"Hans Franke" - "Symphony No. 17 in G minor, "À la Russie", Op. 834 (1962)"

[Ilja]

Dear all, our forum member @UnsungMasterworks has created a digital rendition of the last entirely unidentified symphony by Hans Franke: YouTube Link.

Over the past months, I think I've seen every more-or-less traditional Russian G minor symphony published between 1860 and 1930. Well, clearly not every one since we haven't been able to trace this to its original composer. As much as it attempts to sound like a Belyayev School pastiche, it seems obvious that this is an (early) 20th century work; the harmonies and instrumentation feel too advanced in places for an earlier origin. It also seems obvious that this is not a collage like the "5th symphony"; it very much feels like a coherent (if not always very accomplished) composition.

It's not nearly as good as some of Franke's earlier pilferings; one gets the sense that post-war Franke simply stumbled upon this and decided to appropriate it. To be fair, it's theoretically possible that he was the author, but his reputation suggests a different conclusion. It's quite late in his "oeuvre", supposedly having been finished in mid-1962, when he was 80 years old.

Franke lived in Darmstadt at this time, and his flight from the Soviet occupation zone (the later GDR) and his erstwhile Nazi Party membership prevented him from accessing sources in East Germany. So we should probably look for the origin of this work in or around the Frankfurt area of West Germany. Of course, if he appropriated a manuscript instead of a published work, and removed the original, that drastically narrows the chances of finding the original composer.

Still, I hope members will bring their extensive knowledge of obscure repertory to the table, and may recognize the piece. If so, please let us/me know, either in the forum or by DM.

[eschiss1]

I assume that for orchestral works at least and for practical reasons he probably didn't transpose his originals.

Also, your title says 1862, which is a mite confusing.

[Ilja]

Thank you, now corrected. The whole thing is more than a mite confusing.

Thankfully, our Hans was a lazy plagiarist who copied the music quite literally.

[Mark Thomas]

(if not always very accomplished) composition.

It certainly isn't. Not up to the standard of the Eduard Franck, Kauffmann or Alban Foerster symphonies for example. I wonder if it's a student work? Maybe there'd be something in the archives of Frankfurt's Hoch Konservatorium or University library?

[terry martyn]

Very curious.

To me, it sounded like the work of an emigre, maybe living after the Great War in Germany, and I would have dated it around 1930., or even slightly later.  There were some modernistic half-minutes in the  otherwise conservative finale that put me in mind, not of a student, but someone of  the school of Grechaninov .

[Ilja]

That's a direction I've been looking into: we could easily eliminate Vasylenko (and others), but the situation in the emigré scene is quite a bit more complicated. In Paris, you have people like Vladimir Pohl, Nikolai Lopatnikoff or even Jean Catoire that might have deviated from their usual style and composed a more backward-looking, nostalgic work, even if that's a bit unlikely. The records here are, unfortunately, rather inaccessible because often the works are still under copyright.

[Vitaly]

I think I've seen every more-or-less traditional Russian G minor symphony published between 1860 and 1930. o

Could you, please, list those you've seen to narrow down the search

[Ilja]

Fair point; here's the list:

1. Obviously disqualified:

• Pyotr Tchaikovsky, No. 1, Op. 13, Winter Daydreams; 1866
• Anton Rubinstein, No. 5, Op. 107; 1880
• Vasily Kalinnikov, No. 1; 1894–1895
• Nikolai Myaskovsky, No. 12, Op. 35; 1931–1932
• Witold Maliszewski (1873–1939)   No. 1, Op. 8; 1902
• Alexander Grechaninov, No. 5, Op. 153; 1936–1937
• Dmitri Shostakovich, No. 11, Op. 103, The Year 1905; 1957

2. Checked and disqualified:

• Sergei Vasilenko (1872–1956) No. 1, Op. 10; 1904–1906
• Vladimir Sokalsky, Symphony in G minor; 1894
• Yuliya Veysberg / Julia Weissberg, also Rimskaya-Korsakova (1878/80–1942) Symphony, Op. 4 1908–1910. Haven't seen the score, but the composition, bar and page sizes make this quite unlikely.
• Gavriil Popov, No. 2, Op. 39, Motherland; 1943
• Gavriil Popov, No. 3, Op. 45, Heroic; 1939–1946
• Vassily Kalafati, early Symphony in G minor (1899?). Contacted Hellenic Library, they don't have it. Very likely a case of confusion with the Kalinnikov
• Julius Bleichmann, mentioned but eliminated because the only one I've found is in A major
• Nikolai Iwanowitsch Kasanli, eliminated because in F minor
• Yuli Ivanovich Bleichman, Symphony seems to be B minor. Needs confirmation though

3. Candidates but haven't been able to check:

• Arkady Dubensky, Symphony in G minor (1916), Old-fashioned according to testimony, not eliminated but unable to trace. Written to NY Phil, no response of any significance. Probably way too short, though if it even ever existed as a complete work; NYPhO records are unclear.
• Vasyl Barvinsky, Symphony (1908?). Old-fashioned, not eliminated but unable to trace. Written to NY Phil, no response of any significance. The symphony may not ever have existed, or may have disappeared as part of the burning of Barvinsky's work, or may have somehow escaped the burning and migrated to the FRG. No way to tell until a score shows up.
• Vassily Kühner, G minor symphony. Not much known (tip from Vitaly).

4. More remote possibilities:

• Fyodor Akimenko, may have written a symphony but that's all I know. Style and period fits, though.
• Alexander Ivanovich Vyshnegradsky, Symphony in G minor? Not sure this exists.
• Alexander Ilyinsky, possible he wrote a symphony but I've been unable to find out much more.
• Karel Navrátil, Symphony in G minor, 1902. Not impossible, but stylistically unlikely and just three mvts.

[Vitaly]

Terrific job, bravo!

Some remarks, if I may

Arkady Dubensky, Symphony in G minor (1916), Old-fashioned according to testimony - Born 1883, must be really too old-fashioned, I'd say unlikely. NB: pupil of Ilyinsky

Vasyl Barvinsky, Symphony (1908?). Never heard of a symphony, but his other ouvres are of completely different idiom

Fyodor Akimenko, may have written TWO symphonies, first is in Hm (1915). However to me his style doesn't fit, too impressionistic and more skillful at that

Alexander Wyschnegradsky, Symphony in G minor? Not sure this exists. - Symphonies 1, 3, 4 are NOT in Gm, which leaves us with the 2nd

Alexander Ilyinsky - this is my main suspect from your list. I clearly see in my records Symphony in Gm. By the way studied in Berlin.

I have some more comments on a Franke Symphony but will save them for tomorrow - need to listen one more time

[eschiss1]

Re Bleichmann, Kasanli, etc.- that's like eliminating the Kalafati just because the only symphony of his that's readily available is the A minor Op.12, we may have to look deeper first?...

Navratil- the score of this one is actually available online, so one can answer yes or no to this!!!
Also checked and disqualified of course, Weinberg symphony no.1 in G minor, unless Franke added the introduction, but I don't recall the main fast theme of Weinberg's first movement resembling Franke's either. (And by Myaskovsky's etc. one's -already- getting rather late in the 20th century anyway. Popov's are arguably impossibly late for this depending on when Franke committed his plagiarism- and the Iron Curtain may become a concern perhaps. I'd argue -most- of the composers you mention are too skilful, many if not most, even if Myaskovsky 12 is him on something of an off day- though still enjoyable and memorable, but clearly something of a ripoff of his own far better 9th symphony, in its way.)

[eschiss1]

Also, Nawratil's (1867-1936) movements (symphony in G minor, 1902 November) are

"Allegro maestoso
Allegretto quasi scherzando
Allegro con anima."
3 movements, different titles. Even without comparing the manuscript, almost certainly not related to the Franke.

[tuatara442442]

Weinberg symphony no.1 in G minor, unless Franke added the introduction, but I don't recall the main fast theme of Weinberg's first movement resembling Franke's either.

The frequent tonal oscillation in this work makes it too advanced a choice. And it has a much leaner soundscape.

[Vitaly]

The more I listen to it the more doubts I have, damn it. Yesterday I was pretty sure that this work originates from Moscow, not Belyaev's circle. But then morning comes.

However, if I am not totally delusional I clearly hear a short quote from Tchaikovsky Es-dur symphony (finished in USSR in 1950s) in first four minutes (couple times) and a quote from 2nd movement of Tchaikovsky's 4th (at 12'-12'10). Would be great to look at the score..

AI suggests that, judging by tone plan, this is a hommage to Tchaikovsky 4th.

[Vitaly]

However, if I am not totally delusional I clearly hear a short quote from Tchaikovsky Es-dur symphony (finished in USSR in 1950s)

Q.E.D.: this theme is ALSO from 3rd Concerto, Op.75, already published in 1890s...

[Ilja]

So THAT's where I recognized it from. To be fair, the E flat major symphony is dead last on my Tchaikovsky faves list (see the "worst unsungs" thread) but I re-listened the thing (alas) and I think you're right. As you say, this was published as Taneyev's Andante and Finale-slash-PC3 completion as well, and it might even be a coincidence. Honestly, the same may be true for the Tchaikovsky 4th reference, but together they suggest some kind of pastiche.