Unsungs in New York City next season

[edurban]

You can go along time without hearing something "unsung" or even "seldom sung" at the New York Philharmonic, but there are other, more adventurous (as regards Romantic repertoire) groups here, too.

The Metropolitan Opera will do Ambroise Thomas' "Hamlet" in the spring.  This opera seems to be making something of a comeback, happily.

American Symphony Orchestra, under the inexhaustible Leon Botstein, will give us a real rarity on October 14...d'Indy's opera "Fervaal" in concert.  (There's never even been a commercial recording of this one.)

Then on Nov. 15 Botstein's conducting a program that should be dedicated to this List:
Fuchs, Serenade, Op.9
von Hausegger, Wieland der Schmeid (symphonic poem)
Goetz, Violin Concerto
L. Thuille, Romantic Overture
R. Strauss,Symphony Op.12

Last, but not least, the Jupiter Symphony Chamber players will sprinkle their programs with a variety of unsungs: Raff Sextet on 10/26/09, Rott C minor quartet on 09/21/09, Klughardt String Quintet on 11/23/09, Dohnanyi Sextet on 12/14/09, Dubois Quintet (with piano and clarinet!) on 01/18/10, Hummel Clarinet Quintet on 03/01/10, and Thuille Piano Sextet on 05/17/10, etc.

Details can be found on the websites of the respective organisations.

[Amphissa]

 
The American Symphony Orchestra has long performed pieces that rarely get played elsewhere. I remember attending a concerts featuring the Egon Wellesz Symphony No. 3, Stenhammar's 2nd Piano Concerto, Myaskovsky's 6th Symphony, Giere's spectacular 3rd Symphony "Ilya Murometz", Rachmaninoff's "The Bells" and MacDowell's 2nd Piano Concerto, and so many other pieces by composers like Brull, Dukas, Chadwick, etc.

Since ASO has a history of performing unsungs, I'm more surprised when I see one appear on the program of NY Philharmonic. Like a few years ago when they performed Martucci's 2nd piano concerto a couple of seasons ago under the baton of Muti. Now that is something that has become so rare - and it's so sad. Seems that, these days, the only composers outside the core repertoire who ever get played are new music, modern stuff, mostly boring and tedious, if not irritatingly dissonant.

[Alan Howe]

Botstein's a great champion of the unsungs, isn't he? Shame nobody's recording him on a regular basis...

[edurban]

I thank God daily (ok, weekly) for Leon Botstein..may he live and conduct forever!  Not everything is a hit, of course.  Josef Marx' Herbst Symphony was 70 minutes of astonishingly loud, gorgeously orchestrated & completely unmemorable music, IMHO.  May I never have to sit through it again... 

[Alan Howe]

I've listened to the Herbstsymphonie a few times - it's certainly all those things, but repeated hearings, although a big ask, do reveal a memorable work.

[Pengelli]

Is there any chance a cd company might record his
performance of 'Fervaal' ?

[Alan Howe]

Who knows? Maybe Chandos or Hyperion might do Fervaal - they're certainly seriously into d'Indy at the moment. Why not try writing to them?

[Pengelli]

I certainly will!

[Pengelli]

Timpani would be ideal.

[Pengelli]

Wish Botstein would do 'The Tigers' ( or just some body).

[Pengelli]

Gliere made recordings of his own music. Anyone here
heard any of these? He recorded some symphonies.

[edurban]

For those interested in hearing Fervaal on cd, there is a French radio recording, heavily cut, from March, 1962(!) floating around.  It is serviceable, nothing more, but that's better than nothing, depending on your level of interest.  I got my copy from premiereopera.net, although I don't see it listed on their site.  Anyone interested should try emailing them, I guess.  Such an interesting work, Gallic Wagnerisme at its height.

[Pengelli]

I have cds of archive performances of Pizzetti's Fedra &
Humperdinck's Die Heirat wider Willen & they do for me.

[Pengelli]

It seems extroadinary that Fervaal has not been recorded
commercially,although I can't say I'm suprised.

[Pengelli]

Incidentally,Humperdinck's 'Die Heirat Wider Willen' is a lovely opera & the sound is pretty good sound for 1949!