What are you listening 2 now?

[Karl Henning]

[JBS]

From the 1957 Salzburg Festival orchestral concerts compilation, Disc 4, with the Berliner Philharmoniker:

- Theodor Berger (1905-2992). Sinfonia parabolica (1956). World premiere.
- Gottfried von Einem (1918-1996): piano concerto (1956), with Gerty Herzog, piano.
- Arthur Honegger: symphony no 3 'Liturgique' (1946).

1957 was the first year the full schedule of the Festival's orchestral concerts were entrusted to 2 orchestras. Usually the WP did them all, with an occasional invited orchestra performance. Karajan who was General Manager of the Festival plus MD of the Berlin orchestra made sure not to offend the WP's sensibilities by giving them the most prestigious events.

Thus, the first (and only) time where a concert was devoted entirely to works by contemporary composers, the Berliners were on duty. While the recordings are all mono, the sound is very good and allows us to hear plenty of detail.

Berger's name was new to me but on the evidence of his Sinfonia parabolica he was a superb composer. A student of Franz Schmidt and Korngold, his music is much more pointillistic and neo-classical than that of his two arch-romantic teachers. Dynamics are for the most part under f, so we are never assaulted by mere noise. 'Mysterious', 'expectant', 'enigmatic' are adjectives that come to mind. An oboe drone is heard throughout the slow movement, giving it a feeling of anxiety, of being on alert throughout. Why is this not recorded commercially ?

Von Einem's concerto is definitely not an attention-grabbing piece. He sometimes treats the piano more as an obbligato than a solo instrument. Whether the piano is heard in quiet, reflective passages or in scurrying, insouciant romps, it is always with, and not against the orchestra. Very pleasant, but not very substantial stuff and not as original as Berger's symphony.

Karajan was a great fan of Honegger's Symphony liturgique. Everyone knows the commercial account on DGG, one of the classics of the gramophone. During the symphony's first decade on concert stages Karajan programmed it multiple times. There is a 1955 performance from the Lucerne Festival and then this 1957 Salzburg one with the BP. The latter is also available on Andante and EMI. It is more energetic and driven, more searing and raging than the stereo remake, but it yields to that famous account in terms of crushing weight and beauty of tone (tonal beauty is not an enemy of desperate, desolate music).

Karajan mostly stayed away from music written after 1940, so his occasional forays into Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Honegger, Orff, however timid, are worthy of attention.

The Lucerne Honegger was released on Audite a couple of months ago as part of this

TD

[Madiel]

Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance



I didn't know until today that they premiered this one in New York, in part because of copyright problems in the USA and not wanting to lose out to, ahem, pirated versions.

[Karl Henning]

Today, in celebration, it may be, of the New Year: a kind of milestone in my non-systematic listening to Sorabji, generally, and to his Opus Clavicembalisticum MCMXXX, particularly, I've listened to the Interludium primum. And yes, I'm chuckling a bit at an "Interlude" which spans 58 minutes.

[Mapman]

Schubert: Symphonies 2 and 8 (Unfinished)
Steinberg: Pittsburgh

I posted a few months ago about how I thought Karajan's approach didn't work in Schubert's 2nd. Steinberg's performance seems quite a bit better.

[André]

Disc 2. The Berliner Philharmoniker in an incredibly adventurous Mozart program of symphony no 35 'Haffner', concerto no 21 (w. Geza Anda) and 'Jupiter' symphony.

Karajan was clearly on a mission here, but it was a foolhardy one. Of course he could not ruin the concerto (not yet nicknamed Elvira Madigan, the 1967 film that used its slow movement as signature music). Also, he was good pal with the soloist, so we get a fine but unadventurous performance. Adventure awaits though in the breakneck speeds Karajan insists on in the finale of the two symphonies. In the Haffner he has the Berliners zip through it in 3'26'' (the booklet says 3'56'', but the track is filled up with applause). In his studio performances on DGG and EMI he took about 10 seconds more. A very small difference, but the Orfeo captures a live performance, where no edits or retakes can be made. It's incredible the orchestra didn't fall apart on the stage of the Festspielhaus.

In the Jupiter Karajan ups the ante by clocking the finale at 5'26'', a full 30 seconds less than the super zippy studio performances from the 1970s. It's an absolute scramble, the more so as the first pages of the movement are taken at a normal pace. The last minute is just one big mess. I must admit I have rarely heard the usually bland andante played so beautifully as here. It's not just perfectly paced and played, but he gets the affect just right.

While researching reviews on this set online I found a review by our own Jens Laurson published on Fanfare. Jens does mention the speeds in the Haffner ('over before it starts') and he finds the Berger symphony less interesting than the von Einem concerto which, fine. Responses on little-known music can vary widely of course. I'm curious to see if I'll like the Bruckner 8 more than he did. He writes that he vastly prefers the studio version Karajan and the Berliners had taped just a few weeks before (an interpretation I detest). That should be fun !

[Madiel]

And yes, I'm chuckling a bit at an "Interlude" which spans 58 minutes.

If you persisted that long, you're a more committed listener to Sorabji than I could ever manage.

[Madiel]

Bach, J.S.: Dem Gerechten muß das Licht (BWV 195)

A cantata for a wedding.



The opening chorus is exceptionally glorious. The rest is pretty great too - I seem to remember that the general view is that the late albums of Suzuki's series are amongst the best. It seems a pity that there's evidence of some of the original music of this work being lost.

[Madiel]

Poulenc: 8 Polish songs



I continue to be slightly fascinated by this work. Of all the languages that Poulenc might set, I wouldn't have readily guessed Polish.

[AnotherSpin]

Disc 2. The Berliner Philharmoniker in an incredibly adventurous Mozart program of symphony no 35 'Haffner', concerto no 21 (w. Geza Anda) and 'Jupiter' symphony.

Karajan was clearly on a mission here, but it was a foolhardy one. Of course he could not ruin the concerto (not yet nicknamed Elvira Madigan, the 1967 film that used its slow movement as signature music). Also, he was good pal with the soloist, so we get a fine but unadventurous performance. Adventure awaits though in the breakneck speeds Karajan insists on in the finale of the two symphonies. In the Haffner he has the Berliners zip through it in 3'26'' (the booklet says 3'56'', but the track is filled up with applause). In his studio performances on DGG and EMI he took about 10 seconds more. A very small difference, but the Orfeo captures a live performance, where no edits or retakes can be made. It's incredible the orchestra didn't fall apart on the stage of the Festspielhaus.

In the Jupiter Karajan ups the ante by clocking the finale at 5'26'', a full 30 seconds less than the super zippy studio performances from the 1970s. It's an absolute scramble, the more so as the first pages of the movement are taken at a normal pace. The last minute is just one big mess. I must admit I have rarely heard the usually bland andante played so beautifully as here. It's not just perfectly paced and played, but he gets the affect just right.

While researching reviews on this set online I found a review by our own Jens Laurson published on Fanfare. Jens does mention the speeds in the Haffner ('over before it starts') and he finds the Berger symphony less interesting than the von Einem concerto which, fine. Responses on little-known music can vary widely of course. I'm curious to see if I'll like the Bruckner 8 more than he did. He writes that he vastly prefers the studio version Karajan and the Berliners had taped just a few weeks before (an interpretation I detest). That should be fun !

Thank you for the recommendation and detailed feedback. I just listened to the Mozart disc. I enjoyed Symphony No. 41 a lot. The finale didn't seem messy to me; it's quite acceptable for a live recording of that era.

As for Bruckner's 8th, without wanting to get ahead with a review before you've listened to it yourself, I'll say that my impression is middling. However, I'm not particularly fond of mature Karajan's Bruckner, and this performance feels somewhat grounded, albeit executed nicely. The incomplete wartime recording from 1944 is incomparably more appealing.

[Que]

A couple of New Year's cantatas from the Leonhardt/Harnoncourt series.
Starting of with Jesu, nun sei gepreiset, BWV 41. New Year's cantatas always strike a cord with me, often full of gratitude and hope...

[Que]

Music by François Dufaut, Jacques Gallot, Jean Mercure and Germain Pinel.

Performances are elegant but on the detached/analytical side. The two latter composers were new to me!

[foxandpeng]

If you persisted that long, you're a more committed listener to Sorabji than I could ever manage.

I have always put down my complete disconnection from Sorabji's work, to inexperience and inner failings in my own capability, but with time I have become more convinced that he just isn't very good. I know that may be a subjective assessment rather than a comment upon his gifting and output, but I'm pretty sure Sorabji won't be on my listening list for 2025.

[Madiel]

Brahms: Clarinet sonatas



I haven't listened to these works for a long time, especially the 2nd sonata which actually I might prefer.

In between the 2 sonatas, I started watching the Danish comedy The Orchestra. It turns out one of the main characters is a vain and aggressive 2nd clarinettist... somehow it was just funnier in context!

[Traverso]

Bach

[Madiel]

Bridge: String Quartet no.1, 'Bologna'

[Harry]

Karl Weigl.
SQ.
See back cover.
Artis Quartett Wien.
Recorded: 1999 at Wyastone Concert Hall, Monmouth, Wales.

Both SQ show a composer in harmony with his time and at peace with his past. The first quartet is a revelation, with Mahler's shadow clearly in the foreground, that in itself was a remarkable discovery. I did not know that Weigl was a pupil of Robert Fuchs, (also a much admired composer in my book) and this you also hear in his SQ. Weigl is a emotional and spirited composer who deserved the highest praise. I love most of his Orchestral works, but boy these SQ deliver the message in a forceful way, meaning that you will not lightly forget the fiestas he creates. Fine performances and sound!

[Harry]

Edward Alexander MacDowell (1860– 1908)
Orchestral Works.
Volume I.
See back cover for details.
Xiayin Wang piano*
BBC Philharmonic, John Wilson.
Recording venue MediaCityUK, Salford, Manchester, 2023 (all works except 'To a Wild Rose') 2024.

New Release

This is on all accounts pretty impressive. And a Volume I, that's promising. Excellent sound and performance.

[Spotted Horses]

And now, Ernst Krenek's String Quartets No. 3, op. 20 and No. 7, op. 96. Played by the Sonare-Quartett.

That release seems to have vanished into the void, no trace of it streaming or for download that I could find,  only sparse offerings of used copies on eBay. Any good?

I managed to find another recording of the 7th, quite thorny.

[ritter]

That release seems to have vanished into the void, no trace of it streaming or for download that I could find,  only sparse offerings of used copies on eBay. Any good?

I managed to find another recording of the 7th, quite thorny.

I've had the Sonare Quartett set of Krenek's SQs for many years now (mid-90s? — it was released in 1992). I've read several negative reviews, and TBH the playing doesn't seem the most refined to me. But I have nothing to compare the performances to, the set is AFAIK the only complete traversal of the whole cycle, and in that sense it is perfectly satisfactory as far as I'm concerned.

I might check out the Petersen Quartett discs. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.