As promised, but with a sense of trepidation, here are my brief impressions of this symphony (CD43 in the Landesmuseen series). I say, with a sense of trepidation,as I came to Rufinatscha when I acquired his Third Symphony and found the sound too brassy. (I now understand that the orchestration was done by Michael Huber, so this is not the composer´s or the orchestra´s responsibility.)
I was immediately put in mind of Hubert Parry as this noble,weighty,sober, work thundered on.
I have since read that Alan has nicknamed the symphony as "Elegiac", which hits the nail squarely on the head. It is certainly a symphony for the serious-minded,but,being perhaps of a shallow,frivolous,disposition, I am obviously unworthy of it as it left me unmoved.
I think that I have better leave it at that, with apologies to everyone else who will think differently.
The extraordinary aspect of this Symphony is its sustained exalted, elegiac mood; I can't think of any previous symphony that matches it in this respect, although the first movement of Schubert's 'Unfinished' in the same key is an obvious precursor; however, that work wasn't premiered until 1865, over forty years after it was composed, and only published two years later, so Rufinatscha surely can't have known it. Rufinatscha composed his Symphony in 1846 and it's unlike anything written in that period.
I believe it is a very great work indeed. Its neglect is a scandal. For those who don't know it, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em_Hyt_jzPo
I am listening to it on CD for the third time. Alan is right. This symphony repays rehearing, to appreciate its grandeur and seriousness of purpose. Would I pay to hear it in the concert hall, played, say, by the Vienna Philharmonic? Undoubtedly. Some musical celebrity needs to get behind this work.
Kristjan Järvi, younger son of Neeme, conducted the Symphony in Gstaad, Switzerland and also in Merano, South Tyrol (Italy) back in August 2012, with the Gstaad Festival Orchestra.
The former orchestra, I see, has a good website.
Hmm. It doesn't help when trying to locate details of upcoming concerts...