Elfrida Andree Gets New Audience

This release presents two major works by Swedish composer Elfrida Andree. She's now little more than a footnote in musical history today. But in the late 1800s, she was a well-known organist and composer in Scandinavia. 

Andree was a prodigious organist. But Swedish churches weren't hiring female organists in the 1850s. They were considered unseemly. Nevertheless, Andree persevered. By 1861, she was organist at the Gothenburg Cathedral, a post she would hold for 62 years.

Composing, performing, and mounting concerts grew Andree's reputation. She was the first Swedish woman to conduct an orchestra. And she was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy.

Andree's first symphony was completed in 1868 -- the first by a Nordic female composer. It premiered the following year to mostly favorable reviews. 

Andree was never fully satisfied with the work, especially with the orchestration. I found it to be a well-crafted piece of music. The orchestra isn't asked to do anything unusual or awkward. And the music simply flows. 

Less successful for me was the Frijet Suite. This composition started as an opera. There were problems with the librettist, problems with the dramatic structure, and problems with logistics. All hampered the creation of the work and limited its performances. 

Adree eventually created an orchestral suite from the score. That's proved more successful. To my ears, the work is overly sentimental. The opening sequence sounds like mid-Victorian salon music. 

Each section has its charm, but it's a very dated charm (in my opinion). I would very much like to hear Andree's second symphony, though. 

Still, this release features two major works by a ground-breaking composer. And those works do merit an audience. 

Elfrida Andree
Symphony No. 1; Fritiof-Svit
Norkoping Symphony Orchestra; Hermann Baumer, conductor
CPO 555 589-2

Arnold Rosner's Music for Wind Band: Bold and Unfiltered

This release was a real surprise for me. Long-time readers know I love Arnold Rosner's music. He combined Renaissance and Medieval harmonies and voice-leading. And he eschewed the major/minor structure of the Baroque (and later) periods. His use of tonality makes his music accessible to modern audiences. And yet there's a sense of timelessness to it.

What surprised me is that this release features works for symphonic wind band. Without strings, Rosner's music has an immediacy to it, bristling with raw power. 

Rosner's masterful orchestrations are idiomatic to the ensemble. None of this business of just substituting clarinets for strings! That gives Rosner's wind band music a distinctive sound. 

Any instrument (or combination of instruments) can have the melody. Any instrument (or group of instruments) can provide supporting harmony. These combinations shift throughout the work, providing fresh insights into the material. 

All these works are world premiere recordings. I hope we'll start seeing them show up on concert programs. Every piece is a gem. Eclipse, Op. 100 is a tone poem depicting the celestial event. Rosner wrote it for a high school ensemble, creating an engaging work using simple materials. 

Wind band arrangements of folk music are fairly common. Rosner's are uncommon. RAGA!, Op. 104 uses an Indian raga. But he doesn't just set the raga in a Western tonal framework. Rather, he closely follows the Indian traditional form. He uses a shifting combination of instruments to develop the material. 

"Lovely Joan", Op. 88 is a setting of an English folksong. But Rosner does more than simply present the tune a few times. His work explores the underlying harmonies of the piece. Each part of the melody is examined in detail. The work ranges far and wide, held together by the source material. 

Density512 is a first-rate ensemble, dedicated to contemporary music. They play with commitment, expression, and enthusiasm. Arnold Rosner was truly a unique composer with a voice all his own. And it's a voice that is accessible to modern audiences. If you'd not heard Rosner before, this is the album to start with. This is Rosner unfiltered. 

Arnold Rosner: Music for Symphonic Wind Band
Density512; Jacob Aaron Schnitzer, Nicholas Perry Clark, conductors
Toccata Classics

Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Dazzle with Contemporary Music

I know people who absolutely, positively will not listen to contemporary music. If the local orchestra schedules it, they'll show up late to miss it (or not show up at all). Why? Because they assume that all modern music is dissonant and ugly. Sorry, that only describes their prejudices. 

Wonderful, exquisitely beautiful classical music is being written every day. All it needs in an audience. JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic have done their part. 

They've put together a program of engaging, well-crafted works. These pieces are unabashedly tonal, and yet they could have only been composed now, in the 21st Century. 

All four composers have a strong relationship with Falletta and the BPO. The musicians know these composers. They know what they're trying to say, and they deliver. 

The BPO has recorded several Kenneth Fuchs albums. Their latest collaboration won them a Grammy. "Point of Tranquility" is a drifting cloud of swirling orchestral colors. As the piece progresses, these colors come together before dissipating into the air. 

Russell Platt's Symphony in Three Movements is an homage. It's inspired by Expressionist artist Clyfford Still. This is a restless, energetic work. Spikey melodies compete with each other for attention. Yet in terms of modernism, Platt's language isn't that far removed from Shostakovich's.

BPO's first chair oboist Henry Ward gets the spotlight in a collaborative concerto. Randall Svane is a friend of Falletta. She thought his Sonata for Oboe and Piano would make a good concerto. "Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra" is the result of that commission. 

Svane reworked the sonata taking advantage of the orchestra's expanded color palette. Modal harmonies add to the attractiveness of the work. 

The Covid-19 lockdown inspired "The Winter that United Us.". Wang Jie's work is introspective. In places I heard hints of Sibelius, Shostakovich, Barber, and Saint-Saens. But the material, and how it's developed, is all Jie. 

I hope the house was packed when the BPO performed these works. This is the direction classical music is going. It just needs audience support. Recommended.

Contemporary Landscapes
Kenneth Fuchs, Russell Platt, Randall Svane, Wang Jie
Henry Ward, oboe
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
BPO

Karl Weigl Symphony Recalls Old Vienna

This is the third Capriccio release of Karl Weigl’s symphonies, and my response is simple: "More, please." Weigl began his career as Gustav Mahler's rehearsal conductor, and by 1930, he was teaching composition at the University of Vienna. But by 1938, his career would take a dramatic turn.

Weigl’s Jewish background meant his career ended when the Nazis took over Austria. In 1938, he emigrated to the United States, where he taught at the Boston Conservatory and the Philadelphia Music Academy. Throughout it all, he never forgot his beloved Vienna.

His Symphony No. 3 in B major, written in 1931, is a mature work with a grand, Mahlerian sound. But there’s also a touch of Wagner here. Weigl’s use of motifs weaves the entire 46-minute symphony into a cohesive, organic whole.

Also included is the Symphonic Prelude to a Tragedy from 1933. The word "symphonic" is key here. Weigl creates a sonic world filled with high drama and foreboding. Some passages reminded me of Richard Strauss, though Weigl’s aim is different—he’s not telling a story, but instead communicating a mood.

The Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, conducted by Jurgen Bruns, delivers a performance that meets expectations. These artists recorded the other Weigl symphonies, and Bruns’ interpretation stays true to form. Weigl was deeply influenced by the late-Romantic language of Mahler and Bruckner, and that’s precisely what Bruns emphasizes.

The ensemble’s sound is rich and full, with strong solo performances that make Weigl’s orchestrations truly sparkle. This is another excellent addition to the series. With only two symphonies left to record, I hope we’ll also get to hear some of his shorter works.

Karl Weigl: Symphony No. 3
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz; Jurgen Bruns, conductor
Capriccio C5489

Bruckner: From the Archives Volume 6

SOMM Recordings and the Bruckner Society of America marked the composer's bicentenary in a remarkable fashion. They didn't just release a cycle of Bruckner symphonies. They presented world premiere recordings that presented the composer in various ways. 

The recordings came from the 1930s through the 1970s. They were great performances in their own right. But they also demonstrated how perceptions about Bruckner evolved. 

Symphony No. 8 in C minor is performed by the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, directed by Eugen Jochum. The recording is an aircheck of a live run-through from 1957. J

Jochum was the founding conductor of the orchestra and a Bruckner recording pioneer. He first recorded Bruckner in the 1930s. This performance has a lush, romantic sound. But it's one that crackles with energy and drama. 

The Vienna Symphony Orchestra plays Symphony No. 9 in D minor. This was a live performance, broadcast in 1966. Wolfg Sawallisch conducts the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. It's electrifying. Sawallisch and the ensemble seem to push themselves to the limit. 

They probably felt the weight of history. In 1903 the Vienna Symphony Orchestra premiered the work in the very same hall.  

Also included is Psalm 150. Hilde Ceska is the soprano soloist. Henry Swoboda directs the Vienna Akademie Kammerchor and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. This was originally released on Westminster in 1950 -- its world recording premiere. Swoboda was another pre-war champion of Bruckner. His performances (like this one) tend to sound lean and tightly focused. 

John F. Berky, president of the Bruckner Society of America, selected the recordings from their vast archives. Lani Spahr restored and remastered them, with a refreshingly light touch. He simply makes what's recorded sound its best. He refrains from reworking it into something it was never meant to be. 

No matter how many Bruckner recordings you own, this series should be in your collection. There are some truly insightful performances here. And a few that made me hear these very familiar works in new ways.  

Bruckner: From the Archives, Volume 6
Symphonies Nos. 8 and 9; Psalm 150
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Eugen Jochum, conductor
Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor
Hilde Ceska, soprano; Vienna Akademie Kammerchor; Vienna Symphony Orchestra; Henry Swoboda, conductor
SOMM Recordings, Ariadne 5034

New Series Showcases MacDowell's Orchestral Works

Edward MacDowell was a prominent American composer of the 19th Century. His contributions to music are numerous. He created the music department at Columbia University and was its first chair. 

He established the MacDowell Colony for artists. The Edward MacDowell Association supported many American composers at the start of their careers, including Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and Leonard Bernstein. 

And MacDowell wrote an impressive body of music. Today, he's mostly remembered for one solo piano piece, "To a Wild Rose." This collection does include that hit. But it also showcases MacDowell's more substantial works. 

MacDowell spent eight years in Germany in the 1880s, studying and working with the best. Franz Liszt recommended MacDowell to his publisher. He consulted with Clara Schumann and studied composition with Joachim Raff. 

MacDowell wrote his Piano Concerto No. 1 in 1885, while he was in Germany. It reflects the influences of the composers he worked with. And yet it's a work that's in MacDowell's own voice. It's a big, brawny concerto that should be better known. If you like the Romantic repertoire, you should enjoy this work.

Xiayain Wang delivers a fiery performance. MacDowell was a pianist. This work tests the technique of the soloist, and Wang passes with high marks. This is a real showpiece and Wang doesn't hold back. 

The release includes two tone poems as well. Lancelot and Elaine, Op. 25 was composed in 1888, when MacDowell returned to America. Like the Piano Concerto, it shows the strong influence of the Germanic style. 

Lamia, Op. 29 was written twenty years later. To my ears, it's a more interesting work. MacDowell has found his voice. It's not one full of Americanisms, but it's also not Brahmsian. It's simply... MacDowell.

John Wilson leads the BBC Philharmonic in some well-considered performances. I'm happy to see this is volume one. MacDowell was one of the most important composers of his generation. This album provides some hints as to why. Future volumes should solidify that reputation. And perhaps get rid of that one-hit-wonder perception).

Edward MacDowell: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1
Piano Concerto No. 1; Lancelot and Elaine
To a Wild Rose; Two Fragments; Lamia
Xiayin Wang, piano
BBC Philharmonic; John Wilson, conductor
Chandos CHAN 20305

Wrantizky Symphonies Real Crowd-Pleasers

This is the eighth installment in Naxos' leisurely survey of Paul Wranitzky's orchestral works. I say "leisurely" because it hasn't been a straightforward march through the symphonies. We've been treated to overtures, ballets, and some occasional works along the way.  No complaints here!

This release features three Wrantizky symphonies, including one of his most celebrated. 

The Symphony in C minor, Op. 31 is titled "Grande sinfonie caractéristique pour la paix avec la République françoise." That is, "Grand Characteristic Symphony for Peace with the French Republic." Wranitzky wrote it in 1797. The work depicts the hope that France and Europe can achieve peace. 

In his "1812 Overture," Tchaikovsky used French and Russian anthems to represent the opposing armies.  Wranitzky anticipates this technique for portraying Napoleonic battles almost 100 years before Tchaikovsky. In this case, Wranitzky gives us English and German marches to represent the allies. The third-movement battle music rivals Tchaikovsky's in its use of percussion. Without heavy artillery, that is.

The Symphony in D major, P17 is a more typical Wranitzky symphony. Here the music isn't representational. It's abstract and laid out in the balanced, four-movement framework developed by Haydn. Audiences of the day thought Wranitzky's works rivaled those of Mozart and Haydn. I tend to agree. This is well-crafted music. 

The "Hunt Symphony" is just what the title says it is. The four movements depict a lively hunt through the forest, ending with a kill. Several composers in this era wrote hunt symphonies. All used French horns as hunting horns, blatting out fanfares over bouncing strings. Wrantizky's use of horns is a subtler. And he uses a bass drum to represent the shots from the hunters. 

It's not great art, but it is great fun. And a little better than it needed to be to satisfy his audience. 

Marek Štilec directs the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice. This team has turned in some fine performances for the previous volumes in this series. And they don't disappoint here. The orchestra is small, but it can deliver the power of a larger ensemble when needed. And in the "Grand sinfonie," that quite often. 

Wranitzky wrote 45 symphonies. With this volume, Naxos has recorded 15. This may take a while.

Paul Wranitzky: Orchestral Works, Vol. 8
Grande sinfonie caractéristique pour la paix avec la République françoise
 Symphony in D major; Symphony in E flat major ‘Jagd-Sinfonie’
Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice; Marek Štilec, conductor
Naxos 8.574616

Age of Extremes Sympathetic to Empfindsamer Stil

There was a time -- not that long ago -- when the Bach boys were labeled "transitional" composers. Music histories of the day had Johann Sebastian Bach standing at the end of the Baroque Era in 1750. Franz Joseph Haydn, "the father of the symphony" stood at the beginning of the Classical Era in the 1770s. 

And the music written between those two milestones? Well, sort of a mix of Baroque instrumentation with proto-Classical melodies. In other words, transitional. 

Except it wasn't. Especially to those who lived through it. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach built on the music of their father. But they also contributed to a new style of music -- Empfindsamer Stil (Sensitive Style).

Francesco Corti titled his album "The Age of Extremes." It accurately describes the music it contains, the music of Empfindsamer Stil. Composers of the Baroque Era followed the Doctrine of Affections. That is, each movement should consistently present just one emotion. It's one of the reasons movements in Baroque suites are so short. 

Empfindsamer Stil strove for a more natural expression of music. Melodies became simpler and eschewed the fussy ornamentation of the Baroque. And dramatic contrasts within movements became common. Dynamics also became more nuanced, in search of "natural" expression. And movements became longer to accommodate the contrasts within. 

Corti and Il Pomo d'Oro present works by three composers who embraced this style and made it their own. Georg Benda is represented by two harpsichord concertos. Benda's writing for the instrument is innovative, concentrating on melodic expression.

A harpsichord concerto by Wilhelm Friedemann Bach is also present. He was Johann Sebastian Bach's eldest son. His music, to me, bears strong similarities to his father's work. Wilhelm can't quite let go of melodic ornamentation. And his work doesn't have the relaxed flow of Benda's. All that aside, it's a well-crafted piece of music that deserves an audience. 

Il Pomo d'Oro is a fine ensemble. They play with both delicacy and precision. It gives the music the Empfindsamer Stil hallmarks -- lightness and transparency. And they can deliver the power when needed!

Corti presents two solo harpsichord works by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. He was Johann's second eldest surviving son. As a composer, he was recognized for his innovative use of harmony and manipulation of form. Corti is a phenomenal player, as these works demonstrate. 

Bach's "Les Folies d'Espagne" is not for the faint of heart (or shaky of skill). His Andante in C minor is a simpler work but requires a different skill. It must sound emotive and charming. Easy when played on a piano, but not on a harpsichord. Corti has that skill. 

If you still believe that the music in the 1760s was transitional, give this a listen. Corti shows that Empfindsamer Stil had a distinctive sound and a valid aesthetic all its own.  

The Age of Extremes
Georg Benda; C.P.E. Bach; W.F. Bach
Francesco Corti, harpsichord and conductor
Il Pomo d'Oro
Arcana A573

Richard Stohr Orchestral Music, Vol. Three focuses on 1942

 Richard Stohr was one of many composers whose career was derailed by the rise of the Nazis. Through the 1930s his music was regularly performed. 

And as a professor at the Vienna Academy of Music, he had an impressive list of students.  Among them were Herbert von Karajan, Rudolf Serkin, Erich Leinsdorf, and Samuel Barber.

After Anschluss, everything changed. Stohr, a Jew, lost his position and his music was banned from performance. Fortunately, he was able to emigrate to the United States in 1939. 

Though Stohr never returned to his native land, he brought the spirit of Viennese music with him. In 1942 he had a phenomenal burst of creativity, composing 20 works. This release features three of them. 

The centerpiece of the album is Stohr's Symphony No. 2 in D minor, Op. 81. It's Mahlerian in style, if not in scope. Stohr's symphony runs about 38 minutes. Yet his motivic development is similar to Mahler's. 

Stohr's use of form is concise and well-organized. The music is large and expansive, but it always has a sense of direction. Stohr's music was much admired by his students and his colleagues. And it's easy to hear why. 

Also included are two works that share an opus number, composed in 1942. Per Aspera ad Astra, Festival Overture for Concert Band is Op. 79a. Stohr's lineup of instruments doesn't follow that of a traditional American concert band. But each instrument is there for a reason. Stohr's music is celebratory and has an interesting translucent texture. 

Two Roads to Victory (Through Arms-Through Love), Musical Poem Op. 79b is also for a concert band. Stohr varies the instrumentation once again. This time he beefs up the percussion section and adds a solo violin. This work sounds more of its time. The music is militaristic and hopeful, capturing the spirit of 1942 America.    

Ian Hobson directs the Sinfonia Varsovia in some inspired performances. I especially enjoyed their performance of the Symphony No. 2. The ensemble makes it sound expansive and symphonic, yet also thoughtful and introspective. 

Stöhr wrote, "I am not a modern composer. I do not understand the modern direction, and after it has triumphed, the world will not understand me." I think he was wrong. Hobson understands Stohr very well. His recordings are helping us to understand him, too. 

Richard Stohr: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3
Sinfonia Varsovia; Ian Hobson, conductor
Toccata Classics TOCC 0743

Wranitzky Symphonies Anticipate Beethoven

 

The finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is often cited for its innovative use of Janissary music. Turkish instruments are heard during the march -- triangles, cymbals, drums. 

But this 1822 wasn't the first use of these instruments in an orchestra. Paul Wrantizky used them in his Symphony in D major "Con musica turca" in the 1790s.

That work is in this release, along with another symphony and music from two operas. Paul Wranitzky was a major figure in 1790s Vienna. He was respected and liked by his colleagues. 

Wranitzky performed (at least once) in a string quartet with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn. He composed around 60 string quartets. A few were misattributed to Haydn, giving an idea of their quality. 

Wranitzky was an innovative symphonist, too. He composed 44 of them. Both Haydn and Beethoven insisted that Wranitzky conduct the premiers of their latest works. So why is he all but forgotten today? One theory is his early death at age 56 in 1808. The dramatic change in music left his catalog sounding out-of-date. 

Fortunately, we have recordings. Naxos' ongoing Wranitzky cycle lets audiences evaluate his works anew. Is Wranitzky's "Turkish Symphony" as good as Beethoven's Ninth? Well, no. But the scope is different. Wranitzky was simply writing a characteristic work, not celebrating universal brotherhood. It is interesting to compare the two Turkish marches, though. To me, Beethoven builds on Wranitzky's orchestration, using the instruments differently. 

If you like late-period Haydn and Mozart, you should enjoy Wranitzky. He was a master of his craft, and that shows in every measure. The music from Wranitzky's operas shows his skill in that genre. These pieces are tuneful and engaging.

The Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice is directed by Marke Stilec. And the musicians play to their usual high standards. Wranitzky's music benefits from the ensemble's modest size. It has a clean, compact sound that suits Wranitzky's work.

I look forward to volume eight!

Paul Wranitzky: Orchestral Works 7
Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice: Marke Stilec, conductor
Naxos 8.574562

Americascapes 2 Highlights Outlier Masterworks

 

I really liked volume one of this series. The performances were top-notch (which helps). But what I enjoyed was the imaginative programming. 

Most collections of American music just re-present the same thing. It's Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and John Philip Sousa (or perhaps John Williams). Robert Trevino interprets "American" as a larger, more inclusive term. 

This release features works by major figures within the classical world. But ones hardly recognized by the general public. George Walker was a black American composer who created music with a unique sound. His 1959 "Address for Orchestra" was his first symphonic work. And it's a corker. 

George Crumb was another outlier. He created his own form of music, one with a logical internal structure. He then notated it, creating graphic works of great beauty. These sonic sculptures sound like nobody else. 

"A Haunted Landscape" was written for the New York Philharmonic in 1984. Twenty percussionists augment the orchestra. It's pure Crumb, but not what most orchestra audiences would expect. 

Silvestre Revueltas was one of the most innovative composers in 1930s Mexico. Revueltas anticipated many of the postwar trends in music. He combined folk music with modernism. His music influenced an entire generation of Latino composers. Yet he's hardly known here in the States. 

"La Coronela Ballet" was his final work before his death at age 41. The work is a dizzying melange of styles. Tempos shift in split seconds. Volume also changes abruptly, almost as if we're listening to a remixed tape. But we're not. 

Robert Trevino leads the Basque National Orchestra in some impressive performances. For the orchestral musician, Crumb's music can seem counter-intuitive. And Crumb's notation requires study and attention to read properly. The orchestra performs with authority, letting the music expand outwards into soft-focus soundscapes. 

Revuelta's ballet also has some serious ensemble challenges. The sudden changes need an orchestra that can play together with laser-like precision. And they do. Heartily recommended.

American Opus: Americascapes 2
George Walker, George Crumb, Silvestre Revueltas
Basque National Orchestra; Robert Trevino, conductor
Ondine ODE 1445-2

   

Auber Overtures, Volume 7 - More Than Just Openers

I like Naxos' willingness to explore new repertoire. One of the things I like about the Naxos label is their willingness to explore new repertoire. And even go down a rabbit hole or two. 

It's what I'd do if I ran a label (although with my business sense, I'd run in straight into the ground. Case in point: the Auber Overtures series. 

Dario Salvi is the creative force behind these recordings. According to his bio, he has a "passion for the rediscovery and performance of long-forgotten masterpieces and the curation of world premieres."

 He's recorded more than Auber for the label. All his albums maintain a high standard of performance. And all benefit from innovative programming.

Auber wrote over fifty operas. If Salvi just recorded the overtures (as the title suggests), the series would span several volumes. But he goes deeper into the composer's catalog. Each volume supplements the overtures with instrumental music from the operas. 

Some present other compositions by Auber. This release includes ballets and marches from the featured operas. 

The album leads with the overture to Le cheval de bronze. Auber completed the work in 1835. For performances at the Paris Opera in 1857 he added a ballet. That music is included as well. 

Also included is an arrangement of the overture by Englebert Humperdink. Comparing the two versions of the overture provides insight into both composers' styles. Humperdink gives Auber's French music a heavier German orchestration. It doesn't ruin the music. But it does change the character of it (and not in a bad way). 

The Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava is in fine form here. Under Salvi's direction, they play with a light-hearted elegance fitting the fairy operas. And they can also deliver some dramatic thundering when necessary. 

Including additional music from the operas has slowed Salvi's traversal of the overtures. But these recordings are about the journey, not the destination. These ballets and incidental music show Auber's genius. His orchestrations set the stage and tell the story -- in music, not words. Another fine addition to this edition. 

Daniel-François-Esprit Auber: Overtures, Volume 7
Le Cheval de bronze; Le Lac des fées; Marco Spada; Jenny Bell; Das eherne Pferd
Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava; Dario Salvi, conductor
Naxos 8.574597

Bruckner From the Archives, Volume 5 -- Another Noteworthy Release

The penultimate volume in this series continues to surprise and illuminate. All recordings come from the archives of the Bruckner Society of America. Audio 

Restorian Engineer Lani Spahr once again works his magic. These recordings sound about as good as they can. And they sound authentic. They have been restored, not remastered. 

All three recordings are world recording premieres. And they're all live recordings, which makes these performances even more remarkable. The Sixth Symphony is performed by the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Christoph von Dohnányi. 

Dohnányi was of a new generation approaching Bruckner. His interpretation strips away the gooeyness of Late Romantic conductors. The performance was a 1961 radio aircheck. The orchestra may not be quite world-class, but they play with energy and authority. 

Hans Müller-Kray conducts the South German Radio Symphony Orchestra in a radio aircheck from 1955. Müller-Kray's approach is also post-Romantic, but not as severe as Dohnányi's. There are times when he seems to luxuriate in the sound (and why not?).    

The "Te Deum" performance comes from a 1962 aircheck for a Vienna Festival broadcast. The concert marked the 160th anniversary of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. This organization had been promoting music in Vienna since 1812. 

Herbert von Karajan leads the Vienna Philharmonic and assembled singers in a weighty performance worthy of the occasion. The soloists sing with operatic intensity. The Vienna Singverein delivers powerful choruses. This is pure Karajan, giving us the message from On High. 

Another solid addition to this series. 

Anton Bruckner: From the Archives, Volume 5
Symphony No. 6 in A major; Symphony No. 7 in E major
Te Deum
South German Radio Symphony Orchestra; Hans Muller-Kray, conductor
Wilma Lipp, Elisabeth Höngen, Nicolai Gedda, Walter Kreppel,
Vienna Singverein; Vienna Philharmonic; Herbert von Karajan, conductor
SOMM Recordings ARIADNE 5033-2

Albert Dietrich - for Brahms Fans

Albert Dietrich was one of those talents overshadowed by the company they keep. Dietrich studied composition with Robert Schumann, and the two remained close friends. When Johannes Brahms entered the Schumanns' circle, Dietrich was there. 

And the two also became close friends. Dietrich's "Recollections of Brahms" (1898) remains an important reference work for Brahms scholars. 

As a composer, Dietrich wasn't quite in the same league as Schumann and Brahms. But he was pretty close. In 1924 a piano trio was unearthed and initially attributed to Brahms. Modern scholarship now leans towards Dietrich. So, yeah. Pretty close.

This release is a great introduction to Dietrich. His Symphony in D minor from 1869 has a Brahmsian character to it. Dietrich is a more precise composer, though. He works out his themes in a deliberate manner, illuminating the structure of the movements. 

It was one of the most popular symphonies of the early 1870s, and it's easy to hear why. It's a well-crafted work written in the then-new style of Schumann and company.  

The 1874 Violin Concerto in D minor was composed for Joseph Joachim. Joachim was a virtuoso violinist/composer -- and part of Brahms' circle. The work was premiered by Johann Lauterbach. It's not clear if Joachim ever performed it. 

Too bad. It's a delicious work full of rich, Romantic harmonies and heart-on-your-sleeve melodies. Violist Klaidi Sahatci delivers a warmly expressive performance. It gives us every ounce of emotion Dietrich wrote into the score. I'm surprised more violinists don't have this in their repertoire. It's just a pleasure to listen to (especially if you like Brahms). 

The Solistes Europeens Luxembourg deliver some fine performances. Conductor Christoph Konig's interpretations are spot on. Brahms' style informs these performances. But it doesn't overwhelm them. Dietrich was in tune with Brahms' aesthetic. But he had his own ideas of where they should go. And those differences make this an engaging (and fun) listen.    

Albert Dietrich
Overture in C major, Op. 35
Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 30
Symphony in D minor, Op. 20
Klaidi Sahatci, violin; Slistes Europeens, Luxembourg; Christoph Konig, conductor
Naxos 8.574507

Bruckner From the Archives, Vol. 4 Offers Stylistic Contrasts

The fourth volume of this extraordinary series presents Burckner's Fifth Symphony. It also includes two works for string quintet. Every recording receives its first release here. 

As with the previous volumes, the source recordings come from John F. Berky. Berky is the Executive Secretary for the Anton Bruckner Society of America. Over 12,000 Bruckner recordings are in their archives. The selections here aren't just rare recordings.  They're recordings that provide insight in the Bruckner and his interpreters. 

Christoph von Dohnanyi conducts the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra in a 1963 aircheck. Dohnanyi was only 34 years old, and already creating a sensation. He also was of the generation immediately after the Romantics. 

His approach to Bruckner is straightforward and business-like. His goal was to be a transparent conduit between the composer and the audience. It's an exciting performance. And it's one I think most current listeners would be comfortable with.  

The string quintet performances, on the other hand, are purely Romantic. The Vienna Konzerthouse Quartett (and violist Ferdinand Stangler), were members of the Vienna Philharmonic. These artists were the last generation to play under the Romantic Era conductors. 

This is old-school string technique -- overripe portmantos, full-bodied dynamics, and emotive phrasing.  All harkening back to the glories of Old Vienna. This was the performance style Bruckner most likely imagined for these works. And they are gorgeous.

Lani Spahr's superb restorations do much service to the music. He brings out the inherent qualities of these recordings. And he does so without unnaturally "enhancing the sound."

Another fine addition to this series.  

Anton Bruckner: From the Archives, Volume 4
Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra; Christoph von Dohnanyi, conductor
String Quintet in F major; Intermezzo for String Quintet
Vienna Konzerthaous Quartet with Ferdinand Stangler, second viola
SOMM Recordings, Ariadne 5031-2
2 CD Set

BBC Philharmonic Delivers with Roberto Gerhard

If you read about Roberto Gerhard before hearing his music for the first time, you might be surprised. Gerhard enthusiastically supported Arnold Schoenberg's 12-tone system. He studied with Schoenberg, and the two became lifelong friends. 

But Gerhard charted his own way through dodecophony. Like Alban Berg, he didn't avoid intervals and chords that sounded harmonious. Gerhard was also an ardent nationalist. He was deeply familiar with traditional Spanish music. 

This release provides a good introduction to Gerhard's music. These works aren't mathematical exercises or zarzuela. Rather, they're a unique blend of mid-20th-century modernism with traditional Iberian music. 

Gerhard's "Don Quixote" took a decade to bing to fruition. He started the score in 1939. The work underwent expansion and revision over the years. "Don Quixote" premiered as a ballet in 1950. It didn't earn a place in the repertoire. 

But the orchestral suite based on the ballet received far more performances. The version here is the complete ballet score, with the interludes and epilogue.

This makes a great companion piece for Falla's "Three-Cornered Hat." The music very strongly anchors the ballet in Spain. And a Spain of an indefinite past at that.

And at the same time, the score has the sparseness of a Stravinsky or Bartok work. 

Juanjo Mena leads the BBC Philharmonic in some great performances. Under Mena's direction, these aren't Spanish works, but cosmopolitan works with a Spanish flavor. 

A fine introduction to Roberto Gerhard.

Roberto Gerhard: Don Quixote (complete ballet)
Suite from "Alegrias," Pedrelliana
BBC Philharmonic; Juanjo Mena, conductor
Chandos

Gerard Schurmann - From Film to Concert Hall

Gerard Schurmann is best remembered for his film work. He orchestrated the score to "Laurence of Arabia." And he provided music for fourteen feature films from the mid-1950s through 1997.

Like many film composers of his generation, Schurmann was classically trained. And he was as comfortable writing for the concert hall as he was for film.

The showcase work on this release is Schurmann's Piano Concerto. It was written in 1972 for pianist John Ogdon. Schurmann had previously composed a set of bagatelles for Ogdon. His goal with the concerto was to showcase Ogdon's talent. 

He succeeded. And in the process he created an incredibly challenging concerto for other pianists. Schurmann's language is highly chromatic but never spills into atonality. The solo passages are often quite complex, yet easy to follow.

Two of the selections rework Schurmann's film scores. But they're not merely recycling, or creating suites from film cues. Rather, Schurmann revisits the material to create something different. And something better suited for concert audiences. 

Romancing the Strings is based on his score for the Disney series "Dr Syn – Alias the Scarecrow." Schurmann's atmospheric themes reminded me of Schoenberg's "Verklarte Nacht." One with a more positive take on romance, that is. 

The Man in the Sky is subtitled a concert overture. And how. The original 1957 film was about a test pilot. And the swoop themes and heraldic trumpets signal a flight into high adventure. What a great way to open a concert -- and an album!

Some film composers run out of steam trying to write music longer than a few minutes. Not Schurmann. These large-scale works are well-constructed and beautifully orchestrated. As one might expect.

Gerard Schurmann: Orchestral Works
Piano Concerto; Gaudiana
Man in the Sky; Romancing the Strings
Xiayin Wang, piano
BBC Philharmonic, Ben Germon, conductor
Chandos CHAN 20341

Victor Bendix Symphonies - Career Bookends

I feel sorry for Victor Bendix. At the start of his career, Bendix was too avant-garde for Danish audiences. And at the end of it, he was considered too old-fashioned. 

This release features two symphonies that bookend that career. Symphony No. 1 "Fjældstigning" (Ascension) was written in 1882. This is a big, ambitious work, full of excitement and energy.

The title refers to the symphony's over-arching theme. That is, climbing a mountain peak to a hidden temple. To me, the work sounded similar to Strauss' "Alpine Symphony." It has the same grandeur to it. 

Franz Liszt liked the work, but audiences didn't. As one critic wrote at the premier, "The audience couldn't find their way in or out." Listening over one hundred years later, I didn't have that problem. Bendix was ready to scale the heights of music, but no one understood him. 

Bendix was a successful conductor. But he struggled to get his composition career started. Near the start of the 20th Century, he was still trying. And tastes had changed. 

Symphony No. 3 was completed in 1895. Bendix would compose one more symphony in 1907. But in 1895 he knew his moment had passed. 

This symphony is far more sophisticated than the first. And it's more somber. The final movement, "Elegie." Like Bendix's dreams, the work seems to end not with a bang but with a whimper. 

The Malmo Symphony Orchestra has some solid performances here. The energy level of the first symphony starts at exuberant and ramps up, really selling the work. They plays the third symphony with a lyric delicacy that is heart-breaking at times.

I'm hoping this ensemble records Bendix's two other symphonies. All four have a distinctive character. I think the orchestra's up to the task. Bendix's music was judged by contemporary tastes. With that context removed, we can listen to these works more objectively. 

And objectivly, I found them quite engaging. 

Victor Bendix: Symphonies 1 & 3
Malmo Symphony Orchestra; Joachim Gustafsson, conductor
Dacapo 8.224742

Adolf Busch Orchestral Works Volume One continues fine series

Adolf Busch is best remembered as one of the greatest violinists of the early 20th Century. He was the founder of the Busch Quartet. Busch made many ground-breaking recordings over the years, both as a soloist and with his quartet.

Not as well-known are Busch's compositions. This release may help change that. Busch freely acknowledged the influence of his good friend Max Reger. Like Reger, Busch was comfortable with tonality. And like Reger, his view of tonality was highly individualistic.

This release features some of Busch's works for chamber orchestra. And what a great place to start. The Divertimento for 13 Solo Instruments, Op. 30 is a real charmer. It's a good-humored work, and some of the movements play against expectations.  

Another standout is the Five Songs for high voice and chamber orchestra, Op. 11b. The work was available for voice and piano,  as well as voice and chamber orchestra. To me, these songs sit stylistically between Mahler and Strauss. 

Rich harmonies and flowing accompanying figures support the voice. The melodies are evocative and expressive. Busch's texts express some of the dark emotions as Mahler and Strauss. And they're just as effective here. 

Lisa Wittig sings with a warm tone. She delivers the text with clarity and subtle expression. For me, these were miniature masterworks. 

Ulrich Wagner conducts the BuschKollegium. The ensemble has a nice, compact sound. The soloists of the Divertimento are especially fine. Their chemistry elevates the music even further. 

Very much looking forward to volume two. 

Adolph Busch: Orchestral Works, Volume One
Music for Chamber Orchestra
Lisa Wittig, soprano
BuschKollegium; Ulrich Wagner, conductor
Toccata Classics TOCC 0671

Bruckner: From the Archives, Volume 3 - More, Please

The third volume of this remarkable series features two Bruckener symphonies. As with the other volumes, context is key. "Bruckner: From the Archives" will cover all the composer's major works. But it does so with rare recordings, some, like the ones in this album, never released before. 

The source material is the archives of John F. Berky, president of the Bruckner Society of America. Lani Spahr has remastered these recordings, teasing the highest fidelity out of them. At the same time, Spahr refrains from artificially tweaking the source material. So, for example, the 1966 aircheck of Bruckner's Third sounds of the era.

There's a softness to the sound one would expect from a 1960s LP. And yet there's no surface noise at all. Just the music as the microphones heard it a half-century ago. I appreciate that fidelity.

Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt leads the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Bruckner's Third Symphony in D minor. Bruckner's first version, published in 1877 was rejected for performance. He revised it, and this 1890 version became a hit for the Vienna Philharmonic.

Here Schmidt-Isserstedt uses a modern edition published by Fritz Oeser in the 1950s. Oeser used the earlier 1877 version as his source. His publication made Bruckner's original version available for performance after 80 years.

Schmidt-Isserstedt created the NDR Symphony Orchestra in 1945. And he remained its director until his death. This is his ensemble and his instrument. The performance is an aircheck done in 1966. It is insightful and thrilling.

Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 in E-flat major, the "Romantic." And it's his most popular work -- and the one with the most revisions. Bruckner completed the score in 1877. He revised it in 1878. In 1879 he replaced the Scherzo. The finale was overhauled in 1880.

Volkmar Andrease and the Munich Philharmonic use the 1880 score. This is a live 1958 performance before a remarkably well-behaved audience. Andrease was an early Bruckner champion. He conducted the composer's works over 250 times. Plus he organized the first Swiss Bruckner Festival in 1936.

Andrease knows what he's about with this work. And he's about bringing the fire. The orchestra fairly crackles with energy, especially during the scherzo. 

Another fine addition to this series. Looking forward to volume 4. 

Anton Bruckner: From the Archives, Volume 3
NDR Symphony Orchestra; Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, conductor
Munich Philharmonic; Volkmar Andreae, conductor
SOMM Recordings Ariadne 5029-2
2 CD Set