Pejacevic from cpo

[Alan Howe]

cpo are releasing Dora Pejacevic's Symphony in F#minor c/w the Phantasie Concertante in D minor for piano and orchestra. Release date: 21st March...
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Dora-Pejacevic-Symphonie-fis-moll-op-41/hnum/9983873

[eschiss1]

Have only heard her very very fine B minor piano quintet op.40 (rebroadcast by BBC Through the Night) - and I think skimmed the score of one or two other works? maybe the piano quartet --  but it's made me curious and interested. Great news!

[Mark Thomas]

I don't know the Piano Concerto, but I can thoroughly recommend the Symphony. It's a powerful and compelling work in a muscular late romantic style. I imagine that Dora was a tough cookie judging by her music - the Piano Quintet is an equally strong piece. Oh dear, this is proving to be an expensive day...

[eschiss1]

ooh, and it's on cpo, too- another favorite label (though Hungaroton isn't chopped liver either (that re Dohnányi). I may be able to catch some of it on eg Radio Stephansdom's webstream - or another station that plays many cpo recordings - before such time as I'm able to buy it.

In fact when I asked about Pejacevic before and mistakenly asserted that her quintet was a studio recording and unreleased commercially, someone mentioned (here?) that it was, along with other works of hers (mostly chamber works?) released yes- but on Jugoton which doesn't get out there quite so much?... (1982 LP?)

(I should see what the Croatian online classical radio scene is, but anyhow, right... )

There is a piano concerto in G minor (which has been recorded) (her op.33 of 1913) - apparently her discography, though mostly limited to small labels indeed, is larger than I realize. String quartet in C op58 (1922) on Croatia Records CD from 2003, a 4 CD FrauenMusikForum Schweiz set from 2002 with the piano quintet, piano concerto, cello sonata op.35, songs and some piano works; 2nd violin (viola? don't understand the words "violinu i glasovir" ) sonata op.43 (1917) on another Croatia Records CD; another recording with a violin sonata in D major op.26;   probably others...

[Alan Howe]

Excerpts from this juicy-sounding CD are now available...

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Dora-Pejacevic-Symphonie-fis-moll-op-41/hnum/9983873

[Mark Thomas]

And it's shipping - mine's on its way!

[Alan Howe]

The symphony is a 47+ mins treat for fans of lusciously orchestrated late, late Romantic symphonies. I'd also say it was a bit more than just a gorgeous wallow - it has real thrust and movement. Plenty to chew on as well, then...

[Mark Thomas]

This is a very enjoyable CD with two strong works.

The Symphony is a powerful piece, just as Alan describes. Pejacevic's powers of orchestration and pacing are very impressive and the work leaves a strong impression. I was reminded of Rachmaninov, which is perhaps not an earth shattering insight, although she does lack his gift for long melodic lines. Her material tends to come in much shorter phrases, often just a handful of notes, but they are generally memorable and used with purpose. This work is one which can thoroughly be recommended.

The one movement Phantasie Concertante is equally impressive in its seriousness and workmanship. I didn't find the actual material as immediately compelling, but I've only listened to it once whereas I have heard the Symphony before in another recording. No doubt it'll grow on me.

Seems to me that Pejacevic's early death robbed us of an impressive voice. I have a recording of her Piano Quintet, which is just as powerful as the Symphony, but it would be very good to hear the Piano Concerto.

[Alan Howe]

As an aside, I see from the liner-notes that Dora was a pupil of Percy Sherwood in Dresden, who in turn had been pupil of Draeseke. Is it too much to say one can sense a Draesekean seriousness of purpose and bigness of design in her symphony? (To be sure, it's a lot more luxuriant, but then she was two generations younger than Draeseke.)

Percy Sherwood - hmmmm, now there's a composer who should be pursued. Albion? Anyone?

[Syrelius]

Seems to me that Pejacevic's early death robbed us of an impressive voice. I have a recording of her Piano Quintet, which is just as powerful as the Symphony, but it would be very good to hear the Piano Concerto.

Well, my poor German may fool me, but from what I understand of the CPO homepage, it seems that CPO is planning to release more recordings of Pejacevic's muisc. Maybee there is hope for the Piano Concerto, too! 

[Albion]

Well, my poor German may fool me, but from what I understand of the CPO homepage, it seems that CPO is planning to release more recordings of Pejacevic's muisc. Maybee there is hope for the Piano Concerto, too! 

Your German might not be quite so poor as that of my 'handy' (free) automatic online translation service, which mangles CPO's note as follows (important garbled sentence highlighted):

The musical work of the Croatian composer Dora Pejacevic dümpelte – also in its homeland until some years ago in an atmosphere of almost perfect indifference there.  Life of its work hardly more long lasted than life of the composer herself.  It died at 38 years of age directly after the birth of its first child in Munich.  A formed, greatly middle class parental home promoted that early as recognized musically highly talented.  It studied in Dresden and Munich and stepped quickly with own compositions forth.  It expanded your music knowledge also by self-study, carried of irresistible curiosity and creative unrest.  Numerous trips and contacts with some leading intellectual and of artists that time – with Rilke and Karl curly connected it even intensive friendship – fertilized its creativity what had an effect and a. in the selection of literary models for its vocal poetry inspiring.  Works comprised 57 completed your remission, cpo a comprehensive edition will dedicate to it.  We begin with its symphonic chief works: the symphony in fis minor and the imagination concertante for piano and orchestra.  In the years 1917-19 emerged, they are not only milestones in the Croatian music story, but rather can exist thoroughly next to works of a Rachmaninow (that it perhaps stylistic at the next comes).  Look already forward to the following Dora reconnaissances!

    

[JimL]

Wow!  And I thought Japanese/English translations were weird!

[eschiss1]

the piano quintet I believe I know from BBC (in one of its Through the Night rebroadcasts of in this case Croatian radio; as it's been recorded at least once, from one of those recordings, not a studio one I suspect) ... anyhow- no argument here- a very good piece of music, and exactly contemporary, apparently, with the symphony?
IMSLP has her piano quartet in D minor, op.25 published in or about 1910 (since she died in 1923, should be PD everywhere under today's copyright law anyways if they haven't changed it since yesterday.) (Should be possible from ONB's scans of Hofmeister back issues to make that in-or-about more precise, can try to do so later... can't recall offhand if this work has been recorded also.)

[eschiss1]

That looks about like - most Google translations I've run into, for example. One gets a gist. Exception: if the original was something that native speakers of German, French, etc. would never have recognized as grammatical but was, rather, a direct transposition of English syntax and grammar onto their language, and if vocabulary choice was good of course...- then I suspect Google and many other online translators should have no trouble at all.  Disclaimer: only took maybe 4 years High School French, a few classes in French and German in college for requirements (not that I didn't enjoy them both or learn from them - but that was back in 1991 at latest) - and haven't kept in practice as one ought. So... here grain of salt. Magnify as needed. Magnify more. (and cpo has a reputation for their program notes, I have always gathered from Fanfare magazine reviews. not a good reputation. I assume that was from something like the jpc/cpo notes?)
Eric

[Albion]

Any idea when this exciting disc will have it's UK release?