MASUR SHARES PRIDE IN GEWANDHAUS TRADITION

The Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig has a long and proud history of playing for many of the greatest names in music: Bach and Telemann (who led an early incarnation of the ensemble), Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Strauss, etc.

Kurt Masur, who has been at the helm of the orchestra for 17 years, admitted that his post is a special one in the music world--adding that his sense of pride extends to the players. “It means a lot to be a member of the orchestra,” he said. “This kind of tradition is rare.”

The Gewandhaus will make its first visit to the West Coast next week, giving concerts under Masur at Ambassador Auditorium on Tuesday and Wednesday.

As the 59-year-old conductor noted, one name stands above the rest in the ensemble’s history--Felix Mendelssohn, who served as music director in the final 12 years of his life, leading many important concerts including the legendary performance in 1841 of the “St. Matthew” Passion that began the Bach revival.

“About 145 years ago, Mendelssohn founded the conservatory (now named in his honor) that has supplied about 85% of the orchestra members,” the conductor noted. “So we date the present ensemble from then.”

Yet, the two concerts in Pasadena next week give local audiences more than simply a glimpse of an old orchestra. They also offer a rare opportunity to hear an ensemble from East Germany.

Though Masur expressed discomfort in discussing politics, he did agree that “if a U.S. orchestra comes to East Germany, it is viewed as political. Of course there is a propaganda element in the tour. We feel like diplomats--every traveling musician does.”

If East German officials see any diplomatic points that may be scored in the current U.S. tour, they certainly haven’t gone overboard in helping it along. “We are simply paid (annually) by the government,” Masur pointed out, “and receive nothing additional for the tour. This is quite normal. In fact, that is why we haven’t visited your country more often--getting American money is the difficulty.”

But Masur preferred talking music over money or politics. “Great music,” he said, “is international.”

Repertory for the Gewandhaus programs place heavy emphasis on Romantic works--Schubert’s “Unfinished,” Beethoven’s Fifth, Bruckner’s Fourth--plus a dash of home-grown music. The Wednesday program includes a Timpani Concerto called “The Forest” by Siegfried Matthus (replacing the announced Piano Concerto by Udo Zimmermann, which was not ready yet, according to Masur).

“It is a remarkable piece,” the conductor noted of Matthus’ concerto. “It’s kind of programmatic. It shows the danger in our time that nature can be destroyed by industrial poisons. Of course, the music is avant-garde--there are dissonances. But it has beauty. Its ideal is humanistic.”

Such a dark, foreboding work seems well suited to the orchestra, which possesses a sound, according to Masur, that is similarly “dark, notably in the strings, and in the brass and winds too.”

Masur inherited this sound when he took over the ensemble. “I was educated at the (Mendelssohn) Conservatory, so they knew that I knew the traditions. I chose not to change the sound. It would be stupid, and besides, the players would refuse to change.”

Such is the weight of the past with the Gewandhaus. Even the name itself has historical overtones: It means “cloth hall,” a reference to the garment-workers guild hall that served as an early concert facility in the late 1700s.

As if to underscore this sense of history, Masur pointed out the significance of programming the Schubert and Beethoven symphonies in Southern California:

“Those two works were conducted by Bruno Walter when the Gewandhaus made its first appearance in Paris in 1931. You know, he died in Beverly Hills, so we would like to dedicate these concerts to his memory.”