Hans Pfitzner

[kyjo]

I had forgot how incredible and peculiar work his Violin Concerto, Op. 34 is. You would think that it could be written by Wetz, Schreker, Korngold without the 'Hollywoodesque' feel to it, Zemlinsky, even Paul Juon! But it wasn't. It's a work of his own. Its construction, development, ideas are rather different to anything else I had heard before. One of the greatest 'forgotten' Violin Concerti IMO.

Most intriguing, Cesar! I've heard great things about this work. I very much enjoy his cello concerti (especially the one in G major) and his Piano Concerto (save for its rambling first movement).

[André]

There is probably no need to invoke a conspiracy but Rosen's brief dismissal is also quite facile. Pfitzner is obviously in the shade of his contemporaries Mahler and Strauss. To be not up with the greatest doesn't mean a composer has not some worthwhile music, and if I consider how much (too) late romantic music has been dug up Pfitzner holds up reasonably well.
If Reger tried to be a kind of Uber-Brahms, a main inspiration for Pfitzner seems to have been Schumann and the early "dark" romantic. Palestrina is still staged with some frequence, I think. Another masterpiece, the Cantata "Von deutscher Seele" shares a bit of the fate of similar large scale vocal-orchestral pieces.

Masterpiece is the appropriate word.

[Symphonic Addict]

I had intended to give this work a proper listen and finally I got around to paying attention to it. The wait paid dividends, this is rapturously gorgeous in generous doses. Pfitzner's orchestration gifts show how a good composer he was, the way he used the orchestra to evoke some ethereal, even ecstatic atmospheres is remarkable to say the least (just notice the sections Abend and Nacht, for instance), albeit the cantata is not devoid of tempestuous moments (Tod als Postillon and Der jagt dahin, daß die Rosse schnaufen are good examples of it). The work has hints of Wagner and perhaps Strauss, but one has the perception that Pfitzner didn't want to sound derivative, this is a work of his own that conveys a genuine sentiment of beauty and nobility. Both performance and recording didn't leave anything to be desired, I think they are up to the expectations and do justice to the greatness of the piece. A splendid discovery I must say.

[Maestro267]

Huh...this is the side of recording I find fascinating. He's hardly a staple of the repertoire and yet the Big Yellow Label felt it worth committing to record this work which I shall investigate alongside his other stuff.

[vers la flamme]

There is probably no need to invoke a conspiracy but Rosen's brief dismissal is also quite facile. Pfitzner is obviously in the shade of his contemporaries Mahler and Strauss. To be not up with the greatest doesn't mean a composer has not some worthwhile music, and if I consider how much (too) late romantic music has been dug up Pfitzner holds up reasonably well.
If Reger tried to be a kind of Uber-Brahms, a main inspiration for Pfitzner seems to have been Schumann and the early "dark" romantic. Palestrina is still staged with some frequence, I think. Another masterpiece, the Cantata "Von deutscher Seele" shares a bit of the fate of similar large scale vocal-orchestral pieces.

Well, now you've gone and piqued my interest about this composer about whom I've never had the slightest interest. Probably because I read that Charles Rosen quote once upon a time and thought it was so funny that I couldn't help but want to join this splendid conspiracy 

[Jo498]

Pfitzner's  main fault is being not quite as good as Mahler and Strauss, not as good in niches (like choral, organ and piano music) as Reger, and hopelessly old-fashioned compared to Schoenberg and the younger modernists active in the early 20th century.
To be similarly facile: If Pfitzer had been Swedish or Dutch he would probably be the most famous Swedish/Dutch composer in history. Had he been Belgian, British or Finnish he would have been around top 3 etc.

[Mandryka]

Very enjyable Pfitzner Quartet 3 from the Koeckert Quartet. Are there any other recommendable Pfitzner quartet recordi

[springrite]

Just re-listened to the Violin Concerto (Taschner/Kempe & Lautenbacher/Wich). It is a much better work than I remembered. I haven't listened to it for over two decades.  The cello concertos are a more recent discovery which I also like.

I have several of his works on the same CD as Strauss. For instance, the cello sonata (with the Strauss) and the opera orchestral overtures (or fragments) with Strauss. They suffer by comparison. Pfiztner would be rated so much higher had he been slightly pre-Strauss/Mahler...

[Jo498]

There is not so much competition in chamber music and concerti from Mahler and Strauss, though. But as I said, Pfitzner certainly suffers from being slightly old-fashioned in the early 20th century against a host of excellent composers.

[springrite]

Listening to some of his Lieders right now. They are really good.

[springrite]

There is not so much competition in chamber music and concerti from Mahler and Strauss, though. But as I said, Pfitzner certainly suffers from being slightly old-fashioned in the early 20th century against a host of excellent composers.

You are right. But the Strauss violin sonata and cello sonata are so much better than the Pfitzner, even though chamber music was never Strauss's forte.

[Mandryka]

Well the op 50 quartet is better than any string quartet by Mahler or Strauss that I've ever heard.

[Mandryka]

Sometimes you come across a recording which seems to be such a labour of love that it reveals heights which were previously hidden. Uwe Schenker-Primus and Klaus Simon's series of songs on Naxos - maybe vanity funded - could well be just that! No reviews that I can see - even on Amazon.de. Has this sequence of recordings been ignored?