Josef Suk 1874-1935

[vandermolen]

I also have some slight problems with A Summer's Tale, but lately I've come to appreciate it much better. Asrael is definitely right up my alley. Another work I find utterly charming and effective of his is A Fairy's Tale (Raduz and Mahulena). There is plenty of magic throughout that score. As for chamber music, the Piano Quintet and Piano Trio are worth listening. The 2 string quartets are in another league, too introspective for my tase, rather in the vein of the Schmidt's string quartets.

Oh, I forgot 'A Fairy Tale' - a charming work.

[Irons]

Suk's piano pieces are worth exploring. Possibly the most famous are "Things Lived and Dreamed" and "About Mother", both are autobiographical.



The young chap standing behind Josef Suk is Vaclav Talich.

[SymphonicAddict]

This disc contains music from the cantata Under the apple tree, and it's utterly fantastic! Czech late-Romanticism at its best, featuring some glorious choruses. It's a shame it's just a suite, not the whole score. It appears there is no a complete recording of it, sadly.

[Irons]

This disc contains music from the cantata Under the apple tree, and it's utterly fantastic! Czech late-Romanticism at its best, featuring some glorious choruses. It's a shame it's just a suite, not the whole score. It appears there is no a complete recording of it, sadly.

A fabulous recording of both Suk and Janacek. I have the LP which I treasure.

[SymphonicAddict]

A fabulous recording of both Suk and Janacek. I have the LP which I treasure.

I agree. I'm playing the Janacek later.

[kyjo]

I agree. I'm playing the Janacek later.

Oh, you're in for a real treat! Janacek's Amarus is gorgeous, as is another little-known oratorio of his, The Eternal Gospel. I haven't listened to the Suk yet.

[kyjo]

There is some great chamber works. My favourite orchestral works are 'Asrael', 'Fantastic Scherzo' and 'Prague'. Am not so keen on A Summer's Tale and Ripening. I like Meditation on an Old Czech Hymn which exists in chamber and orchestral versions.
I recall this as a great disc:

Also, a strong recommendation for this CD (£2.00 on Amazon UK!)

Thanks, Jeffrey. The Meditation on an Old Czech Hymn is indeed a marvelous, moving work - a great companion piece to works like Barber's Adagio, VW's Tallis Fantasia, Finzi's Romance, etc.

[kyjo]

I also have some slight problems with A Summer's Tale, but lately I've come to appreciate it much better. Asrael is definitely right up my alley. Another work I find utterly charming and effective of his is A Fairy's Tale (Raduz and Mahulena). There is plenty of magic throughout that score. As for chamber music, the Piano Quintet and Piano Trio are worth listening. The 2 string quartets are in another league, too introspective for my tase, rather in the vein of the Schmidt's string quartets.

Thanks, Cesar. I forgot about A Fairy Tale - a beautiful, magical score indeed. Also, I recall hearing part of his Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra on the radio and really liking it.

[relm1]

Hmm, lots of tantalizing music in this discussion from some very fine composers in one of my favorite musical periods.  Looking forward to an evening of discovery.

[SymphonicAddict]

Oh, you're in for a real treat! Janacek's Amarus is gorgeous, as is another little-known oratorio of his, The Eternal Gospel. I haven't listened to the Suk yet.

Irons and you were right, Amarus impressed me a lot, it has the unmistakable Janacek flavour, dramatic choruses and a sense of tragedy (though not too much accentuated) masterfully depicted. The 3rd and 5th movement were the highlights. I loved the use of bells too. It gave me goosebumps.

[relm1]

So I listened to this and am reporting back yawn....NOT!  Fantastic music!   So much delight in discovering this new masterfully executed and colorful music.  Thanks for the recommendations.  Very wonderful music.  More please.

[kyjo]

So I listened to this and am reporting back yawn....NOT!  Fantastic music!   So much delight in discovering this new masterfully executed and colorful music.  Thanks for the recommendations.  Very wonderful music.  More please.

Excellent! What works did you listen to?

[kyjo]

Also of note is Suk's charming little Serenade for cello and piano: https://youtu.be/pFTRwNhCJlA

[André]

Listened 3 times to this recording of Asrael:



I find it different from the others I know (Neumann, Pesek RLPO, Flor). I also listened to those, sandwiched between two listenings of the Weller. To my ears Weller finds a welcome symphonic cogency between the movements. He doesn't stint on the programmatic elements either. His take on the second movement (my favourite) is particularly telling, the Stabat Mater theme wafting in and out of the texture like a baleful apparition. All four versions are very good, Pesek very dramatic, Neumann taut and powerful, Flor expansive and rather rimskyan in his handling of the orchestral colours. There's something lisztian about Asrael (cf the Dante and Faust symphonies), probably tchaikovskian, too (Manfred), and that appeals to me. A great work.

In order, I would rank them this way: Neumann, Weller, Pesek, Flor.

I haven't listened to Ripening, A Summer Tale or Praga in a while. Time to give those another spin!

[Roasted Swan]

Listened 3 times to this recording of Asrael:



I find it different from the others I know (Neumann, Pesek RLPO, Flor). I also listened to those, sandwiched between two listenings of the Weller. To my ears Weller finds a welcome symphonic cogency between the movements. He doesn't stint on the programmatic elements either. His take on the second movement (my favourite) is particularly telling, the Stabat Mater theme wafting in and out of the texture like a baleful apparition. All four versions are very good, Pesek very dramatic, Neumann taut and powerful, Flor expansive and rather rimskyan in his handling of the orchestral colours. There's something lisztian about Asrael (cf the Dante and Faust symphonies), probably tchaikovskian, too (Manfred), and that appeals to me. A great work.

In order, I would rank them this way: Neumann, Weller, Pesek, Flor.

I haven't listened to Ripening, A Summer Tale or Praga in a while. Time to give those another spin!

As you say a great work and one that has benefited from several very fine recordings.  I would point you towards hearing Belohlavek's final version recently released on Decca as well as the Ancerl/Baden-Baden German Radio recording - a work of this scale and scope can never be served by a single performance or vision and both of those are very fine.  I haven't heard Flor - I like your description of "Rimskyan" - perhaps "Murometzyan" - implying something epic or mythic could be equally valid?!

[André]

As you say a great work and one that has benefited from several very fine recordings.  I would point you towards hearing Belohlavek's final version recently released on Decca as well as the Ancerl/Baden-Baden German Radio recording - a work of this scale and scope can never be served by a single performance or vision and both of those are very fine.  I haven't heard Flor - I like your description of "Rimskyan" - perhaps "Murometzyan" - implying something epic or mythic could be equally valid?!

Thanks for the tip, I will certainly investigate. You're right, Murometzyan would be quite appropriate, except that the bombast associated with this work might result in overkill for Asrael  .

[vandermolen]

Thanks for the tip, I will certainly investigate. You're right, Murometzyan would be quite appropriate, except that the bombast associated with this work might result in overkill for Asrael  .

Must listen to Weller again. I especially like Mackerras and Ancerl's recordings.

[Roasted Swan]

Thanks for the tip, I will certainly investigate. You're right, Murometzyan would be quite appropriate, except that the bombast associated with this work might result in overkill for Asrael  .

Slightly dark thought....... can you have overkill with the Angel of Death.....? (but I know exactly what you mean!)

[vers la flamme]

I randomly decided to go for a Naxos CD with Suk's Serenade for Strings (alongside Dvorak's). Haven't heard the Dvorak yet, but the Suk is great. Lush, Czech late Romanticism. It seems he would later gain acclaim for writing dark music. I can't say that this one is particularly dark, but it is definitely harmonically interesting at times. I want to hear his Asrael symphony.

[André]

Slightly dark thought....... can you have overkill with the Angel of Death.....? (but I know exactly what you mean!)

I had put the emoticon right after the word 'overkill', but decided it made too much of a wink, wink effect