Information
Composer: Henk Badings
Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra
David Porcelijn, conductor
Date: 2007
Label: cpo
- (01) Symphony No. 2
- (04) Symphony No. 7 "Louisville-Symphony"
- (08) Symphony No. 12 "Symphonische Klangfiguren"
Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra
David Porcelijn, conductor
Date: 2007
Label: cpo
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A very strong case could be made that the Dutchman Henk Badings (1907–1987) was the dominant figure on the Netherlands music scene during the middle years of the last century. Certainly this brilliant pupil of the great Dutch modernist Willem Pijper (1894–1947) produced an astonishingly fecund catalog of works in every conceivable genre for over half a century that dwarfed the output, if not always the level of quality, of his contemporaries as well as his implicit disciples such as Hans Kox (b. 1930) and Lex Van Delden (1919–2001). With the possible exceptions of the late-Romantic neo-Impressionist Hendrik Andriessen(1892–1981) or that idiosyncratic Stravinskyan Matthis Vermeulen(1888–1967), Badings towered over the Dutch orchestral landscape on both sides of World War II.
But Badings may have written too much mediocre music and, due to some politically indiscreet but not all that significant behavior during the wartime Nazi occupation, he has fallen into eclipse in his native country. So it is quite heartening to see the enterprising German label cpo, as it has already done in so many other instances, refocusing our attention on another historically and esthetically important musician. Since the 15 symphonies form the backbone of his huge catalog, this release of three of his most representative works in this form makes for some kind of discographical milestone. (However, it’s slightly disappointing that time and space were not set aside for a fourth symphony, perhaps one of the shorter, tighter efforts, such as No. 3, 8, or 9.) In fact, although several non-commercial radio transcriptions of some of the symphonies circulated during the 1950s and 1960s, this release may mark the first all-Badings orchestral recording ever issued.
There is no gainsaying the fact that nothing can quite compare with being engulfed by the incomparable Badings orchestral energy field. The grinding bass line, churning brasses, and chirruping woodwinds are all mixed into a distinctive harmonic blend, which is both smooth and abrasive—sometimes all at once. A master of the orchestral armature, Badings is adept at unleashing waves of sonority in which the various orchestral choirs are dexterously manipulated towards an overriding sense of dread as well as delectation. His music abounds in a wealth of motifs, all closely interrelated and interwoven to create a tumultuous panoply of acoustic incident, resulting in an exalted level of portentousness and joyousness.
The Second Symphony of 1932, written in his 25th year, shows Badings already in complete command of his craft and his individual idiom. This 23-minute tripartite work follows the usual Classical allegro-adagio-allegro format but, in keeping with most of his earlier pieces, the symphony is suffused with a darker coloration—and perhaps a more probing level of feeling—than most of the postwar works.
Composed over two decades later, the 1954 Seventh Symphony, commissioned and recorded by the Louisville Orchestra and at 23 minutes almost the same length as the Second (incidentally the booklet timings are far more accurate that those on the exterior housing), is one of his most dramatically exciting and fulfilling. This is a four-movement approach to the traditional form, and is predicated on an almost organic generation of closely allied ideas, with the emotional arc of the music gradually working its way from the doldrums depths to the celebratory heights. This symphony is Badings at his best: it hangs together beautifully on all levels—structurally, developmentally, and coloristically.
The 12th Symphony of 1964 reflects Badings’s always strong interest in acoustics (he explored electronics in several scores) and even in engineering design. Perhaps responding to the examples of the younger generation, Badings here puts together an 18-minute single movement consisting of nine almost continuous episodes in which a huge orchestral engine explores and exploits constantly shifting aural fabrics of considerable complexity—hence the subtitle “Symphonic Sound Colors.” Listening to this vast tapestry of sounds is quite an overwhelming experience—perhaps almost too much—but Badings remains totally in control.
The fact that a relatively marginal band of Czech musicians has gone to the trouble of learning and mastering this demanding music—and under the guidance of one of the most accomplished Dutch conductors—is impressive enough. And the fact that they have brought it off so effectively is cause for rejoicing. Let us hope this disc marks just the beginning of a thorough exploration of the symphonies and other orchestral music of this first-rank but neglected Dutch composer. A major recording achievement.
-- Paul A. Snook, FANFARE
More reviews:
ClassicsToday ARTISTIC QUALITY: 9 / SOUND QUALITY: 9
https://www.allmusic.com/album/henk-badings-symphonies-nos-2-7-12-mw0001862221
But Badings may have written too much mediocre music and, due to some politically indiscreet but not all that significant behavior during the wartime Nazi occupation, he has fallen into eclipse in his native country. So it is quite heartening to see the enterprising German label cpo, as it has already done in so many other instances, refocusing our attention on another historically and esthetically important musician. Since the 15 symphonies form the backbone of his huge catalog, this release of three of his most representative works in this form makes for some kind of discographical milestone. (However, it’s slightly disappointing that time and space were not set aside for a fourth symphony, perhaps one of the shorter, tighter efforts, such as No. 3, 8, or 9.) In fact, although several non-commercial radio transcriptions of some of the symphonies circulated during the 1950s and 1960s, this release may mark the first all-Badings orchestral recording ever issued.
There is no gainsaying the fact that nothing can quite compare with being engulfed by the incomparable Badings orchestral energy field. The grinding bass line, churning brasses, and chirruping woodwinds are all mixed into a distinctive harmonic blend, which is both smooth and abrasive—sometimes all at once. A master of the orchestral armature, Badings is adept at unleashing waves of sonority in which the various orchestral choirs are dexterously manipulated towards an overriding sense of dread as well as delectation. His music abounds in a wealth of motifs, all closely interrelated and interwoven to create a tumultuous panoply of acoustic incident, resulting in an exalted level of portentousness and joyousness.
The Second Symphony of 1932, written in his 25th year, shows Badings already in complete command of his craft and his individual idiom. This 23-minute tripartite work follows the usual Classical allegro-adagio-allegro format but, in keeping with most of his earlier pieces, the symphony is suffused with a darker coloration—and perhaps a more probing level of feeling—than most of the postwar works.
Composed over two decades later, the 1954 Seventh Symphony, commissioned and recorded by the Louisville Orchestra and at 23 minutes almost the same length as the Second (incidentally the booklet timings are far more accurate that those on the exterior housing), is one of his most dramatically exciting and fulfilling. This is a four-movement approach to the traditional form, and is predicated on an almost organic generation of closely allied ideas, with the emotional arc of the music gradually working its way from the doldrums depths to the celebratory heights. This symphony is Badings at his best: it hangs together beautifully on all levels—structurally, developmentally, and coloristically.
The 12th Symphony of 1964 reflects Badings’s always strong interest in acoustics (he explored electronics in several scores) and even in engineering design. Perhaps responding to the examples of the younger generation, Badings here puts together an 18-minute single movement consisting of nine almost continuous episodes in which a huge orchestral engine explores and exploits constantly shifting aural fabrics of considerable complexity—hence the subtitle “Symphonic Sound Colors.” Listening to this vast tapestry of sounds is quite an overwhelming experience—perhaps almost too much—but Badings remains totally in control.
The fact that a relatively marginal band of Czech musicians has gone to the trouble of learning and mastering this demanding music—and under the guidance of one of the most accomplished Dutch conductors—is impressive enough. And the fact that they have brought it off so effectively is cause for rejoicing. Let us hope this disc marks just the beginning of a thorough exploration of the symphonies and other orchestral music of this first-rank but neglected Dutch composer. A major recording achievement.
-- Paul A. Snook, FANFARE
More reviews:
ClassicsToday ARTISTIC QUALITY: 9 / SOUND QUALITY: 9
https://www.allmusic.com/album/henk-badings-symphonies-nos-2-7-12-mw0001862221
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henk_Badings
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Porcelijn
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