Just discovered this on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVXN3NSoWIE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVXN3NSoWIE) (1st mvt)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WHDNjAbSyQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WHDNjAbSyQ) (2nd mvt)
Interesting. Thanks.
Yes, thanks Alan. I haven't been too impressed by Moór's music thus far, so my expectations were low. However, both these movements are strong works with real merit. The first has a slightly Russian colour to it, which is surprising but not unattractive, and its material is appealing and deftly handled. The slow movement has real depth and, like the first, doesn't outstay its welcome despite its length. What a shame the other movements don't seem to be available.
The recording is obviously Hungarian in origin - I believe Aramiarz said that his project (Sym 2/PC2) was helped by the existence of a Hungarian-sourced recording made available through the Henrik und Emanuel Moor Stiftung.
I have read this symphony through in score and am delighted at last to have been able to "hear" an actual performance of some of it. I think it is a strong work (as IMHO is the PC 2). I wish Aramiarz could give us some information on the projected recording of these two works. I am beginning to give up hope that it will ever be realised.
There's obviously an off-air dub of a radio broadcast of the full Symphony out there somewhere, though. I find googling is hampered by Hungarian, though. It's such a tricky language (with all due respect to any Magyars listening)..
I think the recording is of a performance on 31 October 2011 at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest: the Budapest Philharmonic Society Orchestra conducted by János Kovács. This is Moór's overtly Hungarian symphony (dedicated to the memory of the patriot Kossuth). At the concert, Bartok's symphonic poem Kossuth was also played. Unfortunately I've not been able yet to track down the broadcast itself, or a recording of the complete work.
Good sleuthing, Mark.
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRbPMXEmO0qLJN0witUuyoAno-3-d8zw4KNSGqC7P41jUP9cSHZVw&s)
:) My father was a policeman, y'know.
This is the link I turned up to the concert in question:
https://www.jegy.hu/program/budapesti-filharmoniai-tarsasag-zenekara-30169 (https://www.jegy.hu/program/budapesti-filharmoniai-tarsasag-zenekara-30169)
Translated, this is what it says about Moór's 2nd Symphony:
The third of the eight symphonies by contemporary Mahler-contemporary composer and inventor Emor Moore, he dedicated the third to Kossuth's memory. His performance is one of the most significant concert hall events in Hungary in recent years, a real symphonic discovery.
This is very fine music indeed. How frustrating that we can't hear the rest of the symphony.
We need a translation of this document on Moór's symphonies:
http://zti.hu/mza/docs/Evfordulok_nyomaban/Evfordulok_WindhagerAkos_Moor-tanulmany.pdf (http://zti.hu/mza/docs/Evfordulok_nyomaban/Evfordulok_WindhagerAkos_Moor-tanulmany.pdf)
Interesting, Mr. Windhager's been busy (unless I misremember, he wrote a large doctoral dissertation on the music of Odon Mihalovich I think I mentioned some while back that's also available online.)
The link you provide seems worth linking to from the Moór category at IMSLP. Thanks for finding it.
What I think is most obvious about Symphony No.2 is its memorability. This is really strong stuff: the first movement evinces a real sense of direction and thrust, there is plenty of variety of mood, the orchestration is consistently interesting and thematically it has a higher profile than the (admittedly few) other orchestral works of Moór's that we have heard. Overall, it sounds as though this is music that he really 'meant'.
I completely agree. It's a very fine piece of work.
Many, many thanks to Ilja for making the other two movements available. The whole symphony is now downloadable from our Downloads Board here (http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,7470.msg78577.html#new).
... and they don't disappoint. It's easy to see why Moór's contemporaries regarded this symphony as one of his best pieces, it's really very good.
Who are the performers???
Movements 3 & 4 just up on youtube! Everything comes to him who waits!
Didn't have to wait very long!
janbul wrote:
QuoteWho are the performers???
Budapest Philharmonic Society Orchestra conducted by János Kovács.
Yes, more good, strong stuff in these final two movements. What a privilege to be able to hear the whole thing. Thanks to Ilja for finding them and making them available.
Hear! Hear! Thank you, Ilja. At last we can hear ALL of this very fine symphony.
Having just (rather belatedly) listened to this for the first time, I was immediately impressed, and my due thanks to Ilja for providing this! Another fine example of what we are missing in today's extremely limited market for classical music it saddens me to say- especailly in the concert hall (much less so in the recording studio, but for how much longer?......). I never ceased to be amazed by the sheer quantity and diversity of excellent music of real quality produced during the 19th century, especially towards the end of this period. This simple fact is something that cannot and will not be replicated anytime soon unfortunately! Nevertheless in the meanwhile there is still much to rediscover from the likes of Moór and his contemporaries.......
According to a comment under the video of 3rd and 4th movements on (the very reliable) YouTube, there is a recording of this Symphony (and the Triple Concerto) currently in production by the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie. No more details regarding if it's already recorded or the label, though.
Probably cpo, I imagine.
Having listened to the symphony, the triple concerto, and the second cello concerto for a couple of times now, I'm really impressed by Moór's works. Particularly the symphony and the cello concerto exude confidence, and are both rhythmically and melodically very attractive. Despite the unavoidably diminishing returns in the quest for new works of quality, this is the sort of thing that gives me the energy to continue.
The label might also be Capriccio.
Listening and re-listening to the symphony reveals three things, to my way of thinking: firstly, thematically it's a really memorable work; secondly, it's a very busy score, with an enormous amount of detail in the writing. And thirdly, it often operates at full throttle, which may be its only downside. Now, of course, the symphony is subtitled 'In memoriam Kossuth Lajos'; Kossuth was a Hungarian nobleman, lawyer, journalist, politician, statesman and Governor-President of the Kingdom of Hungary during the revolution of 1848–49 who had died in 1894, just prior to the writing of the symphony, so one might justifiably expect the tone of the work to be nationalistic, indeed heroic - which indeed it is. But is it too much so? What do others think?
"Full throttle" is spot on, Alan, but despite the lack of respite I do feel that Moór gets away with it because of the work's other qualities. Heroic the work certainly is, but oddly I don't feel that it's a particularly nationalistic work - there's precious little conventional Magyar colouring to it. No verbunkos rhythms or zither effects. In sum, Moór goes about as far as he safely can, but no further. I love it.
I love it too. Just wondered what others thought...
I read that Moór studied under Volkmann in Budapest and under Bruckner in Vienna. Comments, anyone?
Well, that information is given on the Henrik und Emanuel Moor Stiftung (http://www.emanuel-und-henrik-moor-stiftung.de/Emanuel/biography.shtml) so I am sure it is correct. However, I can't say I detect any very obvious influence of either of his teachers, at least not overtly - though his accomplished handling of the brass may owe much to Bruckner. I shall listen again, however.
I think Gareth is right: Moór's writing for the brass is Brucknerian; but the basic template is more concise and classical.