Ernst Boehe’s late-romantic, post-Wagnerian symphonic poems abound in rich harmonies and lush orchestral textures, with much declamatory and heroic writing for the brass. Part Four of From Odysseus’ Voyages completes the cycle begun in a previous CPO release. Richard Strauss, a friend of the composer, has strong influence, though Wagner’s presence is unmistakable, with some passages bearing a striking resemblance to Götterdämmrung. Taormina, with its epic sweep and grand gestures, employs a less overtly chromatic language. Indeed, the modal structure of some of the Nordic-accented melodies (particularly the imposing main theme) suggests Grieg.
Symphonic Epilogue to a Tragedy echoes Reger’s refined and rarified harmonic style, as does the work’s overall gloomy cast. It’s essentially a long funeral march in the manner of Liszt’s Heroide funebre, but in Boehe’s case the somber mood doesn’t lift until the very end, making it a less than captivating listening experience. However, the other two poems are quite enjoyable, their effect no doubt enhanced by Werner Andreas Albert’s imaginative conducting and by the Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic’s alert and beautifully appointed playing. CPO’s distant recording is somewhat overbright, giving the impression of a large, reverberant hall.
