Fantasia for Strings (Henze)

Fantasia for Strings is an abridged concert version of the full score for Der junge Törless, which has never been published and has only been performed for the film. Henze finished both the film score and the Fantasia in 1966, and he chose specifically Renaissance instruments for the film score recording, for it was purposely composed to resemble the baroque style. The Fantasia was eventually first performed on April 1, 1967, in Berlin, by the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Hans Zender. Part of the Fantasia is played over the closing credits of the 1973 horror film The Exorcist.[http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/Review/369122,henze-complete-deutsche-grammophon-recordings.aspx "Henze: Complete Deutsche Grammophon Recordings"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426224352/http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/Review/369122,henze-complete-deutsche-grammophon-recordings.aspx |date=2014-04-26 }} by Brett Allen-Bayes, Limelight, 9 January 2014{{Cite book|first=John Kenneth|last=Muir|author-link=John Kenneth Muir|title=Horror Films of the 1970s|chapter=The Exorcist (1973)|page=263|publisher=McFarland|year=2002|isbn=9780786491568}}

The structure of this composition is a controversial topic, for it is unclear in the score how many movements it consists of. In the published version, the index includes seven movements; however, in the score, only six movements are listed.{{cite book |last=Henze|first=Hans Werner |date=1967 |title=Fantasia für Streicher |publisher=Schott Music }} Please note that the index is in page 6. The score can be accessed through the link provided in the "External links" section. In page 7, the cello part is divided into 5 different staves. Some experts have stated that the work could be considered as a four-movement composition, because movements one, two, and three all resemble one another, creating thus a tripartite adagio and are used in the movie as the Törless family arrives at the school. According to the score itself, the movement list should be as follows:{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/composition/fantasia-for-strings-or-string-sextet-from-film-der-junge-t%C3%B6rless-mc0002669911 |title=Hans Werner Henze - Fantasia, for strings or string sextet (from film Der junge Törless)|website=Allmusic.com|publisher=Rovi Corporation Ltd. |access-date=23 January 2014}}

The composition is scored for violins I, violins II, violas, cellos and double basses. However, Henze uses the divisi a number of times throughout the whole composition, to the point that some of the voices can be divided into more than four staves. A performance takes about 16 minutes.

This composition has been very rarely performed, even though it has been featured in other audiovisual products. The following is a list of recordings of Henze's Fantasia:

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• {{cite web|url=http://www.notafina.com/noten/Fantasia-fuer-Streicher/5374|title=Hans Werner Henze: Fantasia for Strings from the film Young Törless by Volker Schlöndorff|website=Notafina.com|publisher=Schott Music|access-date=23 January 2014}}
• {{YouTube|e8gFD7amdOY|Fantasia für Streicher (Collegium Musicum Zürich, Paul Sacher)}}

{{Hans Werner Henze}}

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Category:Compositions by Hans Werner Henze

Category:1966 compositions

Category:Compositions for string orchestra

Category:Film music compositions

Henze