Unsung Composers

Hi everybody,
Recently I found a recording of the 1st String Quartet by Georg Rauchenecker
(1844-1906). Not great but rather pleasant to hear and in any case good enough to get interested in his oeuvre. According to Wikipedia (Grove pays no attention to him) he left a great amount of compositions: chamber music, symphonies, opera's and choral music, but as far as I know only his 1st String Quartet has been recorded and it also seems the only work that is still available in print. I hope I'm wrong.
Anybody?

How odd. A week ago I was browsing through my CDs and came across the Jecklin CD of the Goetz and Rauchenecker String Quartets, which I hadn't played for years. Whilst it is clearly not of the same quality as the Goetz, Rauchenecker's piece is certainly a likeable and charming work even though it's quite derivative of Schumann via Brahms and, in places, reminded me of Schubert's later quartets. Mind you the same is also true, if to a lesser extent, of the Goetz .

To answer your question, I was prompted to look for more by Rauchenecker on disk but I too came up with a big fat zero.

The score and parts of Rauchenecker's C-minor string quartet can be purchased at the following website:

http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/ (http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/)

Edition Silver Trust specializes in the chamber music of unsung composers and in the unsung chamber music of well known composers.  It is well worth your while to visit the website.  Their list of unsung composers is most empressive.

Members may like to know that the British Library has scores of the first & second String Quartets, an "Oriental Phantasy" for violin accompanied by string quintet or piano, and the full score of the Symphony in F minor (1883).

Although off topic (albeit Gareth has mentioned them) I had an e mail from the British Library yesterday which I find rather amusing.

Here it is:


Dear Mr. Britchfield,



I am writing to check if you  require the entire book in a standard digital image format? (325 pages)

As a standard digital it would 325 at £24.95 each totalling £8108.75 plus VAT

the alternative process is either scanned to CD or A4 paper copies 1-100 pages per £24.95 totalling £99.80 plus VAT.



Please let me know as soon as possible so we can proceed with the order.





Regards

Christine Holmes

Customer Services, Account Enquiries
The British Library
Document Supply Centre
Boston Spa
Wetherby
West Yorkshire  LS23 7BQ
Tel:  + 44 (0) 1937 882462
Fax: + 44 (0) 1937 546333
Email:christine.holmes@bl.uk   

I gather you chose the 2nd option!

THE BL costs of document supply are really outrageous. Scanning or photo-copying cost next to nothing - OK, I know there is staff time involved, and those costs need to be covered, but many other libraries, particularly those in Italy, charge a fraction of what the BL expects researchers to pay. They are supposed to be a public service.

I think this warrants a new thread

It is a pity that within a couple of hours this thread has gotten bogged down in babbling about the costs of photo-copying!

I'll bring it back to Rauchenecker, then. I listened again to his First String Quartet this morning. Although I can't find a trace of Wagner in it (the insert notes suggest that he was influenced by him), it really is the most charming work, chock full of lovely melodies and it sounds like it's a grateful thing to play. I wouldn't describe it as deep, though.

The German Wikipedia article (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Wilhelm_Rauchenecker) about him noted by Black in his original post has a very comprehensive work list which is full of potentially tempting stuff. I'll certainly be dropping a line to Bo Hyttner about the orchestral music: three symphonies, pairs of violin and piano concertos, a cello concerto and half a dozen or so symphonic poems and overtures. Maybe that some of the smaller labels might be interested in exploring his chamber music: another five string quartets, two string quintets and a Piano Quintet. There's a mountain of choral music besides. I suspect that Rauchenecker wasn't the most profound of composers but, if this quartet is anything to go by, he was certainly a diverting one.

Thanks, Mark.

Well, yes, Mark - the symphonies and concerti sound interesting; but now we have to find the scores. And I can tell you they are not exactly leaping out of the woodwork. There don't seem to be many of his chamber works available either - except (principally) the first and second string quartets.

No, I hadn't bothered to look, you're right, Gareth. However, Zürich, Bremen and Munich have the F minor Symphony. No doubt all as partitur rather than sets of parts. A couple of the String Quartets are also available and what looks like most of the operas, although some of those may just be the books and those that aren't will no doubt be in piano reductions. I had assumed that his manuscripts would be somewhere in Winterthur, as that was where he was based for most of his career, but a quick search of the Conservatory and municipal libraries there has drawn a blank too. I'll keep digging....

Maybe some of this music may have perished due to Allied bombing during the 2nd World War, when some German cities were completely flattened. Lets hope I'm wrong in this case.

I checked out Winterthur for his MSS, but, like Mark, drew a blank. The score of the F minor symphony seems to be in the holdings of quite a few libraries, but not the other symphonies.

The parts of the F minor symphony (1882) are at Zürich.

Hi all,

I am the co-author of the German Wikipedia-Article about Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker and I am currently working on a more detailed CV. All known printed music and copied manuscripts are in my archive, so feel free to ask for a copy of whatever you like...

best regards from Germany!
Frank

Hallo Frank,

Haben Sie also Partituren/Stimmen der Symphonien und Konzerte?

Grüsse,

Alan Howe

Hi Alan,

exactly! Be aware that a lot of his music is still missing. Regarding the concerts and his orchestral and chamber music the following pieces are in my bookcase:

1. Sinfonie f-Moll
Symphonisches Tonwerk im Stil einer Ouvertüre
Violinkonzert Nr. 1 a-Moll
Streichquartett Nr. 1 c-Moll
Streichquartett Nr. 2 D-Dur
6 charakteristische Tonbilder
Orientalische Phantasie

lots of greetings
Frank

Hello,
Great to hear of another unknown/unsung. In a few years, some enterprising musical historian will probably find enough new names in this forum, to rewrite the Dictionary of 19th century Composers.
I do not wish to detract from the thread of your topic,but I would like to mention another of those unknowns. Like Mark, I sometimes search through my CD collection for something that I hadn't heard for ages.
I mention the Piano Quintet in D minor op13 by Franz Limmer (1808-1857). He studied the cello & clarinet in Vienna.
He wrote Masses, Symphonies, chamber works ( including a quartet for 4 Cellos)& songs.
The Quintet is a massive work of four movements lasting 47'24".
Marcus.

Hallo Frank,

Are you able to copy the symphony and Violin Concerto? If so, please contact me on my private e-mail...(see Members list and click on my name to find my e-mail address).

Thanks,

Alan

Parts for Rauchenecker's String Quartet 1 have recently become available on IMSLP:  http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Rauchenecker,_Georg_Wilhelm (http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Rauchenecker,_Georg_Wilhelm)

The second string quartet in D seems to be at British Library at Yorkshire's Library Reference Collections (www.worldcat.org is a reasonably good resource for locating these things, though it's well-known so I mention it just in case.) His opera Sanna is in vocal score at Arizona State University. U California Berkeley has "Die letzten Tage von Thule". No idea who has full scores of the operas; presumably his estate, or possibly the publisher of the vocal scores. Possibly.

(The C minor quartet has recently been republished - 1997 - by Amadeus-Verlag, I think, making it easily his most accessible score anyway.)

Just to notify you: please check http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Rauchenecker,_Georg_Wilhelm (http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Rauchenecker,_Georg_Wilhelm) for some recently uploaded scores including the second string quartet.

Thanks, Frank!

Here's the Wiki article:

Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker (* 8 March 1844 in Munich; † 17 July 1906 in Elberfeld, (today part of Wuppertal) was a German composer, conductor and violinist.

Life

Childhood and Youth (1844-1860)

Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker was born in Munich on 8 March 1844; he was the first child of Jakob Rauchenecker (1815–1876), an official musician of the city, and Rosina Crescenz Rauchenecker, née Wening (1815–1876) and was baptised a Catholic two days later at St Peter's in Munich. As a young boy he was sent by his father to his uncle, Georg Wening, who had been pastor of the parish of Thalheim (pop. 260) near Erding since 1855. It is possible that Rauchenecker was expected to follow the same career path as his uncle. After this he attended the King Maximilian Grammar School in Munich and here, at the age of eleven, he played first violin accompanying the church choir. Rauchenecker received comprehensive musical instruction in both piano and organ from Theodor Lachner (1798–1877), in the violin from Joseph Walter (1831–1875), in counterpoint from August Baumgartner (1814–1864) and in composition from Franz Lachner (1803–1890). From 1869 he himself gave violin, piano and organ lessons, as well as teaching harmony, counterpoint, fugue and the theory of musical form, and orchestration. Max Hieber, who later on was the court conductor at Munich, was one of his pupils during this period.

His French Years (1860-1870)

On 1 August 1860 Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker received a passport to travel to France: initially he went and worked as first violin at the Grand Théâtre in Lyon. In 1862 he was appointed conductor in Aix-en-Provence and then in 1864 he took the post of chief conductor of the theatre orchestra in Carpentras. Here, in 1866, he married Elisabeth Antoinette Emilie Fournial (1842–1870), a lecturer. Their twins, Alban and Margarethe were born in Carpentras on 8 September 1867. In 1868 Rauchenecker accepted a position in Avignon as chief conductor of the opera orchestra and director of the conservatoire. After being expelled from France as a German citizen when the Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870, he settled in Switzerland.

His Swiss Years (1870-1884)

Shortly after arriving in Zürich, his wife Elisabeth died: she was only 28 years old. Rauchenecker earned his living as a piano teacher and was also a member of the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zürich. He was introduced to Richard Wagner by his future brother-in-law, Oskar Kahl, the conductor of the Zürich City Orchestra. On 21 December 1870 the first rehearsals for the performance of "Siegfried Idyll" took place in the foyer of the Old Theatre in Zürich; the piece was subsequently given its first performance on the steps of the house at Tribschen near Lucerne on 25 December 1870, conducted by Richard Wagner – the occasion being his wife Cosima's birthday. Rauchenecker was one of the 15 musicians in the small orchestra. Not long after this, on 31 December 1870, a series of 7 quartet evenings began at the Wagners' house, with Oskar Kahl (1st violin), Georg Rauchenecker (2nd violin), Hans Richter (viola) und Hermann Ruhoff (cello) rehearsing string quartets by Beethoven.
In 1871 Rauchenecker was appointed director of music at Lenzburg where he was discovered by Dr. Jacob Heinrich Ziegler-Sulzer (1798–1882), a physician and musical patron from Winterthur.
In the spring of 1873 he converted to Protestantism as his second wife was a Protestant. The marriage to Anna Karolina Ulrica Kempin (1845–1904) took place at the Diaconal Church in Neuminster (Zürich).
On 29 October 1873 Rauchenecker, having been proposed by Ziegler-Sulzer, was elected to the post of head of music in Winterthur and, from the beginning of December 1873, he was also director of the School of Music there. In the ten years which followed he had a decisive influence upon the musical life of the city.
From 1873 to 1876 he conducted the men's choir called "Good Cheer" and in 1875 the Frauenfeld men's choir.
On 3 April 1876 Rauchenecker's father Jakob died in Winterthur; then, on 18 February 1877, his daughter Helene was born. In 1878 he took over the post of organist in the Reformed City Church from Julius Buckel. His daughter Elsa was born on 28 January 1880.
In 1880 Rauchenecker, together with U. Ruckstuhl, opened a music shop in Winterthur. When he left the city, his departure was marked by a concert given on 13 March 1884.

His Berlin Years (1884-1885)

The 30th March 1884 was the day Georg Wihelm Rauchenecker moved to Berlin to take up the conductorship of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, then located in Bernburger Strasse in the district of Kreuzberg. He attained this position thanks to the extraodinarily favourable reception given to his Symphony in F minor which he had performed in Berlin in October 1883. He conducted his first symphony concert as early as 30th April that year. In addition, he worked as a piano teacher at the Stern Conservatoire and also took practices with small ensembles there.

His Elberfeld Years (1885-1906)

After a brief stay in Kassel, Rauchenecker moved to Barmen in the early summer of 1885. He then took over the Orchestral Society there, remaining until December 1887 when he became conductor of the Elberfeld Band (since 1929 the Wuppertal Band). In 1889 he founded a music school in Elberfeld. Among its students were the trombonist Joseph Franz Serafin Alschausky (1879–1948)  and the composer Gustav Adolf Uthmann (1867–1920).
From 1892 to 1893 he conducted the men's choral society called "The German Singers' Circle". In 1902 Rauchenecker was appointed "City Conductor".
His second wife, Anna, died in Elberfeld on 2nd January 1904. In 1905 Rauchenecker was accorded the title of "Royal Prussian Director of Music".
Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker died of pneumonia in Elberfeld on 17 July 1906.

Works

Rauchenecker composed numerous works in all musical genres:

Orchestral Works

Symphony No. 1 in F minor (1875)
Symphony No. 2 in B flat major "Triumphal" (1885)
Symphony No. 3 in D major "Elegiac" (1903/1904)
Ouverture "La graine de coquelicot" (before 1870)
Symphonic Composition in the Style of an Ouverture (1880)
"Hochzeits-Idyll" (1889)
"Alarich auf der Akropolis" (um 1899/1900), symphonic poem
"Aus der Jugendzeit" (um 1896), symphonic poem
"Friedrich Rotbart" (um 1870), symphonic poem
Intermezzo from the opera "Sanna" (ca. 1893)
Violin Concerto No. 1 A minor (1876/1885)
Violin Concerto No. 2 B minor (1900)
Piano Concerto No. 1 B minor (1898)
Piano Concerto Nr. 2 F minor (1894)
Cello Concerto d minor (1905)

Songs

"Fünf Lieder der Brautzeit (Bräutigamslieder)" (1894) for baritone and piano
"Sieben Lieder" after the novel ,,Der Liedermacher" (1894) for soprano and piano
"Abendlied" (1896)
"Maria Wiegenlied" (1898)
"Wirtstöchterlein" (1898)
"Schwing dich auf" (1900)
"Ave verum corpus" (1903) for contralto, cello, harp and organ
"So geht's" (ca. 1888) for voice and piano
"Bergisches Lied" for baritone and piano
"Drei Gesänge" for baritone
"Fünf Lieder" (ca. 1883/84) for deep voice
"Königsmordliche Ballade" (ca. 1874) with flute accompaniment

Choral Works

"Sechs Lieder" (1878) for mixed chorus
"Zwei Särge" (1900) for mixed chorus and piano
"Pharao" (1897) for four-part mixed chorus or three-part women's chorus and piano
"Lied von der Glocke" for four-part mixed chorus with speaker and piano or three part women's chorus (ca. 1895)
"Hymne zur Einweihung des Kaiser-Wilhelm- und des Kaiser-Friedrich-Denkmals in Elberfeld" (1883) for men's chorus
"Deutsches Schwert und deutscher Sang" (1891) for four-part men's chorus
"Gotenzug", op. 137 (1899) for four-part men's chorus with winds or piano
"Gotentreue", op. 138 (1899) for men's chorus, soloists and orchestra (or piano)
"Germania" (ca. 1896) for men's chorus
"Sechs Lieder" for men's chorus
"Schwert und Palme" for men's chorus
"Baracher Wein" (ca. 1889) for four-part men's chorus
"Chorlied der Deutschen in Amerika" (1885) for four-part men's chorus
"Der Lenz ist da" (ca. 1890) for men's chorus
"O du taufrischer Morgen" (1877) for men's chorus
"Wie lieb ich dich" (1877) for men's chorus
"Walther von der Vogelweide" (1899) for four-part men's chorus a-cappella
"Das heutige Vaterland" (1883) for men's chorus
"Gruss der Heimat: Wo immer ich weile" (um 1888) for men's chorus
"Die Schönheit der Natur" (1900) for four-part women's chorus
"Im Abendrot" (1900) for four-part women's chorus
"Geduld" (1900) for three-part women's chorus
"Zur heiligen Nacht" (1900) for mixed and three-part women's chorus and piano
"Vater unser" (1895) for three-part women's chorus with harmonium and flute
"Weihnachtsgruss" (1898) for three-part women's chorus and piano
"Ode an das 19. Jahrhundert" (1899)
"An die Freiheit" (1891) for soloists, chorus and orchestra
"Niklaus von der Flüe" (1874), Swiss Peace Cantata, for soloists, male chorus and orchestra
"Trauerkantate auf den Tod Friedrichs III." (1888) for mixed chorus, baritone and orchestra
"Meine Göttin" (1897), cantata for tenor, men's chorus and orchestra
"Huldigung der schönen Künste" (1898) , cantata for soloists, chorus and orchestra
"Heil dir Germania" , cantata for four-part mixed chorus, piano and orchestra and speaker
"Hinaus auf hohen Bergesgipfel" , (1889) festive cantata
"Die Murtenschlacht" , (1876) cantata for soloist, chorus and orchestra
"Kaiser Otto I." , Kantate für Solo, dreistimmigen Frauchenchor und Klavier oder für Solo, gemischten Chor und Klavier
"Borussia" (1899/1900), cantata for three-part women's chorus and piano or soloist, mixed chorus and piano
"Durch Nacht zum Licht (per tenebras ad lucem)" (ca. 1900) oratorio for chorus, soloists and orchestra
"Grosse Vokale Messe" (1863/64) for six-part chorus
"Titanenschicksal" (1899)
"Festgesang" (1877) for mixed chorus, soloists and orchestra

Stage Works

"Le florentin" (1871), opera in 3 acts
"Adelheid von Burgund" (1886), opera
"Die letzten Tage von Thule" (ca. 1889), opera in 4 acts
"Sanna" (1893), opera in 2 acts
"Ingo" (1893), opera in 4 acts
"Don Quijote" (1895), opera in 3 acts
"Der Florentiner" (1901), opera in 3 acts (new version of "Le florentin")
"Ovid bei Hof", Incidental music (after 1885)
"Theodor Körner", Festival (1891)
"Amalasuntha", opera

Chamber Music

String Quartet No. 1 in C minor (1874)
String Quartet No. 2 in D major (1878)
String Quartet in A minor (ca. 1879)
String Quartet in E major (ca. 1883)
String Quartet in G minor (in the Form of a Suite) (ca. 1890)
String Quartet in E flat major
Piano Quintet in D major (1897) for piano, flute, 2 violins, viola and cello
String Sextet in E flat major
Wind Octet in B flat major (1897) for flute, oboe, cor anglais, 2 horns, bass clarinet and bassoon

Works for Solo Instruments

"6 Charakteristische Tonbilder", op. 24-29 (1873) for violin and piano
"Orientalische Phantasie" (1874) for violin and string quartet or piano
"Die vier Temperamente" , 4 short pieces for piano
"5 kleine Klavierstücke"
"26 kleine Orgelpräludien" (ca. 1902/03)
"Jesu, komm zu mir" for organ
"Präludium für Harmonium" (after 1885)

Some of this is available on IMSLP now (17 works in some form or other- full score of symphony 1; in some form or other also 16 other works including 2 of the string quartets, the violin concerto (reduction), an overture for band, Gotenzug and Gotentreue, and other works.

Belated response and catchup- are there plans in the works to record more of these pieces, or more performances afoot known? I know of recordings of one of the string quartets (quartet 1 on Jecklin, with Goetz).

There has been a limited discussion of Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker, including Alan's posting of the Wiki article about him. But further mention of Rauchenecker now seems to have ceased.

It probably won't do much to change the world, but might I raise his name again? Does anyone know of any, as it were, Rauchenecker activity? Performances, future recordings, broadcasts or whatever?

We've grown accustomed to wailing about composers who have now fallen into the depths of the category of the unknowns and unsungs. But I do find it quite extraordinary that, on the one hand, there is a very extensive worklist (3 symphonies, 6 concertos and other orchestral music, 6 string quartets and other chamber works, a substantial number of choral works, and a number of operas), his once high reputation as a performer (violin) and conductor, and his place in the musical world including the contacts he made..... and then on the other hand there seems to be only one solitary recording (on a Jecklin disc) of the 1st String Quartet from 1874.

Is there some kind of conspiracy against Rauchenecker?

 :) That, I doubt, Peter. I imagine it's because he lacks enough serious evangelists: several people interested enough in him to start promoting his cause seriously on sites such as this, building a web site devoted to him, persuading young artists to programme his music, getting his home town or an institution to adopt him as a famous son, badgering recording companies to record his music, radio stations to broadcast it, and raising money to offer them a financial incentive to do just that. That generally seems to be the way that you advance the cause of a long-dead composer, especially one who is as obscure as Rauchenecker. There are exceptions - Waghalter comes to mind -  but generally speaking it's a long slog. My first step would be to see if there is already a Rauchenecker Society or enough interest to set one up.

Oh, and it helps if the music is actually any good!  ;)

@Peter & Mark, check out this concert on the 6th of April
http://www.musikkollegium.ch/konzerte/konzertsaison-201213.html (http://www.musikkollegium.ch/konzerte/konzertsaison-201213.html)
and that...which have recently been published:
http://www.amadeusmusic.ch/itemcard.php?sid=13622252771792997786&itemno=BP%201797&aid= (http://www.amadeusmusic.ch/itemcard.php?sid=13622252771792997786&itemno=BP%201797&aid=)
and this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7-oc6p-XKQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7-oc6p-XKQ)

Thanks Francisco.   Enjoyed the YouTube presentation.   The CD, at 48 euros, I guess is not likely to be a runaway best seller.

Jerry

It's not a CD: it's the score and parts...

Rauchenecker's Symphonic Composition in the Style of an Ouverture from 1880 (on YouTube, link as above) is a veritable Wagnerian extravaganza of a piece. Marvellous!

Quote from: Alan Howe on Saturday 02 March 2013, 18:11
It's not a CD: it's the score and parts...

Ah so, my mistake.   That makes it a bit more sensible.

J

QuoteRauchenecker's Symphonic Composition in the Style of an Ouverture from 1880 (on YouTube, link as above) is a veritable Wagnerian extravaganza of a piece. Marvellous!

Just so, Alan. Delicious bombast! Love it.

I hope, Alan, that given a reading of the Wiki article on Rauchenecker you kindly posted earlier, you weren't in the least surprised to find this work "marvellous".

True, the only Rauchenecker work I know is the C minor String Quartet from 1874 (the first in a series of six, though sadly some of them appear forever lost.) I listened to this Quartet again last night (on the Jecklin disc where it is paired with the early Goetz B flat Quartet).

And again, another case for proclaiming "marvellous". Some doubtless won't be as enthusiastic, but I think it is a terrific work. The second movement, marked 'Andante moderato', is perfectly lovely; and the final movement, 'Allegro con fuoco', is written with a splendid verve and dash. Here is a composer surely who is a wonderfully natural in writing for string quartet and does so with a complete confidence. It would be silly to make a judgment on the basis of a single work, but I suspect with Rauchenecker we have a real gem in late 19th century music. Quite awful we might never get to think this given many works which seem to have disappeared and in the case of preserved works a considerable amount of dust standing in the way of performance.

someone's been putting in a lot of effort to scan in works of his that do survive and upload them to IMSLP, though. It's one step of many that can be useful, but it is one step.

Peter,

I had the pleasure to discover about 50kgs of manuscripts of Rauchenecker two years ago. Among the material were two string quartets, so that quartet no 1,2,3, and 6 are now available. The last one has been published by amadeusmusic recently, number 3 will follow soon. Three operas were completely discovered and several orchestral works, too. Should anyone be interested in evaluating and probably performing the material (which meanwhile has been scanned), just give me a sign...

Francisco - This is enormously interesting....and most encouraging. I do very much hope we shall have a serious awakening of interest in Rauchenecker.

I hope you will keep us posted on this forum in developments - new discoveries, performances, and recordings. All very exciting! I, for one, am most grateful to you for your work in revealing this hitherto unsung composer.

A late reply to this thread. I find a video (not sure if it's been mentioned on this forum) on YouTube from 2010 of Howard Griffiths conducting this composer's Symphonic Sound-work (Tonstücke) in the style of an overture (ca.1880?), posted it seems on the channel of the orchestra he was conducting (here is the link, if I may (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7-oc6p-XKQ).) There is a website that claims it will convert those to mp3s, which I aim to try to run that through, as I shouldn't mind adding that to my collection; impressive piece!

(once I'm done processing/adding to my overstressed iPod some recent gift-card mp3 purchases (my first ever *g*) (18 hours of Bach cantatas, Chopin, Liszt organ music...- mostly VoxBox stuffs...- er- anyways.))

Anyhow, while I haven't heard the one work of his I know has been recorded commercially (string quartet no.1), it's good to hear something of his...

Eric: I mentioned the work posted on YouTube in my message of 2nd March.

Oh. Sorry (and belated thanks).

No need to apologise, I'm sure. Glad you found the piece.

Eric, you may find the "Sinfonisches Tonwerk" also here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vm11lcp96cq8an8/Konzert%20Rauchenecker%206.4.2013.MTS (https://www.dropbox.com/s/vm11lcp96cq8an8/Konzert%20Rauchenecker%206.4.2013.MTS)

It was a concert of the Musikkollegium Winterthur, conducted by Reto Schärli.
Enjoy!

Thanks! Not at my own machine at this time, but if, hopefully, it's still there early next week, will have a look...

Adelheid von Burgund - Prelude to Act I

A five mintue taster. Beware the ghost of Wagner abounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Xsa4SzrWg

Very enjoyable, nevertheless!

I don't suppose anyone knows if the piano concertos have survived?

all I see at IMSLP is orchestral parts, lacking piano, to the B minor concerto (1898, prem. 1901) - discovered only 9 years ago. Given how relatively recently those parts were discovered, though, it's obviously not out of the question that the piano solo might turn up and that the other piano concertos? might too?...

Dear all,

Musikkollegium Winterthur Orchestra is playing a concert to honour its former director Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker.
It will take place in Winterthur Stadthaus on Thursday 29th October at 7.30 pm.
The program will include the "Symphonisches Tonwerk", the "Oriental Fantasy" (with soloist Sebastian Bohren, violin) and the f minor Symphony, conducted by Howard Griffiths:

https://www.musikkollegium.ch/de/event-detail?event=22017

I myself have to honour to speak shortly about the pieces in the course of the concert, and also wrote an introduction to the program booklet, which can be seen here (pp. 12-13):

https://www.musikkollegium.ch/de/hauptnavigation/programm-tickets/publikationen

Thank you, Reto. Will the concert be broadcast, or are there any plans for a recording of these works?

How wonderful, Reto! It would indeed be wonderful if the concert could be recorded.

Yes, indeed there are plans to record exactly this program on CD.
Will keep you up to date.

Great news!

Here's some information about the F minor Symphony (composed 1875-76):
https://repertoire-explorer.musikmph.de/wp-content/uploads/vorworte_prefaces/3046.html (https://repertoire-explorer.musikmph.de/wp-content/uploads/vorworte_prefaces/3046.html)

That's exciting news, Reto. Thank you, and I hope the concert goes well.

the symphony in D major (#3, 1904) seems to exist in full manuscript score. (If franc. is still monitoring this group, do parts exist or would creating them be something I should consider adding to my queue if I can?)

The Rauchenecker WV mentions a 2nd sym for Oktoberfest 1885 , in B natural major, but I don't know if it survives.

Quote from: eschiss1 on Thursday 23 July 2020, 22:05
the symphony in D major (#3, 1904) seems to exist in full manuscript score. (If franc. is still monitoring this group, do parts exist or would creating them be something I should consider adding to my queue if I can?)

Yes, Symphony No.3 turned up a couple of years ago among some paper's of the family of Rauchenecker's libretist Otto Schönebeck.
There is an online scan here:

https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.3_(Rauchenecker%2C_Georg_Wilhelm)

Symphony No.2 which had a moto of the Munich October Fest seems lost at the moment. Most probably it was in a German archive and burnt during the war(s). But hope persists...

Quote from: eschiss1 on Thursday 23 July 2020, 22:05
If franc. is still monitoring this group, do parts exist or would creating them be something I should consider adding to my queue if I can?)

Eric, Frank actually set the score of the Third Symphony some time ago with a computer program. I had played trough the piece and started proof-reading, unfortunately I have not finished yet. Have this high on my list and very much hope to complete this task. It's a nice piece, I remember it to be quite different from the other things I know by him; as this is almost his last work, I felt a rather "impressionstic" touch to it, not so much the German-Romantic style prevailing in most of his other music. Would you be interested (and do you have the time) in proof-reading this? In any case, 4 eyes certainly see more than just mine... The manuscript score was quite full of mistakes, particularly missing accidentals and so on.

I also discussed with Frank that once the score is prepared we might consider offering it to Musikproduktion Höflich Verlag Munich, who also republished the F Minor Symphony. It was actually this republication which allowed me to attract the attention of Howard Griffiths to do the piece in concert. So republishing seems to help, at least partly... ;) But at the moment this certainly is "Zukunftsmusik"...

6 eyes (including my spectacles) 🧐 and " What I can do can do no hurt to try"

Dear all,

Just a quick reminder:

The concert "Hommage an Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker" with the Musikkollegium Orchestra Winterthur, conducted by Howard Griffiths will take place on Thursday, 29th October, at 7.30 pm at Stadthaus Winterthur.

The program includes:

-Orientalische Fantasie (for Violin Solo and String Quintett)
-Symphonisches Tonwerk im Stil einer Ouvertüre
-Symphony No.1 f minor

The whole program will be recorded, rehearsals starting tomorrow. I'm very excited to be part of this ;)
Will keep you up to date about the recording.

Thanks, Reto. We are all very much looking forward to your report on the concert and news of the progress of the recording.

Indeed we are. What a mouth-watering prospect.

The recording sessions have been successfull, will keep everybody up to date about the date of release. I had a listen at the "Orientalische Fantasie", played by Sebastian Bohren. He really did an excellent job with this technically very challenging piece!
The orchestra worked very hard and under difficult circumstances - concert life here in Switzerland is now basically reduced to zero again  :'(...

However, the concert (including my introduction) tonight will take place, but without audience! There will be a live streaming - for those interested: There is a possibility to buy online tickets for the live streaming through the orchestra's website:

www.musikkollegium.ch

Best wishes and stay safe everybody!

Thank you again, Reto, for this update.

Thanks, Reto. I note that cpo will be bringing out the recordings. What an adventurous label they are!

How was the concert, Reto?

Thanks everybody! The concert was very special, as we had to do it without audience. The orchestra played very fine and we're happy to have at least played the pieces in a concert-like situation as well. It's always something different than "just" recording the works. It was a very interesting and intense process this week.

And indeed we can be grateful to cpo for being so adventurous. We'll keep you up to date as soon as I get to know anything about the CD release  ;)

That's excellent!

Pleased it went well, Reto.

I echo those comments. Something really to look forward to!

Perhaps you could give us your impressions of the character of the Symphony No.1 in F minor?

I will certainly be very pleased to have a recording of the symphony! These recent developments are most welcome - and prompted me to revisit the old Jecklin CD of the C minor string quartet, a most delightful work indeed.

Quote from: Alan Howe on Friday 30 October 2020, 11:09
Perhaps you could give us your impressions of the character of the Symphony No.1 in F minor?

The Symphony really worked out very well, it's a nicely orchestrated piece, though sometimes a bit thick.
The first two movements are very Wagnerian, I also hear some Bruckner in the first one (long building-up passages, a "misterioso" coda, starting only with Timpani, Celli/Basses). The third movement is a very wild "impetuoso" scherzo, twice alternating with a lyrical trio. The finale has an introduction featuring a big Cor anglais solo, starting in a very elegiac mood. The main theme is played by Violas, very stormy character, whereas the second subject is a very clear reference to Wagners "Meistersinger" prelude. The symphony ends with a big and brilliant stretta!

All in all, a very nice, very "melodic" piece, I'd say rather easy to grasp quickly ;) Well-crafted and original, though in its overall design rather conservative middle-of-the-road German Romanticism. Certainly worth a listen, am very much looking forward to the recording!

How fascinating! Of course, a Wagner-inspired symphony written at about the same time (1875-6) as Brahms' 1st is quite a prospect!

Thanks, Reto, for whetting our appetite for the recording even more thoroughly!

Indeed! Performed 9 months before the premiere of Brahms' 1, and NB in the same year as the first Bayreuther Festspiele ;) He's in rather good company ;)

Now forthcoming from cpo, conducted by Howard Griffiths:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/georg-wilhelm-rauchenecker-symphonie-nr-1-f-moll/hnum/11015446

The Symphony dates from 1875-6, i.e. around the same time as Brahms 1.

Wowee!!

If Martin Walsh's rendition of the Prelude to Adelheid von Burgund (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Xsa4SzrWg) is anything to go by, this'll be an orgy of Wagnerian excess. I can hardly wait.

I remember about 15 years ago I looked for the 2 piano concertos but at that time failed to find any material (though the 1st was supposed to have been published). I see now, however, that the orchestral parts for no. 2 are available on IMSLP. Does anyone know if either the solo piano part or the full score has surfaced. And does anyone have information about the 1st PC, please?

QuoteIf Martin Walsh's rendition of the Prelude to Adelheid von Burgund is anything to go by, this'll be an orgy of Wagnerian excess. I can hardly wait.

Maybe not excessively so. From the blurb at jpc:

<<Trotz Raucheneckers engem Kontakt mit den Werken der neudeutschen Schule und seiner persönlichen Bekanntschaft mit Richard Wagner zeigt sich der Komponist in diesem Werk als Bewahrer der symphonischen Tradition. Aus dem Werk spricht gewisser Weise ein Bekenntnis zur «absoluten Musik», denn auf programmatische Anspielungen sowie explizit koloristische instrumentale Wirkungen wird komplett verzichtet.>>

Translation:

<<Despite Rauchenecker's close contact with the works of the New German School and his personal acquaintance with Richard Wagner, in this work the composer shows himself to be a keeper of the symphonic tradition. To a certain extent the work speaks of a commitment to «absolute music», because there are no programmatic allusions or explicit coloristic instrumental effects.>>

Just a quick reminder of what our friend Reto Schärli said about the Symphony:

<<The Symphony really worked out very well, it's a nicely orchestrated piece, though sometimes a bit thick. The first two movements are very Wagnerian, I also hear some Bruckner in the first one (long building-up passages, a "misterioso" coda, starting only with Timpani, Celli/Basses). The third movement is a very wild "impetuoso" scherzo, twice alternating with a lyrical trio. The finale has an introduction featuring a big Cor anglais solo, starting in a very elegiac mood. The main theme is played by Violas, very stormy character, whereas the second subject is a very clear reference to Wagners "Meistersinger" prelude. The symphony ends with a big and brilliant stretta!

All in all, a very nice, very "melodic" piece, I'd say rather easy to grasp quickly ;) Well-crafted and original, though in its overall design rather conservative middle-of-the-road German Romanticism. Certainly worth a listen, am very much looking forward to the recording! >>

From the Foreword to the score of Symphony No.1:

The Symphony in F minor which is being published here for the first time in a new edition was composed in Winterthur in 1875-6 and is known to have been given its premiere there on 23rd February 1876 by the newly founded Municipal Orchestra, conducted by the composer. The work was sympathetically received by the press:
"The Symphony is of noble substance throughout, demonstrating a true grasp of the principles of the New School and masterly construction. .... The entire orchestration and layout of this piece of music reveal both profound understanding and brilliant compositional skill." (Foreword to Rauchenecker's String Quartet No.6, Amadeus-Verlag, Winterthur, 2012).
This work, the first of his three symphonies, is testimony to Rauchenecker's roots in German romanticism: neither the classical layout in four movements, nor the orchestration requiring double woodwind, nor its length exceed the bounds of the model established since the time of Schumann. However, one unusual feature is the use of the solo cor anglais in the introduction to the finale.
The main theme of the first movement emerges mysteriously and gloomily from the background of a pedal point played by the horns. A vigorous and dramatic crescendo leads to the first climax and then gives way to a second cantilena-like theme on the French horn which is closely related to the first theme. In the closing bars and in the ensuing development section both themes are then combined using extensive and elaborate counterpoint. A grand, sweeping coda brings the movement to an end.
Both of the arch-shaped middle movements are based on two themes. The Adagio con espressione begins with a song-like theme in the strings which is once again very finely worked out from a polyphonic point of view and sounds vaguely like the Entry of the Gods into Valhalla from Wagner's Das Rheingold. In the course of the movement this theme is contrasted with a scherzo-like episode (più mosso). The third movement is of a somewhat martial and fiery character, taking us back to the drama and vehemence of the opening movement.
The finale opens with an elegaic cantilena played by the cor anglais which then turns into the main theme of the ensuing Allegro vivace. Pedal points in the strings and chromatic, syncopated figures bring echoes of the first movement. The brass announce the march-like second theme (un poco ritenuto) which, combined with the main theme (marcato), brings the symphony to a stormy close in a broadly conceived coda (Presto).
The Symphony in F minor is Rauchenecker's most ambitious orchestral work. In spite of his enthusiasm for Wagner and the 'New German' School (Rauchenecker had already made a contribution to the genre of the symphonic poem in 1870 with his Friedrich Rotbart and composed operas in the spirit of Wagner's music dramas), he did not include any explicit programme when writing his First Symphony. The work captivates us with its song-like, yet at the same time finely worked themes, its skilful orchestration and its structural simplicity.
Due not least to the huge amount of competition from all over Europe this work (as, unfortunately, is the case with most of Rauchenecker's compositions) has been totally forgotten. That the composer himself thought highly of his composition is proved by the fact that it was published not long after (in 1882, by Breitkopf & Härtel) and that it had many performances during his lifetime in Winterthur, Zurich, Frauenfeld, Konstanz, Berlin, Dessau, Barmen, Düsseldorf and Bremen. Indeed, it was with this work that the late master was honoured in Winterthur in 1906. The last-known performance took place in Elberfeld in 1932.
Berlin 1883: "The four movements of the symphony are so clearly laid out, so cleverly constructed and so excellently orchestrated that it is a genuine joy. But it is impossible not to notice that sometimes Beethoven or Weber and at other times Mendelssohn and not least Wagner are godparents to its best ideas." (Der Klavier-Lehrer, 15th October 1883, p.243)
Düsseldorf 1887: "Thematically well developed, carefully thought out and simple, but natural-sounding, having an almost transparent clarity in its entire internal construction – these are the positive attributes which are immediately recognisable on first hearing. That such an excellent conductor as Herr Rauchenecker has orchestrated his work with complete understanding of the instruments and the sounds they make hardly needs mentioning... The symphony requires a large orchestra and a strong string quartet." (Düsseldorfer Neueste Nachrichten, 24th April 1887).
These excerpts from the rare revews that exist demonstrate that opinions about the work were inconsistent. Up till now there has been no recording to help us form our own judgment.
Rauchenecker wrote works in all the usual genres that existed in his day. His comprehensive oeuvre consists of approx. 120 compositions, including 9 operas, 6 string quartets, one piano quintet, wind octet and string sextet, several instrumental concertos, 3 symphonies and many songs and choral pieces. At present a complete catalogue of his works is not yet available and his discovery by the music-loving public lies in the future. Perhaps this publication will contribute to the rediscovery of this unjustly forgotten composer.
Frank Rauchenecker (2017, Lebensdaten)
Reto Schärli (2017, stilistische Einordnung)

(https://media1.jpc.de/image/w600/front/0/0761203541621.jpg)

Audio samples are now available at jpc:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/georg-wilhelm-rauchenecker-symphonie-nr-1-f-moll/hnum/11015446

Tracks:
1. Sinfonisches Tonwerk im Stil einer Ouvertüre (Symphonic Composition in the Style of an Overture) - apparently not mentioned on the front cover of the CD.
2-5. Symphony No.1 in F minor:
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Adagio con espressione – Più mosso – Tempo I – Più mosso – Tempo I – Più mosso
III. Allegro impetuoso
IV. Moderato – Allegro vivace – Un poco ritenuto – a tempo – Un poco riten. – Presto – Tempo I
6. Orientalische Phantasie (Oriental Fantasy)

Alan, thank you so much for all that information, and the link to the jpc page.
The samples sound like Wagner and I could definitely see the Rhine Maidens swirling about in the symphony! This disc holds out much promise, and definitely one for the wants list!

My copy's on its way from Germany. Wonder how long it'll take...

The audio samples sound gorgeous, but I'll wait for the download.

Mark, you're going to love this!

The Symphony is more than gorgeous - it's absolutely fabulous in its melodic memorability and generosity. The nearest comparison I can make is Dvorak, specifically his (much later) 9th Symphony. There are also distinct pre-echoes of Mahler 1 in the slow movement and the clear influence of Meistersinger in the finale.

Kudos to Howard Griffiths and his orchestra, the superb Musikkollegium Winterthur from northern Switzerland, for giving us this wonderful music.

This will without a scintilla of doubt be my CD of the Year. I urge everyone to purchase it forthwith.  Forget the umpteenth new recording of Rott's lumbering Symphony and buy this greatly superior work!

BTW, it only took a week to arrive from Germany!

I'm slavering....

Like Mark, I too prefer downloads wherever possible.  Does anyone have any info on expected download availability in the UK - PRESTO aren't showing this in the next 3 months?!

Cheers

Richard

You may have to wait for another month before it's listed at Presto (the CD's only just out in Germany) - and in any case I'm not certain whether everything on cpo is offered as a download. Mark might be able to enlighten us...

Usually they appear as downloads and streams a few months after the CD release, but not always. I imagine it depends on whatever cpo agreed on with the orchestra and radio station.

I think Ilja's correct, it varies. Most are available digitally after three or four months, some even come out as downloads before the CD, and some don't appear at all as downloads. There must be some sort of policy driving it, and the most likely one is that it's dictated by their partners, the broadcasters.

How on earth can this extremely attractive, tuneful, magnificently orchestrated symphony have been neglected for 90 years (according to the booklet notes it was last played in Elberfeld/Wuppertal in 1932)?

I just received the symphony two days ago, and after several listenings I can largely support Alan's conclusion as far as three of the four movements go. My favorite is probably the opening movement; I was prepared for the Wagnerisms, but not for a few passages that sound almost Tchaikovskian (at around 6:40). It's an absolutely stunning piece.

As for the bad: I feel the work as a whole is held back by a sub-par middle fast movement (Tempo di Minuetto - trio). It's only five and a half minutes in length, but I found it difficult to sit through: there's a whole lot of action, but musically very little happens. 

No complaints about the orchestra or the sound engineer. This could probably not have been handled much better by either. 

QuoteIt's only five and a half minutes in length, but I found it difficult to sit through

I found it concise and highly attractive. Just saying...

Dear all!

Sorry for having been absent for quite a while! (My music theory studies and lots of projects as conductor - thank God they are coming back, after all! - kept me very busy).

First of all: I'm very happy to read the lively discussion on here about the recent release of Rauchenecker's f minor Symphony, coupled along with the "Symphonisches Tonwerk" and the "Oriental Fantasy". And I'm happy that finally we can share our thoughts on it, based upon listening! I'm enthusiastic about your all your positive acclaim of the recording!

Now, there's a little story I'd like to share with all of you, concerning this recording:

As some of you might know, I did a pre-concert talk in October 2020 when the pieces were played (without audience - for reasons well-known...) here in Winterthur. My interest in Rauchenecker dates back to 2010, when I did my thesis and edited the "Symphonisches Tonwerk" (which I conducted myself with Musikkollegium Winterthur in 2013). The conductor of the recording, Howard Griffiths, invited me to work as his assistant during the recording session in October 2020, we had some good conversation about it all, work was pleasant with him! He then suggested me to cpo, the label in charge, to write program notes for the booklet. So I did, both in my mother tongue (German) as well as in English. It's a rather lengthy text (they didn't specialise any length, so I included some information I found interesting about the composer. After all, he's not established in concert life and needs suiting promotion!).

This was all done in 2020/21, we (seemed to!) agree on a reasonable fee with cpo. However, I never got any response on the text after sending it in (I asked whether there was anything to add/shorten/lengthen). They just took the text and never replied. I heard from a close friend that cpo is storing a lot of recordings and it might take a long time until they issue something. So I was patient and thought they would come back to me, when issuing would be getting closer.

Yesterday, I got a message from a complete stranger, asking me something about the "Oriental Fantasy". I was rather confused because on the one hand I hadn't heard about the remainders of the recording for over one year, on the other hand the person didn't specify how he got aware of this piece. I though - naively as I was - this MUST be some guy from cpo itself, as I didn't know about any issuing of the CD. (the content of the very short message was basically just the question of who played in the recording of the "Oriental Fantasy". Obviously there was some mistake: The guy said the piece is for Solo Violin und QUINTETT, but he only read about the Sarastro QUARTETT playing...). I honestly replied to him that in both the recording and the concert in Winterthur there was Sebastian Bohren (Solo Violin) playing together with the Sarastro Quartett, accompanied by double-bassist Josef Gilgenreiner (himself a member of Musikkollegium Winterthur Orchestra).

In order to answer as precisely as possible to the question, I googled the Sarastro Quartett and all of a sudden was taken to cpo's website. So, after all even I learnt that: CPO HAD ALREADY ISSUED THE RECORDING IN JULY! NOBODY THERE NEITHER TOLD ME ABOUT THIS NOR DID THEY CONTACT ME IN ORDER TO SEND THE FEE WE AGREED ON FOR MY BOOKLET TEXT! (the very booklet text Alan Howe was citing from and that is - at least in some shortened form - publically visible on cpo's website...)

On the one hand I'm very happy the recording is now out there for everybody to listen to! We can finally talk about it and discuss it on here. I am also considering drawing David Hurwitz' attention on it; I know he's terrible busy and probably won't put up with it, but we could try. On the other hand, I'm just shocked at cpo's behaviour! It's a shame and a scandal at the same time! (I obviously didn't even receive a copy of the CD, I was never offered anything alike; now am trying to get my money - wish me luck, they are super bureaucratical with it all!)

Quote from: Gareth Vaughan on Thursday 18 August 2022, 11:02I remember about 15 years ago I looked for the 2 piano concertos but at that time failed to find any material (though the 1st was supposed to have been published). I see now, however, that the orchestral parts for no. 2 are available on IMSLP. Does anyone know if either the solo piano part or the full score has surfaced. And does anyone have information about the 1st PC, please?

We know that the piano concertos were played often in concert by Raucheneckers daughter Helene, herself being an excellent pianist/teacher. Unfortunately, the solo parts seem lost currently, a full score isn't available either at the moment. Griffiths also asked about this, because he wanted to couple it with an instrumental concerto. However, currently the only "solo thing" that exists for more than solo and piano is the "Oriental Fantasy".

Rauchenecker wrote a lot of concerti (see list on IMSLP/Wikipedia!), but mostly we have only piano reductions (so no orchestral scores/parts) or we have - as in the case of the piano concerti - only fragments of the parts. But hope persists  ;)  Maybe these parts will show up somewhere. Anyway, we'll for sure be in contact about it!

I'm sure I speak for all of us at UC when I say our sincere hope is that cpo will do their duty by you and recompense you properly for your invaluable work on this important project.

I must say, I am surprised. The only time I wrote some booklet notes for CPO (Holbrooke: 3rd Symphony, etc.) they paid the agreed fee quite promptly, without having to be chased. I hope very much that they will be fair and honourable with you.

Now listed by Presto:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9371706--georg-wilhelm-rauchenecker-orchestral-works

Not having the patience to wait for cpo to issue the mp3s and with Alan's enthusiasm nagging away at me I bought the CD. Wow! This symphony is indeed an absolutely cracking piece which should gladden the heart of any UC member.  After three hearings my enthusiasm for it, if anything, is even greater - I just adore it (yes Ilja, all four movements). As Alan has said, one marvels that it has been ignored for 90 years and thanks are due to Reto and everyone involved in getting it recorded.

I am also grateful to you, Reto, for clearing up the question of whether the violin soloist in the Oriental Fantasy is accompanied by a string quartet or quintet. I'm surprised that cpo made such a basic error, but I guess that, had they treated you properly, they'd have sent you copies of the booklet proofs for checking and you'd have been able to correct it.

I've just received the CD from JPC but have not opened it yet.

There is no mention, on the outside, of Herr Gilgenreiner as accompanist to the Sarastro Quartet.

To be clear - the Oriental Fantasy is then, in fact, for soloist and string quintet?

QuoteI just adore it

It's just fab, isn't it?

Quote from: FEBCT on Friday 16 September 2022, 14:34To be clear - the Oriental Fantasy is then, in fact, for soloist and string quintet?

Quite so. Here's the score (https://imslp.org/wiki/Orientalische_Phantasie_(Rauchenecker%2C_Georg_Wilhelm)).

QuoteQuite so. Here's the score.

Many thanks for that.

Quote from: Mark Thomas on Friday 16 September 2022, 11:43After three hearings my enthusiasm for it, if anything, is even greater - I just adore it (yes Ilja, all four movements).

I can live with my minority position  :) . And to be sure, I don't think it's bad in any sense, for me that movement just doesn't live up to the (high) standard of the other ones.

By coincidence I played the Rauchenecker back to back with Julius Bittner's 1st symphony today, and it struck me how similar their soundworlds are despite the 25+ years difference. 

I wonder whether anyone who has heard the new recording has noticed the similarity with Dvorak? It's hard not to be reminded of the latter's 9th Symphony, it seems to me - e.g. in the brass and woodwind writing, and general 'open-air' flavour of the piece. There are also occasional pre-echoes of Elgar.

My favorite portion from this album is the Meno Mosso section from the Oriental Fantasy. Gorgeous lyrical melody in the violin that reminds me a bit of Raff's string quartets at times.

To me it doesn't sound like something from the Orient but it is beautiful nonetheless. More like a wistful sunny day in the countryside with little movement yet much feeling.

David Hurwitz's take on the CD is here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oIoO1fNqgo). It's titled "Oblivion, Thy Name Is Rauchenecker", which tells you all you need to know. Oh dear.

I bought it,and I have tried to like it.  But I have failed ,and it is going to the back of the shelves. It arrived alongside the Loewe, and has suffered by way of comparison. Hurwitz may be over the top,but he made me chuckle and nod my head. I once spent an evening,wandering the streets of Winterthur. That was a dull evening too!

dear oh dear , uncle Dave is really having a field day with poor Rauchenecker.
I have it, but I haven't got the chance to listen to it..that's going to be interesting.

FWIW, I think he's completely wrong-headed about the Symphony but not too far off the mark with the other two works on the CD, which certainly are workaday by comparison (although not as bad as Hurwitz's hyperbole would have you believe). I also quite like Winterthur....

I gave it a listen, and while it's not bad per se, it didn't engage me enough to want to buy the CD.

Hurwitz is clearly and demonstrably wrong on two counts:

1. The Symphony is full of memorable ideas. If I can recall them, why can't he? Perhaps he just hasn't listened hard enough - or with enough interest.
2. Historically (1875-6), the work is significant for the clear influence of Wagner, especially as regards its orchestration. I can't think of any German symphony of that period that sounds like the Rauchenecker. This is emphatically NOT generic German romanticism.

These are facts - whether or not one actually likes the music...

I care much less about the couplings. I don't think they amount to much. But the Symphony is much better than Hurwitz makes out. He's often right, but not here, I'm afraid.

I would say that whether something is memorable or not cannot be an objective fact, though. It depends on personal mental association and cultural context. A piece which quotes Land of Hope and Glory will immediately be memorable to an Englishman but perhaps entirely forgettable for a Spaniard.

While I'm not nearly as negative as our Dave, I can't entirely disagree when he says Rauchenecker's music as displayed here does lack personality. The symphony is by far the best piece of the bunch, but if I hear these pieces independently of one another I might not guess they were written by the same composer.

QuoteI would say that whether something is memorable or not cannot be an objective fact

Well, the Symphony is full of memorable tunes. I'm no expert, but they're pretty obvious - and I'm not German!

As for lack of personality, I've no real idea what that means here. As I said, there is no German symphony from the period that I'm aware of that sounds like the Rauchenecker, so that would make it pretty unusual, wouldn't it?

Anyway, I'm not making a statement about the stature of the symphony, but rather about its catchy melodiousness (contra Hurwitz's misrepresentation of the piece) and Wagner-influenced orchestration (contra Hurwitz's poor understanding of its historical context).

Quoteif I hear these pieces independently of one another I might not guess they were written by the same composer.

That might be an argument in favour of the composer!

Memorable themes...

When I first listened to the symphony, I wrote it off as just another one of the many (and I mean many) workman-like but unremarkable products of the 19th century that are discussed here. But by the third time through I came to really appreciate it. It really is above average at the very least.  And I must emphasize the phrase "by the third time through". It takes study to mine the treasures of a musical composition. The best works are not always the ones that have immediate appeal.

I have always questioned these attacks on unsung composers based on an alleged lack of memorable themes, because when you think about it, the greatest composers seldom wrote any either. This is not a criticism.  When you think of Beethoven, Brahms, and especially Bruckner, what interests us are not their tunes — of  which there are not many — but how they work out their ideas and structure their harmony. Of course, every once in a while these composers (except Bruckner, of course) do write a full-fledged hummable tune, but they stand out for their very rarity. For the most part, we remember the thematic fragments by which they build their works because of their familiarity, because we've heard them so many times.

And if one of the unsung composers does manage to write an immediately memorable, hummable tune, then he is written off as being a mere tunesmith. You just can't win.

QuoteAnd if one of the unsung composers does manage to write an immediately memorable, hummable tune, then he is written off as being a mere tunesmith. You just can't win.

I guess that sums it up John Boyer. I found it bizarre when he gave Rauchenecker a brownie point for including an english horn in the score. In fact he said it again a minute or so later so I guess it must have been two brownie points  ::)

Hurwitz has really got this wrong. When he's good, he's very, very good; when he's bad, he's horrid.

Here's my personal non-technical tuppence-worth.
 
I thought at first that the Symphonic Overture was perhaps no more than 'standard fare', but I was soon proved wrong.The structure is standard enough - breezy start, some lyrical passages, and a rousing finale, but I soom warmed to it. At times, it sounds to me like it's from Ma Vlast, with the river alternately swirling in shimmering strings and dashing along with the brasswind. It even has a final shimmer in the closing bars, just like the Smetana. In an earlier post - in response to the sound samples - I said the samples recalled the Rhinemaidens. Whether it's the Rhine or the Moldau, I've really enjoyed the journey!

As for the symphony, nobody could miss the 'in your face' tune running throughout the first movement. Obvious, overstated, simplistic - well maybe, but certainly memorable, and and I went away humming it. The hymn-like Adagio is tender and charming; the Allegro sounds like Dvorak, and is just the right length; the final movement is perhaps a tad too long, but still engaging. Overall, I suppose the symphony could be considered derivative and unoriginal, but I found it a great pleasure, and I couldn't miss a note.

Finally, perhaps the Oriental Phantasie is best heard without knowing its title, as there's nothing Oriental about it. The music is attractive, however, and the performance is sparkling.

Perhaps I'm an undemanding listener, but for me this disc is good value and the music hugely enjoyable.

I'm still waiting for someone to name a symphony in the German tradition that sounds anything like this - remembering that its date is 1875/6. It's simply not the sort of standard symphonic fare (for its date, that is) that Hurwitz imagines it to be.

 Alan, what do you mean by "sounds like"?  To me, it sounds like a German symphony from the second half of the 19th century — no more, no less.  This is why I really didn't like it at first. "Oh Heavens, not another faceless late 19th century German symphony from another deservedly forgotten composer!"  However on rehearing, I found more and more interesting details, but nothing that made it sound like a French symphony or Russian one or a German symphony from the early 20th century or one from the early 19th.  Just another not-so-bad late 19th century German symphony.

Finally spun this CD and very much enjoy the three works thereon. Haven't a clue from which direction Mr. Hurwitz is speaking.  He should reconsider his silly remarks.

BUT, and kindly pardon me if this issue was noted somewhere else in this long thread, but the timings shown for the movements of the Symphony all are wrong.  Therefore, along with the total absence of any mention of the bassist who fills out the quintet in the Oriental Phantasie, this adds up to a downright sloppy job by CPO.

As usual, however, a nice picture on the booklet cover.  :P

It becomes harder to defend the amount of time their discs take in the pipeline to release if they won't take a little more time to get things right, I hear that!!

QuoteAlan, what do you mean by "sounds like"?  To me, it sounds like a German symphony from the second half of the 19th century — no more, no less

Hi John,

What makes Rauchenecker unusual (possibly unique for a German symphonist in 1875-6) is the clear influence of Wagner upon his orchestration, in particular his use of the brass. That's what I meant. I don't hear this in any of the (more classically-minded) symphonists of the period, except for Bruckner - and he was Austrian. If I'm wrong (perfectly possible!), please put me right...

And how much influence did Bruckner have in the mid-1870s- I think not very much. So I agree.

Thanks, Eric. So the question I posed stands: what German symphony dating from before 1875/6 sounds like the Rauchenecker? If the answer is 'none', then I think Hurwitz is guilty of a serious error of judgment as to the character of the music and its place in musical history.

As I said before, please correct me if I'm wrong...

Serious but not uncommon, imho- it's actually more rare to find people, critics included, who can avoid hindhearing.

Indeed. Mahler's 1st lies in the future (1888), as does Hans Rott's Symphony (1878-90). Both were Austrians, of course.

There had been hints, of course, in Schumann's 4th - in the transition into the finale of that work.

Quotehindhearing

Doesn't that require large quantities of alcohol?

Quote from: Alan Howe on Tuesday 15 November 2022, 11:26What makes Rauchenecker unusual (possibly unique for a German symphonist in 1875-6) is the clear influence of Wagner upon his orchestration, in particular his use of the brass. That's what I meant.

Ach!  Die Wagnerfrage! Ja, ja!  You should have said so! 

Well, in that case I would say the thematic treatment and use of the brass does suggest Wagner in a way that other German symphonists of the day did not.  This is a curious phenomenon given that Wagner was 31 years Rauchenecker's senior and was nearing the end of this life when this symphony was written.  I think it illustrates the sharp divide between Wagnerites and traditionalists.  If you were a traditionalist, you avoided any reference to Wagner at all, while if you were a Wagnerite, you didn't write symphonies, viewing music drama as the only legitimate art form.  Curious, too, is how Rauchenecker tips his hat to the Wagner sound while using a strictly late Beethoven brass section -- no extra Wagner horns/tubas and the like.

I think your acknowledgement of the Schumann precedent is good, except to me the most Wagnerian moment in Schumann's symphonies comes in the 4th movement of the Rhenish.  But if Rauchenecker's sound is unusual, it is not unique.  There is one other German symphony that slightly predates it (1872) but is far more Wagenerian in sound, scoring, and scope: Herzogenberg's Symphony for Large Orchestra, "Odysseus".  Now don't object that "Odysseus" is a symphonic poem, not a symphony.  Not only is it titled "symphony" rather than "tone poem" or "symphonic poem" or "symphonic fantasy", it is cast in the standard four-movement form of sonata-allegro, slow movement, scherzo, and finale.  It is every bit as much a symphony as Raff's "Lenore", Berlioz's "Fantastique", or Tchaikovsky's "Manfred", perhaps even more so.

So, not unique, but I now agree that it is unusual. 

Now I'm curious to hear whether Klughardt's "Lenore" symphony of 1873 belongs in the same breath, I should check that out...

QuoteHerzogenberg's Symphony for Large Orchestra, "Odysseus"

I hadn't forgotten the Herzogenberg, but I was relying on my memory as to its orchestration, etc. I must give the CD a spin...

Just one comment, though: strictly speaking 'Odysseus' is not absolute music in the sense that Rauchenecker's Symphony is. But I haven't listened to it in years, so I'm grateful for the prompt, John. 

John is right, of course. Herzogenberg's Odysseus Symphony is far more Wagnerian overall than the Rauchenecker, so my argument falls. However, as I suggested, Rauchenecker was writing 'absolute music' in Wagnerian dress which Herzogenberg wasn't attempting.

Quote from: Alan Howe on Wednesday 16 November 2022, 10:33Herzogenberg's Odysseus Symphony is far more Wagnerian overall than the Rauchenecker, so my argument falls.

Well, your point doesn't so much fall as just modifies a bit.  If you narrow the scope to absolute, non-programmatic symphonies, then Rauchenecker does appear to be among the first examples of the Wagner sound pervading a formal symphony. 

Since I don't like Hurwitz's videos, I'm not sure what his specific attacks on Rauchenecker were based on.  Derivative? Unoriginal?  Just plain dull?

Hurwitz's view was that it just wasn't very interesting. Fair enough, but that simply ignores what makes it stand out - for its date, that is.

I wonder how many repeat hearings Hurwitz does before publishing his opinion?  It does pay off to listen more than once. 

He reached his 2000th video milestone yesterday, in a handful of years. Where does he find the time to listen even once?

Most of his videos are on familiar repertoire in established recordings which he knows well. I'm afraid, though, that he sometimes makes snap judgments on music he doesn't know and hasn't researched properly.

I just listened to Herzogenberg's Odysseus Symphony again and could not for a moment think of it as absolute music. Every bar shouted out, "Program!  Program!  Getcha program here!"

Alan's original thesis sounds more correct all the time. 

Thanks, John.

I wonder if anyone has compared Rauchenecker's use of the brass with, say Dvorak's 9th?

Abou "German" music:  In cultural/artistic contexts German means everyone whose primary language is German.  Grillparzer, Gottfried Keller, Storm, Fontane are all German writers. In the same way Bruckner and Brahms both count as German.  Especially in the 1870s when Germany as a nation state was still very very young.

QuoteBruckner and Brahms both count as German

No: they may both count as German speakers or as members of the wider Austro-German culture of the period, but Brahms was German and Bruckner was Austrian.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Bruckner

As a historian, I can say that the President of the German Confederation from 1815 to 1866 was the Hapsburg Emperor of Austria

"In cultural/artistic contexts", to repeat...!. Giving the composer's nationality does not address the claim. (And in some other contexts too. Consider Fallersleben and his poem "Deutschland über Alles", which as we know, was meant to promote the Pan-German movement, to unify the countries of German-speaking people and - as per the text - make this goal more important than allegiance to Saxony or other German-speaking states (perhaps even Austria) that at the time comprised what they hoped would become a single Germany. (The poem's title was, of course, reappropriated in the 20th century by Hitler's NSDAP and similar groups, but Fallersleben's original intention was hardly theirs.)

Quote from: Alan Howe on Saturday 19 November 2022, 22:42

QuoteNo: they may both count as German speakers or as members of the wider Austro-German culture of the period, but Brahms was German and Bruckner was Austrian.

By that argument neither Beethoven nor Schumann were German, the former being from the Electorate of Cologne and the latter from the Kingdom of Saxony.  Both died long before the formation of the German Empire. 

"Category: German people: The following is a list of people represented on IMSLP from present-day Germany or its predecessor states.*" That's how IMSLP tries to split the baby. (Which I readily admit is one of the worst expressions, but.)

*All of them within reason, not just West and East Germany. So Saxony, Anhalt, Bayern, &c, und so weiter...

OK, enough already! Back to Rauchenecker and his use of the brass, please...

Well, returning to Alan's original thesis, I would even suggest that Rauchenecker is more Wagnerian in his use of the brass than Bruckner. Bruckner, of course, gets a lot of credit for being the first to introduce the Wagnerian style into absolute music, but other than the actual brass instruments he chose for his symphonies I don't really hear a Wagnerian sound when I listen to Bruckner.  Bruckner had his own sound, one entirely his.  It's not something that I like, but I do acknowledge it as his own recognizable style.

On the other hand, there are many passages in Rauchenecker that do remind me of Wagner, and this without using a Wagner orchestra. 

I think John's analysis is spot-on. If so, in what way is this some anonymous, generic 19th century German symphony?

Here's the whole Symphony for anyone interested to judge:
(i) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4HngbGBjsM
(ii) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLtJ166aZ1Q
(iii) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmi4yDXA2Kw
(iv) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sok87EaaoLY

Like Herzogenberg/Odysseus, Klughardt's Lenore Symphony/Symphonic Poem in 4 Parts, dating from 1873, would seem to be one of the earliest symphonies to be influenced by Wagner/Liszt - although it's not absolute music, of course.

Do the Klughardt symphonies that follow maintain this Wagnerian leaning, or did he use it just for this program symphony, just as Herzogenberg did?  I have not heard any of them, though the folks at JPC are working to fix that.

I'd describe Klughardt's later symphonies as more of a mixture of classical and progressive elements. He certainly didn't become a full-blown progressive.

Finally I have been able to devote some time to listen to the Rauchenecker.
This time DH was quite a bit off the mark.
Basically his main contention against the symphony was that it banally embodied the stereotypical German Romantic symphony, with no originality whatsoever.
hearing this, and knowing the date, it's logical to expect some average Mendelssohnian concoction of the kind churned out by the Leipzig conservatory in the hundreds.
Which is exactly what this symphony is not.
I am not saying it's a masterpiece, but I found this Wagner-turned-absolute music/Dvorakian hybrid quite entertaining and, in places, quite original in its soundworld.
It took two listening sessions, though: I really think DH listened to it just once.
This reminds me of when he absolutely trashed on his website another piece I really like: the Rabaud symphony, which I think is a pretty fantastic French symphony.

I agree - not a masterpiece, but quite original for its date.

Also, if you hear something only once, it's the more likely you hear what you expect to hear, so to speak :)

very good point!

Here's a fair-minded review at MusicWeb:
https://www.musicwebinternational.com/2023/01/rauchenecker-symphony-no-1-cpo/

Just noticed who wrote the English translation of the preface to the MPH reprint of the 1st symphony. Neat :)

 :-[

 ;)

In Fanfare's May/June issue, just published, Jerry Dubins (probably that magazine's reviewer most interested and well-versed in the Unsungs) writes a very long and very positive review of the Rauchenecker cd, especially about the symphony. Actually his general tone is very much in line with what we have said here. He only objects mildly to the size of the orchestra, thinking that the symphony could have benefited from larger forces.

Dubins' reviews did not impress me years ago but I am glad to find out that he has become better (or that I lacked perception) since the last place here that carried Fanfare closed (my subscription already having lapsed.)

I feel similarly: I have been a Fanfare subscriber for a very long time, and he never was one of my favorites.
But in the last few years he has become one: first of all, he's become more specialized in hardcore Romantics, either Unsung or mainstream, and writes long and interesting reviews, often to the point of being mini-essays.
I bought quite a few cd's after reading his reviews, and so far I never regretted it.

Thanks for telling us about Dubins' review. Fascinating.

Frank Rauchenecker, a descendant of the composer, has contacted me asking whether he could be sent a copy of Jerry Dubins' article on the new CD.

Can anyone help, please? If so, please send me a message.

if you have subscription access to the Fanfare archive, all the reviews for the relevant month are uploaded/linked here (http://fanfarearchive.com/indices/itop/issues/h1_106.html).

Thanks very much to the forum members who have offered to help Frank Rauchenecker. The article in question has now been duly sent and received.

It would be interesting if mr.Frank could shed some light on the "biografical detail" (the Berlin appointment) on which Jerry Dubins has some doubts-

...just done, please check the July-August issue where a review of the review will appear in the Critic´s Corner.
Thanks to all who helped!
Frank

By yourself, perchance?

nope, by Jerry himself...

Interesting!

I'll stay tuned!