I. Incantation
II. Seduction
III.
Witches’ Sabbath 
beginning
IV. Helen
VI. Fair and the damnation of Faust
First performance (without choregraphy): September 25, 1979, Berlin, Hochschule der Künste
Bläservereinigung
und Schlagzeugensemble der Jungen Deutschen Philharmonie / Lutz Köhler
Kompositionsauftrag
der Berliner Festwochen 1979
Orchestra: 2.2.2.2 - 3.2.2.1 -Perc. <5>
Duration: 48 Minutes
Publisher: Schott Music
 |
"Leitmodes"
in the Scenes from Faust |
Franz
Rauhut: Interview with Bertold Hummel
(from
the programme of the Berliner Festwochen, 1979, which were dedicated to the theme
"Faust")
At the request of an English theatre director, Heinrich Heine wrote in 1847 a Faust in ballet form, bold but realisable. Gluck had successfully composed Don Juan ("Le festin de Pierre") as a ballet, but the hopes of fame for "Doctor Faust, a dance-poem" were not fulfilled. But the poetic details of his portrayal captured the imagination of composer Bertold Hummel, who in his "Scenes from Faust for wind and percussion" followed closely the intention of the poet with music of unusual suggestiveness. The première at the "Berliner Festwochen" on the 25th September, 1979 with the Bläservereinigung der Jungen Deutschen Philharmonie in the Theatersaal of the Hochschule der Künste was received enthusiastically.
In the first act, "Incantation", Dr. Faust conjures up the spirits of the Underworld in his study and Mephistophola persuades him, with help of the seductive apparition of the Duchess in the mirror, to sign the pact. Here droning demonic motifs overpower with horror; these recur in variations and with occasional scurrilous onomatopoetic effects throughout all the acts.
The second act, "seduction", at the court of the Duke, has the Duchess dancing with Faust and the Duke, in ironic contrast, with Mephistophela.
The "Witches' Sabbath" in the third act is, as climax of the whole work, poetically and musically the mostly richly saturated with themes and motifs. One witch after another whizzes past, a blasphemous parody of the Mass is dedicated to Satan, appearing in the form of a goat; he dances a minuet with the Duchess, who is a bride of Satan. Faust is disillusioned with her, discovers that all the seductive powers of Hell are worthless magic. Then Mephistophela causes classical Helen of Troy to appear to Faust, now obsessed by the longing for pure beauty. Helen’s leitmotiv captivates with its changes of sound colour.
Faust’s attempts in the fourth act, entitled "Helen", to couple with the famous beauty fail when the jealous Duchess storms in and the classical world falls into decomposition. Faust takes revenge for this by killing the Duchess.
The fifth and final act brings a holiday fair onto the stage with charming, cheerful music. Dr. Faust, appearing as a charlatan doctor, now believes he will finally find happiness in domestic life with the sweet mayor’s daughter, whom he wishes to marry on the spot. But Mephistophela enters and comes between them with the pact in blood and the sinner is carried off into Hell in a vigorous spectacle. The Faust leitmotiv sounds for the last time as a sweet reminiscence.
What
lead you to tackle Heine’s "dance-poem"?
The
directors of the Berliner Festwochen came to me with the request for a Faust composition.
As a student, I had written stage music for Marlowe’s Faust.
Faust was always an interesting theme for me. I found Heinrich Heine‘s reworking of the material as a dance-poem especially interesting. Here I saw an opportunity to write a very varied composition.
Why
did you use the Wagnerian leitmotiv technique?
To
make it easier for the listener to follow the "plot", I allocated a
particular sequence of notes to each major person in the drama - something like
a "leitmode", which alters its shape according to the dramatic situation.
Can your
work be understood as a "symphonic poem" or as "programme music"?
Or do you prefer a performance as a ballet? Would a brief programme be a help
towards understanding it?
A
brief programme could aid comprehension in a concert performance. A ballet version
is for me the most ideal form, as long as the choreography and production are
brought into harmony with the music.
Am
I wrong, if occasionally seem to detect some kind of similarity with Dukas’
"The Sorcerer’s apprentice" or Stravinsky’s "Firebird"?
Whether
there are musical links to the works mentions is something I cannot judge, for
at the moment I cannot see my work from an objective distance. Certainly I would
have nothing against any classification in the literature of my "Scenes from
Faust" alongside the works mentioned.
Can
you relate personally to the human problem we see in Faust?
I
believe every creative person can relate personally to this problem in Faust.
I must admit that I developed a particularly close affinity to the person of Faust
not least through my years of friendship with Luigi Malipiero, whose Faust productions
were unforgettable.
You
remained true to Heine’s outline of the story, but right at the end you depart
from this, replacing the Christian bells and organ music by a last appearance
of the Faust leitmotiv. What was your reason for this?
Right
at the end of my Scenes from Faust - almost as a dying echo - his leitmotiv is
heard again. This is meant to show that the disappearance of Faust into Hell does
not mean that the problem of Faust has disappeared from the world.
Why
did you reduce your orchestra to wind and percussion?
This
instrumentation was one of the conditions set when the commission was given. Originally
I would have preferred writing for full orchestra. While working on the composition,
I found it fascinating trying to produce as colourful a score as possible and
hope that, despite the restrictions, I have been successful in this.
Did
any special problems arise in creating this composition?
Difficulties
were only to be seen in the limited time at my disposal and in the resulting hectic
rush to produce material for performance.
Is
it important to you to make your work easily understandable for the audience?
I consider
producing an understandable work very important and would rather risk being accused
of being too obvious than lead my listeners into hopeless confusion.
May
I ask you how long you worked on your Opus?
The
bulk of the composition with instrumentation was completed in the months of July
and August, 1979 and demanded particularly intensive work.
Press
Spandauer Volksblatt 27th September, 1979
... his Scenes from Faust have been worked out with an eminent feeling for sounds and effects. Such a compendium especially of differentiated percussion effects is not to be encountered often. The piece has a promising future.
Berliner Abend 26th September, 1979
... (Hummel’s) music is scenically strikingly effective and is directed to its audience with sureness of aim..
Tagesspiegel Berlin 27th September, 1979
The composer showed great craftsmanship and a sure sense of effects for wind and percussion...
From the very beginning, the first movement, "Incantation", descended into the abyss of grumbling woodwinds almost sounding like brassy trombones, carried on deluges of percussion ....
Weser-Kurier, Bremen 1st October, 1979
The undeniably romantic pathos of Heinrich Heine’s dance-poem is carried over into an indeed new tonal language which is primarily pictorial and associative.