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Messages - Double-A

#1
Composers & Music / Re: The Rest is Noise
Monday 04 March 2024, 15:07
Isn't the innovation of public symphony concerts (and the establishment of suitable orchestras) an important factor in driving the process?  At any rate the traditional repertoire (i.e. pre-HIP) used to begin with Mozart and Haydn (with the exceptions of Bach and Handel), coinciding with the beginning of the tradition of public concerts and the establishment of orchestras.

About Schoenberg:  His analysis is very plausible but maybe his solution less so.  He seems to have overlooked (or not cared about) the crucial role tonal harmony plays in the construction of large forms.
#2
Composers & Music / Re: Albert Dietrich symphonies
Monday 08 January 2024, 19:36
There is also the incipit which looks nothing like middle of 19th century, more like early Haydn or even Vivaldi:  Three chords I-V-I, followed by a climb up the C-Major triad with trills thrown in, followed by a simple cadence.  Plus there are three movements in C-Major, G-Major and C-Major rather than 4 as usual. 
#3
I almost think that, if it weren't for the violin sonata, Franck could count as unsung.  Hardly any of his other works seem to get much attention (or indeed any at all).

The popularity of the "organ symphony" is easy to explain:  It has firstly a name ("symphony in d-minor" is not a name) and secondly an organ which makes it unique.
#4
Composers & Music / Re: Clara Schumann >>> César Franck?
Thursday 19 October 2023, 16:00
Now that you mention it:  I hear the Franck too.  I wonder if they play the trio somewhat slower than usual, thereby making the similarity more obvious.  The similarity seems mostly in the construction: units of 2 measures following each other with the music "taking a breath" in between them every time.  Emotionally the two themes are quite different, the Franck joyful and confident, even more so because of the canon, the Schumann wistful or resigned.

I would guess that  Franck did not work "under Clara's influence" and that the similarity is a coincidence.
#5
String quartets in general rarely prescribe bowing techniques (such as "ricochet" or "sautillé" or "sul ponticello"), at least before the 20th century.  They use staccato dots and other more general markings that are also in use for piano music.

Some composers used more of those markings than others.  Quite often articulations suggest themselves from the context if they are not written in.  It is part of the plauyer's job to make up their minds about articulations if the composer did not prescribe every detail.
#6
The original quartets by Mayer feature very little if any pizzicato. I don't think this is a major issue for this composer.  I am finding quite a bit of pizzicato in the cello sonatas (apparently the last group of works of hers), very little in the violin sonatas.  I'd agree with the judgement that a cello pizz. is more attractive than a violin pizz. in case that this was Mayer's calculation.
#7
I have finally heard all performances on this disk.  They are marvelous. 

These three quartets are  probably the best three of Mayer's (I would put the best pieces on the first disk too).  I have looked at all her quartets or made transcripts, except for the ones in G-Major and in B-flat Major (they are not on IMSLP and I can't find them in the Berlin Staatsbibliothek either).
The quartet in d-minor is not much more than a "Vorübung", a bit clumsy even in places.  The D-major, only exists arranged for piano 4 hand*, is more in the style of the piano concerto, nice in its way, reminding me of Haydn, but lacking the intensity of her more mature works. 

The F-major quartet has a very ambitious variation movement.  It begins with a theme andante cantabile (two repeated parts,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,) followed by four fairly  conventional variations, the fourth in minor.  Variation 5 is in 3/8 which makes it 25% shorter if you keep the tempo.  Variation 6 is in 12/8, still featuring the same number of measures which makes it four times longer than the theme, essentially almost a movement by itself. The final variation follows in 8/16 and is not much more than a coda.  This long variation would have to have the most weight of all of them and Mayer didn't manage to give it that weight, it seems rather a bit thin as the theme is dragged out so long.  The other movements are better.

The quartet in g-minor has already been recorded but I would bet the Constanze people will do it better.

* The D-Major quartet can easily be "back-arranged" for string quartet; Mayer just had the right hand of the first player play "first violin", the left hand "second", the other player would similarly play "viola" and "cello".  She also put some passages an octave higher (she seems to have liked the very high notes on the piano) but it was easy to spot those passages.  I had an "edition" nearly ready for IMSLP when somebody beat me to it. Of course it is not certain that this piece will be part of this set of recordings.
#8
Composers & Music / Re: Wilhelm Berger String Trio (1898)
Thursday 14 September 2023, 00:32
For the purposes of this forum the most important "other" composer here is Röntgen.  He wrote several clever trios worth playing and listening to.
#9
I have to say that reading the above biography about "various choirs in Wädenswil" and "music king around Lake Zurich" is highly amusing to someone who grew up on Lake Zurich.  Nonetheless I have to admit that I didn't even know the man existed.  I suppose I am morally obliged to check him out.
#10
Good point, Eric.  Goethe does generally not inspire rousing.
#11
Let's keep in mind that all the overtures with the exception of "Faust" are early works; they appear to be "preparatory exercises" for the symphonies.  I transcribed the d-minor overture (along with parts) for IMSLP a few years ago and I was rather disappointed with the work.  It does not really lift off; the supposed rousing coda does not rouse (I think in this genre the rousing is mandatory).  And even the Faust overture does not enthuse me.

In the symphonies I find better stuff like the opening movement of the f-minor symphony or the slow one of the b-minor to point out some favorites.  The quartet in e-minor is also far superior.

I do think that the best of Mayer is to be found in her chamber music and probably in the works written after she abandoned the symphony as her main goal.
#12
I wonder wether the execution by the orchestra is optimal.  The first movement for example contains large dynamic contrasts.  An orchestra ought to have an easier time making those impressive than 5 soloists.  What one hears here sounds like deliberately muted contrasts.  I remember quite a few recordings that come across  with more impact.  The rather "gemütliche" tempo also contributes to the impression of insufficient energy.

The adagio has balance problems which may contribute to its reduced appeal:  The movement runs in two tracks (the wilder middle section is different):  The three middle voices present an ongoing melody, "decorated" by the two outer voices.  At the beginning the melody is practically inaudible and the music is dominated by the "decorations".  Later those decorations appear in pizzicato.  At this point the balance is reversed:  One barely hears the pizzicati and sometimes not at all.  This seems bizarre to me and not properly rehearsed.  I also think the movement is played too slowly to allow listeners to perceive the melody in the middle voices as a melody (vs. just isolated fragments).  (However, Hurwitz is on record as liking the movement very slow, so take this for what it's worth)

I like the scherzo too (including the execution here) though for me the extra colors are not required.  The last movement again could do with a somewhat more energetic tempo.
#13
Recordings & Broadcasts / Re: Opus 1 feminin
Saturday 06 May 2023, 22:09
I agree with Mark.  More interesting IMO would be the last completed work of each composer, to hear not where they started out but where they arrived.  People, even the most talented people, become great artists by working at their skill diligently over a lifetime.  There is no need to promote the false idea of the artist, chosen by God, producing nothing but masterpieces.
#14
The problem rather seems to be that op. 78 is a quintet, not a quartet.  I had been wondering whether to suggest Onslow's op. 21/1 in e-minor which is undoubtedly a very fine QUARTET.  Many of Onslow's quartets deserve that qualification but I spent a week with this one in a chamber music work shop years ago*.  It is one of those pieces that become more impressive the more time one spends with it.  It stands out for excellent writing for the ensemble (e.g. right at the beginning where every voice contributes part of the thematic material in a sort of acoustic lego set).

I have been wondering if there is a requirement that a recording exists.  Of this work there is none as far as I know (with the exception of longer than usual soundbites on the Silvertrust catalogue which are taken from a recording of a sight reading session and which do not do it full justice).  The sheet music is on IMSLP or available from Silvertrust, so no problem there.

* This proves that the piece is accessible to competent amateurs.  Onslow's pieces are not easy to play as a general rule and this one is no exception.  But your group will do fine with it.

#15
Thank you!