Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien - Wellesz: Symphonies Nos. 1, 8 & Symphonic Epilogue, Op. 108 (2017)

Egon Wellesz's name comes up together with Schönberg, Berg, and Webern when the Viennese school of the early twentieth century is the topic, even though he very early left behind the environment created by such twelve-toners in quest of his own harmonic paths. Born in Vienna, Wellesz was one of Schönberg's first pupils and a musicology student under Guido Adler, with his training in both disciplines turning out to be of use to him later in life. Until the outbreak of World War II he was one of the most-performed composers in German-speaking Europe, and his five operas were successfully premiered at the leading German houses. At the time he was also a professor of musicology specializing in the decipherment of Byzantine notation. Then things fell apart. He was forced into emigration in England in 1938 but was able to continue his university career in Oxford. Wellesz the composer remained silent until the end of the war, when he first regained his full creative powers and then went on to compose almost half of his oeuvre after his sixtieth birthday. His nine symphonies are without a doubt the main works of this late period. The emigrant very deliberately drew on Austrian symphonic music, with his symphonies involving, among other things, an effort to come to terms with his loss of his home.