Film composer
Franz Waxman, in addition to creating such timeless movie scores as Rebecca and The Bride of Frankenstein, was also a superb composer of original concert music, particularly in the final two decades of his career.
Waxman's 1959 oratorio Joshua, here recorded for the first time on Deutsche Grammophon, is based on a libretto written by British playwright James Forsyth, whose mixture of verse of narration has its own special, euphonious qualities. Actor Maximilian Schell has the narration and does a splendid job of delivering his spoken part. Fans of Los Angeles-based baritone
Rodney Gilfry are in for a treat, as he sings the roles of both the title character and his father, Moses.
Gilfry does squander this opportunity and treats this project as though it might prove definitive in the course of his already highly distinguished career; mezzo-soprano
Ann Hallenberg is also likewise effective in the emotional and touching role of Nahab. The Prague Philharmonia and
Prague Philharmonic Choir go beyond the call of duty for this assignment under
James Sedares. The recording, as can be expected from Deutsche Grammophon, is top of the line. Early on in playing back the disc, one may want to experiment a bit with balancing the narration with the rest of it, as Schell's voice is somewhat quieter than a full orchestra with chorus, although there are relatively few loud climaxes in Joshua and overall the work is fairly low key. The story, as elucidated from the Bible by Forsyth, moves forward very well and is over before you know it.
Joshua isn't what you would think it to be, based on what you might be familiar with in terms of twentieth century treatments of Old Testament subjects by Jewish composers. In such milieu, one immediately thinks of Arnold Schoenberg and the antiseptic tonal language of his opera Moses and Aron. While there is a tiny bit of that influence here, there isn't much of it. One might also think of Kurt Weill with his pithy, insouciant cabaret style all blown out of proportion and straining at the seams, as it is in Weill's opera The Eternal Road. Again, there's a tiny bit of that stringency found in Joshua, too, but not much. A standard movie score analogy, too, is out of place here -- Joshua is not a movie score grafted to a libretto and sung live, nor is it an opera. Joshua is an oratorio, and a very effective one. Joshua is less like a movie score and more like a movie for your ears; it probably works as well for that purpose in the concert hall as it does on this recording.
Once you start listening to Joshua, you will want to hear the whole thing, so the main challenge is finding the time to hear it all in one sitting. Perhaps a long road trip would be ideal for taking it in. No matter how you experience it,
Franz Waxman's Joshua is a masterful and rare effort in twentieth century oratorio, and this recording proves that the work is well worth reviving. With any luck, this Deutsche Grammophon release bodes well for future, similar high-profile recordings of
Waxman's non-cinematic fare.