Wilhelm Georg Berger (1929-1993)

Started by vandermolen, October 30, 2013, 02:32:05 PM

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vandermolen

I have enjoyed this new release:
[asin]B00BSJDJKU[/asin]
As there appears to be no generic Romanian composer thread I am placing it here.

The Symphony No 4 'Tragic' is a darkly eloquent work, in two movements, lasting 43 minutes. I had never heard of this composer before. Certainly the music has 'nothing of the circus' about it, but I played it through four times, with increasing appreciation. It is lyrical, without being especially tuneful but conveys a gritty integrity and dark poetry, which I found appealing. The notes describe it as 'mahlerian' but it did not particularly remind me of any other composer. The Symphony has a searching and visionary quality and will, I suspect, give up more of its secrets with repeated hearings. A review I read noted a connection with Sibelius's 7th Symphony. I would not personally connect the two works but they do share a sense of organic growth and my attention was held throughout the work. I haven't listened to the Viola Concerto yet.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2013/Oct13/Berger_sy4_7777562.htm
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

kyjo

Thanks for starting a thread on this fascinating composer, Jeffrey! I really hope that CPO recording is the first in a series of Berger's orchestral music, as I highly enjoyed it as well. On the basis of what little I have heard, Berger seems like a serious, individual composer who merits more attention. Colin compiled a catalogue of Berger's orchestral music over at the Art-Music Forum (where many of Berger's works are available for download), which reveals that he composed 24(!) symphonies, among other compositions: http://artmusic.smfforfree.com/index.php/topic,793.0.html

vandermolen

Quote from: kyjo on October 30, 2013, 02:51:30 PM
Thanks for starting a thread on this fascinating composer, Jeffrey! I really hope that CPO recording is the first in a series of Berger's orchestral music, as I highly enjoyed it as well. On the basis of what little I have heard, Berger seems like a serious, individual composer who merits more attention. Colin compiled a catalogue of Berger's orchestral music over at the Art-Music Forum (where many of Berger's works are available for download), which reveals that he composed 24(!) symphonies, among other compositions: http://artmusic.smfforfree.com/index.php/topic,793.0.html

Thanks Kyle, and I appreciated your own contribution there too. The Symphony No. 10 for Organ and Orchestra sounds intriguing.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

kyjo

Quote from: vandermolen on October 30, 2013, 03:03:01 PM
Thanks Kyle, and I appreciated your own contribution there too. The Symphony No. 10 for Organ and Orchestra sounds intriguing.

Thank you! Why haven't you been posting at the A-MF recently, Jeffrey? You know how much Colin and I (and others, I'm sure) appreciate your contributions! :)

kyjo

BTW the Symphony no. 10 for Organ and Orchestra is a strong work-one of the best I have heard from Berger yet!

vandermolen

Quote from: kyjo on October 30, 2013, 03:10:45 PM
Thank you! Why haven't you been posting at the A-MF recently, Jeffrey? You know how much Colin and I (and others, I'm sure) appreciate your contributions! :)

No special reason Kyle. Pressure of work I guess but I will be back!
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Sean

Another new name. Okay, I'll give one of his works a bashing over the next few days via the Naxos site.

vandermolen

 ;D
Quote from: Sean on October 31, 2013, 05:20:45 AM
Another new name. Okay, I'll give one of his works a bashing over the next few days via the Naxos site.

Let us know what you think.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Sean

Actually I'm now having trouble tracking him down- I thought Naxos had the CPO recordings but this isn't the case. On YT there's the Second symphony but it's an early work, there are 21 I think.

kyjo

There are three members who you can always count on to keep a thread about a super-obscure composer such as Berger alive: Jeffrey, Sean, and myself! ;D

pjme

I was intrigued.  At first I thought that it was a new recording of music by Theodor Berger, an Austrian composer.



But Rumanian Wilhelm Georg seems to be a most rewarding discovery.  At JPC ( distributor of CPO) one can listen to fragments. http://www.jpc.de/

Thanks!

Peter

cilgwyn

Quote from: kyjo on October 31, 2013, 11:18:35 AM
There are three members who you can always count on to keep a thread about a super-obscure composer such as Berger alive: Jeffrey, Sean, and myself! ;D
I haven't heard this composer yet,but keep up the good work! :)

André

+ 1 for the CPO disc of symphony no 4, which I discovered only last year. I was very impressed by this composer's music.

vandermolen

Quote from: André on October 05, 2018, 05:07:40 PM
+ 1 for the CPO disc of symphony no 4, which I discovered only last year. I was very impressed by this composer's music.
:)
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).