Leopold van der Pals

Leopold van der Pals around 1920

Leopold van Gilse van der Pals (St. Petersburg 4 July 1884 – Dornach 7 February 1966) was a Danish/Dutch composer.

Biography

Van der Pals was born into an artistic home in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire with a Dutch father and Danish/English mother. At the age of 12 he started to compose music, encouraged by his grandfather, Professor Julius Johanssen, a Professor of counterpoint and Director of the Music Conservatory in St. Petersburg during the 1890s. Being the eldest son, his father wished for him to study law and pursue a career in the family business, the rubber factory, “Triugolnik”. However, after persuasion from Leopold’s mother, Lucy van der Pals, Leopold was allowed to continue on his musical path.

At the age of 19 van der Pals left Russia to continue his studies in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the famous Swiss composer and music theory professor Alexander Denéréas, and the cellist Thomas Canivez.

In 1907, after four years of basic musical education in Lausanne, Van der Pals moved to Berlin and, on the recommendation of Sergei Rachmaninoff, he now received guidance and lessons by the Russian composer Reinhold Glière. Here, van der Pals formed a friendship with many musical personalities: Arthur Nikisch, Felix Weingartner, Siegmund von Hausegger, Gustav Havemann, Serge Koussevitsky and Alexander Scriabin among others. Here he also met the philosopher Rudolf Steiner, who made a great impression on him and introduced the idea of metamorphosis, derived from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. At the time, Berlin was a melting pot of musical development in the wake of the romantic era. Van der Pals experimented with new harmonic ideas and alternative cadenzas. He shaped his personal expression, a hybrid of different styles such as romanticism, impressionism, free tonality and inspiration from Russian and Nordic folklore. It was here that he started to give his works opus numbers; all previous compositions were abandoned.

During the Berlin years, 1907–1915, van der Pals was very productive and composed his first 30 works, concentrating on large orchestral pieces and lieder. His First Symphony, Op. 4 was premiered in 1909 by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Heinrich Schulz-Beuthen. The Symphony was very well received in the press and this resulted in an extensive series of performances of his pieces throughout Europe and America.

In 1915, due to World War I, Van der Pals moved to Arlesheim in Switzerland with his wife Marussja and their young daughter Lea. Here he started his large series of compositions of chamber music for various ensembles. A string quartet, a piano trio, a duo for cello and violin and sonatas for piano, cello and violin. In 1922 van der Pals completed his Second Symphony, Op. 51. However, the orchestration of this piece was interrupted when Leopold’s wife Marussja fell ill; in order to treat her condition, the family was forced to leave Arlesheim. For a period of 11 years the family constantly traveled between sanatoriums in order to find a place suitable for Marussja's condition. During these years the family stayed in approximately 80 locations in Europe without a fixed home. This time was troublesome for Van der Pals. His wife's treatment was expensive and Leopold experienced great difficulty to follow and continue his career. He had no chance to travel and hear performances of his compositions. In spite of his difficulties he continued his work and in this period he composed the Third Symphony, "Rhapsody", Op. 73, the "Hodler Suite", Op. 74, based on four paintings by Ferdinand Hodler, and two operas, Der Berg des Heiligen Michael, Op. 71, and Eisenhand, Op. 85.

Marussja died in 1934. Her death affected Leopold deeply. He withdrew himself to Ascona, Switzerland, and mourned the loss of his wife. Here Van der Pals wrote 80 poems to her love and memory; 45 of them were put to music. The work became his Op. 96, In Memoriam with the subtitle ”To the spirit of my wife" (Der Geiste meiner Frau). He then finally settled down in Dornach in Switzerland, where he lived during the remaining 31 years of his life.

In the early 1930s, Van der Pals experienced the loss of many people close to him: his wife, his father, and several of his close friends. During this period, he composed his Requiem and the Third violin sonata, Op. 101, with the middle movement ”Marcia funebre”. He also now orchestrated the Second Symphony, Op. 51. The premiere of the symphony took place in Vienna in 1937, with his brother Nicolaï van Gilse van der Pals conducting. At the same concert, his Third symphony and Violin Concerto were also played.

Even though the interest in van der Pals’ music was extensive, the possibilities of performances were soon to be diminished. The climate for modern composers and artists suffered from the harsh political atmosphere and escalating international conflicts. With the start of World War II all possibilities were gone and many artists migrated to America where the conditions were better. Leopold decided to stay in Switzerland even though this meant to distance himself from the modern music environment. He never stopped creating, no matter which obstacles came his way. Apart from the 252 completed opuses, he also wrote poems, articles, reviews and librettos for all of his eight operas. At the time of Leopold’s death on 1 February 1966 aged 83, his last piece, an opera called Isis was left on the piano unfinished.

Family

Van der Pals married Maria (Marussja) von Beshe in St. Petersburg in 1907. They had one daughter, Lea van Gilse van der Pals, who became a famous danser and teacher, both in Dornach, Switzerland and internationally. Leopold's brother, Nicolaï van Gilse van der Pals, was a conductor in Helsinki and elsewhere in Europe.

Works (selection)

Leopold van der Pals wrote more than 250 works. His oeuvre includes songs, chamber music, symphonies and eight operas.

Symphony No. 1 in F sharp minor, Op. 4

In 1907, Leopold van der Pals had just finished his studies with Reinhold Gliére in Berlin. At the age of 23 he felt the urge to spread his wings in the major discipline of the symphonic repertoire.[1] The atmosphere was positive and he spent the summer in Finland on the family mansion Paloniemi, where he had his own cabin, given to him by his father to find peace and quiet to concentrate on composing. It is in this cabin he composed most of the work.[2] Back in Berlin after the summer Leopold van der Pals starts the orchestration. By the end of the year the work was finished and the work is dated on the last page of the autograph; “Berlin 01.01.1909”.

Frühling und Herbst (Spring and Autumn), Op. 14

The work was premiered by New York Philharmonic Orchestra under their newly appointed chief conductor Josef Stransky on 17 December 1911. For the premiere Leopold wrote these descriptive words: (New York Press, 18 December 1911, translation by H. E. K.) Herbst: “Slowly nature dies. Without a sound a misty shroud, a grey yell, sinks down from heaven, spreading over woods and fields like a breath from the grave. A dead leave loosens itself from a barren branch and falls fluttering to the ground. The world is in morning. Through the fog Melancholy chants her song of lamentation. But behold! The sky begins to glow with the red of sunset, the sun’s rays break through the clouds.” Frühling: “A gentle trembling, like a loving caress from unseen hands. A breath which, wafted through the land, brought new life to benumbered nature.”

Wieland der Schmied, Op. 23

Based on the Norse legend of Wayland the Smith. The first performane of the piece took place in Berlin on 7 March 1913 in the Blüthnersaal with the Blüthner Orchestra conducted by the violinist and conductor Gustav Havemann. In August 1911, Leopold van der Pals attended the lectures in Karlsruhe by Rudolf Steiner. One month later he met the author and got the opportunity to further discuss the idea to compose a piece on the topic.[3] Also four texts by Friedrich Lienhard was chosen by Van der Pals from Friedrich Lienhard's Vier lieder, Op. 22. The composition was completed in July at the family recidence at Oranienbaum in Russia. Van der Pals orchestrated his piece and finished the orchestration on December 12th, 1912.

Symphony No. 2, Op. 51

Van der Pals' Second Symphony was premiered in Vienna in 1937, with his brother Nikolaj van der Pals conducting. At the same concert the Third symphony and Violin Concerto were also played.

Symphony No. 3, "Rhapsody", Op. 73

Composed in 1927.

Recordings

  • Leopold van der Pals, Works for Cello and Piano • Tobias van der Pals, cello • Cathrine Penderup, piano Polyhymnia Forlag © Gateway Music · SOUNDCLOUD
  • Leopold van der Pals, Sonata, Duo, Trio & 3 Fugues • Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider, violin • Tobias van der Pals, cello • Kristoffer Hyldig, piano Polyhymnia Forlag © Gateway Music · SOUNDCLOUD ”5 Records of the Year, 2016" Awarded by Scott Noriega, Fanfare Magazine "Want List”
  • Leopold van der Pals, Symphony No.1 op in F sharp minor ”Fruling und Herbst” ,op 14. ”Wieland der Schmied”, op 23 Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Sweden. Conductor Johannes Goritzki. Recorded by CPO, Germany.

Literature

  • ”Leopold van der Pals. Komponieren fur eine neue Kunst”. Dr Wolfram Graf. PhD thesis, ISBN 3723511554
  • "Unter dem Zeichen des Rosenkreuzes. Leopold van der Pals' esoterische Schülerschaft bei Rudolf Steiner", ISBN 3723512232
  • ”Anthroposopfy im 20. Jahrhunder”. ”Ein Kulturimpuls in Biografischen Porträts” Bodo von Plato (Hg.), ISBN 978-3-7235-1199-2  

References

  1. ↑ Diary of Leopold van der Pals, Berlin, 29 October 1907
  2. ↑ Diary of Leopold van der Pals, Paloniemi, 4 August 1908.
  3. ↑ Diary of Leopold van der Pals, 14 October 1911
  • Leopold van der Pals website
  • https://www.polyhymniaforlag.com
  • "biography of Leopold van Gilse van der Pals" (PDF) (in German). Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  • http://www.leopold.vanderpals.com
  • https://www.goetheanum.org/fileadmin/vk/2016/10_Kurzt/Pals_Flyer.pdf https://www.anthroposophie.ch/uploads/media/van_der_Pals_Leopold.pdf
  • https://anthrowiki.at/Leopold_van_der_Pals
  • www.tobiasvanderpals.com
  • http://goritzki.com/en/leopold-van-der-pals/
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi_3CNt5FY4
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MsplBDWKlM
  • https://www.dkdm.dk/Kunst-og-udvikling/Udgivelser/CDer/Leopold-van-der-Pals


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