Sekles, Bernhard

Bernhard Sekles – Die Temperamente. Four movements for grand orchestra, Op.25 (1916)

(b. Frankfurt, 20 March or 20 June 1872 – d. Frankfurt, 8 December 1934)

I. Phlegmatisch (Träges Zeitmass, aber nie ohne Grazie) p.3
II. Sanguinisch (Lebhaft, aber nicht zu schnell) p.31
III. Melancholisch (Langsam schreitend) p.78
IV. Cholerisch (Heftig aber nicht hastig) p.97

Preface
In his seminal monograph on Bernhard Sekles published in 2005, Joachim Tschiedel rightfully maintained that the composer and pedagogue stood “on the verge of total oblivion.” Fortunately, since then there have been initiatives for the reintroduction of the composer’s work to contemporary audiences, a very significant one being the publication of Sekles’s scores in the Repertoire Explorer series. Although Sekles’s compositions still remain largely outside the standard classical repertoire, the scholarly and artistic interest in this important German composer has surely been growing.

From the biographical information available, we know that at around the time of composition of Die Temperamente Sekles taught composition at Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt and that he became, after Waldemar von Bausznern’s appointment as general director of the Conservatory in March 1916, member of a board which also included the violinist Fritz Bassermann and the pianist Ernst Engesser. (Tschiedel: 12)

Regarding the composition of Die Temperamente, it becomes clear from the title that Sekles drew inspiration from “the classical doctrine of the four [human] temperaments (phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholy, choleric)” which was based on the Greek physician Hippocrates’s theory. Indeed, through the centuries, temperament theory “has had a major impact on the pictorial arts, on literature and also on music” (Floros: 41), Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No.2 “The Four Temperaments” (1901-2) being a prominent example of the latter case. (Paul Hindemith, Sekles’s student at the Conservatory, would also write his own version of the temperaments, Theme and Variations ‘The Four Temperaments’ for piano and strings, in 1940). (Kennedy: 264)

Artfully written and richly orchestrated, the work, which uses a large orchestra (3.3.3.3, 4.3.3.1, perc, hp, str), was published in 1916 by F.E.C. Leuckart Leipzig (F.E.C.L.7625). It was soon presented to audiences across Germany; information on its early performances can be found in the German press of the period and in Tschiedel’s monograph:…

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