Lodewijk Mortelmans 1868-1952

Notes on the works : Het Wielewaalt en Leeuwerkt - Morgenstemming - Homerische symfonie

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Het Wielewaalt en Leeuwerkt

    One of his most important piano works, written in 1921.
It is of a larger scale, as a romantic narrative, that flirts with impressionistic sounds in its rich figurations. Nevertheless, this piece is based on a classic three-part structure in which the middle section acts as a development. It is build upon more largely extended sections.
    [© Jan Vande Weghe - From the CD 'When the soul listens' performed by Peter Vanhove ADW 7547]

    The Mortelmans Foundation mentions his more correct translation :

Het Wielewaalt en leeuwerkt

Le Loriot et l'Alouette

The Oriole and the Lark

Es pirolt und es lerchet

    The flemish title refers towards the Oriole and the Lark. Birds whom Lodewijk Mortelmans heard singing many times during his countless wanderings, North of Antwerp, at 'the Kalmthoutse Heide' and around the town of 'Huibergen', and East of Antwerp, in the 'Waasland' and around the town of 'Waasmunster'.
It is the behaviour and the singing of these birds, who inspired him and made him compose this beautiful work for piano.
    The english title "Like a Singing Bird" or the french title "Les oiseaux qui chantent" only refers to the song of "a bird", without specifying which bird exactly is meant.
For proper understanding and evaluation of this work it is of essential importance to know to which birds Mortelmans refers.
 
* About the Lark we talk in fact about two different birds: the Skylark and the Woodlark. Their feathers are browny, hardly noticable.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* The Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
It is a fascinating bird. Its plumage is one of the most beautiful of the birds breeding in Flanders: black wings, black tail with yellow tips, the body bright yellow and a red bill.
However, it is a bird that is not so easy to observe because it usually resides among the dense foliage of the treetops in parks, gardens, avenues and forest edges. And then there is its song. It is not a long phrase like that of the nightingale, of the robin, or of the mockingbird. It is more like a short, loud, sonorous whistle that sounds pretty much like "wiela-wieo" with some variations. The sound of his voice can be compared to that of an oboe.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* The skylark (Alauda arvensis)
slowly flies steeply upwards until only a speck of it can be seen, stays there for a long time and then comes sailing back to the ground.
Meanwhile, it unceasingly sings a bright, jubilant and trilling song that sounds pretty much like a constantly repeated "tirlie".
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* The Woodlark (Lullula arborea)
sails up in courtship flight in wide spirals, stays there for quite a while and then drops down with its wings closed.
Its song is less sustained than that of the Skylark but more melodious and intermingled with a flowing, trilling lu-lu-lu-lu (Latin name "Lullula").

Notes on the works : Het Wielewaalt en Leeuwerkt - Morgenstemming - Homerische symfonie

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Morgenstemming / Morning mood

Preface
 
Lodewijk Mortelmans studied at the Flemish Music School of Antwerp, where he took piano lessons from Aloïs Bossaers , organ lessons from Joseph Callaerts and followed counterpoint, fugue and composition classes with Joseph Tilborghs, Jan Blockx as well as Peter Benoit. Meanwhile he played as a percussionist in the orchestras of the Société royale d’Harmonie and of the Théâtre français. He also studied at the Conservatoire Royal of Brussels for one year in order to acquire further skills in piano with Arthur De Greef and in counterpoint with Hubert Ferdinand Kufferath. In 1893 he won the Prize of Rome with the cantata Lady Macbeth, a victory which was important in Benoit’s struggle to have his music school proclaimed as royal conservatory.
 
With the grant connected to the Rome prize Mortelmans undertook study trips to the Netherlands, Germany (where he attended the Ring in Munich conducted by Hermann Levi) and to Italy. From 1903 to the outbreak of the First World War Mortelmans was conductor in Antwerp of the orchestra of the Maatschappij der Nieuwe Concerten (Society of New Concerts). This prestigious concert society attracted many great international soloists to Antwerp, so that Mortelmans in 1909 for example was able to conduct Jacques Thibaud and Pablo Casals in Johannes Brahms’ Double Concerto.
 
In his rather conservative programming Mortelmans particularly favoured the German romantics: van Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann and Wagner. Besides his own appearances with the orchestra he was also expected to prepare the orchestra for prominent guest conductors such as Richard Strauss, Gustav Mahler and Felix Weingartner.
 
In 1902 Mortelmans became a teacher of counterpoint and fugue at the Royal Flemish Conservatory of Antwerp and in 1924 he became its director.
 
Mortelmans went down in history as the Flemish lied composer par excellence. His colleague Paul Gilson called him the « Prince of the Flemish lied ». Not so much for the quantity of his lied œuvre - some eighty songs in total - as for the internalised power and the deep, personal expression that characterises it. He mainly looked for his texts to the priest-poet Guido Gezelle. After Mortelmans in 1921 had made a tour through the United States, several of his Gezelle songs were published in New York.
 
It is striking that the piano accompaniment of various lieder might virtually survive as an independent piano work, i.e. without vocal part. So evidently he also composed quite a lot of piano music and some of his piano pieces even sound like paraphrases of his lieder. Mortelmans’ piano music is chamber music in the literal sense of the word: destined for the sitting room. They are intimate miniatures, conceived very pianistically, in which the virtuosity always remains in the background. Mortelmans also composed the opera Kinderen der Zee (Children of the Sea) and a number of interesting choral works.
 
It was especially at the beginning of his career that Mortelmans was noted as an orchestral composer with symphonic poems such as Mei (May), Helios, Mythe der Lente or Lente-idylle (Spring Myth or Spring Idyll) and the Homeric Symphony. After 1900 he was mainly concerned with orchestrating existing works. Later orchestral works include the Elegies and the symphonic poem Morgenstemming (Morning Atmosphere) from 1922. In this evocative work, on the crossroads of high romanticism and impressionism, the refined harmonisation and orchestration may above all be noticed, along with the extensive thematic material.
 
On 31 January 1923 Mortelmans himself conducted the creation of Morgenstemming at a concert of the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp which was completely devoted to his work. As a comment the programme brochure mentioned: « This piece is the lyrical outpouring of one who loves nature and from its pure source draws joy of living and enthusiasm ... but it also inspires a fervent, silent prayer to the Almighty, the Creator of the beautiful. »
 
Mortelmans’ music is never exuberant, it isn’t profusely extravert, it isn’t meant to astound. The power of his music lies in its restrained, intimate, introspective character, its métier and its classical structural control.
 
 
Jan Dewilde, 2005 (Translation: Jo Sneppe)
For performance material please contact the publisher Crescendo, Antwerpen. Reprint of a copy from the Studiecentrum voor Vlaamse Muziek. The study score is printed with the support of Studiecentrum voor Vlaamse Muziek (www.svm.be).

Notes on the works : Het Wielewaalt en Leeuwerkt - Morgenstemming - Homerische symfonie

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Homerische symfonie / Homeric Symphony

Preface
 
Lodewijk Mortelmans was the first student of Peter Benoit who became a laureate of the Prix de Rome. After earlier attempts in 1889 (second price) and 1891 (statement), Mortelmans won the prestigious state prize for composition with the cantata Lady Macbeth in 1893. In an interview published shortly afterwards, Mortelmans named Bach, Beethoven and Wagner as significant composers. He was especially interested in Wagner, « probably because he is the closest to these times. » He also admired Wagner because he « has given true style the art of singing and he exceeds himself when the singers are quiet. » In the same interview he also states: « The symphony is the purest, most elevated art in which the artist can express his ideal, allowing him the widest freedom for his feelings.» He would, however, only compose two symphonies: Germania (1890) and the Homerische symfonie (Homeric Symphony) (1896-1898).
 
Mortelmans was fascinated by antiquity: at the age of seventeen he read Homeros, translated by the Dutch writer Carel Vosmaer. It was during his stay in Rome, with the scholarship of the Prix de Rome, that he composed the funeral march from his Homeric Symphony. He had already shown his interest in antiquity in his symphonic poem Helios.
 
In his own edition of the score published by Breitkopf & Härtel, Mortelmans wrote the following about the work: « The title Homeric symphony does not mean that the work has been written in a Homeric style, nor does it imply that certain parts of the Homeric Poems have been described or depicted in it. The word ‘Homeric’ merely points out the origin of the work. » Lodewijk Mortelmans started to read and love the Homeric Heroic Poems at a very young age already.
 
Reading the poems inspired him with impressions and feelings, which slowly developed into a clear language, only to end up in sharply defined forms of crystallized music. This is how the Homeric Symphony was created.
 
The author is speaking continuously and the symphony can be seen as one entire lyrical work. It consists of four parts: Part 1 was written on a rhythmic theme (heroic, if you want), which every now and then is countered by a slightly more tender motif. Part II can be seen as an elegy and a funeral march. One could imagine the death of Patrocles here. Part III, alternately light and tragic, reminds us of the playful, seductive and fateful personalities of the Sirens. Part IV has a rather dithyrambic* character, bar the religious-mysterious middle part, and concludes the piece passionately. »
 
The first part has an ABA-structure, with an extensive exposition, a rather short development and a long re-exposition. The second part has a similar structure: the introduction is followed by an elegy, an andante (which has the function of exposition) and the repetition of the funeral march. The scherzo is also three-fold, but the middle part is autonomous, with its own thematic material. The stately finale is built around one theme and contains two other diverting passages.
 
Mortelmans dedicated his Homerische symfonie to Amanda Schnitzler-Selb, a talented amateurmusician and wife of a German Maecenas. Amanda Schnitzler-Selb was well-acquainted with Peter Benoit and Charles Gounod.
 
The composer conducted the world creation of his symphony in Antwerp on 17 April 1899. Featured on the programme for that evening were only works by the composer himself, such as the symphonic poems Helios and Mythe der Lente (Myth of Spring) and the orchestral aria Een lied van smart (A song of sorrow) and the choir piece Salve Regina.
 
 
Jan Dewilde, 2005 (Translation: Marjan Schrooten)
Reprint of a copy from the library of the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp. For orchestral material, please go to the Royal Flemish Conservatory. This score was published in cooperation with the Centre for Flemish Music (Studiecentrum voor Vlaamse Muziek (www.svm.be)
 
Wikipedia signification : dithyrambic*