''Concerto funebre'' (''Funereal Concerto'') is a musical composition for violin soloist and string orchestra by the German

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Karl Amadeus Hartmann Karl Amadeus Hartmann (2 August 1905 – 5 December 1963) was a German composer. Sometimes described as the greatest German symphonist of the 20th century, he is now largely overlooked, particularly in English-speaking countries. Life Born in ...

. Written in 1939 and substantially revised in 1959, it is by far Hartmann's best known work, especially noted for its lyrical final movement. The title is Italian. Unlike many of his works, which the composer did not consider completed before they had been substantially reworked as part of an ongoing process after the end of World War II, he completed the ''Concerto funebre'' in a relatively short timespan, principally in autumn of 1939. Originally entitled ''Musik der Trauer'' (''Music of Mourning''), he retitled it after only minor revisions in 1959. It is cast in four movements: # Introduktion. Largo # Adagio # Allegro di molto # Choral. Langsamer Marsch The final chorale is based on a popular Russian song Immortal Victims ''( :de:Unsterbliche Opfer)'' which Hartmann almost certainly learned from his mentor, the conductor

Hermann Scherchen Hermann Scherchen (21 June 1891 – 12 June 1966) was a German conductor. Life Scherchen was born in Berlin. Originally a violist, he played among the violas of the Bluthner Orchestra of Berlin while still in his teens. He conducted in Riga ...

, who had heard it while interned in Russia during World War I. Scherchen had published his own translation and arrangement of it in Berlin, for use by the choirs he was then conducting. In Russian it appears to have originated as a song of mourning for the victims of the 1905 Revolution, which explains its appearance in Shostakovich's 11th Symphony, op. 103 (1957), whose subject is the same traumatic episode. It is also likely that Hartmann knew a well-known 78 rpm recording of ''Unsterbliche Opfer'' made by the violinist Eduard Sõrmus. Hartmann said in a letter to Scherchen that the structure of ''Concerto funebre'' was designed to reflect: It was premiered in the Grosser Saal of the Tonhalle at St. Gallen, Switzerland, on 29 February 1940 by the St. Gallen Chamber Orchestra under the direction of

Ernst Klug Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst" * Anton Ernst (1975-) ...

; the soloist was the violinist

Karl Neracher Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer * Karl of Austria, last Austri ...

.Liner notes to Hyperion CDA67547. Despite the difficulties of wartime travel, the composer obtained permission to travel from Munich to attend. Hartmann's revision was first performed at

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the Nor ...

on 12 November 1959, conducted by

Heinz Zeebe Heinz Zeebe (27 November 1915 – 17 April 1983) was a German conductor. The Paul Hindemith student was First ''Kapellmeister'' at the Staatstheater Braunschweig from 1946 to 1981. Life Born in Berflin, Zeebe studied at the Staatliche Akademisch ...

. The soloist at that performance was Wolfgang Schneiderhan, one of the work's strongest advocates. A later performance survives on record (Orfeo label). The first recording was made by the Swiss violinist Ulrich Lehmann with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra conducted by

Edmond de Stoutz Edmond de Stoutz (18 December 1920 – 28 January 1997) was a Swiss conductor from Zurich. He was the founder of the Zürcher Kammerorchester (Zurich Chamber Orchestra) in 1945 and conducted the ensemble until 1996. As conductor he performed all ...

(Amadeo label). The piece bears a dedication, added in 1959, to Hartmann's son, Richard P. Hartmann.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Concerto funebre 1939 compositions 1959 compositions Hartmann Compositions by Karl Amadeus Hartmann Compositions for string orchestra