Non-operatic Suppé world premiere recording

[Ilja]

Total agreement here. One big difference is in the approach of the Andante con moto 2nd movement, where Theis is apparently careful not to lose the "Suppé-esque" momentum in the music. However, once we're done with the suite (as I'll call it from now on) and go to the Spanish dances that follow it in the recording, it's immediately evident how we've moved onto a genre in which Suppé displays much more certainty of touch. 

[Mark Thomas]

I must be missing something. Suppé's Symphony in the new cpo recording gets a very positive review, as a "symphony", in this month's Gramophone. This, added to David Hurwitz's praise for it in reviewing the rival recording from Naxos a few months ago, makes me wonder whether the work is much better than I, and other friends here, think it is. Maybe we're wrong? Has anyone else here heard in it what these reviewers hear, and I'm clearly missing?

[terry martyn]

I wouldn't worry,Mark..  I got round to purchasing the Naxos, and "the emperor has no clothes".

[Ilja]

The emperor does have clothes, they're just not symphonic ones. We should not forget that Suppé never called this a symphony proper, but a Symphonic Fantasy; just like Mendelssohn's Lobgesang is called a Symphony-cantata and not a symphony (a far superior work to the Suppé in every sense, but that's beside the point). There is much to enjoy in this piece of music, but looking for a "symphonic argument" isn't going to get us anywhere.

[terry martyn]

I was under the impression that the  original manuscript cover described it as "Symphony in A", but memory might be playing a trick.  Anyway, Suppe certainly did include "symphonic" in whatever title he finally fastened on. And I agree with Ilja that "symphonic" is what it is not. Hurwitz ,in his eulogy, calls the thing  a symphony . Did the Gramophone reviewer really follow suit?. If so, some people  who should know better seem to be going overboard about this trifle.   It's a "suite" as Ilja says , and some will enjoy it more than others, but to magnify it to the status of a symphonic Second Coming seems to be just so much hot air.

[Ilja]

Yeah, I don't disagree with that. It's an interesting footnote in an operatic composer's oeuvre, but hardly more than that.