Yesterday, I was listening to my CPO Cd of Louise Farrenc's 1st and 3rd symphonies. The finale of No 1 never fails to give me a sort of tingling down my spine so I would nominate it as certainly one of the greatest symphonic finales, at least amongst the "unsungs". Which symphonic finale would other Forum members choose?
Hm, probably Foerster's Fourth for sheer spectacle, or Atterberg's Third because of all the barely restrained exuberance.
Well, I assume the word "unsung" is implied in the question. In that case I would choose the final movement of Joly Braga Santos' Fourth Symphony.
(If the choice can go beyond unsung works - Mahler's Second.)
I'd want to compile a list though not a long one. :) Furtwängler 2 and Stenhammar G minor (I refuse to call it no.2- I'll call no.1 F major if it comes to that) for sheer ecstatic "wow!"... (and maybe Rubbra 1 in there too, sonata/coda-fugue ... or something. The form isn't obvious.) Maybe Wellesz 2, Boughton 2. (Of symphonies I've played often in the last few months according to iTunes I could include Hermann 2 also :) . Some others I've played often are either not unsung or their finales are maybe a little bit weaker than I'd like- my reluctant judgment on Moeran's symphony which I do adore.)
Eric
I find the last movement of Glazunov 5 effective and energizing.
Draeseke 3: for its forward-looking sonorities and the sense of coming full-circle.
For irresistible build-up and power: Röntgen 3.
(Sung: Schubert 9: try Mackerras on Signum Classics!!)
But Alan, if comes to "sung" finales, surely it has to be Beethoven's 9th, if you'll forgive the pun. :)
Quite, John. I was merely flagging up Mackerras' fabulously propulsive recording of S9...
For me definitely Casella 2. Can't play it loud enough!
Dopper 7 has some irresistible charm in the finale as well though i wish the movement had been better developed.
Again, Alfred Hill's Symphony #2 - The Joy of Life.
And the not so unsung, Mahler 8 - a performance years ago in Northrup Auditoreum on the University of Minnesota campus with the monster pipe organ and what was then the Minneapolis Symphony.
For me, the finale of Tchaikovsky's generally unsung 3rd symphony is just thrilling. That long pedal point at the coda just screws the tension up higher and higher that you just pray that the conductor doesn't make a mess of it -- and they usually do. Rowicki got it exactly right, so did Svetlanov.
eschiss1, your posting sent me on a hunt for Hermann's Symphony 2, of which I was not aware. Found the 1973 score, but recorded performances are slipperier. Could you point to a source, please?
Quote from: chill319 on Tuesday 26 October 2010, 02:55
eschiss1, your posting sent me on a hunt for Hermann's Symphony 2, of which I was not aware. Found the 1973 score, but recorded performances are slipperier. Could you point to a source, please?
Robert Hermann's symphony no.2 in B minor of 1905 (if we're talking about the same Hermann) was recently recorded along with his symphony no.1 in C from 10 years earlier on an imho really good Sterling CD. There have been 2 discussions of it here: fairly recently (http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,509.msg6176.html#msg6176) and less so (http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,174.msg1992.html#msg1992). Is the 1973 score of the same work (4 movements, Allegro-Andante-Allegretto-Allegro ?)
Eric
The 1973 score is a work by Bernard Hermann (an early advocate for both Raff and Ives) entitled 'Symphony'-- therefore, either his Symphony 2 or a revision of his 1941 Symphony 1, an old favorite of mine. If it is a second symphony, it appears to be unaccountably unrecorded . Meanwhile, I shall have to get to know Robert Hermann! Thanks for the feedback.
Quote from: chill319 on Tuesday 26 October 2010, 04:03
The 1973 score is a work by Bernard Hermann (an early advocate for both Raff and Ives) entitled 'Symphony'-- therefore, either his Symphony 2 or a revision of his 1941 Symphony 1, an old favorite of mine. If it is a second symphony, it appears to be unaccountably unrecorded . Meanwhile, I shall have to get to know Robert Hermann! Thanks for the feedback.
Bernard Herrmann. Now I see the problem... I was speaking of Robert Hermann (one r in surname), 1869-1912. I was wondering how it came about that his 2nd symphony was published in 1973. I didn't know that Bernard Herrmann wrote a 2nd symphony, true... of the several composers famous for their one symphony, Moeran's 2nd was unfinished (fragments have been published in an article in, if I remember, the Musical Times, years back; it looked intriguing) for instance...
Gliere's 2nd always comes to mind here. It just has so much passion and energy combined with a Great Tune.
Atterburg's /8th/ as well.
I certainly agree with the nomination of Draeseke's Third and Hill's Second, so I'll pitch in with two Russians: Kalinnikov's First and Glazunov's Fifth. They must both be brass players' nightmares, but they are exhilaratingly upbeat and absolutely thrilling. Possibly neither are "great" in the sense of representing an artistic high point, but they are hugely effective at the job of finishing a symphony. If only concert audiences here got the chance to hear them...
Many thanks, everyone for all your interesting replies: it looks as if I shall now need to start budgeting for a few more CD's! :) To me, so many otherwise fine romantic period symphonies are let down by a relatively weak finale. People like Spohr and Dvorak spring to mind. I think its nice to finish off with a "big tune" as in Sibelius's 2nd. I also think that Mozart got the idea right in the finale of his last great symphony which, of course, got nick named "The Jupiter".
apologies for posting twice in this thread, but I certainly wouldn't mind hearing (the finales included :) of) Myaskovsky 2 (or 3), Melartin 5, or (outside the scope of this forum, but tonal and exciting from the sounds of the finale and not so bad in the other two movements either...) Tubin 7. (... stops himself before he tries to put in a good word for Hindemith's symphony in E-flat in the American symphonies thread- now that is going way too far :) )
Eric
Quote from: John H White on Tuesday 26 October 2010, 08:17
I think its nice to finish off with a "big tune" as in Sibelius's 2nd. I also think that Mozart got the idea right in the finale of his last great symphony which, of course, got nick named "The Jupiter".
Still, it was pointed out to me though that Sibelius 2's finale wouldn't be as good as it is if it weren't for the composer's hair-raising command of form and expectation- I did have to agree :)
The Finale from Siegfried Wagner's Symphony in C, a bit dark and dramatic in the first part, but the ending is jolly enough!
The last movement from Jesus Guridi's "Sinfonia pirenaica" is a brilliant ending to a very enjoyable symphony.
Morten
Quote from: Crescendo on Monday 25 October 2010, 23:27
For me definitely Casella 2. Can't play it loud enough!
Dopper 7 has some irresistible charm in the finale as well though i wish the movement had been better developed.
The Dopper 7 finale consists of melodies from Valerius'
Gedenck-klanck, a collection of anti-Spanish songs from the time of the Dutch uprising in the 16th/17th century, and ends in a march, which is intended as a reflection on the merciless war machine of WW1 (a bit like the way in which Ravel's La Valse is a perverted form of the careless, pre-WW Viennese waltz). There is an old recording of it from November, 1940, after the German occupation of the Netherlands, and conducted by Mengelberg (but of course programmed before the invasion) - a very much emotionally charged affair.
And, if I'm allowed another vote, could I suggest the hair-raising intensity of Franz Schmidt's Second Symphony? It's one of those pieces I'm actually sometimes afraid to play because I know I'll get out exhausted (in a good way, mind).
Quote from: John H White on Tuesday 26 October 2010, 08:17
Many thanks, everyone for all your interesting replies: it looks as if I shall now need to start budgeting for a few more CD's! :) ...
I think the same thing everytime I check this forum! ;D I happen to have a monthly subscription to an online classical music site and try to listen to whatever I can locate. Saves me a little money, but I'm a hoarder and really want to have it to own! 8)