Franz Pfyffer (1844-1899) - Symphony in B flat major

[Ilja]

I received this email just now, which may explain the delay:

"Because 4 orders from 4 different countries abroad were placed within a few hours on August 1, whereas no domestic orders came in in the days before and weeks after, we strongly believed in a case of scam orders. Thanks to an insisting purchaser,  I now can also contact you."

[terry martyn]

Yes. I misposted this on another thread.

Simon Haas at the orchestra contacted me a few hours ago to say that four orders from four different countries were placed on August 2nd,and they thought, as no-one was ordering from Switzerland at the time,that we were all scammers.   He said that now I had contacted him again,by various means,he would write to all four of us,and confirm our orders.

The bad news for me is that my Spanish bank generously offers to charge me 62 euros for the transfer!

[Alan Howe]

I've had an email apology and a request for payment. You could try emailing Simon Haas at:
shaas74@gmail.com

[terry martyn]

Simon has already been back in touch with me and we are being inventive as to payment methods. I hope that Ilja will read this post and reply to the private message about the CD I sent him several hours ago, as I think that it will solve the problem of transfer fees for both of us.

[Alan Howe]

I've now made an online bank payment for the CD.

[terry martyn]

I also did on Thursday, as my UK bank did it without fees.   Have you heard back,Alan ,as I haven't?

[terry martyn]

I have now had a reply to the effect that all the CDs Forum members ordered should be shipped tomorrow

[terry martyn]

My CD arrived tonight, but the Spanish postman demanded an extra 10 euros before handing it over. I have informed Simon Haas in Lucerne.

[terry martyn]

But it's money well-spent.

I had Rheinberger's First Organ Concerto in my collection - but not his Second,so that,in itself was a welcome surprise. Melodious,well-crafted,and very much in the Reinecke mould.

The symphony was composed in the 1860s and it is harmonious,gentle,lilting. pleasing to the ear.  There's no denying that it is ultra-conservative,even for its own time - I said to myself that Pfyffer would probably have found the symphonies of Eduard Franck revolutionary. But it's a listening-experience worth repeating and I particularly liked the second movement which made me wonder if the composer studied under a pupil of Bernhard Romberg- an allegretto taken at a pretty sedate pace,it has to be said.

Obviously a labour of love for all concerned, and the organist,Herr Koch, apparently persuaded the orchestra to "give it a go" ,which they do in an uplifting,and highly accomplished way.

[terry martyn]

After ten play-throughs, the Symphony has stood up rather well, in my opinion, to breakfast -time listening. There are some decent melodies. and I concur with Wheest that the whole work grows on you,rather than palls. I admire the effort that has gone in to the recording, and hope that colleagues try and surmount the hurdles which are to be encountered in purchasing and shipping.

[terry martyn]

Nearly two months further on, and the symphony continues to give pleasure.  For me, it is one of the finds of the year - a lovely,unassuming,work. 

I am sorry that no-one else has commented on its merit since my previous post. 

[terry martyn]

A further report on this delightful symphony.

I must have now played it about sixty times, more than any other work in my CD collection.

The four movements are so well-balanced, the harmonies simple and pleasing, that it has become my go-to work at breakfast time.

[Justin]

The symphony was composed in the 1860s

Terry, do we know what exact year it was composed? Listening to it now, I would have guessed 1830s!

[eschiss1]

As the composer was born in 1844, I hope it wasn't!

[terry martyn]

I think I said in my first post how conservative this symphony is.  And I don't know the exact date of its composition.  What I do know is that I have just woken up with the memories of the melodies in its opening movement!