Franz Pfyffer (1844-1899) - Symphony in B flat major

[Wheesht]

The "Orchester Santa Maria" of Lucerne (co-founded by Howard Griffiths, according to their website) has released a CD with a newly discovered symphony by a Swiss Romantic, Franz Pfyffer.
It was performed in two concerts in 2024, and a detailed review by Urs Mattenberger was published in the "Luzerner Zeitung". Here is a translation of the part about Pfyffer's symphony:

Romantic inspiration in Switzerland
The Santa Maria Orchestra rediscovers Lucerne romantic Franz Pfyffer and presents this find in two concerts – with Alois Koch on the organ.

There is little information about Pfyffer's life. What little there is suggests that the Lucerne native found his homeland stifling and fled abroad: first to study music in Leipzig, later to take up a position as organist in Strasbourg. The example of Pfyffer's contemporary Gustav Arnold shows just how meagre musical life was in Lucerne at the time. In the 1860s, he had campaigned for the professionalisation of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, complaining that its 16-piece instrumentation was too small even for a Haydn symphony. This meant that Lucerne did not have the right conditions for romantic symphonic music, as has now been demonstrated by Pfyffer's Symphony in B flat major now.

Stylistic backwardness instead of avant-garde

The work was thus a touchstone for the question of how far Swiss composers had succeeded in escaping the confines of Switzerland by going abroad. Even better-known Lucerne composers in the generations before Pfyffer had failed to connect with the avant-garde of their time. Both Meyer von Schauensee and Schnyder von Wartensee followed the trends of their time with a Swiss stylistic delay.

Pfyffer's symphony is no exception. Alois Koch, who made the work accessible to the orchestra, notes that it is not indebted to the avant-garde of Wagner, whom Pfyffer encountered in Tribschen, but to the romantic classicism of Mendelssohn. The appeal of the music need not be diminished by such stylistic lag. This, too, was impressively demonstrated by the performance under Droujelub Yanakiew. He counteracted by shifting the work towards grand symphonic Romanticism with a powerfully exploited orchestral sound.

This leads to a punctuated rhythm, which later launches the allegro, resulting in a first bath of sound in broadly painted chords. The first movement contrasts classical motoric rhythms with romantic, singing melodies that spread from the cellos to the entire orchestra. The second movement is a romantic song without words, reminiscent of Schubert for the first time with its shifts from minor to major. After a sedate scherzo, Pfyffer pulls out all the stops in the finale and enthrallingly drives forward the momentum gained from circular movements with rhythmic shifts. Here, the discovery truly becomes a trouvaille.

[Mark Thomas]

Have you heard the either concert or the CD, Thomas?

[Wheesht]

I did not attend the concert, Mark. I only found out about it, and about the CD, recently. I ordered the CD and it arrived a few days ago. I have so far only listened to it once.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks. So what do you think of the symphony, Thomas?

[terry martyn]

I am feeling adventurous and have placed my order.   It is very refreshing to be trusted with a CD before payment.

[Wheesht]

Thanks. So what do you think of the symphony, Thomas?

Here's my tuppence worth: While I was not overwhelmed initially but did think it made for a pleasant listening experience, I now find that the symphony has started to grow on me after listening a few more times. It is well crafted IMHO if rather conservative for my liking, and I will be happy to listen to it again. I certainly don't regret buying it.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Thomas. Sounds like it's worth investigating. It's ordered.

[terry martyn]

I placed my order on August 2nd.  No sign of the CD.   I contacted them to ask if it had been sent.  No reply.

[Mark Thomas]

Same with me  Nada. Zilch. In fact, I'd forgotten about it

[terry martyn]

I have just sent a whining email to their Facebook page.  I am not giving up on this yet. After all, I eventually obtained the Cliffe 2nd Symphony from the sorely-missed Dr Fifield.

Although I suspect that this symphony will not be in the same class as the Cliffe ( albeit performed by a professional orchestra)'.

[Wheesht]

My copy arrived quickly, but then I'm based in Switzerland, like them. Obviously I don't know any details, but perhaps they were not expecting orders from outside Switzerland or there is only one person dealing with orders (and who was on holiday or off sick)...
I do hope the orders will arrive eventually.

[terry martyn]

I have now arranged  to place a comment on their latest Facebook post. I made sure ,in so doing, that I have not (yet) put myself in any danger of being arrested next time I fly.

Looking back to the order form, I had to add my country of residence, so I reckon that they were not expecting anyone outside Switzerland to order.  And certainly not prepared for it, when people did.

The "period of silence" (to misquote Attlee)  cannot last for ever.

[Wheesht]

I am away from home but I could check later this week if I still have the invoice. This should include an address and phone number. I could try contacting them to sort this out, after all I started the whole thing here.

[terry martyn]

That would be very helpful!   Thank you!

[Mark Thomas]

Indeed, thank you Thomas.