The Heckelphone: A Window into the History of Music / Works
From Adam Adolphe's O holy Night to Au claire de la Lune by an unknown 18th-century composer, 208 musical works are mentioned in the book and found in the List of Works. For most of these, recordings are widely available, and listening to (some) of those will add to the reading experience. The following list provides links to recordings, in the order in which the respective works are mentioned in the text. In addition, some pieces and recordings are included that showcase instruments mentioned in the book.
Currently, this is work in progress and will likely be completed in August 2024; in the meantime, do come back to check for additions. Enjoy!
Prologue: Basse de Musette
- Benjamin Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, 1945 (see pp. 4-5): This well-known piece provides an excellent introduction to the instruments of the classical orchestra. While he included the piccolo flute, Britten sadly omitted the recorder, the saxophone, the cor anglais, the heckelphone, the bass clarinet and the contrabassoon.
- Shawms and pommers (see p.6):
These early double reed instruments were commonly used in the Renaissance.
They are rarely heard nowadays and quite limited by their lack of complex mechanics, as later developed for the oboe
and other woodwind instruments.
- Capella della Torre, Katharina Bäuml, 2021 - features different sizes of shawms and a detailed explanation of the instrument; a dulcian, sackbutt and theorbo can also be heard and seen
- Capella della Torre, Birgit Bahr, 2021 - features the great bass pommer
- Basse de musette (see p.13): The following recordings can be found on the GEFAM website (see Online publications / Les hautbois d'église)\ and showcase the basse de musette, solo and in its use for accompanying congregations in psalm-singing. The first recording was made at the Schweizer Radiostudio in Bern for an audio installation at the Grenette Museum in Burgdorf, Switzerland, featuring Alain Girard playing a historical basse de musette from the collection of K. Burri, Bern. The second recording was made during a service on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Centre du Sornetan in the church of Sornetan, Switzerland on 20 May 2001 and features The instrumentalists are Michel Piguet (dessus de musette), Christophe Pidoux and Alain Girard (basses de musette) and Nicolas Rihs (basson d'amour), playing on historical instruments from the collection of the Centre du Sornetan.
Chapter 1: Rheingold
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio (opera), 1805/1806/1814 (see pp.24-26; 55-56): Beethoven's only opera took three versions to find its ultimate and rather successful form. The "grave digger duet" from Act 2 (Nur hurtig fort, nur frisch gegraben) prominently features the contrabassoon. Beethoven's use of the instrument in Fidelio is the first in any of his compositions, and the instrument at his disposal was rather basic, compared to that realised and demonstrated to Richard Wagner by Wilhelm Heckel in the late 1800s.
- Richard Wagner: Rienzi (opera), 1840 (see p.29): Wagner's rise to fame began in the autumn of 1842, with the première of Rienzi in Dresden, with Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient in one of the lead roles. Despite its length of over three hours (without a series of cuts that later became widely adopted, Rienzi is four hours long), which was atypical for the time, the performance was a great success, with the audience as well as with the critics.
- Richard Wagner: Wesendonck-Lieder, 1858 (see pp.32-33): Wagner wrote these five songs during his exile in Zurich, for the poet Mathilde Wesendonck, who also inspired his opera Tristan and Isolde. The deep and intense connection between Wagner and Wesendonck led to a bitter breakup between Wagner and his wife, Minna. The songs are set to five poems written by Mathilde Wesendonck: Der Engel (The Angel), Stehe still! (Stand still!), Im Treibhaus (In the Greenhouse), Schmerzen (Pain), and Träume (Dreams).
- 🌡 Kalevi Aho: Concerto for Contrabassoon and Orchestra, 2005 (see p.57):
This piece not only features the contrabassoon, rarely heard as a solo instrument, but also includes a heckelphone as part of the orchestral accompaniment.
- [YouTube] Lewis Lipnick (contrabassoon), Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester, Andrew Litton, 2007 - heckelphone is prominently heard, e.g., in the first movement at at 7:35 and in the last movement at 0:33)
- [Apple Music] Lewis Lipnick (contrabassoon), Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester, Andrew Litton, 2007
- [Spotify] Lewis Lipnick (contrabassoon), Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester, Andrew Litton, 2007
Chapter 2: The Seven Veils
- 🌡 Richard Strauss: Salome (opera), 1905 (see pp.74, 83, 108-109; 110):
This was the first piece of music prominently featuring the heckelphone. From the beginning, Salome caused a scandalous sensation
and to this day remains one of the most frequently performed operas. Orchestral versions of Salome's dance
re also often performed. Consequently, many recordings exist of the full opera and of the dance.
- [YouTube] Salome's dance; Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice, Genova, Fabio Luisi, Salome: Beate Vollack, 2016 - the heckelphone can be heard prominently at 5:49
- [YouTube] Salome's dance; Opéra national du Rhin, Strasbourg, Friedrich Haider, Salome: Cynthia Makris, 1994 - the heckelphone can be heard prominently at 5:49
- [YouTube] Salome's dance, concert version; Concertgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chailly, 1997 - the heckelphone can be seen at 6:39
- [YouTube] Film version of Salome's dance; Wiener Philharmoniker, Karl Böhm, Salome: Alla Nazimova, 1922
- [YouTube] Complete opera; Semper Oper, Dresden, Hans-E. Zimmer, Salome: Deborah Raymond, 1988 - Salome's dance begins at 1:06:10
- [YouTube] Complete opera; Royal Opera House, London, Christoph von Dohnányi, Salome: Catherine Malfitano, 1997 - Salome's dance begins at 1:02:57
- 🌡 Max Schillings: Moloch (opera), 1906 (see p.90): Schillings (who, at the time, had not yet elevated to nobility) was one of the first composers to decide to use the newly developed heckelphone, and he did so prominently in his third opera, Moloch. When the opera was premièred on 8 December 1906 in Dresden, it was well received by the audience, but critical reviews were mixed. There were few further performances, and today, no complete recording appears to exist. The following recordings of the prelude to Act III (Erntefest) give an impression of the piece.
- 🌡 Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie, 1915 (see pp.99-102; 109, 110):
One of Strauss's most frequently performed works and his last to use the heckelphone; countless recordings of the piece exist.
- [YouTube] Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, 2016 - the heckelphone is prominently heard (and shortly after seen) at 36:29
- [Apple Music] Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Lorin Maazel, 1998
- [Spotify] Staatskapelle Dresden, Giuseppe Ginopoli, 1994
- 🌡 Richard Strauss: Josephs Legende (ballet), 1914 (see p.102): One of only two ballet compositions by Strauss, and the only one to make use of the heckelphone; the piece is rarely performed and few recordings exist.
Chapter 3: Paa Vidderne
- 🌡 Frederik Delius: Eine Messe des Lebens / A Mass of Life (cantata), 1905 (see pp.130-132, 136-137, 142, 144-145; 160): Part 2 of this monumental work was premièred 1908 in Munich, using a heckelphone, as per Delius's intentions. The first full performance took place one year later in London, arranged and conducted by Thomas Beecham and using a baritone oboe instead of the heckelphone Delius had explicitly requested in his instructions leading up to the concert. Today, Delius is considered mostly a British composer, and - following Beechams lead - his works, including Messe des Lebens, that originally called for the heckelphone, tend to be performed using the baritone oboe. The instrument is heard prominently in various parts of the piece, notably in Part II, "Heisser Mittag schläft auf den Fluren".
- 🌡 Fredrick Delius: Dance Rhapsody No.1, 1908 (see pp.140-144, 151, 152; 163, 165):
This piece prominently features the heckelphone. It is known that Delius intended for this instrument to be used and that it was heard
at the première 1909 in Hereford; however, following a practice dating back to Sir Thomas Beecham, most later performances used baritone oboe instead.
Unfortunately, Delius's first dance rhapsody is rarely performed. Still, a fair number of recordings exist.
- Queen's Hall Orchestra, Henry Wood, 1923 - the first known recording of a piece by Delius; the heckelphone can be heard prominently, and it is instructive to compare this recording with others, including these below, in which the heckelphone part is played on baritone oboe. (This and other rare recordings of works by Delius can be found here.)
- [YouTube] Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham, 1946-52
- [Apple Music] Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham, 1946-52
- [Apple Music] Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras, 1990
- [Spotify] Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras, 1990
- 🌡 Gustav Holst: The Planets, 1917 (see pp.151, 153-155; 166-167):
One of the most prominent pieces featuring the heckelphone.
The piece is performed frequently, and countless recordings exist. As in the case of Delius, British performance practice is to use, likely contrary to Holst's intentions,
the baritone oboe instead of the heckelphone. While Holst's score calls for a "bass oboe", recent research has demonstrated
that very likely, the heckelphone was intended by the composer and used at the première of The Planets on 29 September 1918.
- Young People's Concert: New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, 1972 - at 4:08, Bernstein misleadingly introduces the heckelphone as "the bass oboe"; sadly, he also decided to skip "Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age", known to be Holst's favourite movement, as well as "Neptune, the Mystic"; he ended the concert with a collectively improvised additional movement, "Pluto, the Unpredictable".
- [Apple Music] Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, 1981 - the heckelphone can be heard heard prominently in "Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age", at 1:19.
- [Spotify] Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan, 1981
- [Apple Music] London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, 2003 - as in most British performances, a baritone oboe is used instead of the heckelphone
- [Spotify] London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis, 2003
- 🌡 Max von Schillings: Mona Lisa (opera), 1915 (see p.152; p.169): This opera, which intriguingly weaves together the history of Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting with a tragic love story, quickly became von Schillings's greatest success and quickly became one of the most widely performed pieces in Germany. Nowadays it is performed very rarely and only few recordings exist. Even more so than in his earlier opera, Moloch, here, von Schillings made prominent use of the heckelphone, often treating it together with the cor anglais in a manner quite similar to that chosen by Delius in his Dance Rhapsody.
Chapter 4: Aeolian
- George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue, 1924 (see pp.173-177, 208-209, 211, 213; 215-216):
Many versions exist of this piece; here are some of the most prominent and interesting ones:
- George Gershwin (piano) and the Paul Whiteman Concert Orchestra under Paul Whiteman, 1924 - Victor 55225, from the Discography of American Historical Recordings
- [Apple Music] Leonard Bernstein, Los Angeles Philharmonic, 1959
- [Apple Music] André Previn, London Symphony Orchestra, 1971
- [Apple Music] James Levine & Chicago Symphony Orchestra, jazz band version, 1981
- 🌡 Percy Grainger: The Warriors - Music to an imaginary ballet, 1916 (see p.206): This massively orchestrated piece, dedicated to Frederick Delius, has a part for bass oboe or heckelphone; which instrument was used in the 1917 première remains unclear. All known recordings use bass oboe, but there is was least one relatively recent performance (in 2001), in which heckelphone was used. The bass oboe / heckelphone part contains a long and very exposed solo.
- 🌡 Ferde Grofé: Metropolis - A Blue Fantasy, 1928 (see pp.213-214; 217): This symphonic jazz tone poem was premièred in the same concert as Grofé's arrangement of Gershwin's Concerto in F for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, on 7 October 1928 at Carnegie Hall, with Charles Strickfaden on heckelphone. Metropolis, prominently uses woodwind instruments, including the saxophone and the bassoon. According to several sources, including Thomas DeLong's biography of Paul Whiteman, the piece was not too well received by the audience. The piece has been rarely performed and very few recordings exist.
- 🌡 Victor Herbert: Suite of Serenades, 1924 (see p.215):
Like Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue this piece was commissioned by Paul Whiteman and premièred on 12 February 1924,
in Aeolian Hall, New York City (NY), USA, by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, with Ross Gorman playing the heckelphone in No. 4 "Oriental".
The historical recordings referenced here were made in December 1924.
- Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, 1924 - Victor matrix C-30181) - Part 1, from the Discography of American Historical Recordings
- Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, 1924 - Victor matrix C-30180) - Part 2, from the Discography of American Historical Recordings
Chapter 5: Potpourri
- 🌡 Paul Hindemith: Trio for piano, viola and heckelphone, op.47, 1928 (see pp.233-234, 238-241, 253, 255; 273):
This is arguably the most prominent piece of chamber music for the heckelphone. While Hindemith's wrote the piece for the heckelphone,
he also authorised a version for tenor saxophone, which is performed occasionally.
- [YouTube] Stefania Redaelli (piano), Carlo Feige (viola), Francesco Pomarico (heckelphone), 1995 - the Arioso, in which the heckelphone is heard prominently, begins at 0:60
- [Apple Music] Kalle Randalu (piano), Enrique Santiago (viola), Ingo Goritzki (heckelphone), 1995
- [Spotify] Inge Lulofs (piano), Sven Arne Tepl (viola), Ernest Rombout (heckelphone), 2013
- [YouTube] Liz Ames (piano), Katelyn Hoag (viola), Edward Goodman (tenor saxophone), 2016 - tenor saxophone version
- 🌡 Carlos Chávez: Sinfonía de Antígona, 1933 (see pp.260-262; 280): Based on the music had Chávez had written for Jean Cocteau's modern version of the tragedy by Sophocles, the Sinfonía de Antígona turned out to be a powerful and unique piece, archaic and modern at the same time, austere yet permeated from its very beginning by an intense feeling of impending doom. Chávez's treatment of the woodwinds, and in particular, the oboe family comprising the heckelphone, plays a significant role in establishing the captivating character of the piece. In the many perfor-mances following its première on 15 December 1933 under the baton of the composer, audiences and critics alike picked up on the exhilarating intensity of the piece, on its unique harmonic treatment, and on the unusual combinations of timbres making up much of its sparse harmonic structure.
- 🌡 Aaron Copland: Short Symphony, 1933 (see pp.262-264; 280f, 283):
Aside from several pieces in a romantic style written before and while studying composition, up until his
Short Symphony, Copland's music was decidedly modernist in a way that was appreciated by his peers, but unappealing to broader audiences.
This changed after Copland met and befriended Carlos Chávez, to whom he dedicated this 15-minute piece, which
originated around the same time Chávez worked on his Sinfonía de Antígona, and it is almost certainly no coincidence that both
pieces made use of the heckelphone.
Copland's Short Symphony was rarely performed during his lifetime.
The piece, whose complex rhythmical structure was significantly influenced by Copland's interest in jazz,
was considered "difficult to perform and difficult for an audience to comprehend" by its composer,
who nonetheless considered it "one of the best things I ever wrote".
To make the Short Symphony easier to perform, in 1937, Copland arranged a sextet version,
scored for clarinet, string quartet, and piano, which was met with considerable praise by critics and musicians alike.
- [YouTube] San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas, 1996
- [Apple Music] London Sypmhony Orchestra, Aaron Copland, 1969
- [Spotify] London Sypmhony Orchestra, Aaron Copland, 1969
- [YouTube] Derek Bermel (clarinet), Magdalena Filipczak and Pala Garcia (violin), Danielle Farina (viola), Alexis Pia Gerlach (cello), Michael Boriskin (piano), 2021 - sextet version (1937), with extensive background information and discussion
- 🌡 Marcel Tyberg: Symphony No. 3, 1943 (see pp.270-271; 285-286): Completed shortly before his deportation by Gestapo, Tyberg's third and last symphony (and his only work to contain a heckelphone part) remained unperformed for more than sixty years, until 10 May 2008, when JoAnn Falletta - working closely with Dr. Milan Mihich, to whom Tyberg had entrusted his scores before being arrested - conducted its prèmerie in Buffalo (NY), USA.
Chapter 6: The Agony and the Ecstasy
- 🌡 Max Steiner: Gone with the Wind (film score), 1939 (see pp.289-292, 299, 305; 323-324, 326):
Gone with the Wind was an instant success with audiences throughout the United States and would become the highest earning film in history.
It won an unprecedented eight Academy Awards,
including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screen-play,
as well as five additional nominations, one of which was for Max Steiner's soundtrack - the first known to make use of the heckelphone.
- [YouTube] Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra, Max Steiner, 1939 - Suite from the original soundtrack
- [Apple Music] Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra, Max Steiner, 1939 - Original soundtrack
- [Spotify] Warner Bros. Studio Orchestra, Max Steiner, 1939 - Original soundtrack
- 🌡 Gordon Jacob: Variations on Annie Laurie, 1956 (see pp.318f; 333): Composed for the first Hoffnung Music Festival and first performed there, in November 1956, under the baton of the composer, the piece features the most unlikely ensemble of instruments: two piccolo flutes, heckelphone, two contrabass clarinets, two contrabassoons, serpent, contrabass serpent, harmonium, hurdy-gurdy and subcontrabass tuba. At the time, Gordon Jacob was among the most recognised composers in Britain. Nonetheless, in the spirit of Gerhard Hoffnungs festival, in this piece, he aimed to surprise and delight the audience not only with rarely heard (and seen) instruments, but also with some rather bizarre combinations of timbres. Heckelphone, played by James McGillivray, can be heard prominently in the theme and many of the variations.
- 🌡 Paul Dessau: Deutsches Miserere, 1947 (see pp.312-313; 331): Performances of this large-scale oratorio are accompanied by projection of 28 photographs from Berthold Brecht's book, Kriegsfibel, which was completed in 1945, but published only in 1955. The première of Deutsches Miserere took place on 20 September 1966 in Leipzig and was directed by Kegel. The piece is scored for a very large orchestra, including alto flute, heckelphone, bass clarinet and contrabassoon; it is rarely performed and very few recordings exist.
- 🌡 Alex North: The Agony and the Ecstasy (film score), 1965 (see pp.320-322; 335): The film is based in part on Based in part on Irving Stone's meticulously researched novel on the life of Michelangelo with the same title. Soon after the initial release, in September 1965 in Western Germany, it became clear that, despite the enormous effort that had gone into making the film, its audience appeal was limited - a picture that did not change one month later, when The Agony and the Ecstasy started showing in the United States. Still, Alex North's score was praised by the critics and ended up being nominated for an Academy Award in 1966. This film score was the second in which Alex North included a heckelphone part.
Epilogue: Fermata
- John Cage (see p.343):
One of Arnold Schoenberg's most prominent students, John Cage became one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde in music.
Here are recordings of two of his most prominent works, as well as an excellent film with background information.
- [YouTube] 4'33''; William Marx, 1952 - arguably Cage's most notorious piece
- [YouTube] Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra; BBC Scottish Orchestra, John Tilbury (piano), Ilan Volkov, 2010
- [YouTube] Is This John Cage's Most Beautiful Piece? Samuel Andreyev, 2022 - an analysis of John Cage's Concerto for Prepared Piano and Chamber Orchestra by composer (and heckelphonist) Samuel Andreyev
- 🌡 Marc Blitzstein: Romantic Piece for Orchestra, 1930 (see p.343): It appears that this piece, which includes a heckelphone part, has never been performed by an orchestra. However, later in 1930, Blitzstein transcribed and slightly revised the middle section of the 16-18 minute orchestral piece for piano. At least two recordings of the resulting Scherzo: Bourgeois at Play exist and give an impression of at least parts of Blitzstein's larger orcherstral piece.
- Arnold Schoenberg: Moses and Aron (opera), unfinished (see pp.353-354): Originally planned as an oratorio, Schoenberg began writing this opera 1930 and completed the first two acts by 1932. His intention to finish the piece remained unfulfilled. Schoenberg's pathological fear of the number thirteen led to his insistence to avoid the biblical spelling Aaron in the title of this piece. In 2010, the Hungarian conductor and composer, Zoltán Kocsis, completed Act 3 of the opera, based on Schoenberg's libretto, sketches and tone rows/themes, with permission of his family.
