Six undeservedly neglected composers.

[cilgwyn]

One more name. Aarre Merikanto? I have heard his opera 'Juha' described as a masterpiece. (Not saying I agree,because I haven't heard it).

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

One more name. Aarre Merikanto? I have heard his opera 'Juha' described as a masterpiece. (Not saying I agree,because I haven't heard it).

A pity GMG member Christo (another Johan) is on holiday. He knows everything about Scandinavian and Baltic composers...

[cilgwyn]

I've got the Rangstrom on now. Now this grabs you straight away. I'm going to have to get some cds (the pc is upstairs). And this is the best of the 'bunch'?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I've got the Rangstrom on now. Now this grabs you straight away. I'm going to have to get some cds (the pc is upstairs). And this is the best of the 'bunch'?

This symphony, 'In Memoriam August Strindberg', is a work that has conviction and necessity written all over it. I don't get that feeling with any of the others. Of course, it's a young man's work, so there isn't a lot of subtlety. But it has a raw power I like very much.

[cilgwyn]

It strikes me as having some of the intensity and 'wildness' of Langgaard's First symphony,but his sound world is VERY different.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I see I have two performances of Louis Glass's 5th. One with Launy Grøndahl/DRSO on a mono Danacord collection of four late Romantic Danish symphonies and another, also on Danacord, with Todorov and the Plovdiv Orchestra. Listening to it as I write - good piece!

[cilgwyn]

Only TWO performances. You lucky man!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Only TWO performances. You lucky man!

I'm checking which is the better performance. Perhaps an upload tomorrow...

[Dundonnell]

Oh, I am afraid that the Plovdiv performances of the Louis Glass symphonies did little for the music and, sadly, little for me too. I found them pretty anaemic pieces, to be honest....but then there is a significant difference between the general 'tone' of the Danish and the Swedish 'romantic/nationalists'. Is that a function of national tradition, national psyche, response to the natural environment/terrain???

Merikanto(a Finn of course) is different again. Not enough of his music available on disc at present unfortunately.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Oh, I am afraid that the Plovdiv performances of the Louis Glass symphonies did little for the music and, sadly, little for me too. I found them pretty anaemic pieces, to be honest....but then there is a significant difference between the general 'tone' of the Danish and the Swedish 'romantic/nationalists'. Is that a function of national tradition, national psyche, response to the natural environment/terrain??

I am listening to both performances. Grøndahl is quicker, more matter-of-fact, Todorov takes his time. I prefer Todorov. I must say I really like the music... It reminds me of Suk, Korngold, Delius in places...

[cilgwyn]

Will you agree to disagree?!
There appears to be some division on this forum regarding the quality of Glass's muse.
Two against,one for. (But if you add Rob Barnett,that's two). But then I like Tournemire's symphonies & no one else seems to care for them too much,so maybe I'll like Glass.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Will you agree to disagree?!
There appears to be some division on this forum regarding the quality of Glass's muse.
Two against,one for. (But if you add Rob Barnett,that's two). But then I like Tournemire's symphonies & no one else seems to care for them too much,so maybe I'll like Glass.

Try him... Both performances.


http://www.mediafire.com/?d1teb75vjc49h

[North Star]

One more name. Aarre Merikanto? I have heard his opera 'Juha' described as a masterpiece. (Not saying I agree,because I haven't heard it).

Merikanto's Juha: Interlude http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AasbrhPdgno
Final scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiPSdeeImng

[cilgwyn]

Juha,as well?!
Thank you,Johan. Wasn't one of these performances of Glass's 5th once available as part of a 2 Lp set? I remember seeing it advertised in Gramophone. I was young then & Gramophone was still a good read. I kept thinking,'Shall I buy this?'. The repertory on offer was pretty esoteric for the period. Also,there was a funny building or temple on the cover?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Juha,as well?!
Thank you,Johan. Wasn't one of these performances of Glass's 5th once available as part of a 2 Lp set? I remember seeing it advertised in Gramophone. I was young then & Gramophone was still a good read. I kept thinking,'Shall I buy this?'. The repertory on offer was pretty esoteric for the period. Also,there was a funny building or temple on the cover?

Must be. It's from a set called 4 Danish Late Romantic Symphonies. I bought this as a download from emusic.

[cilgwyn]

That's the one, That sort of repertory was a bit less common then & I was into allot of neglected or obscure composers. The peculiar artwork helped stir my youthful imagination too. The crafty lot! I REALLY did think about buying this one.
I like this so far. Have to say there's something about that name too. 'Louis Glass'. Don't ask me why.
If I enjoy this I'm going to want to hear that 'Woodland Symphony'. No 4,I think? I gather it's not on the same level. Still,good or bad. I'm obsessed with woods,so it'll go on the 'list'. I gather his 6th is a little different from the others.
This is very calming after that Rangstrom volcano!
It'll be allot easier for me to fully absorb these,mind,once they're on a cd. But I like what I'm hearing. And I have been curious about Glass,(and those others,for a while).
Thank you again.

[Lethevich]

Some of Rangström's 1st symphony reminded me of Leifs at the lighter end of his spectrum, particularly the finale. Neal was right when he described it as an individual style, and somewhat hard to compare. I really like the sense of monumentality the work gains in its writing for winds and strings, shifting between warm and cold moods, then being fragmented by declamatory, tension building/releasing jab-like chords from the full orchestra. It's not subtle, but rather powerful.

[cilgwyn]

I love that Bis cd of Leifs 'Saga Symphony'. When I put it on I told my mother,'There are some very LOUD,SUDDEN NOISES that could make you jump!' I was a bit worried because of her age. (Imagine if someone had a dicky heart?)
In the event we both jumped!

Incidentally,I wonder if Leifs deserves a place here?

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

If you jumped at the Saga Symphony, avoid Hekla.

[cilgwyn]

Is that worse?
What about 'Baldr' & 'Edda?
THAT HUGE THUMP near the beginning of Strauss's 'Tod und Verklarung' (at least on the Telarc cd recording) seemed bad enough. I think perhaps they close miked it,on purpose? What a whack. My mum shot out of her seat.
Not to mention that percussion (drums?) at the end of the scherzo in the Gothic. You know just at the start of that wild storm. I could see her head moving around. 'I wondered what it was?' she said.
You could kill someone!
Jimi Hendrix couldn't compete. Although he got our cat going!