Harmonious

Dirigent Hermann Scherchen – ‘Alles hörbar machen’

Hermann Scherchen

This episode of Harmonious is entirely devoted to conductor Hermann Scherchen (1891-1966; pictured). He was one of the most passionate advocates of ‘New Music’, conducting around 200 premieres, leading workers’ choirs in Berlin, pioneering radio broadcasting, publishing music magazines and founding an electro-acoustic laboratory in Gravesano, Switzerland.

Four historic recordings recorded by Scherchen himself bring his motto, ‘alles hörbar machen’ (‘make everything audible’), to life. The programme features Schoenberg’s Fünf Orchesterstücke, the Adagio from Mahler’s unfinished Tenth Symphony, Webern’s Passacaglia and Honegger’s Chant de joie.

Playlist

1. Arnold Schoenberg: Fünf Orchesterstücke, Op. 16, Nos. 1–5. Orchestra della RAI di Torino; Hermann Scherchen (conductor). Recorded in 1958:
   I – Vorgefühle
   II – Vergangenes
   III – Farben
   IV – Peripetie
   V – Das obligate Rezitativ
2. Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 10 – Adagio. Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Leipzig. Hermann Scherchen (conductor). Recorded in 1960.
3. Anton Webern: Passacaglia for Orchestra, Op. 1. Köln Radio Sinfonie Orchester. Hermann Scherchen (conductor). Recorded in 1958.
4. Arthur Honegger: Chant de joie. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Hermann Scherchen (conductor). Recorded in 1954.