Favorite Discoveries of 2010

[karlhenning]

Re the best Glagolitic....Edward's view is representative, and I agree with it, up to a point:

Well, yeah....of course. The only problem is that we have more recent recordings, from the last decade+ which give us the work as the composer intended, as reconstructed in the Wingfield edition, and it's even finer and more flabbergasting played that way. None of these recordings have Ancerl's magic, but Ancerl, and most everyone else, is missing some pretty extraordinary music (some of Janacek's most visionary thoughts, actually) through not having the original score available to them. Somewhere buried on this board is a thread in which I went through the differences in detail....they are astonishing, some of them.

I have no idea why some performers still persist with the superceded version of the score, though I'm being slightly rhetorical, because I'm sure they have their reasons.

Recommendations? (He asked, greedily.)

[Luke]

That's the problem - none are as good as Ancerl. I have a couple, though, and I'm pleased with them. One is the first recording of the piece in this version, Mackerras and the Danish NSO; it's fine, but lacks a little fire. The other was a BBC music magazine cover CD, live IIRC, and I like it more, possibly - this is a work which benefits from live recording. Coupled with a nice Sinfonietta IIRC. I'm sure something can be arranged....

[vandermolen]

Atterberg Symphony No 5

Lo Presti, Elegy for a Young American, The Masks, Symphony 1 and 2

Casella Symphony No 2 and A notte alta.

Ruth Gipps Symphony No 4

[Opus106]

[W]e have more recent recordings, from the last decade+ which give us the work as the composer intended, as reconstructed in the Wingfield edition, and it's even finer and more flabbergasting played that way.

Historically informed, one might say.

That's the problem - none are as good as Ancerl. I have a couple, though, and I'm pleased with them. One is the first recording of the piece in this version, Mackerras and the Danish NSO; it's fine, but lacks a little fire. The other was a BBC music magazine cover CD, live IIRC, and I like it more, possibly - this is a work which benefits from live recording. Coupled with a nice Sinfonietta IIRC. I'm sure something can be arranged....

Have you heard the Mackerras on Supraphon, Luke? It's a DVD, I believe.

[Brian]

Thanks, Brian. You say it's a religious work, and the text contains all the "right words" to suggest the same, but I keep reading that Janáček wanted this piece to be a more "nationalistic" one, if that's the right word to use.

From my forthcoming essay about the Glagolitic on former GMG member Mark's website (publication date uncertain):

He was not sympathetic to religion, either; he described church services as being about "death, nothing but death." One way to interpret this unusual Mass, then, is as Janacek's impression of what religion ought to have been: from beginning to end, this piece is a joyous and ever-grateful celebration of life.

Janáček's lack of faith played to some extent into the style of the Glagolitic Mass. There is an absence of reverence, or of solemnity, which strikes the listener from the very beginning: the piece is jam-packed with exciting rhythms, boundless energy, jubilant brass fanfares and riotous mood swings. Rather than long, flowing sacred melodies, there are short melodic ideas which repeat themselves insistently. When the chorus or soloists sing "Amit," medieval Slavonic for "Amen" [T3, 5:40-6:05], there is nothing solemn about it: they are shouting from the rooftops!

Now, this is a very personal view. I have no evidence to back it up, haven't read many remarks by Janáček himself. Just what I hear in the piece.

Luke - I've heard Mackerras with the Danish Orchestra; it was factually informative hearing the original score, but the performance was not as electric or thrilling, so I set it aside. Hopefully someone will soon elevate their performance of the HIP version above "curiosity" level and into the "reference" category.

[Opus106]

From my forthcoming essay about the Glagolitic on former GMG member Mark's website (publication date uncertain):

He was not sympathetic to religion, either; he described church services as being about "death, nothing but death." One way to interpret this unusual Mass, then, is as Janacek's impression of what religion ought to have been: from beginning to end, this piece is a joyous and ever-grateful celebration of life.

Janáček's lack of faith played to some extent into the style of the Glagolitic Mass. There is an absence of reverence, or of solemnity, which strikes the listener from the very beginning: the piece is jam-packed with exciting rhythms, boundless energy, jubilant brass fanfares and riotous mood swings. Rather than long, flowing sacred melodies, there are short melodic ideas which repeat themselves insistently. When the chorus or soloists sing "Amit," medieval Slavonic for "Amen" [T3, 5:40-6:05], there is nothing solemn about it: they are shouting from the rooftops!

Now, this is a very personal view. I have no evidence to back it up, haven't read many remarks by Janáček himself. Just what I hear in the piece.

Thanks for the extract, Brian; I couldn't agree more with the second paragraph. Do let us know when your article is published.

[Luke]

Luke - I've heard Mackerras with the Danish Orchestra; it was factually informative hearing the original score, but the performance was not as electric or thrilling, so I set it aside. Hopefully someone will soon elevate their performance of the HIP version above "curiosity" level and into the "reference" category.

No, it's not electric or particularly thrilling. But in the 'new' sections one can easily see how it could be. It's quite amazing, the stuff that Janacek was forced to excise from the score for the first performance, esepcially in the Veruju. And one thing we can all do, btw, to reflect Janacek's concept, even without a recording of the original version, is to program our CD players to play the Intrada at the end as well as at the beginning. This was always the plan, it's just a printing error that it doesn't bookend the score.

Google books result for Wingfield's book on the revised edition. It's all here (I've read it cover to cover many times!):

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=W9nMaEu-ZMEC&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=janacek+glagolitic+ver&source=bl&ots=aa2QT1Nzf3&sig=1rEedPMZPFpUG_KduTu7vvsll0E&hl=en&ei=nqA0TMyUOpXNjAek94TgBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDAQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Brian]

No, it's not electric or particularly thrilling. But in the 'new' sections one can easily see how it could be. It's quite amazing, the stuff that Janacek was forced to excise from the score for the first performance, esepcially in the Veruju. And one thing we can all do, btw, to reflect Janacek's concept, even without a recording of the original version, is to program our CD players to play the Intrada at the end as well as at the beginning. This was always the plan, it's just a printing error that it doesn't bookend the score.

Google books result for Wingfield's book on the revised edition. It's all here (I've read it cover to cover many times!):

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=W9nMaEu-ZMEC&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=janacek+glagolitic+ver&source=bl&ots=aa2QT1Nzf3&sig=1rEedPMZPFpUG_KduTu7vvsll0E&hl=en&ei=nqA0TMyUOpXNjAek94TgBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDAQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

Thanks for that link - a couple pages were "missing from the preview" but what I read there was fascinating. I'm going to try to read it front to back too, great and insightful writing.

This October the LSO and Colin Davis are doing the Glagolitic Mass, just in time for my move to London. I hope they will be using the original score, but no matter what edition is deployed, hearing the Mass live is one of my greatest dreams...

[Luke]

Thanks for that link - a couple pages were "missing from the preview" but what I read there was fascinating. I'm going to try to read it front to back too, great and insightful writing.

Yes....it pains me to admit it, because I don't like the guy in person! But it's one of the most important works of Janacek scholarship there is, that book.

This October the LSO and Colin Davis are doing the Glagolitic Mass, just in time for my move to London. I hope they will be using the original score, but no matter what edition is deployed, hearing the Mass live is one of my greatest dreams...

I heard it done, in the Wingfield edition, in 1993 or 1994, at university, in King's College Chapel. Was pretty amazing.

[Scarpia]

No, it's not electric or particularly thrilling. But in the 'new' sections one can easily see how it could be. It's quite amazing, the stuff that Janacek was forced to excise from the score for the first performance, esepcially in the Veruju. And one thing we can all do, btw, to reflect Janacek's concept, even without a recording of the original version, is to program our CD players to play the Intrada at the end as well as at the beginning. This was always the plan, it's just a printing error that it doesn't bookend the score.

I'm surprised, that would be the first Mackerras recording I know of which is not at all "electric."  So there is no recommendable version of the restored score?

[Luke]

I'd still recommend it; if it was the only version you'd heard, you'd not notice the lack of electricity. And the BBC mag disc I have is also good, preferable, perhaps. It's just that the original version awaits an Ancerl, as yet.

[Scarpia]

I'd still recommend it; if it was the only version you'd heard, you'd not notice the lack of electricity. And the BBC mag disc I have is also good, preferable, perhaps. It's just that the original version awaits an Ancerl, as yet.

There's also this DVD


http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=124875

which appears to date from after the Chandos recording.  Is this the performance on your live CD?

[Luke]

No, the BBC one is Hickox - not quite as deeply associated with Janacek of course, but still not a bad recording. Though I'm going to spin it again later with fresh ears. Don't know that DVD.

[schweitzeralan]

What are your favorite discoveries up to now, for 2010?  Either works, composers or recordings. 

One of mine so far is the simple, yet oh so beautiful music for Female Chorus by Brahms.

Two works I discovered thanks to this forum:  Gliere's "Sirens," and Arthur Butterworth's 4th Symphony.

[Philoctetes]

Harnoncourt.

[snyprrr]

Bernd Alois

[Brahmsian]

Harnoncourt.

Awesome! 

[Philoctetes]

Awesome! 

For sure. I just purchased his Bruckner 9th, and I'm in the process of getting his Beethoven Piano Concertos.

I just love the sound he is able to bring out.

[Brahmsian]

For sure. I just purchased his Bruckner 9th, and I'm in the process of getting his Beethoven Piano Concertos.

I just love the sound he is able to bring out.

If you have not yet done so, check out his Beethoven symphonies.  I have that set of Piano Concertos also, along with the Triple Concerto and Choral Fantasy.