š Free Worldwide Shipping on All Orders!Shop Now
Reznicek: Symphony No 1 "tragic", Etc / Beerman, Prudenskaja, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt
REZNICEK Symphony No. 1, āTragic.ā 4 Songs of Prayer and Repentance 1 ā¢ Frank Beermann, cond; Marina Prudenskaja (mez); 1 Brandenburg St O Frankfurt ā¢ cpo 777 223 (68:50)
In some ways, Reznicek might be described as the poor manās Richard Strauss. Cpo, which is engaged in a project to record Reznicekās orchestral output, has already released the composerās Second and Fifth Symphonies and two tone-poems, Schlemihl and Raskolnikoff , reviewed by Henry Fogel in 28:2. Schlemihl has been dismissed in some quarters as the effort of a jealous and bitter Reznicek to parody and deflate the puffed up ego of Straussās Ein Heldenleben, schlemihl being Yiddish for an unlucky, incompetent boob upon whose head every manner of misfortune fallsāin effect, the anti-hero to Straussās Ćbermensch . But the non-Jewish Reznicek, as Fogel pointed out, may have misconstrued the caustic connotation of the word, which imparts the flavor of not just a pitiable sad sack, but of a fool who invites bad luck and ridicule; for Reznicekās trials and tribulationsāthe deaths of two children and his first wifeāwere real and indeed heartbreaking.
Like Brahms, who didnāt complete his First Symphony until he was 43, Reznicek was 41 in 1901 when he wrote his Symphony No. 1 in D Major. The original booklet essay written in German by Eckhardt van den Hoogen is, in translation at least, incomprehensible gibberish. I was unable to make heads or tails of its mishmash of arcane literary references and absurdist metaphorsāāthe Criminal Tango of the first movement and the Jesus Christ Superstar of the last movementāānot to mention the mental imagery of āpulling on the pigtails of Mendelssohnās Violin Concerto,ā and the depiction of Reznicekās beard as a āfoot muffā that put me off my dinner. From what I was able to glean, it seems that the only ātragedyā that led the composer to subtitle the work āTragicā was a ride on a crowded city train in which a pretty young girl who caught Reznicekās eye got up and offered the āold manā her seat.
So what does this ātragicā concoction sound like? Well, a bit like Strauss being badgered by Pauline to go to his room and compose something. Then, beginning at 12:08 in the first movement, a sequence that seems to mimic the development section in the first movement of Tchaikovskyās āPathĆ©tiqueā makes a discomfiting appearance. Here comes a snippet of Schumann, there a scrap of Brahms, and everywhere the oddments and leftovers of Liszt. This symphony would be a piece of utter trash were it not for the twofold fact that it was obviously written by a master orchestral craftsman of the first order, and that it buys one entrance to a musical circus of clowns dressed up as Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Wagner, and Liszt somersaulting around the ring. I defy anyone to listen to Reznicekās Symphony No. 1 and not laugh out loud as the parade of jesters passes by. If the piece had been written after Schlemihl instead of before it, a more appropriate subtitle might have been Schlamazel.
Having had my say on the Symphony, let me turn now to the Four Songs of Prayer and Repentance after words of the Holy Scriptures. Reznicek really ought not to be judged by his First Symphony, which has got to be either an aberration or some sort of off-color, politically incorrect joke. He was a serious composer with a quite significant catalog of works to his credit: five symphonies, a dozen operas, numerous orchestral and concerted compositions, at least five string quartets, two piano trios, and a considerable volume of solo piano and organ pieces. Very little of it has been recorded; and, except for the Donna Diana Overture, Iāve no recollection of hearing any of it performed liveāwhich is a shame, because the Four Songs are gorgeous.
Written in 1913, long before Strauss said sayonara with his Four Last Songs , Reznicekās songs take their cue from Brahmsās Four Serious Songs , though they are not nearly as reverential and austere. Where Brahms chose Biblical texts that reflect the fatalism of his last yearsāāfor that which befalls man befalls beastsāāReznicek selected verses from Ecclesiastes and The Book of Sirach that focus on comforting, acceptance, and the beauty that is to be found in wisdomāāThe pipe and the psaltery make sweet melody, but a pleasant tongue is above them both.ā Reznicekās songs are supple and sensuous, but not sensual in that steamy, erotic way that many of Straussās songs are. The orchestral accompaniments caress the words with an angelic tenderness.
Marina Prudenskaja, who is identified as a mezzo-soprano, actually has more of a dark-hued contralto quality to her voice that reminded me a bit of Rita Gorr. She has the right timbre and range, I think, to be an ideal candidate for Brahmsās Alto Rhapsody.
Despite what you may have concluded from my opinion of the Symphony, this disc comes with a hearty endorsement, and not just for the Four Songs , which are lovely beyond description, but yes, for the Symphony, too, which is a laugh-a-minute Hooterville riot. Performances and recording are first-class.
FANFARE: Jerry Dubins
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Reznicek: Symphony No 1 "tragic", Etc / Beerman, Prudenskaja, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt
Reznicek: Symphony No 1 "tragic", Etc / Beerman, Prudenskaja, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurt
REZNICEK Symphony No. 1, āTragic.ā 4 Songs of Prayer and Repentance 1 ā¢ Frank Beermann, cond; Marina Prudenskaja (mez); 1 Brandenburg St O Frankfurt ā¢ cpo 777 223 (68:50)
In some ways, Reznicek might be described as the poor manās Richard Strauss. Cpo, which is engaged in a project to record Reznicekās orchestral output, has already released the composerās Second and Fifth Symphonies and two tone-poems, Schlemihl and Raskolnikoff , reviewed by Henry Fogel in 28:2. Schlemihl has been dismissed in some quarters as the effort of a jealous and bitter Reznicek to parody and deflate the puffed up ego of Straussās Ein Heldenleben, schlemihl being Yiddish for an unlucky, incompetent boob upon whose head every manner of misfortune fallsāin effect, the anti-hero to Straussās Ćbermensch . But the non-Jewish Reznicek, as Fogel pointed out, may have misconstrued the caustic connotation of the word, which imparts the flavor of not just a pitiable sad sack, but of a fool who invites bad luck and ridicule; for Reznicekās trials and tribulationsāthe deaths of two children and his first wifeāwere real and indeed heartbreaking.
Like Brahms, who didnāt complete his First Symphony until he was 43, Reznicek was 41 in 1901 when he wrote his Symphony No. 1 in D Major. The original booklet essay written in German by Eckhardt van den Hoogen is, in translation at least, incomprehensible gibberish. I was unable to make heads or tails of its mishmash of arcane literary references and absurdist metaphorsāāthe Criminal Tango of the first movement and the Jesus Christ Superstar of the last movementāānot to mention the mental imagery of āpulling on the pigtails of Mendelssohnās Violin Concerto,ā and the depiction of Reznicekās beard as a āfoot muffā that put me off my dinner. From what I was able to glean, it seems that the only ātragedyā that led the composer to subtitle the work āTragicā was a ride on a crowded city train in which a pretty young girl who caught Reznicekās eye got up and offered the āold manā her seat.
So what does this ātragicā concoction sound like? Well, a bit like Strauss being badgered by Pauline to go to his room and compose something. Then, beginning at 12:08 in the first movement, a sequence that seems to mimic the development section in the first movement of Tchaikovskyās āPathĆ©tiqueā makes a discomfiting appearance. Here comes a snippet of Schumann, there a scrap of Brahms, and everywhere the oddments and leftovers of Liszt. This symphony would be a piece of utter trash were it not for the twofold fact that it was obviously written by a master orchestral craftsman of the first order, and that it buys one entrance to a musical circus of clowns dressed up as Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Wagner, and Liszt somersaulting around the ring. I defy anyone to listen to Reznicekās Symphony No. 1 and not laugh out loud as the parade of jesters passes by. If the piece had been written after Schlemihl instead of before it, a more appropriate subtitle might have been Schlamazel.
Having had my say on the Symphony, let me turn now to the Four Songs of Prayer and Repentance after words of the Holy Scriptures. Reznicek really ought not to be judged by his First Symphony, which has got to be either an aberration or some sort of off-color, politically incorrect joke. He was a serious composer with a quite significant catalog of works to his credit: five symphonies, a dozen operas, numerous orchestral and concerted compositions, at least five string quartets, two piano trios, and a considerable volume of solo piano and organ pieces. Very little of it has been recorded; and, except for the Donna Diana Overture, Iāve no recollection of hearing any of it performed liveāwhich is a shame, because the Four Songs are gorgeous.
Written in 1913, long before Strauss said sayonara with his Four Last Songs , Reznicekās songs take their cue from Brahmsās Four Serious Songs , though they are not nearly as reverential and austere. Where Brahms chose Biblical texts that reflect the fatalism of his last yearsāāfor that which befalls man befalls beastsāāReznicek selected verses from Ecclesiastes and The Book of Sirach that focus on comforting, acceptance, and the beauty that is to be found in wisdomāāThe pipe and the psaltery make sweet melody, but a pleasant tongue is above them both.ā Reznicekās songs are supple and sensuous, but not sensual in that steamy, erotic way that many of Straussās songs are. The orchestral accompaniments caress the words with an angelic tenderness.
Marina Prudenskaja, who is identified as a mezzo-soprano, actually has more of a dark-hued contralto quality to her voice that reminded me a bit of Rita Gorr. She has the right timbre and range, I think, to be an ideal candidate for Brahmsās Alto Rhapsody.
Despite what you may have concluded from my opinion of the Symphony, this disc comes with a hearty endorsement, and not just for the Four Songs , which are lovely beyond description, but yes, for the Symphony, too, which is a laugh-a-minute Hooterville riot. Performances and recording are first-class.
FANFARE: Jerry Dubins
$18.99
Reznicek: Symphony No 1 "tragic", Etc / Beerman, Prudenskaja, Brandenburg State Orchestra Frankfurtā
$18.99
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
REZNICEK Symphony No. 1, āTragic.ā 4 Songs of Prayer and Repentance 1 ā¢ Frank Beermann, cond; Marina Prudenskaja (mez); 1 Brandenburg St O Frankfurt ā¢ cpo 777 223 (68:50)
In some ways, Reznicek might be described as the poor manās Richard Strauss. Cpo, which is engaged in a project to record Reznicekās orchestral output, has already released the composerās Second and Fifth Symphonies and two tone-poems, Schlemihl and Raskolnikoff , reviewed by Henry Fogel in 28:2. Schlemihl has been dismissed in some quarters as the effort of a jealous and bitter Reznicek to parody and deflate the puffed up ego of Straussās Ein Heldenleben, schlemihl being Yiddish for an unlucky, incompetent boob upon whose head every manner of misfortune fallsāin effect, the anti-hero to Straussās Ćbermensch . But the non-Jewish Reznicek, as Fogel pointed out, may have misconstrued the caustic connotation of the word, which imparts the flavor of not just a pitiable sad sack, but of a fool who invites bad luck and ridicule; for Reznicekās trials and tribulationsāthe deaths of two children and his first wifeāwere real and indeed heartbreaking.
Like Brahms, who didnāt complete his First Symphony until he was 43, Reznicek was 41 in 1901 when he wrote his Symphony No. 1 in D Major. The original booklet essay written in German by Eckhardt van den Hoogen is, in translation at least, incomprehensible gibberish. I was unable to make heads or tails of its mishmash of arcane literary references and absurdist metaphorsāāthe Criminal Tango of the first movement and the Jesus Christ Superstar of the last movementāānot to mention the mental imagery of āpulling on the pigtails of Mendelssohnās Violin Concerto,ā and the depiction of Reznicekās beard as a āfoot muffā that put me off my dinner. From what I was able to glean, it seems that the only ātragedyā that led the composer to subtitle the work āTragicā was a ride on a crowded city train in which a pretty young girl who caught Reznicekās eye got up and offered the āold manā her seat.
So what does this ātragicā concoction sound like? Well, a bit like Strauss being badgered by Pauline to go to his room and compose something. Then, beginning at 12:08 in the first movement, a sequence that seems to mimic the development section in the first movement of Tchaikovskyās āPathĆ©tiqueā makes a discomfiting appearance. Here comes a snippet of Schumann, there a scrap of Brahms, and everywhere the oddments and leftovers of Liszt. This symphony would be a piece of utter trash were it not for the twofold fact that it was obviously written by a master orchestral craftsman of the first order, and that it buys one entrance to a musical circus of clowns dressed up as Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Wagner, and Liszt somersaulting around the ring. I defy anyone to listen to Reznicekās Symphony No. 1 and not laugh out loud as the parade of jesters passes by. If the piece had been written after Schlemihl instead of before it, a more appropriate subtitle might have been Schlamazel.
Having had my say on the Symphony, let me turn now to the Four Songs of Prayer and Repentance after words of the Holy Scriptures. Reznicek really ought not to be judged by his First Symphony, which has got to be either an aberration or some sort of off-color, politically incorrect joke. He was a serious composer with a quite significant catalog of works to his credit: five symphonies, a dozen operas, numerous orchestral and concerted compositions, at least five string quartets, two piano trios, and a considerable volume of solo piano and organ pieces. Very little of it has been recorded; and, except for the Donna Diana Overture, Iāve no recollection of hearing any of it performed liveāwhich is a shame, because the Four Songs are gorgeous.
Written in 1913, long before Strauss said sayonara with his Four Last Songs , Reznicekās songs take their cue from Brahmsās Four Serious Songs , though they are not nearly as reverential and austere. Where Brahms chose Biblical texts that reflect the fatalism of his last yearsāāfor that which befalls man befalls beastsāāReznicek selected verses from Ecclesiastes and The Book of Sirach that focus on comforting, acceptance, and the beauty that is to be found in wisdomāāThe pipe and the psaltery make sweet melody, but a pleasant tongue is above them both.ā Reznicekās songs are supple and sensuous, but not sensual in that steamy, erotic way that many of Straussās songs are. The orchestral accompaniments caress the words with an angelic tenderness.
Marina Prudenskaja, who is identified as a mezzo-soprano, actually has more of a dark-hued contralto quality to her voice that reminded me a bit of Rita Gorr. She has the right timbre and range, I think, to be an ideal candidate for Brahmsās Alto Rhapsody.
Despite what you may have concluded from my opinion of the Symphony, this disc comes with a hearty endorsement, and not just for the Four Songs , which are lovely beyond description, but yes, for the Symphony, too, which is a laugh-a-minute Hooterville riot. Performances and recording are first-class.
FANFARE: Jerry Dubins
