Flute concertos by Reinecke, Langer and Benoit

[eschiss1]

A recording of flute concertos by Reinecke, Peter Benoit and Ferdinand Langer (1839-1905) (Op.3, in G minor, published 1867 - IMSLP) is expected 13 February from the label Note One. I'm not offhand aware of other recordings of Langer's work. (Hrm. Apparently University flute and piano recitals like this, but those may not be commercial recordings and that one at least is of an arrangement, anyway. Only the first movement seems to be on YouTube, even, in a 2019 video.)

[terry martyn]

Many people think that the Reinecke was his finest work, the Benoit (already also recorded) is better known under its original title as a "symphonic poem", but the Langer sounds like a filler,perhaps composed after an unfortunate incident on the pickleball court.

[Ilja]

The Benoit concerto was originally conceived as the first half of a "Symphonic Tale" based on Flemish legends, his Piano Concerto forming the second half. It's programme music of sorts, even if it doesn't really engage into overt, linear story-telling, and the concertante element remains central. His flute concerto created something of a Flemish tradition, with Flamingants like Flor Alpaerts and Hendrik Waelput following Benoit's lead. Alpaerts, then director of the Peter Benoit Foundation, created his flute concerto in 1903, also called a "Symponic Poem" and following Benoit's programme to some degree (and explictly so in the finale). 

In practical terms, the Benoit concerto can be said to be part of a French tradition; it was written in Paris and Benoit wasn't yet so engaged in creating a Flemish tradition. The other two concertos sound particularly interesting because of the dearth of the flute as a concert instrument in German romantic music. To be honest, I've never been the biggest fan of Reinecke's writing for the flute, it seems to lack purpose a lot of the time, and just meanders along with the rest. The entire finale of the Langer can be heard on Presto Streaming, and at first glance it seems like he was following French influences. 

The sound balance sounds a bit odd to me, though. The brass is closely miked and very present in the soundstage, and the rest of the orchestra (including the soloist) almost disappears when they're playing.

[eschiss1]

Pace some accounts, a lot of programme music -doesn't- engage in literally descriptive linear story telling (Liszt's symphonic poems don't, for example.) As to the dearth of the flute in concertante works, this was true in 1867 , but by the late 1800s there were a reasonable number more works being written than are currently played (though that's true of the early 19th century too- Gabrielski, Fürstenau's 9-odd concertos, e.g.), which isn't saying a lot (but there are works by Wilhelm Popp, Ferdinand Büchner, ...) - I think the dearth of works to perform (quality aside, maybe, but that's often an issue) may be one of flutists' making (I see some recordings of some of these works- mostly concertos, not works like Popp's fantasias, say- but on the whole mostly multiple recordings of the standards- as usual.)

[kolaboy]

I have the CPO release of the Reinecke concertos. Of all his works (that I've heard) those stick with me the most.

[Ilja]

That is a very fine disc in every sense, including the recording (from what I've heard, balancing a flute properly with an orchestra is quite tricky). But as you might have guessed, I do prefer the Ballade over the Concerto. It's a shorter piece, and utterly charming: the interplay between the solo instrument and the orchestra works a lot better, I think.

[Ilja]

I was able to download this recording earlier today, and a very fine one it is. The Benoit, while performed before, can be heard here in what I presume is its complete form for the first time, to my knowledge. Both of Gaby Pas' recordings contained a huge cut in the first movement, which connected a rhapsodic section in the middle to the very last bit of the coda and thereby excising a rather lengthy (three and a half minutes) flute solo. Unfortunately, I can't say whether this was ordained by Benoit himself or concocted later (which I suspect), since the download does not include any documentation, but it completely alters the tone of the movement and for me restores the balance of the concert as a whole; the transition to the melancholy middle movement now makes a lot more sense and lifts the whole composition to a higher plane.

Ferdinand Langer's Flute Concerto in G minor from 1867 is without question the "unsungest" of the concertos here, but for me it was a bit of an eye-opener. Here we're again in full romantic swing, and closer to Max Bruch than to anyone else. It's an attractively energetic work, but not without its moment of introspection throughout all three movements (the first two are played all' attacca). However, for some reason I thought it sounded a bit like a violin concerto that had been arranged for flute. Maybe the reason is that while many flute concertos give the soloist a bit of time to themselves, Langer integrates the soloist much more tightly into the orchestral structures than we're used to.

Carl Reinecke's concerto in D major of 1908 never really appealed to me, and after listening to this recording I have to put that down at least partly to the (as far as I know) only previous recording of the piece by Mario Carbotta with the Rzeszow Phil under Vladimir Kiradjiev on cpo. Because what we get here really is much better and even makes the older recording even sound a bit robotic by comparison. 

Anne Pustlauk shows herself a sensitive and highly talented performer, and seems less inclined to engage in fireworks. I had never heard of L'arpa festante, but possible dread anyone might harbour because of their HIP legacy seems unfounded; they play well and offer a full-bodied sound under conductor Korneel Bernolet's intelligent guidance. I also have to commend the sound engineers; flute concertos are notoriously difficult to balance, and they did a great job. As did everyone else, as far as I'm concerned.

[John Boyer]

Carl Reinecke's concerto in D major of 1908 never really appealed to me, and after listening to this recording I have to put that down at least partly to the (as far as I know) only previous recording of the piece by Mario Carbotta with the Rzeszow Phil under Vladimir Kiradjiev on cpo.

The Reinecke has been recorded at least 6 or more times, including Rampal and Galway.

[Ilja]

Thank you for that, I had no idea, should've checked. I'll try a few more, then.

[eschiss1]

When you mentioned, awhile back, "Reinecke's writing for the flute", btw and slightly offtopic, the first work of his I ever heard - on the radio which here does mean not recently... - was the Undine sonata...

[Ilja]

Yes, perhaps weirdly enough the Flute Concerto was the piece I listened to the least. The Undine sonata I've known since forever, from the Ivaldi recording. For years it was in my CD alarm clock, so I know at least the first minutes quite well. It's a masterful piece, but as much as I liked the material I also felt that the solo instrument was often a bit of an afterthought and very secondary to the piano - more embellishment than a true partner.