Danzi Symphonies

[Alan Howe]

Can anyone comment on the quality of the Danzi symphonies about to be released by cpo...?

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Franz-Danzi-S%E4mtliche-Symphonien/hnum/3482611

[edurban]

I haven't seen the symphonies, but there was a fine cello concerto on Turnabout in the old vinyl days.  Good tunes, solid construction and a bit of operatic flair.  I remember it as more substantial than the concertant wind pieces of Danzi's that pop up from time to time...

David

[Hofrat]

I have Danzi's complete flute concerti on CD.  They are quite enjoyable. 

[eschiss1]

The symphonies (some also titled 'overtures') themselves were recently (in 2006-7) edited by Bert Hagels and published by Ries&Erler, it seems.  They are in D (P218, ca 1790), Eflat (P219), D minor (op.19 or 24?) (P220), C (op.20 or 25?) (P221), Bflat (P222), and D (P223).
Will keep a look-out for a review when the CDs appear next month, at least
Eric

[eschiss1]

I have Danzi's complete flute concerti on CD.  They are quite enjoyable.

I like what I've heard of them. Does that set also include his sinfonie concertanti (never sure of the proper plural, but anyway, does it? Perhaps he only wrote one, anycase.)

[Alan Howe]

The symphonies sound terrific - excerpts here:

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Franz-Danzi-S%E4mtliche-Symphonien/hnum/3482611

[Kriton]

I haven't seen the symphonies, but there was a fine cello concerto on Turnabout in the old vinyl days. Good tunes, solid construction and a bit of operatic flair. I remember it as more substantial than the concertant wind pieces of Danzi's that pop up from time to time...

David

I agree, 'this' cello concerto is quite enjoyable! He's one of the few composers from Mozart's generation I really love. Especially both horn sonatas, but also the 3 quintets for piano & winds and his bassoon concertos. This set with symphonies will probably be a must-have for Danzi fans...

[Alan Howe]

I'm listening to one of the two late symphonies (pub.1818) - they are definitely late-Classical, but with some lovely harmonic surprises and plenty of vigour. For me, a must-buy!

[Tartini]

Have just listening on this symphonies from CPO. And can report that they are just marvellous. Original and fascinating. A touch of sturm und drang. Franz Beck, Haydn and early Beethoven comes to mind.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for your contribution. And welcome to the forum!

[dafrieze]

I agree with Tartini.  The Danzi symphonies are remarkably good - far too good and too original to have been ignored all these centures.  The orchestra is a small one and uses modern instruments, so Danzi's wonderful orchestration gets full play.  The sound is good, although a little close - at times you can hear someone (conductor Howard Griffiths?) noisily taking a deep breath through his nostrils. 

I've been on a bit of a binge these last few months with little-known 18th-century symphonies.  It began with the Chandos set of "Mozart's Contemporaries" by Mathias Bamert and the London Mozart Players, and has since expanded to pretty much everything I could find.  There's a lot of good stuff from that period (and a lot of faceless trivia as well, as in any period), and to anyone interested in hearing the kind of music that Haydn and Mozart would have been listening to, I would especially recommend music by Carl Friedrich Abel and Joseph Leopold Eybler to begin with.

[Alan Howe]

The Symphony in B flat P222 is poised deliciously between late classicism and early romanticism. I suppose Haydn is the basic model, but there are some lovely harmonic surprises and rhythmic dislocations. Great stuff. Do get the 2-CD cpo set before it disappears...