Rufinatscha from Chandos

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Eric, I had never come across RISM before but what a useful source!

[eschiss1]

One of the IMSLP admins pointed me that way. Happy to pass it along. Is now in my list of things to check along with Hofmeister (which is only for published works) and the rest...
I still have only heard the 6th symphony once or twice but found it was up to the high expectations, and look forward to hearing it again, and to later entries in the series. 
Eric

[Alan Howe]

As with several other commentators, this reviewer draws a comparison between Rufinatscha and Schumann. Personally, I can't hear it at all, but see what you think:
http://classicalsource.com/db_control/db_cd_review.php?id=9152

[Mark Thomas]

I agree with much that Anthony Hodgson wrote in his review, but I'm afraid that his final sentence makes no sense:

the symphony is of the type of music that Robert Schumann might have composed had he chosen to orchestrate in a different manner.

What does this mean? I have no idea.

Like Alan I don't think that Rufinatscha has much in common with Schumann.  To me he' s an essentially Austrian phenomenon, part of the tradition of Beethoven, Schubert and Bruckner.

[Alan Howe]

I've no idea what Hodgson means either. Complete nonsense. Shows what we're up against when a professional critic spouts rubbish. Anyway, Schumann is a very different composer.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I couldn't agree more.

[Alan Howe]

Phew - I thought it was just me...

[sdtom]

Read some of the posts and now I must have a listen to it.
Tom

[Alan Howe]

You can hear the whole work here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFAW7sE5dVU

[Gauk]

The way in which Rufinatscha chooses to shape the work is important to its comprehension – and it certainly differs from Schubert's final symphony because for all its length the Schubert is given a strictly classical contour whereas Rufinatscha's linking passages are not confined merely to the traditional device of writing a few bars to ease from one key to another – instead Rufinatscha writes one or two completely new melodic ideas. This seems to anticipate Bruckner's flexible approach to symphonic form. With no score available I put the wave-forms on to a screen and the symmetry of the construction at once became clear.

That last sentence made me chuckle. Is it possible? It reminds me of the game with LPs of identifying a work by looking at the surface of the vinyl - a light-colured band meant louder music.

[Tapiola]

Hi everybody!

I am a relatively new member in here.

Sorry for resurrecting this thread, but I couldn't resist to say these words. I always like to discover new composers and new works. Lately, I've been listening to the symphonies by Rufinatscha, and right now I'm playing the No. 5 in D major (Chandos recording). On the basis of these works, honestly, I can't think Rufinatscha was a great composer. I do know the praises towards this composer on this forum, but from my personal view there is nothing interesting so far. As for the symphony No. 5: absolutely disappointing, flat, discursive and lengthy. I prefer the symphonies 2 and 3 to this one, but they don't have any distinctive feature either.

My aim is not to hurt sensitivities, just to give my opinion about this composer.

[Mark Thomas]

No need to worry, there's no "party line" here and differences of opinion are valuable if politely expressed.

[Alan Howe]

Oh quite. Thanks for posting. Courteously expressed heresy is always welcome here! 

[Ilja]

The broader point is that neither praise nor criticism are very informative or even interesting without a motivation. There is probably a certain amount of "group think" on this forum (which is unavoidable at any social gathering), I think, but I'm glad to see that sofar it has never become stifling.


As for Rufinatscha, it's one of those composers I respect more than like, but I see where he's been important. My favorites of his are probably the 3rd and 4th symphonies; the 5th/6th I'm not mad about as I do feel that it goes on for a tad too long. Having said that, I generally also find that the search for "great" composers (and the dismissal of anyone who isn't found to be) does more damage to the music repertoire than anything. Rufinatscha was a very good, gifted composer.

[Alan Howe]

Rufinatscha was a very good, gifted composer.

Agreed. And sometimes a bit more than that...