Louis Spohr (1784-1859)

[SonicMan46]

.........
Let us know if those Spohr cd's come through. I have a few on the wishlist, but may convert to purchase next month (if they still have them). Next month - sounds so far away, but it starts Thursday!

Thanks Neal - not to really complain but this thread on Spohr has wandered off to other composers - I'm sure there may be other threads to make these non-Spohr contributions or ones that could be started?

So, just a subtle suggestion to keep the topic of Louis S. regardless of your feelings about his music - just makes the tread an easier read for those wanting information on this composer - thanks - Dave

[cilgwyn]

Another subtle suggestion,if we keep it TOO rigid it'll be a pretty dull thread! I think it really depends how far you digress. 'Conversations' flow unless you're Adolf Hitler. It just depends how far it goes. I mentioned Lachner & Sgt Rock was interested,so I helped him out,hopefully,anyway? And this IS a forum,after all,not Groves Dictionary! Thank god for the democracy of the Havergal Brian thread!!!
But point taken!

Back to Spohr!

[cilgwyn]

Actually,it was wandering a bit!
  Still no sign of those MDT stock clearance Spohr cds!

Theories as to why I am still waiting!                                                         
1) MDT employ a team of Brazilian Sloths
2) They are trying to think of a way to break the news that the Spohr cds have been sold without upsetting me too much.
3) They have strapped my Spohr cds to the back of a large garden snail with a good sense of direction & with a bit of luck it'll arrive in time for Xmas.
4) I'm just an impatient b******!

No news is good news!

Stop Press! All good things come to those who wait!!!

Email from MDT at 14.47 : Order Despatched!

£7.00p for two new Marco Polo Spohr cds as £2.75 each (+ P&P...)
(Symphonies 1 & 5,3 & 6) Not bad,eh?

....hopefully NOT using that snail!!!

Better be b**** good!!!

Kalliwoda's Symphonies 5 & 6 on a the moment! Ssssshhh!This is a Spohr thread!!!

[Scion7]

I enjoy Spohr's music, too.
This was a guy I just got into the past couple of years.

[cilgwyn]

In the last week or so,I have bought some more Spohr symphony cds. The old Marco Polo one's,I'm afraid! I'm just not so sure about Spohr that I want to splash out on the pricier Hyperion cd's,although,if I start to really like Spohr the symphonist,I will certainly consider forking out. Having said that,I DO like the 3rd (which was the catalyst for my current renewal of interest) & wanting to hear No 4,which is supposed to be one of the best,I now have the Hyperion cd of No's 4 & 5 (which is also also,apparently,one of the best!) on order!
So,I now have the following Spohr symphony cds:

Symphonies 1 & 5 Marco Polo
        "          3 & 6 Marco Polo
        "          7 & 8 Marco Polo
Symphony No 2 (+ Lachner No 1) MP
Symphonies 4 & 5 Hyperion  (on order!)

I got a bit of a suprise when I put on No 7! For a moment I thought the seller had inserted a cd of chamber music by mistake! . Of course,I looked at the cd & the booklet & realised that Spohr composed this for 'two' orchestras. One for eleven instruments,representing 'the divine',and the other for full orchestra,representing 'the human'!

'The Hurwitz',as some refer to him,thinks Spohr symphonies all sound the same & I know he has his detractors (Hurwitz too!!)! But,the man was once considered very highly,he certainly has some fervent admirers & there are Spohr societies;so he is an intriguing puzzle! And I DO like musical puzzles!
Of course,I may end up agreeing with Hurwitz & I'm not sure if he hasn't actually got a point about one or two,or more of them! But I DO like No 3 & No's 5 & 6 are a very relaxing listen,especially late at night!
If I was wealthier than I currently am I would have bought all the Hyperion recordings;but as I said,I'm not really sure he's worth splashing out that much yet!
I DO like his 3rd though! Parts of it,certainly, stay in my head. The orchestration seems to chuckle along! No 6,which,so far,is the one I think I like best after No3,is very lithe & athletic. The orchestration seems to sweep you along.
Anyway,a bit of busking outside Tesco & I might,hopefully, get to hear some more of those nice Hyperion recordings!

Now where are my spoons?

[cilgwyn]

Following on from my previous post;according to a reviewer on Amazon,there is very little to choose between the performances of the 3rd & 6th on the MP & Hyperion labels. Hopefully,he's right! Looking at all the reviews I have been able to look at,while the Hyperion recordings are clearly front runners now,if you are at all interested in these symphonies ;the older Marco Polo recordings do seem to come out fairly well. Having said that,it would be nice to hear the newer ones as well!
Curiously,I can't seem to find that many reviews of the cpo cycle! Though there are a few.

Now back to that 'chuckling' third!

Also,in my post today. Rubinstein's Fourth symphony. The catalyst? The Marco Polo recording of his First,which I really DO enjoy. I also admit to liking his 'Ocean Symphony' & have done,ever since I borrowed the old Vox Turnabout Lp from Haverfordwest library,all those long years ago! Incidentally,my cds of No's 2 & 4 are conducted by Golovchin on Russian Disc & are,according to various sources,the best of a not too wonderful lot!  No's 3 & 5 are in the post!
Anyway,I'm off topic now,arent I?!!

Back to that Spohr 3!!

Listening to the 3rd now! I DO,definately,like this one! The orchestration is lovely. As I said,it just seems to chuckle it's way along & unlike some of those Marco Polo recordings,it doesn't suffer from that wierd cramped,boxy sound. Very good for MP,actually,imho! Nice....unless you find Spohr terminally boring,of course!

Whoa! I really AM enoying his 3rd! The Finale,in particular,just zips along. But will I get to like any of his others as much?!!

[SonicMan46]

WOW - a blast from the past! 

I've not added any more Spohr to my collection since an earlier post; still just have the one symphony CD w/ Shelley (i.e. Nos. 4/5) - but I see that he has recorded all 10 of the works on Hyperion - will they come out w/ a box soon? 

Cilgwyn - will be curious upon arrival of your comparison of No. 5 on Marco Polo vs. Shelley?  I'd like to acquire some more of these symphonic works, so will await your assessment and also hope that Shelley is put into a BOX!     Dave

[mc ukrneal]

In addition to symphonies 1,2,4,5 on Hyperion (both discs enjoyed quite highly, but cannot compare to the MP, which I never heard) and a volume of string quartets/Quintets each (both on Naxos/MP), I added the two below (just ripped them both yesterday!):
[asin]B000001RTL[/asin]
[asin]B000002ZTV[/asin]

Both seem quite promising!

[SonicMan46]

In addition to symphonies 1,2,4,5 on Hyperion (both discs enjoyed quite highly, but cannot compare to the MP, which I never heard) and a volume of string quartets/Quintets each (both on Naxos/MP), I added the two below (just ripped them both yesterday!):
Both seem quite promising!

Hi Neal - can only comment on the 2nd CD, i.e. the Gaudier Ensemble are excellent in these works - hope that your enjoy!  Dave

[Gurn Blanston]

In addition to symphonies 1,2,4,5 on Hyperion (both discs enjoyed quite highly, but cannot compare to the MP, which I never heard) and a volume of string quartets/Quintets each (both on Naxos/MP), I added the two below (just ripped them both yesterday!):

[asin]B000002ZTV[/asin]

Neal,
I've had that Gaudier/Hyperion for years. It's outstanding, particularly the Octet which is one of my favorite large chamber pieces. You must give it a listen! 

[cilgwyn]

Oh good,some very interesting replies! Unfortunately,it's 01.39 here,so I'm going to have to leave it for now! Funny,I posted here a while back,didn't I,then I stopped! I quite liked what I heard,but I couldn't really get any further than that! Then,a couple of days ago,I dug out Rubinstein's First Symphony. Not exactly anyone's favourite,even if they like his music. But I suddenly started liking it.........so I ordered some more Rubinstein (No's 3 & 5,are on the way!) Then,I thought,what other neglected,once famous composer,who wrote symphonies do I need to investigate a little further? The next minute I was ordering s/h copies of 1 & 5,then 7 & 8. Then,I put on the cd of No's 3 & 6. Suddenly,it 'clicked' with me. This time I really AM absolutely hooked! It seems to me that once you finally 'crack one',all the others start to mysteriously open up!!
The Hyperion of 4 & 5,is on order! As to the Marco Polo recordings. Unlike,some of those Marco Polo cds,they do have a lovely,clean sound,the orchestra sounds lithe & graceful,athletic & fleet footed at times,and as far as I can make out,most of the reviews are generally positive,even if the Hyperion cds are the favourites now. I notice that they seem to be preferred to the cpo recordings,in some reviews?

Okay,I'm going to get ready for bed now!!

[Gurn Blanston]

Oh good,some very interesting replies! Unfortunately,it's 01.39 here,so I'm going to have to leave it for now! Funny,I posted here a while back,didn't I,then I stopped! I quite liked what I heard,but I couldn't really get any further than that! Then,a couple of days ago,I dug out Rubinstein's First Symphony. Not exactly anyone's favourite,even if they like his music. But I suddenly started liking it.........so I ordered some more Rubinstein (No's 3 & 5,are on the way!) Then,I thought,what other neglected,once famous composer,who wrote symphonies do I need to investigate a little further? The next minute I was ordering s/h copies of 1 & 5,then 7 & 8. Then,I put on the cd of No's 3 & 6. Suddenly,it 'clicked' with me. This time I really AM absolutely hooked! It seems to me that once you finally 'crack one',all the others start to mysteriously open up!!
The Hyperion of 4 & 5,is on order! As to the Marco Polo recordings. Unlike,some of those Marco Polo cds,they do have a lovely,clean sound,the orchestra sounds lithe & graceful,athletic & fleet footed at times,and as far as I can make out,most of the reviews are generally positive,even if the Hyperion cds are the favourites now. I notice that they seem to be preferred to the cpo recordings,in some reviews?

Okay,I'm going to get ready for bed now!!

cilgwyn,

I am interested in your symphony listening adventure. I have nearly all of Spohr's chamber music, plus the violin concertos, but have yet to hear a single symphony. If the Hyperion ones are the best of the lot though, I shall give them some serious consideration. Thanks for bringing this topic back up.

[cilgwyn]

Thanks Gurn! I'll be back for more after some ham,carrots,peas & parsley sauce!

[cilgwyn]

After that plate of ham,carrots,peas & parsley sauce, I  listened to his Fifth symphony on repeat,for a few hours. My immeadiate response? What not to like?!! I then moved onto the Seventh Symphony. This one is very curiously orchestrated,indeed & while it shows that Spohr certainly had some very interesting ideas buzzing around in his head,I'm not sure that this one really works! The main problem,as far as I can make out? It just doesn't seem to have many memorable ideas,if any! In fact,I'm not sure if I can really tell one bit from the other,or even remember any of it all,after I've finished listening to it! I just wonder if the Hyperion improves on it? Still,at least it doesn't go on for 65 minutes,like Rubinstein's Fourth. If you're one of those people who think that Spohr symphonies are short of memorable ideas,try sitting through every second of Rubinstein's 'Dramatic',then put on Spohr's 3rd or 4th! After that,Spohr is a marvel of concision. You'll love him even more!

I honestly now feel the third is a really good symphony. Spohr's third symphony at the Proms! Why not? Full of tunes & good humour.A wonderful score! I love it! (I like Rubinstein,at his best,but Spohr's VERY 'deep' by comparison!) The critics would tear it to pieces,of course!
After that it's got to be No 5,then No 6 & well,I'm still working on the others! No 4 is supposed to be one of the best. Hopefully,it'll get posted soon! I NEED to know!!!

[mc ukrneal]

After that plate of ham,carrots,peas & parsley sauce, I  listened to his Fifth symphony on repeat,for a few hours. My immeadiate response? What not to like?!! I then moved onto the Seventh Symphony. This one is very curiously orchestrated,indeed & while it shows that Spohr certainly had some very interesting ideas buzzing around in his head,I'm not sure that this one really works! The main problem,as far as I can make out? It just doesn't seem to have many memorable ideas,if any! In fact,I'm not sure if I can really tell one bit from the other,or even remember any of it all,after I've finished listening to it! I just wonder if the Hyperion improves on it? Still,at least it doesn't go on for 65 minutes,like Rubinstein's Fourth. If you're one of those people who think that Spohr symphonies are short of memorable ideas,try sitting through every second of Rubinstein's 'Dramatic',then put on Spohr's 3rd or 4th! After that,Spohr is a marvel of concision. You'll love him even more!

I honestly now feel the third is a really good symphony. Spohr's third symphony at the Proms! Why not? Full of tunes & good humour.A wonderful score! I love it! (I like Rubinstein,at his best,but Spohr's VERY 'deep' by comparison!) The critics would tear it to pieces,of course!
After that it's got to be No 5,then No 6 & well,I'm still working on the others! No 4 is supposed to be one of the best. Hopefully,it'll get posted soon! I NEED to know!!!

We'll be waiting. By the way, I enjoy Rubinstein's second symphony (ocean). That's quite nice.

[cilgwyn]

So do I! The opening is quite magical & the rest isn't too bad either! It would be wonderful to hear it with a really first rate conductor & orchestra;but I can't see it happening in the near future! It's a bit uneven,I suppose,but the good ideas make up for it's failings! ! And it's a little sad,that such an enjoyable symphony is always doomed to second or third rate performances. Sad,but not a tragedy,however!  I rather wish they'd release the Vox recording with the Westphalian Orchestra,on cd. Maybe it wasn't the best version (?),but it was the first one I ever heard & fair play to Rubinstein,it made an impression on me. Not that it knocked me sideways,blew my mind,or anything like that;but I remembered it!
Must say,I do rather like his First Symphony. It's a modest work,full of imaginative ideas & unlike some of his later,more ambitious symphonies,not too big for it's boots!!

Going back to the subject of this thread! I'm afraid I can't make much headway with Spohr's Seventh & eighth symphonies. They are pleasant enough,but imo short of memorable ideas.
No 3 is a winner,though. The Fifth is very enjoyable & the Sixth,may be a little too experimental for it's own good,but it comes pretty close.
The Fourth is the one I need to hear the most. It is in the post,apparently,so hopefully I will hear it soon!
I notice Hyperion recording of No3 is paired,very conveniently,like the Marco Polo,with No 6!

[SonicMan46]

Hi Cilgwyn - thanks for the commentary of the Spohr symphonies - I've been looking at a lot of reviews in the Fanfare Archive (just one quote below but the opinion seems to match that of others there), i.e. of the Spohr sets (Shelley on Hyperion, Griffiths on CPO, and Walter on Marco Polo), Shelley & Griffiths seen to be favored despite the MP discs being cheaper!

Also was checking the pricing on the Hyperion & CPO CDs on Amazon, Presto, & MDT - NO bargains available @ the moment, so will wait to see if Hyperion puts their 5 recordings into a box?  May be a LONG wait -     Dave

As it turns out, both symphonies presented here have already been released in the parallel Spohr cycle by Howard Griffiths and the NDR Radio Philharmonic on cpo. Griffiths is more brilliant and dynamic in the first movement of Symphony No. 8, and is also considerably faster in the Finale. The deciding factor, though, is the Scherzo: Griffiths's woodwinds play with a lighter touch, and in the Trio his violinist's intonation is far better than Shelley's in playing Spohr's difficult solo part. Both new recordings easily surpass the old Marco Polo version by Alfred Walter; his cycle can now be honorably retired. In the 10th the comparison is more even; again Griffiths is more brisk in the outer movements, and I actually prefer Shelley's tempos. The tie-breaker for some will be the fact that the cpo cycle is being released as SACDs. Otherwise it's too close to call.

[cilgwyn]

Thanks for you're reply. Given the chance I'd certainly plump for Hyperion! You only have to think of their reputation v Marco Polo! I mean,it's nor rocket science,is it?! Credit crunch issues aside I just didn't feel Spohr was a composer I wanted to spend a load of money on,so I thought I'd just 'dip my toe in the water' with a few more s/h Marco Polo cds! Not the best way of going about things,I know ,but unlike,say,their pretty awful Tournemire symphony recordings,there wasn't enough to make me want to rush into buying pricey alternatives (Auvidis Valois,in Tournemire's case. I bought them all! ). At the same time,this is a composer who IS undoubtedly,imho,intriguing! So,in the meantime,I have forked out on the Hyperion of the Fourth,which,as well as being,one I haven't heard,is also,from what I gather,supposedly,one of his best. It's also coupled with No 5,which as you know,is the one I have liked best (so far) after No 5. Anyway,the Marco Polo of No 4 was actually more expensive & the lowest offer was from a seller I always avoid like the plague!!
Interestingly,the Cpo 3rd is coupled with No10,which I haven't got & Griffiths is ,a highly respected conductor,judging by some of the reviews I've seen. And Cpo v Marco Polo?! Which would you prefer? Having said that,maybe I'd be better off waiting that box set!!

Give a few weeks & I may be tempted to splash out on the Hyperion 3 & 6! On a positive note,the Marco Polo's appear to have been given decent recordings. Unlike some of their recordings which sounded like the performers were sealed in some kind of box!!

In all fairness to Marco Polo,I can remember a time,some years ago,when they were pioneers in allot of rare stuff. I can remember actually looking for their advert in Gramophone Magazine (when it was still a good read) & thinking," I wonder what they've brought out,this month?". Unfortunately,allot of their 'exciting' off the beaten track releases were of a frankly,poor,if not lousy standard & of course,these days,they've been superseded by infinitely superior releases from labels like Chandos,Hyperion & Cpo. But,I can still remember a feeling of excitement at some of their more esoteric releases.
Vox/ Turnabout was another one,all those long years ago!

[cilgwyn]

Of course,if I buy 3 & 6 it won't be (so) much point waiting for the box set!

[SonicMan46]

Of course,if I buy 3 & 6 it won't be (so) much point waiting for the box set!

YES!  The quandary of buying or waiting - checked the Hyperion website later after my last post - seems to be no immediate 'future' releases listed for this set, so buy now or wait, I guess - I'll take a deep breath and wait until early next year - Dave