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autoharp
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« Reply #15 on: 10:37:26, 29-09-2007 » |
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Absolutely in agreement about the 4th symphony, rm - and it would probably puzzle those who only know the likes of the 3rd symphony and 1st violin concerto. On the subject of unmentioned works, there are some impressive groups of songs, some orchestrated by the composer such as the Love songs of Hafiz (1911), Songs of a fairy tale princess (1915), Songs of the infatuated muezzin (1918) and Slopiewnie (1921). There's a Marco Polo recording entitled "Songs with orchestra" - it includes the Song of Roxana from King Roger which also exists in a version for violin + piano (Tommo take note).
Those lovers of the Stabat Mater would probably have a good time with Aarre Merikanto's Genesis of 1958. However, I suspect it doesn't sound much like the pieces which Tim had in mind.
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« Last Edit: 10:43:29, 29-09-2007 by autoharp »
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richard barrett
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« Reply #16 on: 10:49:45, 29-09-2007 » |
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such as the Love songs of Hafiz (1911), Songs of a fairy tale princess (1915) I listened to those at bedtime last night and they put me in a suitably languorous mood. I'm not so keen on the Fourth Symphony though, or Harnasie, not really my kind of thing at all. |
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martle
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« Reply #18 on: 12:11:47, 29-09-2007 » |
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Many thanks, Ron. I'm ignorant of much of this composer's work, so that CD's going on the list for starters.
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Green. Always green.
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time_is_now
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« Reply #19 on: 12:12:24, 29-09-2007 » |
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I haven't heard it myself but I remember this King Roger getting some excellent reviews (including favourable comparisons to the Rattle which was then its main in-print competition). |
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The city is a process which always veers away from the form envisaged and desired, ... whose revenge upon its architects and planners undoes every dream of mastery. It is [also] one of the sites where Dasein is assigned the impossible task of putting right what can never be put right. - Rob Lapsley
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Ron Dough
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« Reply #20 on: 13:26:53, 29-09-2007 » |
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There's quite a deal of Szymanowski on Naxos, including the opera, though I've not heard that version. He's another composer who lives through a time of changes, influenced audibly by the German, French, Oriental/Exotic and Folk/Nationalistic schools as he progressses. None of this ever interferes with his sense of pace and structure, or his fastidious ear for orchestral (and vocal) colour, however. You might not care for all his output, but I'd guess that there'll be very few readers of this board who don't find at least a couple of his works which bed themselves into their musical memory.
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IgnorantRockFan
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« Reply #21 on: 14:59:10, 02-10-2007 » |
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One movement of his String Quartet No 2 was played on In Tune yesterday, only the second piece of Szymanowski I have ever knowingly heard. It was interesting but not really as enjoyable as the violin concerto. It wasn't as... pretty  I note that the R3 playlist calls him "Szymanovski". Hmm. |
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Allegro, ma non tanto
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thompson1780
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« Reply #22 on: 16:41:22, 02-10-2007 » |
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Thank you all for your recommendations. A listen again at R3 and a purchase of king Rog are on the agenda I think.
Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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ahinton
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« Reply #23 on: 17:38:02, 02-10-2007 » |
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Those lovers of the Stabat Mater would probably have a good time with Aarre Merikanto's Genesis of 1958. However, I suspect it doesn't sound much like the pieces which Tim had in mind.
IIRC, did not Merikanto study briefly with Szymanowski? Best, Alistair |
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ahinton
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« Reply #24 on: 17:42:23, 02-10-2007 » |
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such as the Love songs of Hafiz (1911), Songs of a fairy tale princess (1915) I listened to those at bedtime last night and they put me in a suitably languorous mood. I think that they are wonderful! I'm not so keen on the Fourth Symphony though,
I'm afraid that I agree with you there; it's an attractive work in its own right, undoubtedly, yet I cannot help but feel that it is partially tinged with an uncomfortable element of cop-out; he wrote it for himself to play as soloist at a time when his health was apparently not much more up to scratch than his playing. What it doesn't do, however, is offer any real suggestion that his creative powers were waning, as the Second Violin Concerto perhaps testifies as well as anything. Best, Alistair |
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TimR-J
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« Reply #25 on: 18:37:26, 02-10-2007 » |
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I'm fascinated by what Tim wrote about the influence of the Stabat mater. What other works apart from Gorecki's 3rd symphony? I've often wondered about the string sound/writing of Szymanowski's 3rd symphony and its effect on later composers. And the kind of ornate, improvisatory filigree writing (particularly in high registers) so characteristic of the middle period works was of course something which Sorabji (if no-one else ?) took up.
I'm thinking of those rich, modal harmonies, scored for strings with resonant plucked/hammered instruments on top. There's quite a bit of this in Kilar ( Exodus, say), but I'm also thinking of Eugeniusz Knapik's La flűte de jade (1973). According to Adrian Thomas this has a "symbiotic" relationship with Górecki 2 and 3, but looking at the score (I don't know of a recording), it goes a little further than that - most of the first movement would fit happily in Górecki's Third, completed three years later (Knapik was a Górecki student at the time). |
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autoharp
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« Reply #26 on: 20:06:28, 02-10-2007 » |
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Those lovers of the Stabat Mater would probably have a good time with Aarre Merikanto's Genesis of 1958. However, I suspect it doesn't sound much like the pieces which Tim had in mind.
IIRC, did not Merikanto study briefly with Szymanowski? That one's news to me ! When ? I'd presumed (mistakenly ?) that Merikanto's harmonic style was encouraged by his studies in Moscow c.1915. Thanks for your post, Tim. Those are new names to me. I'll try and find out more. A bit of obscure trivia for those who know the mid-period piano pieces Masques and Metopes is that both were orchestrated by Jan Krenz (anybody heard any of his compositions ?). I've never heard them but I do have a score of his Masques. |
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