Gurn's Classical Corner

[Antoine Marchand]

Thanks for posting this new release from Musica Omnia - have a lot of their discs, including a number w/ Penelope Crawford, so will add to my 'wish list'! 

Now the track listing (see attachment) and the recordings on just one disc listed as the 'Complete.....' is somewhat confusing - currently I own the older 2-CD Philips Duo offering (added pic above) w/ Ingrid Haebler et al; now the 3 works on the Crawford recording are also present w/ Haebler, but there are 7 more works on the latter's performances - not sure if these are all truly Mozart's compositions but the K. numbers are KV 19d, 381/123a, 358/186c, 497, 357/497a+500a, 501, and 521.

Exploring the Mozart Project Website which may be the most updated listing of his works, the partial answer (or more so?) are works for 4-hands (on a single piano) & those for 4 hands on two pianos.  So, would be curious what our Köchel catalogue experts might say?  Please 'chime in' - 

You're welcome, Dave! 

The Musica Omnia release only includes the complete music for two fortepianos, not the "fortepiano duets", which include the sonatas and the other miscellaneous works for four hands that you refer. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Thanks for posting this new release from Musica Omnia - have a lot of their discs, including a number w/ Penelope Crawford, so will add to my 'wish list'! 

Now the track listing (see attachment) and the recordings on just one disc listed as the 'Complete.....' is somewhat confusing - currently I own the older 2-CD Philips Duo offering (added pic above) w/ Ingrid Haebler et al; now the 3 works on the Crawford recording are also present w/ Haebler, but there are 7 more works on the latter's performances - not sure if these are all truly Mozart's compositions but the K. numbers are KV 19d, 381/123a, 358/186c, 497, 357/497a+500a, 501, and 521.

Exploring the Mozart Project Website which may be the most updated listing of his works, the partial answer (or more so?) are works for 4-hands (on a single piano) & those for 4 hands on two pianos.  So, would be curious what our Köchel catalogue experts might say?  Please 'chime in' - 

Not sure your question, Dave. You are right, the works you listed as additional are all 4 hands/1 keyboard works. Lots of recordings of those.

[kishnevi]

I don't know how I forgot this one, considering that I bought it when it came out last year.
[asin]B0055WXVTU[/asin]
On fortepianos.

Contains the Sonata, K. 448; Variations in G for Piano Duet, K. 501; Fantasias in c minor, d minor, and c minor, K.596/397/475, and the Larghetto/Allegro in E flat major, as completed by Stadler--but not the Fugue K. 426

[Gurn Blanston]

Listening to this disk which arrived today. I bought it as part of my church music project, and find it to be very interesting;



Eberlin was the highest ranking ever head honcho in the Archdiocese of Salzburg, despite being preceded by Biber, and followed by the Mozart's and Michael Haydn, they never attained the preeminent rank that he did. Stylistically, he is more or less on the boundary between Late Baroque and 'pre-Classical', although these pieces, the only works he had published in his lifetime, are definitely strict, Fux-ian counterpoint fugue. In an oddity (or something unusual at any rate) 5 of the 9 are in minor keys. It enhances their aura, so to speak, and also their desirability for my purpose of including them in my project. Hmm, Salzburg...  a treasury of sacred music indeed!  0:)

[SonicMan46]

In Search of Haydn & Mozart - two separate DVD offerings as shown below - I've watched these several times over the last few weeks, and each adds more details w/ repeated viewing - a combination of history, commentary, and interviews (conductors, performers, and historians) - especially enjoyed Ronald Brautigam's insights into these two composers but he is just one of many discussing these two - highly recommended -

 

[Gurn Blanston]

In Search of Haydn & Mozart - two separate DVD offerings as shown below - I've watched these several times over the last few weeks, and each adds more details w/ repeated viewing - a combination of history, commentary, and interviews (conductors, performers, and historians) - especially enjoyed Ronald Brautigam's insights into these two composers but he is just one of many discussing these two - highly recommended -

Dave,
I have (and greatly enjoy) the Haydn version. I am curious if the Mozart seems to follow in the same vein. I like the approach, discussions with everyone from museum curators to musicians thru musicologists. And nice scenery to match. I have both the Haydn and Beethoven on my wishlist, if only other things didn't suddenly obtrude on my plans...

[SonicMan46]

Dave,
I have (and greatly enjoy) the Haydn version. I am curious if the Mozart seems to follow in the same vein. I like the approach, discussions with everyone from museum curators to musicians thru musicologists. And nice scenery to match. I have both the Haydn and Beethoven on my wishlist, if only other things didn't suddenly obtrude on my plans...

Hi Gurn - the Mozart DVD is pretty much organized like the Haydn version and just as good - plenty of commentary from all sorts of people; again, I especially liked Brautigam's participation.  I watched the Beethoven just once on Netflix and probably should stream that one again.  Also, I read last night that Phil Grabsky, the producer of this series, may be working on a Chopin DVD?  Dave

[Leo K.]

Hi Gurn - the Mozart DVD is pretty much organized like the Haydn version and just as good - plenty of commentary from all sorts of people; again, I especially liked Brautigam's participation.  I watched the Beethoven just once on Netflix and probably should stream that one again.  Also, I read last night that Phil Grabsky, the producer of this series, may be working on a Chopin DVD?  Dave

Dave, I'm real excited to see these at some point. Are they availible on Netflix streaming then? I hope so!

[SonicMan46]

Dave, I'm real excited to see these at some point. Are they availible on Netflix streaming then? I hope so!

Hi Leo - the Beethoven DVD can be streamed from Netflix (may watch it again tonight - probably my least favorite of the series @ the moment); the Mozart DVD can be streamed from Amazon for $2; the Haydn presently does not seem to be a 'streaming option' - but buy one and stream the two others?  Still a bargain and the Haydn (and the Mozart) are quite enjoyable & educational!  Dave

[Uncle Connie]

Geez.  A week's gap between the DVD posts and now.  Did the world end and I wasn't watching?

Well, it's a good way to break the monotony of Mozart - I am so sick of Mozart!  (This isn't terribly serious a complaint; just that 3 weeks ago  was in Salzburg and wanted to learn about places associated with such people as Michael Haydn, Heinrich Biber, and a couple of lesser lights.  But did anybody care about them?  No.  It was bloody Mozart, Mozart, Mozart - recordings for sale, two museums to visit, chocolate with his picture everywhere on the wrappers (and not terribly good chocolate either)....  In fact, our guide, who was a Salzburgerin and presumably knew all there was to know about the place, showed me Michael Haydn's alleged gravesite which I've since learned isn't, and even pronounced his name HEY-dn to rhyme with GREY....


So anyway, I'm all excited at the moment by four, count them four, discs of chamber music by Franz Vincent Krommer (1759-1831) who has been mentioned here before.  Here's what I acquired:


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     The first three obviously form a sort of set - the label has some other Krommer discs by others, as well - played by the winds of the Tonhalle Orch. Zürich, and if wind octets are your thing (they are certainly mine) they are stunning.  Naxos have done a lot of the same things, and they are cheaper, but the playing is by comparison rather perfunctory.  Give me the Swiss guys any day. 
     The fourth disc is of a string trio and a piano quartet, and while the Swiss discs are not PI (meaning they have modern horns, but in this case so what?), the Phoenix disc is.  The three string players are all longtime denizens of Germany's PI ensembles, notably Concerto Köln, and the violist is also the co-founder of the Freiburg Barock-Orch.  The pianist uses a very fine fortepiano which is sadly not identified as to year or source; still, his playing matches that of his colleagues rather well.  The one Amazon customer review isn't as taken with this as I am, and I do agree that the string trio might have been a bit less forced (they really could have been a wee more gentle and gotten a more lyrical tone at times), but I don't think it's nearly as weak as he does, and in any case the piano quartet is really quite a gem.

     Now I'm waiting for a couple of oboe discs by this Mr. Krommer person, one of quartets and quintets, the other of concertos.  I'm guessing I'll be happy. 

[Gurn Blanston]

Conrad,
Krommer is a big favorite here in the Corner, there have been several discussions over the years. None, however, have included these lovely-appearing wind octets! I agree, the Naxos versions are a bit perfunctory, although they give a flavor of the music anyway. However, I am familiar with the Zurich's wind section from other disks, including a super one of the Haydn Feldparthien, and the appeal there is patent. I'll have to have a chat with the Tudor's....

BTW, I have that 4th disk also, and have derived a good deal of pleasure from it. I suppose that the complaints are valid, although lyricism isn't one of my target goals. Personal failing, I'm afraid...

[SonicMan46]

As stated by Gurn, Franz Krommer is well known to many of us; I now own about a dozen discs - 3 of the wind works mentioned; 2 are on the Naxos label  (Budapest Wind Ensemble & Michael Thompson Wind Ensemble) - have not listened to these in a while, but the other is shown below w/ the Amphion Wind Octet - these performances are on 'period instruments', so for those interested in Krommer's wind music played on the instruments of his time, then a recommendation!  Dave

[Leon]

Re: Krommer

Yes, Krommer is a good composer from the Classical era.  I first was exposed to his works through the Contemporaries of Mozart symphony series.  And have since acquired several chamber works, usually featuring the clarinet.  However, a recording I like a lot, but is not chamber, is his Clarinet Concerto in E-flat coupled with another concerto by yet another unsung Classical era composer, Joseph Eybler.  It also does not hurt that there is a Theme and Variations by Hummel on the disc.

Warmly recommended:

[asin]B001UL40DG[/asin]

[Leon]

Some information on Joseph Eybler - a composer I intend to investigate more fully -

Eybler was born into a musical family. His father was a teacher, choir director and friend of the Haydn family. Joseph Eybler studied music with his father before attending Stephansdom (the cathedral school of St. Stephen's Boys College) in Vienna. He studied composition under Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, who declared him to be the greatest musical genius in Vienna apart from Mozart. He also received praise from Haydn who was his friend, distant cousin and patron.

In 1792 he became choir director at the Karmeliterkirche (Carmelite Church) in Vienna. Two years later he moved to the Schottenkloster, where he remained for the next thirty years (1794-1824). Eybler also held court posts, including that of court Kapellmeister (chapel master) (1824-33). The Empress Marie Therese commissioned many works from him, including the Requiem in C minor (1803).

Friendship with Mozart

Through Joseph Haydn, Eybler met Mozart, who gave him some lessons and entrusted him with the rehearsal of his opera Così fan tutte. Eybler also conducted some performances of Così fan tutte.

On May 30, 1790 Mozart wrote a testimonial for the young Eybler: "I, the undersigned, attest herewith that I have found the bearer of this, Herr Joseph Eybler, to be a worthy pupil of his famous master Albrechtsberger, a well-grounded composer, equally skilled at chamber music and the church style, fully experienced in the art of the song, also an accomplished organ and clavier player; in short a young musician such, one can only regret, as so seldom has his equal."
Mozart and Eybler remained friends to the end. As Eybler wrote: "I had the good fortune to keep his friendship without reservation until he died, and carried him, put him to bed and helped to nurse him during his last painful illness."
After Mozart's death, Constanze Mozart asked Eybler to complete her husband's Requiem. Eybler tried but could not complete the commission perhaps, it is thought, because of his great respect for the music of his friend Mozart. (Franz Xaver Süßmayr completed the task).

The above came from Wikipedia.

This disc of his string quartets looks good:

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as does this disc of quintets:

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Lucky for me, both are on Spotify.  As are several other recordings of choral music and miscellaneous orchestral works.

[Uncle Connie]

I was quite overwhelmed by Mr. Eybler's Christmas Oratorio:


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and also his Requiem, which may not challenge Mozart or Michael Haydn in that era, but it isn't overwhelmed by them either:


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And finally, may I contribute - especially since we have been talking Krommer - this:


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which includes Krommer's Op. 36 and also the Hummel Variations (in small print on the top title bar of the jacket).  Krommer is the standout in this program, the Eybler is more routine, but it's certainly worth a look if the disc itself appeals.  (Brunner the performer, and Stadlmair the conductor, are simply wizards.  They are not, however, period-style.)

All in all I vote Eybler gets an honored place in our second rank in this forum.  You know, behind Joe and Wolfie and two or three others, but after that (to paraphrase) he oughta be a contender!

[Gurn Blanston]

In looking over my Eybler hoard, it isn't very large, but I like it all (even the duplicates!);



Given that we all seem to have different disks, there must be more Eybler out there than we anticipated.  

[springrite]

I read that Eybler was the one who was to complete the Mozart Requiem, but part of the way through Constanza gave the job to the person who did and was credited with it (though he used the parts that Eybler completed) because Constanza wanted a quicker job so she could get the money fast.

Well, I have no Eybler so something is going to the cart in the next few days.

[kishnevi]

Obviously Eybler was a far more abler composer than most people give him credit for.

[Uncle Connie]

The story about Eybler and the Requiem, per various program booklets - I suspect close enough if not precisely perfect:

Eybler had studied with Mozart, even lived in their house, and Mozart thought a lot of him.  So when Mozart died Constanze asked Eybler to do the rest of the Requiem so she could collect the payments due.  He started, and did compose a few pages; but then, allegedly, he realized who was the great genius and who wasn't, and went to Constanze to beg off on the basis that he couldn't do the job justice.  So she tried the next disciple in line, Süssmayr, by any measure a far poorer composer than Eybler, but at the time and in a hurry, who knew?  (Note:  The final product as we know it today - the Süssmayr completion - does include a small amount of Eybler, and scholars who pore over critical analyses of these things can tell you just what is whose.)   

Eybler's own Requiem dates from a decade or so later and doesn't begin to approach the wild extremes of brilliance that Mozart gave us, but it's solid and really quite moving in a very steady, even sort of way.  Put it up against the original requiem that Süssmayr wrote entirely on his own, and the gap is almost as large between the second rank (Eybler) and the third (Süss.) as between the first and second levels. 

Put it another way.  Eybler was a gifted journeyman.  Süssmayr was a hack.

Should there be any interested parties, here's the only recording I know of, of the Süssmayr Requiem (the one he wrote himself) along with his version of Mozart's:


[asin]B0009A4106[/asin]


Performance of Süss. is as good as needs be.  Of the Mozart it's perfectly decent, but you can do lots, lots better, given how many there have been....

[Uncle Connie]

Back to Krommer for a bit:  Today I received this item, ordered last week:


[asin]B000058UUZ[/asin]


May I say, in as loud a typing voice as I can,   STAY AWAY!!!!   This was one big mistake, one which I'll rectify by buying someone else's version as soon as I can.

Without hunting up any reviews I took this "on faith" that the reputations of Hyperion and conductor Howard Shelley would carry the day.  Unfortunately I do not find oboist Sarah Francis in the same league at all.  Her tone is consistently pinched, not infrequently strained, sometimes unstable in the higher registers, and in certain passages (notably in the first Krommer, first mvt.) possessed of a very strange timbre that sounds for all the world like a quack.  No I'm not making Prokofiev jokes.  I'm serious; Ms. Francis seems to be trying to create an effect in some of Krommer's odder passages, and she misfires.

I am also astounded, in looking up the listing on Amazon, to see a five-star review by one David J. Friedlander, whom I "know" a bit from the Amazon classical music forum as being possessed of excellent taste (meaning he agrees with me a lot) and a fine sense of quality performance (meaning he likes what I like).  What happened here is beyond my comprehension. 

Oh well.  This is my opinion, and I authorized this message.  I also ordered Ms. Francis' disc of Krommer oboe quartets and quintets; when it arrives, if it contradicts appreciably the opinion I have of her concerto disc, I'll let you know.