Unsung Composers

The Music => Recordings & Broadcasts => Topic started by: Alan Howe on Thursday 08 November 2012, 22:15

Title: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Alan Howe on Thursday 08 November 2012, 22:15
Many, many thanks for the upload of Mayer's Symphony No.4.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Mark Thomas on Thursday 08 November 2012, 22:18
I'll second that. Very interesting.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: jerfilm on Friday 09 November 2012, 01:19
Me, too.  Thanks so much.

Jerry
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: DennisS on Friday 09 November 2012, 01:36
I would like to say thank you as well.

cheers
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Mark Thomas on Friday 09 November 2012, 08:29
This is a powerful and worthwhile piece of work. I'm not sure if it's the orchestration (a really convincing piece of work) but this music really is much more than the simple "Beethovenian" tag so often applied to Mayer's oeuvre. Of course, one can hear his influence, but it is much less omnipresent that in the music of Ries, say. It whets one's appetite for Mayer's Piano Concerto and Faust Overture which had been played by the same performers in earlier concerts celebrating her 200th birthday (although not in this one, unfortunately). Thanks again, Mathias.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Mark Thomas on Friday 09 November 2012, 16:39
I've just been reminding myself of Mayer's Fifth Symphony in the recording by the Kammersymphonie Berlin under Jürgen Bruns. It's an entirely subjective view, I accept, but to my ears this work is considerably more Beethovenian than the re-orchestrated Fourth and, although still a powerful piece of writing, makes less of an impact. Perhaps the Fourth benefits more than I had thought at first from Malzew's subtly beefed-up orchestration? The performance which the Fifth gets also seems a tad less forceful and committed than the Fourth receives. Still, on the basis of these two works it seems that Mayer was as dab a hand at writing muscular (I almost wrote "virile") music as Lousie Farrenc and I'd like to hear a more of it. There's quite a lot: Eight symphonies, an opera, a Piano Concerto, fifteen overtures, two string quintets, seven string quartets, two piano quartets, eleven piano trios, thirteen cello sonatas, nine violin sonatas and three piano sonatas.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Alan Howe on Friday 09 November 2012, 17:03
Mayer's 4th is clearly a fine symphony. It's actually considerably more romantic in feeling than Beethoven (as befits a work written around 1850) - I think one can hear this in the second subject of the opening movement and in the way the slow movement is developed. Nevertheless, it's evident that her starting-point at least is Beethoven in muscular mode, which places her among such composers of symphonies as Czerny, Ries (although she sounds later than him), Nicolai, Netzer, Onslow, etc. - and, of course, Louise Farrenc (who, it seems to me, is Mayer's only real rival among female symphonists of the nineteenth century).

Anyway, marvellous stuff - and very convincing orchestration too.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: britishcomposer on Friday 09 November 2012, 23:38
For those of you who understand German I have uploaded the interval talk. I have modified the post where you can now find the link.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: britishcomposer on Saturday 10 November 2012, 13:24
Quote from: Mark Thomas on Friday 09 November 2012, 08:29
this music really is much more than the simple "Beethovenian" tag so often applied to Mayer's oeuvre.

Deutschlandradio Kultur is broadcasting a half-hour feature on Emilie Mayer Sunday evening, 10 pm (22 Uhr):

Musikfeuilleton
Mehr als ein "weiblicher Beethoven"
Die Komponistin Emilie Mayer
Von Dagmar Penzlin

http://www.dradio.de/dkultur/vorschau/20121111/ (http://www.dradio.de/dkultur/vorschau/20121111/)
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Richard Moss on Saturday 10 November 2012, 19:57
Many thanks for the Mayer.  I'm not familiar with her work at all, so looking forward to hearing her for the first time.

Just a minor query, if any one can clarify for me.  The upload says Symphony No. 4 but also gives the key as B min.  However, a quick web browse suggests these two 'facts'do not belong together

http://oboeclassics.com ('Women of Note' Catalogue) gives No. 4 as E (maj?), whereas WIKI isn't clear at all.  IMSLP gives Sym No. 6 as B min.

Any help, anyone?

Tks

Richard
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: JimL on Sunday 11 November 2012, 02:30
Best way to solve that problem?  Record the work in question.  If it sounds like its in a major key it's probably in E.  If it doesn't it's probably in B minor.  If you need to resolve it any further, find a work in your database whose key you know is B minor or E Major and compare them.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Richard Moss on Sunday 11 November 2012, 16:48
Jim,

Tks for the suggestion - I'm not sure I'm a good enough listener to tell the difference but it's a great idea and I'll enjoy trying.  I'll possibly tell a major from a minor key but whether I could tell which is which (say between B minor and A minor) is an entirely different matter!

Best wishes

Richard
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: rosflute on Sunday 11 November 2012, 20:36
To clarify:
Emilie Mayer described her B minor symphony as no.4 which was written in 1851.

Symphony no. 1 - C min - 1847
Symphony no. 2 - Emin - 1847
Symphony no. 3 - "The Military" - c.1851
Piano Concerto - c.1851
Symphony no. 4 - B min - 1851
Symphony no. 5 - D major - 1852
Symphony no 6 - E major - 1853 (extract on soundcloud.com )
Symphony no. 7 - F min - 1855/56
Symphony no. 8 - F major - 1856/57
Faust Overture - 1880

Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: petershott@btinternet.com on Monday 12 November 2012, 00:19
I'm afraid I'm getting lost in this!

It appears a simple enough question (but I suspect isn't!): which is the symphony recorded by Kammersymphonie Berlin / Jurgen Bruns on Gaido (CD21015) which the CD itself refers to as "No. 5 in F minor"?

Have I missed out on something here? Hopefully someone can sort me out!
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: rosflute on Monday 12 November 2012, 12:26
I believe that the mistake in numbering the symphony will have occurred because the Staatsbibliothek catalogue of Mayer's music begins with the symphonies and gives the shelfmark  Mayer E.5M to the F-minor symphony. This may have led the incautious to suppose that it is symphony no.5

Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Mark Thomas on Monday 12 November 2012, 13:37
Just to be clear, then: the one recorded on the Dreyer - Gaido CD is actually No.7, not No.5?  BTW, I assume that the 1856/57 F major Symphony is No.8, not a second No.1 as written in your post, Ros? I've taken the liberty of changing it...
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Richard Moss on Monday 12 November 2012, 14:23
Many thanks to Ros (& Mark) for the clarification.  I assume then that the one that IMSLP says is No. 6 in B min should be 'our' No. 4.

It is quite amazing how often 'facts' about works (their opus nos, symphony/concerto 'number', year of composition etc.) turn out to be anything but an agreed ot correct 'fact'.  In some cases they are known to be ambiguous (e.g. composers who played around with their opus nos to fool publishers)  but in other cases it just seems to be the vagaries of libraries, filing 'systems', and (lack of) academic rigour.

Anyway, this is where I, and I assume many others like me of the less knowledgeable wing of the UC clan, really appreciate the know-how and expertise of the senior/hero members.

Well done and tks again!

Richard
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: rosflute on Monday 12 November 2012, 14:27
Thanks Mark - yes indeed no 8 - apologies for the typo - another case of copying and pasting in a hurry !
and symphony in F minor is indeed no.7 (so described by Emilie Mayer) - you can see this also on p.121 in the book by Almut Runge-Woll

Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: DennisS on Monday 12 November 2012, 18:17
I have since listened to this symphony several times, including again today. I am very impressed with the music. As both Mark and Alan have said, the music is far more than just being merely influenced by Beethoven. I think it is very apt, as has been stated, to start with the idea of  a muscular Beethoven, combined with a more romantic feeling to the music, plus Emilie Mayer's own voice. I especially admire both the melodies and the orchestration of the symphony. I will have to research what other works of Mayer are available on CD. Thanks again for the upload.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: rosflute on Monday 12 November 2012, 19:19
Very little of Mayer's music has been recorded apart from the two symphonies (F minor and B minor), the virtual performance of the E major symphony, a quartet and 3 violin sonatas of which some extracts here http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/emilie-mayer-violin-sonatas-mr0003723682

Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Mark Thomas on Monday 12 November 2012, 20:07
I recently downloaded the recording of the three violin sonatas and I must say that they serve only to underline Mayer's quality as a composer. They are slightly later works than the two symphonies which we now have (Nos.4 and 7) and to my ears in them she moved further from Beethoven's influence, resulting in even more convincingly full-blooded romantic music. They are gratifyingly melodic, big-boned works, written with a confidence which makes them a very rewarding listen - especially the A minor Sonata. I've just realised that I also have somewhere the CD with one of her String Quartets - I don't remember it at all but I'm really looking forward to hearing it.

By the way, the MUGi web site has an extensive biographical article on Mayer, complete with a work list. It's in German, but here's a link to the Google translated version (http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A//www.mugi.hfmt-hamburg.de/A_lexartikel/lexartikel.php%3Fid%3Dmaye1812) which is quite understandable. It's an interesting read.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Mark Thomas on Wednesday 21 November 2012, 15:56
I've just listened to Mayer's String Quartet Op.14 played by the Erato Quartet on cpo.Although the booklet notes don't say so, it  looks to be something like the eleventh which she wrote, dating from the late 1850s. I was hoping for it to be of the same calibre as the A minor and E flat Violin Sonatas which have recently become available. The very brief scherzo second movement buzzes along very nicely, enclosing an attractive cantabile central section and the slow movement is a thoughtfully sober, but not sad, affair with some very effective moments. The finale is a sprightly, jolly but ultimately inconsequential piece and I'm afraid that I thought there was a lot of note-spinning in the rather tedious first movement, which is longer by far than any of the others. Stylistically, it struck me as not as a surprisingly bland work for the composer of the two Violin Sonatas and the Fourth Symphony. In short, a disappointment.
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Mark Thomas on Sunday 25 November 2012, 12:38
During this morning's broadcast of the Rostock performance of this work, the announcer confirmed that the Fourth Symphony's movements are:

I. Allegro appassionato
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
IV. Finale: Presto
Title: Re: Emilie Mayer Symphony No. 4
Post by: Alan Howe on Monday 26 November 2012, 17:03
Details also confirmed by member BerlinExpat. Thank you!