Composed 1931-2, this sounds rather like Franz Schmidt:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/wilhelm-petersen-sinfonie-3-op-30/hnum/11133486
(https://media1.jpc.de/image/w600/rear/0/0881488220698.jpg)
Great news!
We had symphony 4 at one point, iirc. Intriguing!
Certainly one of the most interesting new releases of these days!
Longer excerpts here:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9445891--petersen-symphony-no-3-in-c-sharp-minor-op-30
Sounds pretty glorious to me.
Indeed, but excerpts can be deceptive. I've just listened to Petersen's Fourth Symphony on YouTube here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsqWs85FzaU&t=104s) and, despite some arresting passages, its 44 minutes did drag. The Third lasts a few seconds short of an hour, so I really do hope it justifies its length and I won't be buying until I've read a few reviews.
I'll let you know in due course...
If I'm wrong, I'll close the thread of course.
Don't get me wrong, I think the music itself falls within UC's remit - it's just that the Fourth was, well, boring.
I'm hoping No.3 is more euphonious...
The complete first movement of this new recording has been posted to YouTube by the distributors, Naxos, here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_-3_LJLnuY). There's also a reasonable recording of Petersen's Sinfonietta for string orchestra on YouTube here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Baw8vrcbyU8). Like the Fourth Symphony and what we can hear so far of the Third, the tempo of each movement is lento to moderato (at best) and, while these slow-paced soundscapes are often lovely in the moment, I fear they pall as the work progresses. However, I see that the Third's finale is marked Allegro molto, so maybe that'll prove me wrong.
Thanks, Mark. I thought it was glorious. Wonderful playing too from the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. For the idiom, think Franz Schmidt only more so...
Yes, superbly played and recorded, I do agree.
The issue with this music will probably be its length and chromaticism. But there is real beauty here; some of the woodwind writing is truly luminous.
Actually I think that the densely contrapuntal, polyphonically overlaid and chromatically sonorous texture of Petersen's third symphony is more akin to the compositional language of Alexander Brincken's fourth symphony, which falls squarely in the post-Schmidt/Pfitznerian mould, and was issued not too long back by the Toccata label.
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/orchestral-music-vol-1/hnum/9558435
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8704513--alexander-brincken-orchestral-music-volume-one
On the same note, it would be intriguing to discover whether the "Florianer" and "Goethe" symphonies composed by Otto Jochum (brother of Eugen Jochum) belong to the same neoromantic symphonic tradition as those cited above and whether labels like Profil-Hannsler, Capriccio and Gramola would take up this endeavour to record these yet to be unearthed works which might very well turn out to be another revelatory pair of rarefied musical gemstones.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Jochum
https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/jochum-otto
That's very perceptive - thanks. What we're uncovering here is the tradition that ignored the direction taken by the members of the 2nd Viennese School. I suspect there's more to come - and I'm reminded that Furtwängler's symphonies belong here too.
Yes, I thought of Furtwängler whilst listening to the Petersen works.
Quote from: Mark Thomas on Saturday 28 January 2023, 14:00Yes, I thought of Furtwängler whilst listening to the Petersen works.
Well! That can certainly be taken two ways!
But in the spirit of adventure I have already ordered the recording without having first heard a note, as well as a disk of his chamber music. I don't mind if it turns out to be a strike. The cost of the recordings are far less than concerts, which, good or bad, are a one time experiences. With a recording, a failure is no worse than a dull concert, while a success is a lifelong friend to whom you can return again and again.
QuoteWell! That can certainly be taken two ways!
You might very well think that, I couldn't possibly comment; but in the same spirit I'll certainly download the recording once it's available as it probably presents Petersen in the best possible light.
I would take it as a recommendation myself, as a fan of Furtwängler's 2nd and 3rd symphonies (especially his 2nd, at least in a really, really good performance) and some of his chamber music, but I agree it may not have been so meant :D
I listened to it today (the Third). Much closer to Schmidt than Furtwangler. Whatever the defects of the Fourth, the Third is an attractive work. Nice sound, too.
It's a great recording but I'm afraid that I found the music a bore.
My CD's on its way from jpc...
Quote from: Alan Howe on Tuesday 14 February 2023, 12:24My CD's on its way from jpc...
I will be interested to read your opinion of it. I also ordered the 2-disc set of the chamber music. If I enjoy it, I'll post my findings in a separate thread.
This is a very late-Romantic symphony and I can understand those who might get somewhat impatient with it. Personally, I think it's an outright masterpiece; the best I can do to describe it is to evoke the scale and progress of a Bruckner symphony married to a post-Straussian/Schmidtian chromatic, highly contrapuntal language.
This'll be one of my discoveries of the year, I've no doubt. The performance by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra under Constantin Trinks is radiant and the audio quality sonorous, yet well-defined. The playing has a sort of inner glow which is just right for this repertoire. Wonderful strings!
Quote from: Alan Howe on Wednesday 15 February 2023, 17:25...the scale and progress of a Bruckner symphony married to a post-Straussian/Schmidtian chromatic, highly contrapuntal language.
That describes it exactly. I'm so glad you liked it.
BTW, the violin sonatas sound very promising.
Thanks, John. Wonder how the critics will react to the symphony?
Should be interesting. Musicweb has reviewed one earlier Petersen recording, I think, of his Lieder, and Rob Barnett's opinion in that July 2003 review was fairly positive.
I try not to think too hard about the fact that that will soon have been 20 years ago.
I listened again to the Symphony and it does indeed have many attractive passages, but I'm afraid that my musical attention span just doesn't stretch far enough. My loss, I'm sure.
We're all different, Mark - it's as simple as that. If it's not to your taste, it's no loss. And I understand completely how listeners might be rather impatient with such a monster three-movement symphony.
Quote from: Alan Howe on Friday 17 February 2023, 11:52We're all different, Mark - it's as simple as that.
Well said, Alan! You know, Mark, It took me years to come to terms with Raff's Third Symphony, yet most immediately rank it near or at the top of his symphonic output. I have never understood Bruckner and probably never will, yet he has the attention of our greatest conductors. And I still get riled at all the professional reviewers who just don't get Schumann. So, not everything is for everybody and that's OK, as we Americans say.
I listened to the Third again last night and keep finding more and more about it that I like. This, along with the Klughardt symphonies, is my favorite discovery in quite some time. Perhaps if you gave the violin music a try?
Thanks, chaps, but I'm perfectly OK with not understanding or enjoying Petersen, or Bruckner much for that matter. I don't expect everyone to share my enthusiasms and vice versa.
Quote from: Mark Thomas on Friday 17 February 2023, 16:45...I'm perfectly OK with not understanding or enjoying [...] Bruckner...
Glad we're on the same page there!
...whereas I like Bruckner. Although I'd take Rufinatscha or Draeseke in preference...