach at the Conservatory. As well as being a Jew, Schulhoff was a lifelong communist and was inevitably persecuted by the Nazis. Finally, he applied for and received Soviet citizenship but was imprisoned at Wülzburg concentration camp in Bavaria before he could leave. He died there of tuberculosis on 18 August 1942.

Erwin Schulhoff wrote a deal of music, including eight symphonies (7 and 8 are unfinished), ballet scores, two piano concertos, the opera The Flames as well as piano and chamber works. His latter compositions were guided by Socialist Realism, and major on subjects such as the Spanish Civil War, hunger riots in the former Czechoslovakia, and the prowess of the Red Army.

I don’t mind admitting that I was blown away by the Concerto for piano and small orchestra, op.43 (1923). The liner notes sum up its overall impact: It “packs an abundance of vastly varying styles and moods into the span of about twenty-one minutes.”  Yet, the effect is not one of a string of beads of varying sizes. It is a unified work that has integrity and a strict formal structure. In each of the three movements, it explores romanticism with a touch of impressionism, as well as nods to modernism and jazz. This latter is particularly prominent in the Allegro alla jazz finale. Here, Schulhoff calls for an eighteen piece percussion section that includes cog rattle, cowbell, sleigh bells, castanets, tambourine and siren. Foxtrot and Romany music lead towards a riotous conclusion, not before a magical sostenuto section. Interestingly, this Concerto was played in London on 2 January 1928, under the baton Ernest Ansermet, with the composer as soloist. I must investigate.

The Five Pieces for string quartet can be construed as a “dance suite” which nods towards the Baroque models. However, the reality is, as the liner notes suggest, that this is a “deconstruction” of its epitome. The first movement is titled Alla valse Viennese, combining French and Italian words. It is notated in common time, but Schulhoff has stated that it is be played as if it were 3/4. It is charmingly confusing, mixing elements of Ländler and Walzer. The Alla serenata is menacing in mood, with various string bowing effects adding to the foreboding. It is nothing like the serenade of popular imagination. The third movement is Alla czeca. Here Schulhoff once again seems to muddle (deliberately!) dance rhythms. Is it really a Polka? The Alla tango milonga (faster pace, fewer pauses, rhythmic walking, than a basic tango) is sad and sometimes sultry. The final dance is a rip-roaring Tarantella, which should certainly bring the house down. The Five Pieces were composed during December 1923 and dedicated to Darius Milhaud. It is played here with remarkable skill and enthusiasm. Surely, a work of this vitality ought to be in the standard repertoire of all string quartet ensembles.

The liner notes do not mention that the Suite for piano, left hand is the third example of a piano suite. It was written in 1926. Jazz here is one resource. Modality is prevalent, especially in the opening Preludio which is luminous and flowing. Not having seen the score, I take it on trust that there is only one accidental to disturb the flow of the poignant Air. The Zingara, (translates as Italian female Romani) could have emerged from one of Bartok’s collections of folk song. It is a “cheeky” dance that is characterised by biting major seconds, bare fifths and fast moving quavers. The Improvisazione is remarkable: time seems to stand still in this beautiful contemplation. I like the description given of the Finale – “It is like a dance hall coming alive.” Using several “voices,” it soon develops into a romp with heavy stomping and rhythmic boldness. The listener is left marvelling at the technical brilliance of the soloist being able to play this Suite with his left hand alone. Lasting for nearly 19 minutes, it is too long for an encore, but certainly deserves its place in the recital room.

The Violin Sonata No.2 was completed in 1927. At this time Schulhoff was often influenced by jazz. Yet, it is Bartok and Berg that are the obvious models here. The liner notes give a detailed analysis of this Sonata: suffice to say that the four contrasting movements explore a wide range of expression. Elements of folk dance appear in the opening Allegro impetuoso and in the wayward Burlesca. The second movement Andante is elegiac and nods towards Alban Berg. The finale, Allegro risoluto is a kind of summation of the Sonata, with several cross references to preceding material. The performance here by Adam Millstein and Dominic Cheli point up the virtuosic and brilliant nature of the piece. There is a story that Schulhoff’s earlier Sonata for solo violin was criticised by Alois Hába for not exploiting the violin’s capabilities. It is certainly a lesson well learnt with the present work.

The final number on this CD is Susi (1937). This short “cocktail bar” piano piece is a sheer delight. It would seem to be a transcription of a song. Written at the time when Schulhoff was exploring “Socialist Realism” and implementing the diktats of Marxist ideology, it is surely “decadent.”  But one must recall that at this time he was also earning money as “one half of a piano duo.” Susi is full of nostalgia and, possibly, regret.

I have noted the superb performances of all this music. The liner notes are outstanding and include biographical information, analysis and details of the performers. The recording itself reflects the vibrancy of this repertoire.

This CD makes a great introduction to the achievement of an unjustifiably less well-known composer - although in recent years his music is making a comeback, at least on disc. The CD is worth the price for the stunning performance of the Concerto for piano and small orchestra, op.43 alone. Everything else is a wonderful bonus. I need to hear more of Erwin Schulhoff’s music.

Track Listing:
Erwin Schulhoff (1894-1942)
Concerto for piano and Small Orchestra, op.43 (1923)
Dominic Cheli (piano), RVC Ensemble/James Conlon
Five Pieces for string quartet (1923)
Gallia Kastner (violin), Adam Millstein (violin), Cara Pogossian (viola), Ben Solomonow (cello)
Suite for piano, left hand (1926)
Dominic Cheli (piano),
Violin Sonata No.2 (1927)
Adam Millstein (violin), Dominic Cheli (piano)
Susi for piano solo (1937)
Dominic Cheli (piano)
rec. 6-8 May 2021, Olive Rehearsal Hall, Colburn School, Los Angeles (Concerto); 14 December 2020, (Quartet), 5-6 December 2020 (Suite), 19 March 2021, Zipper Hall, Colburn School, Los Angeles (Suite).
DELOS DE3566