No doubt the BBC has already named its Composers of the year,with Mendelssohn and Chopin springing to mind as front runners, but whom should we name as our unsung Composer of the Year?
What are the criteria for nomination/selection?
As you say, Amphissa, on what do we base our nominations, John? Of course, you all know who my composer of the year is, but ours? That's a very different question!
A simple question, but quite tough to answer. And maybe we will not come to an unanimous nomination for our Composer of the Year.
The release of Raff's Grand Quintuor and Suite for Piano and Orchestra is for me again a confirmation that Raff is a truly great composer. Antoni Stolpe died when he was only 21 years of age. Listening to his music makes me wonder what kind of sublime compositions he could have written, if... Suppose that Rufinatscha made concert tours throughout Europe, maybe he could have become one of the nowadays celebrated famous composers of the romantic era.
But here is my Composer of the Year: Sergei Bortkiewicz. What a find: his Piano Concertos 2 & 3, the 6 CD set of piano music, both Symphonies, chamber music and the stunning Violin and Cello Concertos.
Can we assume that we should be choosing someone with an anniversary of some sort this year?
My idea for a Composer of the Year would be one involving a special anniversary, usually of his or her birth or death, e.g. 50, 60, 100, 150, 200 years.
Norbert Burgmüller...
Quote from: Peter1953 on Monday 04 January 2010, 18:58
But here is my Composer of the Year: Sergei Bortkiewicz. What a find: his Piano Concertos 2 & 3, the 6 CD set of piano music, both Symphonies, chamber music and the stunning Violin and Cello Concertos.
Up until 30th December I would have agreed.
Then I heard the Rozycki Piano Concerto and it took me all of 2 minutes to change my mind.
Thal
Hi all
Raff surely. I note Mark's comments on a couple of major releases. There has been a bit of a sea change over the last 4-5 years (I think). There is no doubt in my mind he deserves to be ranked among the handful of truly great music masters - I suspect that possibly that view is gaining a reasonable degree of credence. Mark, your fingers have your fingers on the Raff 'reputation pulse' on a continuing basis. Now that the new year is upon us, how do you think things stand with the 'only begetter' of these forums?
regards
Peter
Quote from: thalbergmad on Monday 04 January 2010, 20:55
Up until 30th December I would have agreed.
Then I heard the Rozycki Piano Concerto and it took me all of 2 minutes to change my mind.
Can you provide a link for the CD?
It was only a Radio Broadcast.
I sincerely hope that a record label will record this masterpiece. It is complete genius in my humble opinion.
Thal
Peter Conole wrote:
how do you think things stand with the 'only begetter' of these forums?
As far as Raff's star is concerned, I think that things look pretty rosy at present. There's a string of CDs in the pipeline to continue those issued over the last couple of years, continuing a trend which began in the last decade but which slowed slightly in its fourth quarter. On German radio at least, recordings of his music are regularly programmed. The number of performances is also substantially on the increase, as a look at the concert announcements on the web site would show.
Most significantly, though, I detect that in academic circles there is a real shift in the way Raff is viewed. To be sure, he isn't accorded the status which I for one feels he deserves, but neither is he dismissed as a hack any more. He is seen as being "interesting" at least and his historical role, if not the real value of his music, is starting to be acknowledged. The fact that Peter Brown's seminal series The Symphonic Repertoire devoted 112 pages to discussing all 11 of his symphonies is a significant straw in the wind. Maybe I'm kidding myself, but I think that for Raff at least the tide is turning.
Hi all
My composer of the year is, surprise,surprise, Raff! 2009 saw the release of his Opus 200, a work I really love! I believe this work is going to open many classical music enthusiasts's eyes and will help to see Raff in a new light and, hopefully, Raff will start to get the recognition he so richly deserves! I love to listen to his music but sometimes, it is tough deciding on my choice as there is so, so much to choose from!:the proof, in my book, that Raff is a great composer!
Cheers
Dennis
This month, February 8, it's Norbert Burgmüller's bicentenary anniversary.
To celebrate this fact a CD coupling both symphonies is released by the Carus lable, see http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Norbert-Burgm%FCller-Symphonien-Nr-1-c-moll-op-2-Nr-2-D-Dur-op-11/hnum/1237043 (http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Norbert-Burgm%FCller-Symphonien-Nr-1-c-moll-op-2-Nr-2-D-Dur-op-11/hnum/1237043)
I suppose most members already have the Sterling CD coupling Burgmüller's 1st with the Staehle (also a wonderful symphony!) and the MDG recording of the 2nd, the PC and an Overture.
What a very beautiful symphonies Norbert Burgmüller wrote! But we have discussed this in another thread.
Be warned: the Carus/Burgmüller CD contains a couple of very period-instrument sounding performances. The Sterling (No.1) and MDG (No.2) performances are far more mainstream and, dare I say it, attractive...
Raff's reputation has come a long way since those days, which many of us can remember, when virtually all that was recorded of his was the "Cavatina". Then came the excitement of Bernard Herman's recording of Symphony No. 5 - and what a revelation that was; though many on this forum would not have been surprised at its quality. After that, Raff's star brightened somewhat with recordings of the Piano Suite No. 4, the Piano Concerto, Ode to Spring and a few other more or less minor pieces (not forgetting the splendid Swiss LP of the Piano Quintet). Then Marco Polo started their series of symphonies and the musical world began at last to wake up to the real splendour and value of Raff's music. He has experienced a long overdue renaissance, really in the last 15-20 years. Now, it seems, he is beginning to be heard in the concert hall too. Long may it continue.
Just out of curiosity,as I can't seem to find much information about them on the internet. Are Raff's opera's any good? Have they been performed at any time in the last say,ten or fifteen years,or more? Has anyone on this forum ever heard one? Were they particularly successful in his time? Would they be worth a revival? And, I assume they are romantic,but to which opera composer are they closest to in style & idiom? And,final question; did he compose any 'Singspiel'?
Hello Pengelli,
Re the Raff operas:
Konig Alfred,( produced by Liszt in Weimar 1851), Dame Kobald, (Weimar 1870), and the remaining four that I could find, were never produced: Die Eifersuchtigen, Die Parole, Benedetto Marcello & Samson.
Singspiel is not mentioned, so I guess they are all conventional in style. I have never seen a listing in the catalogue, but the old LP catalogues from Europe might offer a surprise. (at least excerpts ) ?
Marcus.
This hardly qualifies for recording of 2009, ( I bought my recording in 2008), but I wish to mention it regardless.
Piano Sonata no1 in E flat major & Piano Sonata no2 in G major by Antonio Buzzola. (Italy 1815-1871).(Tactus #TC 810201) I purchased from Records International. (USA)
He was an opera composer who had some success, but the competition in Italy was dominated by Verdi, Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti etc. His piano works number five pieces, the two sonatas, a marziale, notturno & 2 valzer, all on this CD.
I was stunned by the quality of the piano writing in the sonatas in particular, and especially no1.
They invoke the language of Mozart, Weber, Schubert & even a young Beethoven, in a classical/ early romantic style. Both sonatas have memorable melodies, the 1st being the better of the two, in my opinion. The second sonata has a fabulous 1st movement, Allegro vivace, with a short 2nd mvt, but the final mvt is a theme with variations on the Marseillaise. For me, at least, it is a let down after the build up of the 1st mvt. . Although Paris was arguably the musical capital at the time, particularly for pianists, the Marseillaise was on most "hit parades" at the time, so was probably met with great acclaim. The Claque would have loved it !
This is music of quality, and a must have for lovers of 19th century piano music. If you come across it, buy it. You will not be disappointed ! My nomination for 2008. ( Two years late - sorry ! )
My nomination(s) for 2009 Noskowski & Jadassohn Symphonies, (equal) with Brull's symphony 3rd.. The Noskowski & Jadassohn promise even better things to come, and I can't separate them.
Marcus.
But who is our Composer of the Year? And who is your Composer of the Year? Which unsung composer has an anniversery in 2010?
My choice? I've mentioned him already twice. Norbert Burgmüller.
Peter, if the criteria is anniversary date, I'll nominate Gustav Mahler. (150th anniversary)
I misunderstood the original message, and thought it was our individual selection of music heard in 2009. Excuse my mis-interpretation, it happens too frequently at my age.
Chopin, Schumann & Felicien David have their 200th anniversaries this year, or Barber & Schuman 100th.
Marcus.
Never mind, Marcus. I made the same misinterpretation (see Reply #3), and I'm only 56... ;)
Yes, Chopin... In May I'm going to Poland, to Zelazowa Wola, Chopin's birthplace. A pilgrimage.
It is hard to nominate an unsung for an anniversary, as there are not very many born in 1810, 1860, 1910 & 1960.
If unsung equates to little known, (but should be better known), like you ,Norbert Burgmuller, or perhaps Felicien David are the only two worth mentioning born 1810.
Mahler, Shumann & Chopin are hardly unsungs, nor for that matter are Albeniz, Charpentier, Paderewski, Barber &Schuman who have anniversaries.
Sorry, but I have relegated it to the "too hard" basket.
Marcus.
Chopin's friend and pupil, Julian Fontana (1810-69)...But he's not a Norbert Burgmüller.
Barber and Schuman have been mentioned. 2010 is also the sesquicentennial of one of Raff's most faithful students, Edward MacDowell. MacDowell's first published work was dedicated to Raff's wife in the immediate aftermath of Raff's death. The whole work is very much in the spirit of Raff's own piano suites, but with the addition of a funeral march as the penultimate movement. MacDowell's first piano sonata, another response to the death of Raff (though completed some years later), is a strong work. It was written in close proximity to the time when he was preparing some of Raff's overtures for publication. The Dirge from MacDowell's Suite, opus 48, is a stark and IMHO unusually successful extension of the language used by Wagner in Goetterdaemmerung. I have yet to hear a recorded performance that is more than perfunctory, however.
So much for MY unsung nominee. As far as OUR nominee goes, I would enthusiastically second (or third) Norbert Burgmueller.
Thank you Marcus. I'm very interested in German Romantic opera's,and 'Singspiel' type opera's from that period. Wagner,excluded,although,'Wagnerian', & 'post Wagnerian' is fine. Judging by the only Raff symphonies I've heard so far,No's 3 & 5,they could be my kind of opera's. As to Raff symphonies,I'm thinking of going for No 1 or 4,next. I would try No 7,as to the idea of a symphony inspired by mountains is very appealing; but, unfortunately,allot of people seem to consider it one of his weakest. Although,I did find one enthusiast on another forum. Surely,it can't be as dreary as Strauss's bombastic & over sung example? As one critic pointed out,'once you get to the top it's down hill all the way'!
I nominate Jan Ladislav Dussek (1760-1812).
His piano sonatas have given me many enjoyable hours of listening and playing.
Thal
A brilliant choice, Thal. I'd forgotten Dussek's birth year.
Dussek was writing sonata movements that have much of the scope, sweep, and turbulence of Beethoven's opp. 13 and 27/2 as early as the late 1780s (opus 10/2 and 10/3). Whether it's those heaven-storming early works, the opus 35 masterpieces (with their brilliantly argued developments), or the rich Les Adieux sonata, there's no doubt that Beethoven and others learned a lot from Dussek. (And if we stop at Les Adieux, the best Dussek was yet to come.) I think Haydn's expressed admiration for Dussek was quite genuine and is demonstrated in Haydn's last sonata. In my estimation, no composer has been more inexplicably neglected.
So, much as I admire Burgmueller's genius and enjoy his music, I have to switch my vote to Dussek, a master who greatly enriched musical discourse before being forgotten.
Dussek also wrote some great melodic harp music. Don't think you can say that about too many other classical period composers, that have been recorded anyway (with the one notable exception that everyone knows about...)
For recent cd revelations of a forgotten composer I would go for the Dutton releases of Stanley Bate. Although, I do share some of the reservations of the IRR critic about the beginning of the final movement of the 3rd symphony. Still, a tremendous symphony,and hopefully Dutton will go on to record the remaining symphonies and concerto's.
For one of my favourite discoveries on cd I would choose the symphonies of Charles Tournemire. A visionary genius. His colossal Symphonies No's 6 & 7 are enough to give even old Havergal Brian a run for his money! The range of sonorities,colour, and sheer breadth of vision of this magnificent unsung cycle is truly awe inspiring.
Quote from: chill319 on Sunday 28 February 2010, 05:20
Dussek was writing sonata movements that have much of the scope, sweep, and turbulence of Beethoven's opp. 13 and 27/2 as early as the late 1780s (opus 10/2 and 10/3).
I can hear a connection with Beethoven, but i must admit that the first time l listened to the Op.77 sonata, I thought someone had put the wrong CD in the box as i was convinced it was Schubert. I have no idea why these sonatas are not part of regular concert repetoire.
Have not really looked at the concerti yet, but i anticipate finding works of similar quality.
There must be something special about these Bohemians. I am becoming rather attached to Tomasek as well.
Thal
Very interested to note Pengelli's nomination of the Tournemire symphonies. However composer of the year? 'Most interesting / fascinating / delightful discovery of the year' isn't the same thing as 'composer of the year'. (My discovery of the past year has been Bacewicz, and especially the chamber works - but I'd hesitate to nominate her as composer of the year).
Nonetheless an interesting if eccentric suggestion. I've heard (via CD only, and never in live performance) all the 8 symphonies bar No. 1. And in many ways they are magnificent works. But we badly need decent recordings of them. Most are available on Marco Polo, but here they range from barely adequate to fair (just!). As far as I know Pierre Bartholomee (on Auvidis Valois) never got round to Nos 1, 2, and 4, and those that he did record when they pop up s/h on somewhere like Amazon are so lunatically priced that I do not want to line the pocket of a greedy seller.
Perhaps that's one reason for the quite unjustified neglect of this quite unsung cycle of symphonies.
And Tournemire is yet another (cf Rheinberger & Vierne) whose reputation for composing for organ has covered up the other works that need to be, as it were, urgently non-unsung.
Peter - and with no disrespect to Pengelli!!
I must concede that you're probably right there. To be honest I think I was just giving them a plug,because there is very little,if anything,about Tournemire's symphonies on the internet,and maybe someone might be tempted to try one! As to the Auvidis Valois recordings. I managed to get them all in the end at reasonable prices,but it took a while. The Marco Polo recordings are,in my opinion,not quite as bad as the Gramophone critic suggested,but still what might be termed,politely,as 'pedestrian' run throughs. They also suffer from that strange cramped acoustic that Marco Polo cd's always seemed to suffer from. When you put on the Auvidis Valois recordings it's as if huge vista's seem to open up. The mind boggles at the thought of what Chandos could do for these works. Now that their main champion is dead maybe Timpani could do them? CPO certainly aren't interested at the moment. I note that he also wrote a 'massive' trilogy of oratorio's,lasting some three hours & still unperformed;namely,''Faust','Don Quichotte',and 'Saint Francois d' Assise'. Whether I live to hear any of those (or will still be alive after hearing them?),is open to question. Yet,as someone pointed out, if you had told anyone,only 25 years ago that such mammoth works as Bantock's 'Omar Khayyam' & Fould's 'World Requiem' would be available in state of the art recordings,on cd.they would have probably have thought you were some kind of anorak or in dire need of a padded cell! As to 'L'Orgue mystique', I think I will have to sell a house first. He certainly kept himself busy! A French Havergal Brian,perhaps? Anyway,back to 'Composers of the Year',and apologies to all for my intrusion. ( By the way, I reckon I could have popped in some paragraphs here!!!).
Quote from: thalbergmad on Sunday 28 February 2010, 22:48
I can hear a connection with Beethoven, but i must admit that the first time l listened to the Op.77 sonata, I thought someone had put the wrong CD in the box as i was convinced it was Schubert. I have no idea why these sonatas are not part of regular concert repetoire.
Have not really looked at the concerti yet, but i anticipate finding works of similar quality.
There must be something special about these Bohemians. I am becoming rather attached to Tomasek as well.
Thal
I'd agree about quite a few of them, Vorisek too of course, Reicha and Vanhal and a gratifyingly long list, even Kozeluch and (even? well, of course) Krommer/Kramar. (Three of Kozeluch's piano concertos, to my surprise, have been recorded; from what I've heard of the disc, over the radio, sounds good. Tangent, though...)
Dussek's concertos, that I've heard, seem to bear out someone's contention that Dussek was at his best the fewer instruments he had at his disposal. (A spectrum from solo to duet to trio etc. - he wrote for many combinations, sometimes for many alternatives not obligatory!) ("Someone" may have been William Newman in his excellent
Sonata Since Beethoven, a book that has regrettably - shamefully! - gone out of print.) But I may only have heard Dussek's earlier concertos (op. 17 for example, which is broadcast fairly regularly on Radio Swiss Classic; though then again one of the later two-piano concertos is broadcast from time to time on Cesky Rozhlas, excellent station!) and despite what I just said, I am glad to have heard them, that they have been recorded - etc.! Good music. Would be glad to have more of them, indeed.
I was for some reason surprised to learn Dussek had written string quartets. I imagined that, like Medtner and moreso than Sorabji, every last work of his involved the piano in some fashion (or in Dussek's case, piano or harp!) Which leads to a train of thought that whether or not it belongs in another thread, doesn't belong in this one... :)
Eric
There's a rather good discussion of Dussek here: http://members.klosterneuburg.net/handerle/COMPOSER.HTM
including this re the piano concerto opus 49:
The piano concerto in g-minor op. 49/50 was probably composed in Germany, after Dussek's departure from England, between 1799 and – at the latest – 1801. ... Performances on February 2, 1802 in Hamburg and on November 18, 1802 in Leipzig were met with favorable praise; the composer seems to have played the work regularly in his concerts from 1801 on.
... Mozart's c minor piano concerto had ... just appeared in print (parts only) for the first time already in 1799 by André. Possibly this was enough encouragement for Dussek to compose a concerto in minor for himself. All speculation aside, the result is a completely successful concerto for piano and orchestra characterized by a unity and consistency rarely encountered. It can unreservedly be said that the work represents – in its expressive content and in the development of the genre – a milestone in the transition from late classical style toward that of the Romantic era, and that its Wertherian touch ... makes it truly the first romantic concerto.
Julius Rontgen (9 May 1855 – 13 September 1932) is finally getting his due via CPO and wins hands down..
Brahms spoke very highly of Rontgen, but he was not Brahms disciple.
His music is well-crafted, clever, accessable and unique.
He needs to be played by the best, and played often.
According to Wikipedia, he was quite prolific:
Julius Röntgen's works include 25 symphonies, concertos (7 piano concertos, 3 violin concertos, 3 cello concertos, other concertos), as well as numerous chamber, piano and vocal works.
Bring it on!!