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Luis de Orueta   18/9/2003	Subject: Chacun a son gout Message: Jamie is right. There is a little of Raff out there for every one (John Boyer dixit). See for yourselves: Fernando Oliva 4th Symphony Angie 4th Symphony Joshua B. Lilly 9th Symphony Kemal Behlulgil Piano concerto John Fields Piano trios Jack Kelso Macbeth (inter alia) Jamie 5th but also 6th Symphonies John Boyer 9th Symphony (inter alia) Mark Thomas 5th and 3rd Symphonies Luis de Orueta 3rd but also 10th Symphony Any other? Any corrections?
Luis de Orueta   18/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: And Michael Morrison 3rd Symphony Sorry Michael
Jamie   19/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Luis, except for Symphonies 1 & 2 (about which I have lukewarm feelings), I love all the symphones. Each one has its own special flavor. My first exposure to Raff (over 30 years ago) was Bernard Herrmann's blazing performance of #5 which to this day remains my very favorite Raff recording. It's a great shame that this luminous performance is no longer available. Next was Richard Kapp's abridged (though who knew that at the time) #3 coupled with the Ode to Spring. Then Rafflessness for next ~18 years until the Marco Polo symphonies were released. I had seen the scores for all the symphonies at the Library of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, so my appetite was whetted for many years. Each one was a revelation. I have a special fondness for #6 (as you noted) and the quartet of the season symphonies. Like the rest of us, I became acquainted with Michael Ponti's groundbreaking recording of the Piano Concerto which is a wonderful piece, but I actually prefer the Suite for Piano and Orchestra. Among Raff's chamber music, the piano trios take the prize, my special favorite being the hauntingly expressive slow movement of #4. You can listen to the poignantly beautiful opening cello melody at www.towerrecords.com and read my review at www.amazon.com (unfortunately, amazon removed their link to #4's slow movement).
FERNANDO OLIVA   19/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Dear Luis, I love Raff 4th. Symphony (For me is full of vitality and depicts a lightening way to optimist future), and today I also love all the Raff symphonies, except the 2nd. because I can not find, but I am serching hardly to get it as soon as possible. I also like his 1st. "To the Fatherland", however its inmaturity, this work has a lovely themes and kindly melodies. For me, Raff is an Universe of good music, and his works are full of sympathy and "joie de vivre". I agree with you about Raff music will be better undestanding in the future, like Mahler is today into a habitual repertoire, and his music is played often. Thanks for write another time, I missed your experience in Classical Music and expert opinion. Take care for now, Don Luis! Sincerely yours, Fernando.
Luis de Orueta   22/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Jamie, I too begun by buying Hermann´s version of Lenora in the early 70´s. And like you I bought later Kapp´s Im Walde and afterwards Montí´s version of the Piano Cocerto (Coupled with Heller´s, remember?). From 1970 to 1977 I lived in Connecticut, and the precise record shop was in Westport. And to tell you the truth, even today, I have some difficulty in explaining to myself the fascination of a music infected with almost all the negative elements that I could think of at the time. Any clues? I think I have some.
Jamie   22/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: I know that this is a bit off-topic, but as you mentioned it Luis, I feel compelled to respond. I will be forever indebted to the Candide, Genesis, Turnabout, and Vox labels for bringing out recordings of the forgotten romantics, especially piano concertos, a form of which I am especially fond. The Hiller f# minor (one of my favorite keys) coupled with the Raff, the Moszkowski in E major, Scharwenka #2 in c minor (his 4 concertos are my favorite neglected works in this form), the Moscheles #3 in g minor, the Hummels in a minor and b minor, the Reinecke concertos in f# minor and e minor, and Dohnanyi #1 in e minor. This is only a sampling of these glorious works which have remained inexplicably neglected and exist only in recordings as our intrepid pianists/orchestras refuse to program anything unfamiliar.
John Boyer   23/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Continuing on Jamie's off-topic comment, I too tip my hat to these 1970s pioneers of the off beat. Rachel Barton, in an interview in the current "Fanfare", speaks of the difficulty she has faced in getting non-standard pieces performed. She has been pushing the Joachim 2nd, among others, but all the orchestras want to know is, "Can you do the Mendelssohn? What about Brahms?" There is an earlier thread in the archives section where we talked about getting professionals interested in Raff (or anything unfamiliar), and what a tall order it is. On these lines, I heard Kurt Masur talk about his days in Dresden when he was bringing the band to America for a tour. He had recently recorded the three Bruch symphonies and wanted to program him. The tour sponsors (or whoever was holding the purse) were clear: Program Bruch, and you and your orchestra will stay in Dresden. Period. By the way, Jamie, I'm glad to read you're an X. Scharwenka guy. Great stuff, including some fine chamber music. But now I'm way off topic.
Jamie   23/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: John, I know that this is way off-topic, but since you mentioned Xaver Scharwenka, I'd like to make a few comments about him. His 4 piano concertos are all superb. I first became acquainted with Scharwenka and his music during the "romantic revival" around 1970, when I picked up the Earl Wild recording of concerto #1 with the Boston Symphony conducted by Erich Leinsdorf. Michael Ponti recorded the 2nd concerto (which has my favorite first movement piano solo entry of any concerto I know). I was bowled over by the power and majesty of the man's music and immediately sought to learn more about him. Unfortunately, no other recordings were forthcoming until the early 90's when Seta Tanyel started her series of piano solo and chamber music. I especially love the recording of the piano quartet coupled with the second trio. Then Stephen Hough came out with his "Gramophone recording of the year" of the 4th concerto in 1996 (Schawenka himself played the solo part with NY Philharmonic conducted by Gustav Mahler on 11/27/10). Subsequently, there were newer recordings of #1 and #2 and finally one of #3. Scharwenka also led a very exciting life, and if you can get a hold of his autobiography entitled "Klänge aus meinem Leben: Erinnerungen eines Musikers" you won't be able to put it down (unless you can't read German, of course). Anyway, please forgive my logorrhea, but Scharwenka is another neglected composer that I feel as strongly about as I do about Raff.
FERNANDO OLIVA   23/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Dear Friends: I am curious about Xaver Scharwenka. I never listened his works. Could you give to me more information about this and his avaiable discography? Really, reading our expert opinions, surely may be great and injustifiedly unknows Piano Concertos. Thanks in advance, Best regards from Barcelona, Fernando.
Luis de Orueta   23/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Hola Fernando, Have you tried to enter "crotchet-classical music specialist"? They have all scharwenka piano concertos. In summer this year hyperion has released another version of Jamie´s favourite, number 2, coupled with number 3. If you want to get a taste you can hear excerpts entering "jpc Suche". Also look for Raff in crotchet, as they have a good catalogue and many small pieces together with other composers. Saludos de Luis
Mark   24/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Oh yes, Xaver Scharwenka, whether his Piano Concertos, Chamber Music or solo piano output is well worth exploring - good red-blooded high romantic stuff! I defy anyone to listen to Earl Wild's performance of the 1st. Concerto and not cheer at the end. The other three Concertos, as Jamie says, are finer if not quite as full of youthful energy and have a real sense of musical development from one to the other. BTW, if you already have Setya Tanel's fine Collins CD of Nos.3&4 don't make the mistake of buying the latest Hyperion Romantic Piano Concertos series CD - it's the same recording re-released. The Piano Quartet and the two Piano Trios are also enjoyable works although I found his brother Philipp's Quintet and pair of Piano Trios more satisfying still - they're on MDG. If you go to www.recordsinternational.com you'll see that someone is trying to raise cash to fund a recording of Xaver Scharwenka's Symphony - now there's a work I'd love to hear! All the best,
FERNANDO OLIVA   25/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Gracias Don Luis Thanks Mark I will try to enter both web sites as soon as possible. I hope Schawenka´s music in Hyperion was published in his budget label "Helios". Better, I will enter in Hyperion cathalogue. Kind regards from Barcelona, Fernando.
John Boyer   26/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Oh, Fernando, you don't know what you've been missing. But you are lucky; you can buy the recordings we had to wait years for. The famous Earl Wild recording of the 1st Concerto can be had on Elan 82266, coupled with the Paderewski. (Please tell me you know the Paderewski!) For the 2nd Concerto, there's Seta Tanyel's Collins recording, now re-released as the latest in Hyperion's "Romantic Piano Concerto" series (full price, though). It's coupled with the only recording of the 3rd. The 1st and 2nd can also be had in a very nice pairing on Centaur 2500, with L. Jeanningros at the piano. The sound in both 2nds is vastly superior to the Ponti, so that pioneering account can be safely set aside. The 1st is a romantic concerto almost to the point of parody, but it's hard not to like its over-the-top enthusiasm. The 2nd was described by one modern critic as "Chopin on steroids", while another said the finale sounded like the product of a Yiddish Chopin. Both descriptions are fair. Once you hear the finale, you won't be able to get the tune out of your head. Until recently I didn't really care for the 3rd, but this thread made me listen to it again with new ears. It's quite ambitious and well worth the effort of getting to know it. What would have been the best recording of the 2nd exists only as the finale in Raymond Lewenthal's account on Elan 82284. It's coupled with great performances of the Rubinstein 4th and the Henselt F minor, along with a completely re-arranged (by Lewenthal) version of the Liszt "Totentanz". Alas, Lewenthal did not like Scharwenka, saying that only the finale of the 2nd was worth recording, which is what he did (albeit with a new coda composed by Lewenthal). Alas! The wonderful 4th is included on volume 11 of the Hyperion series. My favorite movement is the Intermezzo, which, like the finale of the 2nd, is so irresistably charming that it's hard to resist the temptation to play it over and over by itself. Xaver's piano solo music has been released in three volumes on Hyperion's budget Helios label. The very fine chamber music can be had on a Hyperion Dyad (two for the price of one) release (Hyperion 22046). Unlike Mark, I prefer Xaver's Polish-influenced chamber works to brother Philipp's more Germanic efforts, but this is not to slight Philipp as a composer. Xaver's early violin sonata is fun, while the 2nd Trio, with it's beautiful slow movement and exciting "ala zingarese" finale, should be in every performing trio's repertory. Go broke!
FERNANDO OLIVA   26/9/2003	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: Dear John: Like ever, thanks for your help and information. Hyperion is easy to find in specialized shops in Barcelona. But find Centaur is very hard. Despite this, surely you remember I have Rubinstein 3rd. and 5th Symphonies both in this label. I am excited to discover Scharwenka, and hope I will enjoy his music, as I enjoyed Hermann Goetz. About piano solists you talked me about, I only listened Ponti (Rubinstein 4th, Tchaikovsky 1st. and Tchaikovsky-Taneyev 3rd). Before I discovered NAXOS beginning the 90´s, I often bought DG "Galleria", DG "Privilege" or EMI and their piano solists were for example Martha Argerich, Tamas Vasary, Arturo Benedetti-MIchelangeli or Svietoslav Richter (often in ADD or AAD recordings). Thanks to Naxos I discovered another best players: Idyl Biret, Jeno Jando, Joseph Banowetz, etc. Well, I will get paid at the end of the month (next week) and have "fresh" money to spent in Sckarwenka and Ries. Another thing: I have seen the same day I purchased Raff Violin Sonata, a CD with Hans Rott Symphonies. Do you know this composer? Could you give to me any information about this? Thanks in advance, ans I hope you have a nice week-end. Best wishes, Fernando
atthias Schneider-Dominco   22/3/2004	RE: Chacun a son gout IP: Logged Message: A tip for Xaver Scharwenka fans who can read german: Hainholz Musikwissenschaft Band 6 Matthias Schneider-Dominco Xaver Scharwenka (1850-1924). Werkverzeichnis (ScharWV) ISBN 3-932622-68-5 217 Seiten, gebunden (Leinen), mit 13 Abb. 76,50 EUR (D) Inhalt: Der Band enthält eine überblicksartige Biografie Schwarwenkas, das systematische Verzeichnis seiner musikalischen und literarischen Werke (173 Nummern), eine Würdigung seines Schaffens und im Anhang ca. 30 Briefe an Scharwenka - darunter einige bislang unveröffentlicht - von Johannes Brahms, Max Bruch, Ferruccio Busoni, Eugen d'Albert, Karl Davidoff, Joseph Joachim, Franz Liszt, Max Pauer, David Popper, Moriz Rosenthal, Nicolai Rubinstein und Richard Strauss.