WIR BEIDEN MUSS’ ES TUN

With Strauss’ copyrights steadily expiring worldwide, it’s no surprise that the family and estate have been exploring ways to continue having at least the scores, if not performance rights, generate some income.

One is a project, now underway for nearly five years, of critical editions of Strauss’ work, beginning with the operas and published by Schott. This should be fascinating: The currently published scores were almost always hastily engraved for use in the premiere production, and rarely take note of the numerous errata identified post-premiere or Strauss’ amendments as the years went by. Elektra itself has a healthy number of mistakes, some of which are of such long standing that they’ve become accepted.

Another seems to be new versions of the operas for smaller orchestras. Not surprisingly this includes Elektra, undertaken with the estate’s authorization by Eberhard Kloke, a German composer and conductor.

While I haven’t yet seen Kloke’s version, I’m particularly fascinated by the instrumental allocation he’s chosen. For reference, I’m including both Strauss’ original and my own:

Strauss’ original	E. Kloke	E. Windels
4 flutes (3rd and 4th also piccolos) 3 oboes (3rd also English Horn) 1 Heckelphone 1 Eb clarinet 4 Bb clarinets, 3rd and 4th also A clarinets 2 basset horns 1 bass clarinet 3 bassoons 1 contrabassoon Total winds: 20 8 horns (5th and 7th also tenor Wagner tubas in Bb, 6th and 8th also bass Wagner tubas in F) 6 trumpets 1 bass trumpet 3 trombones 1 contrabass trombone 1 contrabass tuba Total brass: 20 2 timpanists covering 8 drums 4 percussionists playing bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, snare drum, tam tam, 2 pairs of castagnettes, rute, glockenspiel 2 harps (the composer blithely requests that, if possible, these be doubled at the very end of the opera, beginning with Elektra’s dance.  Regrettably I have yet to see this request fulfilled.) Celesta (optional) Violins 1, 2 and 3: 8 players each Violas 1, 2 and 3: 6 players each (1st violas double as 4th violins) Cellis 1 and 2: 6 players each Basses 1 and 2: 4 players each Toral: 110	2 flutes (both piccolos, 2nd also alto flute) 3 oboes (2nd and 3rd also English Horns, 3rd also Heckelphon) 3 clarinets (1st and 2nd also Eb clarinets and basset horns, 3rd also bass and contrabass clarinets) 2 bassoons (2nd also contrabassoon 6 horns (3rd and 4th also tenor Wagner tubas in Bb, 5th and 6th also bass Wagner tubas in F) 3 trumpets 3 trombones 1 tuba Timpani 2 percussionists playing bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, snare drum, tam tam, 2 pairs of castagnettes, rute, glockenspiel Celesta (also piano) Harp 10 first violins 8 second violins 9 violas 6 cellos 4 doublebasses Total: 62	1 flute (also piccolo) 2 oboes (2nd also English Horn) 2 clarinets in Bb and A (2nd also Bb bass clarinet) 1 bassoon (also contrabassoon) 2 horns trumpets 1 trombone 1 bass trombone 2 percussionists playing timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, snare drum, tam tam, 2 pairs of castagnettes, rute, glockenspiel Harp Organ (electronic keyboard, also celesta if possible) Violins 1, 2 and 3 (minimum 3 each)  Violas 1, 2 and 3 (minimum 2 each) Cellos 1 and 2 (minimum 2 each) 2nd cellos (minimum 2) 2 doublebasses Total: 35

There are a number of fascinating aspects to Kloke’s choices, the primary one being the use of instruments outside of the original: the alto flute and the contrabass clarinet.

Then there are some quite eye-opening wind doubling whose genesis seem to be inspired by musical theater world, but which still pose questions. For all of the Heckelphone’s intended status as the bass member of the oboe family, its construction and the requirement of a bassoon-sized reed mean that it is almost never played by oboists, and rarely in the “classical world” is it a doubling instrument, as it requires a dedicated non-oboist to temporarily join the oboe section.

I am genuinely fascinated to see how this edition fares, and look forward to studying it.