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Symphony - BBC4

B

Basil

Harbethian
On iPlayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b016pwgy/Symphony_Genesis_and_Genius/

Well worth a look, broaden your musical outlook, why not?

Also tonight on BBC4, 19:30 and repeated at 00:15. 'Eroica'

Not to be repeated on iPlayer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074rcn

Collaboration between the BBC's classical music and drama departments, a factual drama about the genesis of Beethoven's Symphony No 3, the Eroica. It is set over the course of a single day in June 1804 at the Viennese palace of Beethoven's patron, Prince Lobkowitz. The composer hears his music for the very first time and waits for the answer to his proposal of marriage from the woman he adores.
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Part three up now, parts 1 & 2 are still available.

As good as this series is, part three had what I consider to be a serious omission... Felix Mendlessohn? No mention at all??? WTF?

How can you make a series called 'Symphony', include Wagner and not mention Mendlessohn?
 
Because Mendelssohn is just nice wallpaper music for the most part. He wrote some good tunes - better tunesmith than most - but there is no big emotional narrative.
 
Was there any mention of Spohr? If you said symphony to anyone in Europe between 1830 and 1850 they'd have said "Oh yes, Louis Spohr's the man for that"..... where is he now?
 
I've watched 2 of them now and its a very enjoyable series.

For the cognoscenti what are the best Beethoven Symphony Cycles?


Paul
 
Karajan 1963
Toscanini RCA
Abbado BPO (the latter cycle)
In the end though, it's probably best to cherry pick single recordings. Some recommendations.
You should have Kleiber in 5 on DG, 4&6 on Orfeo and 7 on DVD (better than the 7 on CD IMHO). Abendroth's is my favourite #3.
Klemperer and Furtwangler are must hears. Norrington is interesting. Gardiner unlistenable, despite the hype (his renditions of Beethoven 4 & PC1 was one of only two concerts I've walked out of -- the other was Stockhausen's Hymnen -- I didn't stay for 5, it all gave me a headache). Haitink's with the LSO on SACD were great live performances, though the LSO's discs of these events have been disappointing (the hall, not the orchestra).
 
lennyw said:
-- the other was Stockhausen's Hymnen
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Heretic! One of the greatest works if the 20th century IMO. I had the pleasure of attending a performance that included a talk from Stockhausen beforehand - I got him to sign my programme like a right fanboi! I've got the original DGG vinyl too, it really is an amazing work.
 
I like his other stuff (the Licht operas, Stimmung, Kontakt) but this one left me cold. I've become less patient now that the costs of a babysitter are added to the equation...
 
lennyw said:
I've become less patient now that the costs of a babysitter are added to the equation...
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Patience is one thing the Hymnen demands - it is all about the micro-detail, craft, concept and invention. Stockhausen put in a couple of pretty much solid years work to create it, largely because the tools to create it didn't exist, so he had to make those too! It's effect is clearly diminished to some degree now as so much has been absorbed into culture and made easy to replicate with modern technology, but once you start to research exactly how and why he did it the sheer scale of it becomes clear - this is the Great Wall Of China of electronic music, a truly monumental work.
 
alanbeeb said:
Because Mendelssohn is just nice wallpaper music for the most part. He wrote some good tunes - better tunesmith than most - but there is no big emotional narrative.
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I remember a R3 interview with Masur making a case for Mendelssohn as a symphonist many years ago. He blamed flaccid readings and sloppy playing for the composer's modern standing. Masur's Gewandhaus performances changed my mind about Mendelssohn.


On the Beethoven front, I bought a remastered no.3 at the weekend ( from the shop in the foyer of the Philharmonie) Its Karajan's November 62 recording. I've not owned this cycle but remember hearing it about 20 yrs ago and being stunned by the SQ compared with the later DG microphone soup recordings. Have ordered 5 and 6 from the same cycle and look forward to comparing his 70s/80s versions again.
 
TheDecameron said:
I remember a R3 interview with Masur making a case for Mendelssohn as a symphonist many years ago. He blamed flaccid readings and sloppy playing for the composer's modern standing. Masur's Gewandhaus performances changed my mind about Mendelssohn.


On the Beethoven front, I bought a remastered no.3 at the weekend ( from the shop in the foyer of the Philharmonie) Its Karajan's November 62 recording. I've not owned this cycle but remember hearing it about 20 yrs ago and being stunned by the SQ compared with the later DG microphone soup recordings. Have ordered 5 and 6 from the same cycle and look forward to comparing his 70s/80s versions again.
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Just found the complete 70's cycle plus the overtures on CD for a sensible price at Amazon... had a bit of pre black friday splurge... three shostakovich cycles, couple of Prokoviev, Verdi...

Drooling over this thursdays part...

'Simon Russell Beale investigates the symphonic world of the Soviet Union composer Shostakovich, and how Ives and Copland were creating a new American sound.'
 
I just love Copland.

Shostakovich is wonderful, but I'm inclined to agree with Glenn Gould: that is first symphony is his best, and the rest are just reworkings ;-)

Here's hoping that EMI release the HvK on SACD sometime next year...
 
lennyw said:
I just love Copland.

Shostakovich is wonderful, but I'm inclined to agree with Glenn Gould: that is first symphony is his best, and the rest are just reworkings ;-)

Here's hoping that EMI release the HvK on SACD sometime next year...
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Love Copland?

You have this set?

cds.jpg


Shostakovich... I've always prefered the string quartets to the symphonies, although I do like the 11th symphony, and there's a great version on this Stokowski box:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leopold-Stokowski-Maverick-Conductor/dp/B002HIEIV0/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1322076807&sr=1-1

EMI HvK? Not the 50's mono Beethoven cycle? What's the point of this set on SACD?

OMG! I'd forgotten how pale the Harbs were when they were new...
 
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Watched the 3rd part of 'Symphony' last night (my favourite so far, Mahler is my favourite composer).

Can anyone recommend the best Brahms and Sibelius cycles as I'm ashamed to say I've got nothing by these two (Sibelius sounds wonderful in particular).

Thanks in advance

Darren

PS The opening of Mahler's Third didn't half sound immense through my new PMC's.
 
Darren
there's a very good value Essential Sibelius on BIS that contains all the symphonies and lots more (arguably, much of it not really 'essential' but that's moot). Conducted by Osmo Vanska, it has good performances and good, modern sound. Apparently the prize recording is the Colin Davis box set on RCA but it's deleted, quite rare and I've never heard it.
Brahms not really my thing but friends tell me that the recent Rattle set has impressive sound and OK performances but that the Abbado set on DG is the one to beat.
I also am a committed Mahlerian (as well as Shostakovich and Vaughan Williams) and I'll PM you with my favourite recordings - we can compare notes.
 
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