Wetz Symphonies

Hi Oldslow,

thanks for your posting. I like romantic symphonies and your review of Wetz`s works looks very promising. So I plan to buy the cpo-CDs of this composer, from which I have never heard before.
Do you know Niels Wilhelm Gade? He is the most famous Danish composer of the 19th century and I enjoyed his symphonic music on Chandos CD9422.

Best wishes

Manfred

Manfred--I hope you enjoy the Wetz symphonies as much as I do. Please post your reaction to them. I also got Wetz' Symphony No. 1, also on cpo (Crakow Orchestra) and it is every bit as good as the other two symphonies-a beautiful performance.

I don't know Neils Gade's music. Can you perhaps recommend some works/performances of his works, as I would like to explore it. I am familiar with and enjoy Kurt Atterberg, a prolific Swedish composer writing in the romantic style when such style was long out of fashion.

I also have recently enjoyed two works by Emil von Rescinek, a Czech composer who wrote somewhat in the style of Richard Strauss. Indeed, two of his best works (Seiger and Schlmiele, both on cpo) are kind of parodies of Strauss' penchant for program music. I highly recommend these works. Both show a complete mastery of form, with many interesting ideas.

Hello Oldnslow, ( this time correctly written ),

about Niels Wilhelm Gade:

the Symphony No. 1 and the Opus 1 - Echoes of Ossian Overture are very nice. Both works are based on Danish folk songs.

Max Bruch composed a rather unknown " Suite für großes Orchester " op. 79b, it contains fine Russian-style melodies. The CD-No. is ebs 6071.

I will be back here, when I have heard the Wetz Symphonies.

All the best

Manfred

Manfred--Are you referring perhaps to the Gade Symphony No.1 on Chandos label? I also see they are available on BIS, and wonder which recording you are refering to.

Also I said Rezcinek (I never can get the spelling correct) was Czech when he is fact was born in Austria and lived and worked in Germany. Those two tone poems of his (Schmeihl and Sieger) are fascinating--minor masterpieces at least.

Hi Oldnslow,

yes, my Gade-CD is on Chandos label ( Chan 9422 ). I heard the "Echoes of Ossian" in the radio - probably a different recording - and bought the Chandos CD from Amazon. Dmitri Kitajenko conducts the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. The CD contains the 1. Symphony, the Echoes and the Hamlet Overture.

Best wishes

Manfred

Hello Oldnslow,

a few days ago, the Wetz Symphonies arrived and I could listen to them. This music is really impressive, a little bit a mix of R. Strauss and A. Bruckner!
Btw I am quite shure, that there are many unknown but excellent composers to discover. We can be happy, that some of the minor CD labels offer this fine music instead of the 100xth version of Beethovens Fifth Symphony.

All the best

Manfred

Manfred---Glad you enjoyed the Wetz symphonies. I listened to the First symphony last night(the Cracow orchestra/cpo) and enjoyed it very much. I don't know why this fellow isn't more widely known--I'll take his symphonies over Berg, Webern and Schoenberg any day( I like a lot of 20th century music, but not much by these three critically acclaimed 20th century German composers, the principal exceptions being Schoenberg's Five Pieces for Orchestra, op. 16, and Berg's Violin concerto).
By the way, I just received the Gade Symphony 1 & 5 recording on Chandos(Hogwood series) and look forward to listening.

Hi Oldnslow,

the works of Schönberg, Webern and Berg are also not my cup of tea. As far as I know, they all are born in Vienna, so they are Austrian composers. Never call an Austrian a German, he would be offended at this .

All the best

Manfred

Oops, I guess that's why they are referred to as the second Viennese school of composers!!! Sorry about that, as I realize how Europeans are sensitive about all things relating to nationality...over here many of us don't give a damn about cultural backgrounds---the melting pot and all that you know........hehehe

Hi Oldnslow,

If you love Bruckner's music (I certainly do ) can I recommend you to listen to the symphonies of also another two obscured composers: Alberic Magnard and Hans Roth. If interested you can find good recordings of both by Hiperion, for Roth also by Bis, Cpo and Arte Nova ( to my taste the best rendition of the symphony).
Thank you for posting your remarks. Some time ago I asked in this forum about another composers like Bruckner ( my favourite ),now I can look for Wetz.

Enjoy!!

Fabian

I would like to fix my mistake not Roth but Rott.

Thanks Fabian. I am unfamiliar with either Magnard or Rott and will investigate them. Like many, I enjoy Bruckner very much, but it appears he had little real impact or influence on other composers. That's why I found Wetz such an interesting discovery.

Manfred--I thoroughly enjoyed the Gade Symphonies 1 & 5 (Hogwood/Chandos). Very Mendelssohn-like with great rhythm and melodies. Thanks for recommending them. I may explore other of his works

Hi Oldnslow,

happy to hear you enjoyed Gade`s works. I have a weakness for Scandinavian composers ( e.g. Grieg ) with their great melodies full of melancholy.

If you like Mozart`s Clarinet Concerto, I can recommend another unknown composer:
Antonio Casimir Cartellieri, Concertos for Clarinet and Orchestra, MDG 301 0527-2
The Adagio pastorale ( Concerto No. 1 ) is beautiful, it is imo nearly on a par with the famous Adagio KV 622.

All the best

Manfred