Henze: Nachtstücke und Arien worth exploring

Even when he was the darling of the Darmstadt avant-garde, Hans Werner Henze was his own man. In time he moved away from the aggressive modernism of that school -- literally and musically.

Werner settled on an island in the Gulf of Naples, where he became a neighbor of William Walton. At the same time, he moved towards a more lyrical form of expression. 

But as this release shows, Henze's conception of lyricism wasn't a return to the Romantic Era. At the 1957 premier of Nachtstücke und Arien, Pierre Boulez, Luigi Nono, and Karlhenz Stockhausen stormed out after the first few minutes. They should have stuck around. Henze's music has a strange beauty to it. It's both restless and grounded, nervous yet lethargic. 

Los Caprichos, composed five years later shows Henze's development. This fantasia for orchestra was inspired by a series of nightmarish prints by Goya. Henze's use of tonality is more firmly rooted in this work. It provides a critical frame of reference for the out-of-kilter melodies. Like Goya's images, the music has a slightly disturbing quality to it. 

The final version of Englische Liebeslieder for cello and orchestra premiered in 1998. Here all the rough edges of Henze's barely tonal style are smoothed out. But that doesn't mean this is pretty music. Henze's score sublimates the dissonances. There's an emotional ambivalence here that never quite resolves. Which is sort of the point. 

Maestro Marin Alsop has a clear sense of how these works should unfold. Her direction provides structure to Henze's fever dreams. The ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra responds to her direction. It makes for some thrilling moments. Soprano Juliane Banse and cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan also deliver some fine performances. 

Henze's music isn't easy to perform -- or to listen to. These artists provide a compelling reason to make the effort, though. And for the intrepid listener, the rewards are great. 

Hans Werner Henze: Nachtstücke und Arien
Los Caprichos; Englische Liebeslieder
Juliane Banse, soprano; Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello
ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop,conductor
Naxos 8.574181