Helgoland (Bruckner)
Helgoland is a secular cantata by Anton Bruckner for large orchestra and male choir in the key of G minor, assigned the catalogue number WAB 71. The average performance duration ranges from 12 minutes to 15 minutes. The orchestra is composed of 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, cymbal and strings. Since Bruckner did not complete the 9th symphony, Helgoland is his last complete work.
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History
Helgoland was composed in 1893 for the Men's Choir of Vienna1 to celebrate its 50th birthday. It is not known if Bruckner chose the subject of the work, or if he yielded on this point to satisfy the order. The sung text is a poem of August Silberstein (Bruckner had already put the work of this author to music with Germanenzug in 1864): the Saxon people of the island of Heligoland are threatened by the invasion of the Romans, but divine intervention saves them. The piece is full of strength and enthusiasm, and—even more than his other works—carries the mark of the influence of Wagner.2 The setting was a case of interest, as the island had been just returned by Great Britain to Germany, in 1890.
One year earlier, Bruckner had already composed another, shorter "patriotic" work, Das deutsche Lied (WAB 63), that was premiered at the "First German Academic Song Festival" in Salzburg in June 1892.
Helgoland was first conducted on 8 October 1893 by Eduard Kremser. Of his 30 or so pieces for male choir, Helgoland is the only secular vocal work Bruckner thought worth bequeathing to the Vienna National Library.3 It was first published in 1899.4 Helgoland is seldom played for such a mature work, and many noted Bruckneran conductors have neglected to record it, though Daniel Barenboim has recorded it twice, at the time of his playing the symphonies of Bruckner with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and again with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
Text
Hoch auf der Nordsee, am fernesten Rand,
erscheinen die Schiffe, gleich Wolken gesenkt;
in wogenden Wellen, die Segel gespannt,
zum Eiland der Sachsen der Römer sich lenkt!
O weh um die Stätten, so heilig gewahrt,
die friedlichen Hütten, von Bäumen umlaubt!
Es wissen die Siedler von feindlicher Fahrt!
Was Lebens noch wert, auch Leben sie raubt!
So eilen die Zagen zum Ufer herbei,
was nützet durch Tränen zur Ferne geblickt;
da ringet den Besten vom Busen sich frei
die brünstige Bitte zum Himmel geschickt:
Der du in den Wolken thronest,
den Donner in deiner Hand,
und über Stürmen wohnest,
sei du uns zugewandt!
Lass toben grause Wetter,
des Blitzes Feuerrot,
die Feinde dort zerschmetter!
Allvater! Ein Erretter aus Tod und bitt'rer Not!
Vater!
Und siehe, die Welle, die wogend sich warf,
sie steiget empor mit gischtenden Schaum,
es heben die Winde sich sausend und scharf,
die lichtesten Segel verdunkeln im Raum!
Die Schrecken des Meeres sie ringen sich los,
zerbrechen die Maste, zerbersten den Bug;
Der flammenden Pfeile erblitzend Geschoss,
das trifft sie in Donners hinhallendem Flug.
Nun, Gegner, Erbeuter, als Beute ihr bleibt,
gesunken zu Tiefen, geschleudert zum Sand,
das Wrackgut der Schiffe zur Insel nun treibt!
O Herrgott, dich preiset frei Helgoland!
Discography
There are only three recordings of the work:
- Symphonica of London, Ambrosian Chorus, Wyn Morris (coupled with Wagner's Das Liebesmahl der Apostel), 1977. [ADD] CD, Innovative Music Productions/Classics, 1993. IMP PCD 1042
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Daniel Barenboim, 1979 (coupled with symphony no.0 & Psalm 150). CD, October 6, 1992 & May 1, 1995, Deutsche Grammophon
- Berliner Philharmoniker & Chorus, Daniel Barenboim, 1992 (coupled with symphony no.1). [DDD] CD, Label: Elektra/Wea/Teldec, June 16, 1998. Also released in a boxed reissue of Barenboim's Berlin cycle January 10, 2006, Warner Classics
References
- ^ Called the Vienna Male Singing Society (Wiener Männergesangvereins) in Volume XXII/8 of the Bruckner Complete Edition
- ^ MusicWeb review for Barenboim's BPO Bruckner cycle
- ^ 8Notes.com Bruckner overview
- ^ The Cambridge Companion to Bruckner (PDF)