Wellesz, Egon Joseph (1885-1974)

[Felix the Gnat]

Life was such in 19th/early 20th century Europe - "Although both parents of Wellesz's were Hungarian Christians, they both had Jewish ancestry. He received a Protestant upbringing, but later converted to Catholicism".* Anti semitism, superstitious creational beliefs and pure prejudice all played their part.

First came across Wellesz via this fabulous CD ......



I have a CD of his string quartets 3, 4 & 6 by the Artis Quartett Wien, which I'm quite keen on and gets regular air time. In 2016 I bought the CPO collection of his symphonies. Haven't listened to them in quite a while, something I'll put right later this week ....

*Wikipedia

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I nearly bought that CPO boxed set at the same time last year as I bought the Krenek box, but decided that the Music didn't quite suit what I was looking for at that time, and the extra expense was stretching my budget a little too tightly. I hope/intend to return to the Music some stage in the future.

Billy Connolly is a fan - he even wrote a song to demonstrate this: If it wusna for yer Wellesz ...


Goodness! That lookks like my coat you've got there ....

[Felix the Gnat]

I nearly bought that CPO boxed set at the same time last year as I bought the Krenek box, but decided that the Music didn't quite suit what I was looking for at that time, and the extra expense was stretching my budget a little too tightly. I hope/intend to return to the Music some stage in the future.

So long as you bought the Toch set, I suppose it doesn't matter.

The string quartets are worth a listen.

Billy Connolly is a fan - he even wrote a song to demonstrate this: If it wusna for yer Wellesz ...


Goodness! That lookks like my coat you've got there ....

This is unforgivable.

(at least you didn't go for the Carl Perkins/Elvis ...)

[LeMartinPecheur]

There was a concert in the Sheldonian, Oxford in Feb 1973 at which the Melos Ensemble played the Schubert and Wellesz octets (IIRC they had just recorded the Wellesz{*}). Wellesz himself was there in his wheelchair talking animatedly. He'd have been 88, dying a year or so later.

I didn't rush to make myself known as I'd barely heard of him and don't generally do that sort of thing anyway. Can't say his octet made much impression I'm afraid.

PS {*} From the look of current listings it was probably the Vienna Octet who'd just recorded it. A recent Gramophone review may have given me some reason to twig who he was on the night.

[Serial_Apologist]

The OP made highly pertinent reference to Wellesz's background, both social and historical, and how these would come to factor into his development as a composer, and his chequered relationship with the Second Viennese School are gone into in this very illuminating, usefully illustrated article on the composer. If only Radio 3 could still give us programmes of this calibre!

http://www.forbiddenmusic.org/2014/06/04/egon-wellesz-1885-1974-the-forgotten-modernist/

The extent to which Wellesz was a consistent modernist might be open to question, however; also, I for one would love to know what led Schoenberg to denounce him in later life: had it anything to do with his covering up of his Jewish identity?

[Serial_Apologist]

Radio 3 - 4pm (today)

Wellesz: Octet, Op 67
members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

A rare treat in the case of this composer, and a substantial work, assuming the hour allocated for this performance is anything to go by.

[Serial_Apologist]

Radio 3 - 4pm (today)

Wellesz: Octet, Op 67
members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

A rare treat in the case of this composer, and a substantial work, assuming the hour allocated for this performance is anything to go by.

Well a Mozart piano concerto is being played - no mention of the Wellesz listed in RT - v nice an' all, but nothing at all of this mentioned on the Radio 3 website.

What the Dickens is going on??

[french frank]

What the Dickens is going on??

It actually says (still) "members of the Vienna Philharmonic are at this year's Salzburg Festival with an octet by the Austrian-British composer Egon Wellesz" which I agree would in the context lead one to believe that it would be played on the programme, but … maybe not

[Serial_Apologist]

It actually says (still) "members of the Vienna Philharmonic are at this year's Salzburg Festival with an octet by the Austrian-British composer Egon Wellesz" which I agree would in the context lead one to believe that it would be played on the programme, but … maybe not

Typical of Radio 3 to let us down - they probably changed their minds at the last minute after listening to the piece and deciding it was unsuitable for broadcast at this time of the year. Out of simple courtesy we could at least have had an apology from the Skelly wag, or at least an explanation that the publicised programme was being replaced by the one actually broadcast. Oh well... at least the Wellesz can be found on youtube: this seems to be the best link - scroll down and click on each item in turn. Quite an interesting work - I'm hearing echoes of early Hindemith and Kurt Weill in it.

http://www.earsense.org/chamber-music/Egon-Wellesz-Octet-Op-67/

[oddoneout]

Well a Mozart piano concerto is being played - no mention of the Wellesz listed in RT - v nice an' all, but nothing at all of this mentioned on the Radio 3 website.

What the Dickens is going on??

I've long since given up expecting to find out what is going to be played/is being played from the Afternoon Concert listing. The information for the playlist selection on Essential Classics is more useful...
Given that they know what they are going to be playing and when on AC (unlike EC playlist) I don't understand why we can't have the details.