Rufinatscha 3rd Symphony (not) discovered in Innsbruck

[Alan Howe]

News in an e-mail today from Professor Manfred Decker at the Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum in Innsbruck suggests that a manuscript discovered in the extensive Rufinatscha-Nachlass there may well be the missing 3rd Symphony in F major. More news about this exciting development as soon as I have it...

[Mark Thomas]

Terrif! Do please keep us posted.

[Peter1953]

Wow... this is very spectacular news. Let's all cross our fingers...

[Alan Howe]

We can expect more news tomorrow from Prof. Decker's research assistant, Ernst Bauernfänger, who has apparently been looking into Rufinatscha's manuscripts.

[JimL]

No!  This is effin' incredible!  Any news as to whether it is a two-piano reduction or the full orchestral score?  This raises hope that the full score of the C Minor Symphony might still be somewhere in that mass of manuscripts.

[Alan Howe]

From what I understand, the hunt is on for the 4th Symphony too. I'm hoping for some more news later today (Austria is one hour ahead of the UK, so I assume work will already have started).

[Mark Thomas]

Gosh, the 4th. as well? Does this mean that they are already certain that they have the 3rd.? My, these Ferdinandeum people move quickly - all this in one day? You must hardly be able to drag yourself away from your Inbox. Make sure to keep us posted.

[Alan Howe]

Well, the hunt's on for the 4th simply because they may have found the 3rd, I suppose. And indeed, I am crouching by my inbox waiting for news...

[Alan Howe]

The apparently lost 3rd Symphony has been found. This has been confirmed by Herr Bauernfänger in an e-mail that arrived in my in box precisely fourteen minutes ago! And what's more, it is a full-scale orchestral score.

Evidently it was tucked away among other papers, including correspondence, concert programmes, etc. from the early 1840s. The manuscript, though, is not in good condition, so a lot of work will have to be done before a performing edition becomes available. Let's hope that Thomas Irrenmann, who prepared the scores of the other symphonies, doesn't take a year to complete the job!

The work itself is in the usual four movements, as follows:

1. Andante non troppo - Allegro molto appassionato
2. Adagio misterioso
3. Scherzo: Allegro molto giocoso
4. Allegro energico - Adagio morendo

...from which it appears that the work has a slow, quiet ending, presumably dying away into nothingness.


 

[Peter1953]

For every fan of Rufinatscha this is very, very wonderful news. Rufinatscha is, and I say it without hesitation, to me the most exciting discovery of all unsung composers (thanks, Alan!). Although very different (Rufinatscha was certainly not an imitator, but developed his own style), I put him on the same high level as Raff and Rubinstein. His magnificent music on CD is only available in a Tirolian museum, nowhere else. So how many admirers could he have? Ever heard Rufinatscha broadcasted? Maybe in Austria only.
Yesterday evening I listened again to his Sonata for four-handed piano in D minor. A real gem of the Romantic piano literature. So serene, so inventive.
Alan's news is for me an immediate reason to drink a good glass of burgundy while listening to the magical 6th Symphony. And I'm awaiting patiently the release of his Third.

What a very fine composer Rufinatscha is.

[Alan Howe]

Indeed he was. And well-organised too. Apparently, according to Herr Bauernfänger, the manuscript was in a dusty box on which he could just make out the words, clearly written in the composer's hand: Verschollen, 1. April.... (he couldn't make out the date)

[eschiss1]

Have modified the Rufinatscha Wikipedia-en article accordingly. Great news!
Eric

[Alan Howe]

....which just shows how carefully Wikipedia contributors should read their sources...

...The Wikipedia page now reads as it should.

[violinconcerto]

Indeed he was. And well-organised too. Apparently, according to Herr Bauernfänger, the manuscript was in a dusty box on which he could just make out the words, clearly written in the composer's hand: Verschollen, 1. April.... (he couldn't make out the date)

That is *really* well-organized.. 
Sometimes - when you are too deep into a topic - you read what you want to hear. By the way, anyone knows ever came across this recording (I am badly looking for it):



http://inkpot.com/classical/mahvncon.html

Best,
Tobias

[Alan Howe]

This recording, although flagged up in DG's 2008 catalogue, was never issued - a bit like Abbado's Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique in Lucerne. Apparently Vengerov felt that his performances weren't up to the ridiculous demands made upon the soloist by both Mahler and Schmidt and he and Boulez came to blows, thus scuppering the whole project. So all we have is a lovely CD booklet cover and tears for what might have been...