Günter Raphael Symphony No.1

[Alan Howe]

Composed in 1926 and premiered by Furtwängler, this is Raphael's Symphony No.1 in A minor, Op.16:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9768091--raphael-symphony-no-1-in-a-minor-op-16

From Prospero's website:
https://prospero-classical.com/album/fabian-enders-orf-rso-wien-symphonie-1-guenter-raphael/

Here's an appreciative review:
http://www.classicalmusicsentinel.com/KEEP/raphael1-enders.html

The idiom is rather chromatic, but still recognisably late-romantic. If you can imagine late Bruckner (the work is long at 65:56) crossed with, say, Reger, you'll have some idea of what to expect.

From the twilight of romanticism indeed.

[Wheesht]

How interesting! Thanks for posting about this. What an adventurous label Prospero is!

[eschiss1]

... thought this had been recorded on Decca but I see I was thinking of Karol Rathaus. Between cpo and Prospero, 5 (all?) of Raphael's symphonies have been recorded- congrats to them and to his music. (Raphael was, as noted somewhere, the grandson of composer Albert Becker, incidentally... who however died 4 years before Raphael was born.)

[Alan Howe]

There is mo doubt that this is music that requires a lot of concentration. If you have the patience to navigate Bruckner, then this might well be for you, even though the idiom is more advanced and therefore harder to follow. Very definitely 20th century music, but of a conservative variety. Good for a rainy autumn afternoon when you've nothing much else to do, perhaps. Very finely played, by the way, and lovingly conducted, to my ears.