Ernst Krenek, such a discovery!

[Harry]

Members might be interested to know that on his website the conductor Alun Francis has a discography and that amongst the recordings he has made for CPO he lists-

Krenek's Symphony No.4 and the Concerto Grosso-recorded with the North German Radio Philharmonic, Hanover.

This is the missing so far unrecorded Krenek symphony

I wonder when CPO intend to release this recording?? Harry, do you know?

Also listed by Alun Francis is another CPO recording of Alfredo Casella's Symphony No.3 with the Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra; also, so far, unreleased.

As far as I know this recording is scheduled this year, but I will ask Gudrun, she is my inside spy.

[Dundonnell]

Thanks, Harry If you do get any info' on the Krenek and the Casella please let us know

[Harry]

Thanks, Harry If you do get any info' on the Krenek and the Casella please let us know

Of course Colin, will do.
She is on holidays now in Austria, but as soon as she is back I call her.

[Chafing Dish]

Regarding the late serial works being 'arid' :That's certainly a fair comment, but I still recommend these works, some of them are a lot of fun, like the Eleven Transparencies or the Brazilian Sinfonietta, both of which the composer himself conducted. The Sestina is extremely arid, actually, but I find it fascinating somehow.

[snyprrr]

i love the arid late works of mid century composers!

i'm really interested in krenek's string quartets. i've been reading reviews on amazon...

1-2 are in his early style?

3-4 begin a different style?

no5 (the "schubertian")?

no6 "the classic"?

no7 the last of the canon (1949?)

no8 the "retrospective"?

i've heard the sonore are acceptable but not perfect. the peterson quartet has recorded 1/7 and 3/5, and then there's the cri disc.(5/8)

i hear no.6 is the highpoint.
and he is very stern, expressionistic, no?

i used to have the cpo chamber disc including solo strings and trios, and recall that having some of that arid thing going on, but lately krenek seems to be right behind hindemith in popularity, and krenek's qrt cycle seems more imposing. alas, $$$ prevent me at the time, but if you have any special thoughts on these qrts. i'm all ears.

and any more examples of the "arid" thing would be welcomed (kind of like late malipiero maybe?). if by arid you mean bald and unattractive and uncompromisingly harsh, by all means.

[Dundonnell]

Yep...that's pretty much my definition of 'arid'

[Dax]

A downloadable recording of Krenek's Symphony for wind + percussion op.34 can be found at

http://www.avantgardeproject.org/AGP35/index.htm

[mjwal]

As far as I know this recording is scheduled this year, but I will ask Gudrun, she is my inside spy.

This seems to have been released only now by cpo - see today's review in the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/jul/07/krenek-symphony-review
I only know #1, 2, and 5 of the symphonies. I may change my mind, but I find his shorter orchestral works more impressive, and his vocal works most of all, especially the Reisebuch and Instant Remembered*. I have also been delighted by his 3rd Piano Concerto - short, coruscating and abrasive, in an abrasive (in the bad sense) old recording with Dimitri Mitropoulos conducting and playing. What snypyrrr would call "arid" 
* If you google krenek instant remembered, you first find a short appreciation of the work from a book on his music and secondly a link to a film with a Krenek interview, discussion of his work in context and performances of two works including IR, with the same singer as in the performance I saw the Ens.Modern do in Frankfurt back in the day  - played at 34 minutes into the film.

[cassandra]

Investigate without delay the Lamentations of Jeremiah (on Globe eg). There are other admirers of this mighty choral work on the board.

It was around the time of the composition of Threni Stravinsky became acquainted with Krenek and his composition technique of rotations, which Krenek published. I am no technical expert and get bogged down in terminology (and always have done so), but having read Krenek's explanation and the heavyweight Cambridge guide to late Stravinsky, who adopted and adapted Krenek's methods. This resulted, ultimately in his final major work, the amazing Requiem Canticles (I now have 6 recordings of this, I truly am a sad person).

[jlaurson]

Ionarts: Krenek Beyond Jonny

Friday, August 29, 2008
The second-to-last recording the Petersen Quartet issued on Capriccio
is indicative of their strengths: It's the second part of an unofficial Ernst
Krenek String Quartet cycle containing Quartets Nos. 3 and 5. ...

[Dundonnell]

Just finished listening to Krenek's 4th Symphony in the new CPO release.

Extraordinary that it has taken the company about 16 years to complete their Krenek cycle! The 4th was actually recorded five years ago. Wonder why it took them so long to release the disc??

I have to say that I actually liked the 4th (despite some of things I may have said about Krenek here two years ago ). Certainly not an 'arid' piece at all! But then I have listened to quite a lot of late Wellesz recently so my ear has perhaps become more attuned to the sound world.

[Joaquimhock]

Absolutely an amazing work.  I was going to recommend the Harmonia Mundi recording with the Berlin RIAS Kammerchor and Marcus Creed, but it's out of print and the asking prices are a little on the high side.  I have heard the piece live, but no other recordings. 

--Bruce

It's listed in the current HM catalogue and available on Amazon.com and Amazon.fr at normal prices :

http://www.amazon.com/Krenek-Lamentatio-Jeremiæ-Prophetæ-Ernst/dp/B001927MJ0/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1311606976&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.fr/Krenek-Lamentatio-Jeremiæ-Prophetæ-Ernst/dp/B001927MJ0/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1311606909&sr=1-2

[some guy]

I have to say that I actually liked the 4th (despite some of things I may have said about Krenek here two years ago ). Certainly not an 'arid' piece at all! But then I have listened to quite a lot of late Wellesz recently so my ear has perhaps become more attuned to the sound world.

You're a good man, Dundonnell, and I'm glad you said all this. When I first strolled across this thread, I was very put off by remarks that the later works (Horizont umkreist is my favorite, so far) are "arid." Arid? These endlessly inventive and delightful works? These intriguing and engaging and charming pieces arid?

And you have charmed, yourself, with this insightful comment, that to enjoy any kind of music, your ear has to become attuned to its sound world. For music of the past, that tuning comes already done, almost; a cultural heredity as it were. Which has seduced many unwary posters into strange opinions about how older music is more "natural" or about how newer music is "sterile" or "ignores the audience" or whatever, none of which are true.

Anyway, bravo, Dundonnell, and may many others find and enjoy this very fine and very overdue recording of Krenek's 4th!

[Dundonnell]

Musical appreciation is a voyage of discovery

If one revises one's opinion of a composer ow a particular piece one should say so

[snyprrr]

Any love for Krenek today? I've always wanted to try the String Quartets, the Symphonies.

Toch vs. Krenek?

[snyprrr]

Toch's music develops along linear lines... Krenek...  is all over the frigging place.

Hard to say... but I think I like the best of Toch better than the best of Krenek, but Krenek randomly or on average more than Toch? Ah, heck, I don't really know. I do know I would never be without the Reisebuch. I also think that Toch's is the more universally (German/Austrian-independent) appreciable language.

things that make you go hmmm!!!! Sampling today found me begging for something other than German mid-century angst. I could perhaps be in the mood one day.

btw- the String Quartets (on the MDG label) are priced astronomically, won't be BUYING any Krenek, haha!!

[snyprrr]

If anyone could recommend the best Krenek?...

[jlaurson]

for starters:

Music For Chamber Orchestra (Toccata Classics)

Piano Sonata No.3, G.Gould (Sony)

Symphony No. 4; Concerto Grosso (cpo)

Motets After Kafka (Harmonia Mundi)

Reisebuch, Holzmair (Philips)
(Also very good; perhaps better... grumpy Viennese: Patzak (Preiser). Both probably useless for non native speakers.)

[The new erato]

No Krenek recommendation thread should omit his Lamentations of Jeremiah; good versions on both Globe (IIRC; I have it) and HM.

[snyprrr]

for starters:

Music For Chamber Orchestra (Toccata Classics)

Piano Sonata No.3, G.Gould (Sony)

Symphony No. 4; Concerto Grosso (cpo)

Motets After Kafka (Harmonia Mundi)

Reisebuch, Holzmair (Philips)
(Also very good; perhaps better... grumpy Viennese: Patzak (Preiser). Both probably useless for non native speakers.)

No Krenek recommendation thread should omit his Lamentations of Jeremiah; good versions on both Globe (IIRC; I have it) and HM.

Thanks guys.

btw- no one has commented on that fact that Krenek's FACE is arid!!!!!!!Yoww!!!! His face looks like Sibelius's 4th!!