Kromien Revisited

[Burchest]

Last year a friend of mine who lives in France sent me music of George Christoph Kromien (1741 - 1783). I was dazzled by this obscure composers talent. Yesterday, in the mail I became the happy recipient of two more disc of Kromien's music, One has two string quartets and the other a recently discovered Requiem Mass in D minor composed in 1782, the year before his death. Unlike Mozart , Kromien's requiem is a finished product. This man, who shines in the classical style, is truly one of the great forgotten composers. I believe the Gurn has been on a quest for the string quartets of Kromien. Well, you would not be disapointed with the two that I just received. There are slight refections of Haydn's quartets but you know after hearing them that they show originality and style which is his own style.
The Quartets are in C minor and F major and are thought to have been composed in around 1778-79. The requiem is a lost gem that has finally come to light. In the requiem Kromien shows a kinship to Vanhal and to some extent another composer from Bohemia, Paul Wranitzky, who was 15 years Georg's junior. That being the case we would have to say that Kromiem probably had an influence on Wranitzky.
I look forward to future releases of this all but forgotten composers music.

[Gurn_Blanston]

Burchest,
Ever since last year I have been looking for recordings from this composer too, he is the essence of obscurity. Since his humble beginnings as a skinner for his leathermaker father, to his premature death in Sweden as the assistant to his good friend Kraus, his life has been shrouded in mystery. Apparently, the French are the only ones to have any sort of line on his music, and I would suggest that it is because, like most music outside of Austro-Germany, it ended up in Paris for publishing/performance purposes. That is certainly what happened to many of Kraus' works. I have heard that his music is characterized by unusual (for the time) harmonies and great melodic invention. It is true?  I would really like to hear some of those string quartets. What key are they in? A minor one, perhaps?  Of course, one would expect that in a Requiem, but at that time there weren't many string quartets in the minor. And given his mastery of the cello, one would also expect some really strong part writing for the cello too, how does that stack up? I know that what I found previously was that the only recording was on some Far Eastern label, are these inports of those, or are they new recordings? Inquiring minds want to know!

[Burchest]

Gurn, Finding recordings of Kromien is almost impossible. The cd's of the String Quartets and the Requiem are on the French lable, at least I think it's French, Lyric. According to my friend in France the cd's were issued this year so I am hoping that there will be more forthcoming. Like you said his life seems to be a web of secrecy. The French do seem to have the market on his works. Maybe this will be the year of his coming out. After all we went a long time  having Vivaldi's music sit on the shelf. The SQ are in C minor and F major and they take up almost 58 min of the disc. The Requiem is 46 min in lenght and is the only work on the disc. I will try, if you want, to find out where they were purchased.  Right now I am into F.E. Fesca's Symphonies Nos. 2 and 3. whose music brightens up my morning.

[D Minor]

* * * recently discovered Requiem Mass in D minor composed in 1782, the year before his death. Unlike Mozart , Kromien's requiem is a finished product. This man, who shines in the classical style, is truly one of the great forgotten composers.  * * * The requiem is a lost gem that has finally come to light. In the requiem Kromien shows a kinship to Vanhal and to some extent another composer from Bohemia, Paul Wranitzky, who was 15 years Georg's junior. That being the case we would have to say that Kromiem probably had an influence on Wranitzky.
I look forward to future releases of this all but forgotten composers music.

Interesting!

[Gurn_Blanston]

Interesting!

Yes, interesting indeed! My friend in Sweden had told me about the discovery of the remainder of the manuscript in a monastery library, and he sent me a MIDI file of the lacrimosa, but I dont think that anything takes to MIDI worse than a Requiem. At the time, he wasn't aware of any plans for a performance/recording, but obviously those devious French stole a march on the Swedes yet again.

Burchest - You mean the Lyrique label? Damn, that's more obscure than Kromien!! No one over here carries it, although HMV may do. I'll have to hunt around. C minor, eh? That's a surprisingly unusual key for a non-keyboard work from that time. I bet it's a peach! Your description sounds a lot like how I would describe Kraus' quartets, kinda like Pleyel only with more depth. Well, have to keep hunting...   

[D Minor]

but I dont think that anything takes to MIDI worse than a Requiem.

Agreed: MIDI + Requiem =

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

. . . kinda like Pleyel only with more depth.

[DavidW]

Agreed: MIDI + Requiem =

I'm just imagining what Mozart's Requiem would sound like on midi... jeje

[k a rl h e nn i ng]

I'm just imagining what Mozart's Requiem would sound like on midi... jeje

Could be the rebirth of Atari, je-je-je!

[DavidW]

Could be the rebirth of Atari, je-je-je!

The golden age... when you can listen to Mozart on midi and play space invaders...