Musical depictions of the sea, maritime incidents--anything related to the ocean

[Dima]

OK. Thanks for the info. can you name the conductor?

I'm not satisfied with existing recordings of Ocean symphony.
And this recording is my sample how it may or should sound - it is reconstructed (and conducted) by me with the help of audio editor on computer using real recordings.

[Maestro267]

Peter Maxwell Davies' early symphonies. Chaotic, turbulent, difficult, and unpredictable.

Like his Orcadian home. Works I have grown to enjoy a lot lately.

[pjme]

I'm not satisfied with existing recordings of Ocean symphony.
And this recording is my sample how it may or should sound - it is reconstructed (and conducted) by me with the help of audio editor on computer using real recordings.

Thank you for this special additional information. Do you prefer the original version from 1851 (4 movements / dedication to Liszt) or is it the version in seven movements (additions from 1863 and 1880) that is more important? What are the main shortcomings of the existing recorded versions? What would be an "ideal" recording?

I found this interesting text (1994) at the site of the American Symphony Orchestra , written by Carol Reynards:

https://americansymphony.org/concert-notes/symphony-no-2-in-c-major-op-42-ocean/

I'm listening to Ghedini's Marinaresca e baccanale - a very memorable and original "seapiece"!

[david johnson]

Mendelssohn - Fingal's Cave

https://youtu.be/k-SBElB5s0o?si=jA5sQcVpALyZf8pU

Lightfoot - Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald 

https://youtu.be/FuzTkGyxkYI?si=J3I8U9MPasSiRbcf

[Dima]

Thank you for this special additional information. Do you prefer the original version from 1851 (4 movements / dedication to Liszt) or is it the version in seven movements (additions from 1863 and 1880) that is more important? What are the main shortcomings of the existing recorded versions? What would be an "ideal" recording?

I found this interesting text (1994) at the site of the American Symphony Orchestra , written by Carol Reynards:

https://americansymphony.org/concert-notes/symphony-no-2-in-c-major-op-42-ocean/

I'm listening to Ghedini's Marinaresca e baccanale - a very memorable and original "seapiece"!

Instead of many words about positive and negative aspects of existing recording I prefer to present after my research the recording that is close to ideal in the sample version above: https://web.ligaudio.ru/mp3/%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%B0%D0%BD%2042%20dmg%20record

It is one of the greatest symphony of all time, not only on the theme of sea voyage. You can fell how reveals the essence of music if you have time to listen to the record. As an introduction to listening you may listen to my story about symphony on youtube. Anton Rubinstein was satisfied only with 7 part version.
Вut I have made 4 parts version recording only because other parts you can find in rather fine variants (and my version won't be very different) and then put it all
together. For example I did't make another interpretation of the
"Sea storm" part from 7 part version, but I remastered
sound in it, so it sounded now better here: https://vimeo.com/794959033
And as a bonus track - it's Adagio from 6 part version of Ocean symphony with Richard Kapp, Westphalian Symphony Orchestra (it was digitized by me from LP, it was never released on CD): https://web.ligaudio.ru/mp3/kapp%20rubinstein

Here I start translation of my words with auto translation:
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A lot changes the size of the orchestra - Rubinstein's works are very often performed either in a reduced or the smallest possible orchestra - on a residual principle, but I've already tested that without a significantly enlarged orchestra (with more emphasis on the bass - with increased group of cellos and double basses), the music won't sound properly.
You can listen how the symphony will sound with an increased orchestra - in my post  - there I not only worked on the interpretation but also simulated such sound. Just look how grand sound now the 4-th part. In the first part - Rubinstein imitates choral masses in the orchestra - without a large orchestra, it doesn't make an impression. In the second part, there are already not choirs, but individual human voices are heard. There are things I wanted to share with conductors, but I didn't want to overload the message with details.

By the way, I'll share a draft of my thoughts about 7-part version of Symphony "Ocean" (I have not published it because I only posted a 4-movement version on the forum):

"While listening to Symphony 'Ocean' - and I think what a grand symphony, but only 4 movements. For a young man of 22, 4 movements is quite good - everyone writes like that. But for Anton Rubinstein, whom we know, 4 movements are not serious, and Anton Grigoryevich added 2 movements after 12 years, and then another one after several more years. And then he said to the publisher: "Now I'm satisfied".
The symphony is truly grandiose - there is no image of water, as they would have done  impressionists.
Each part has its own view on the man facing the elemental force of nature - just philosophical meaning of musical ideas is so profound that even their extract inspires respect. And if you listen to music  not in parts, but all parts together in one sitting, and not in unsuccessful recordings, but may be prepared with the help of technology, then the impression is clear - it's poweful."
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[Dima]

I'm listening to Ghedini's Marinaresca e baccanale - a very memorable and original "seapiece"!

Sounds good. It is more in the style of Stravinsky's modernism, which is good by itself, but not when copied without passing through one's soul. It becomes more a job, craftsmanship for creating illustrative music, rather than poetry. But that is just my personal opinion.

[pjme]

Instead of many words about positive and negative aspects of existing recording I prefer to present after my research the recording that is close to ideal

Thank you again, Dima. I understand that Rubinstein and his Ocean symphony are very dear to your heart. Do continue the good work! 
I wish you good luck and succes with your studies / publications .
GMG has several members who greatly enjoy romantic /late Romantic symphonies. Keep us informed.

Peter

[Peter Power Pop]

John Luther Adams: Become Ocean (Seattle Symphony / Ludovic Morlot) (2014)

[Peter Power Pop]

Rameau: Les Indes galantes, First entrée, "Le Turc généreux" (Les Arts Florissants / William Christie)

[Luke]

Like his Orcadian home. Works I have grown to enjoy a lot lately.

PMD-related sea pictures from my recent Orkney trip (for my book):

Top left: The view of the Pentland Firth from the composing window of PMD's house on Hoy. This precise bit of sea and the mathematics behind the workings of its waves inspired works such as the Second Symphony and A Mirror of Whitening Light.

Top right: The two islands (the Ires of Holm) which inspired many of his later pieces. They are just outside the house on Sanday where he lived after Hoy for the rest of his life.

Bottom left: The view to Stromness as you leave on the ferry - the route which is imagined in his most famous work, Farewell to Stromness.

Bottom right: The cliffs at uranium-rich Yesnaby, recalled in Farewell to Stromness's companion piece, Yesnaby Ground.

[Brian]

Thank you so much for sharing those! It's very interesting relating the landscapes to the works in this case because while those photos capture great natural beauty, it's a very clear, austere beauty - not romanticized, nowhere to hide, just the stark primary colors of the water and land, and the blue or gray of the skies. Between the shorter vegetation and coolness of the water, there's a sort of harshness to the sunlight that is captivating...like a very cold version of Texas 

[Luke]

It's a beautiful landscape, mostly flat and essentially treeless, and so you get a fantastic sense of the geography as you move around the islands. It is also full of some of the most important stone age monuments in the world, and their relationship to each other in the landscape is crystal clear.

This picture is looking inland from those Yesnaby cliffs. The bleakness is so stark, but I find it so beautiful, too. Although it was a lovely sunny day when I visited!

[foxandpeng]

PMD-related sea pictures from my recent Orkney trip (for my book):

Top left: The view of the Pentland Firth from the composing window of PMD's house on Hoy. This precise bit of sea and the mathematics behind the workings of its waves inspired works such as the Second Symphony and A Mirror of Whitening Light.

Top right: The two islands (the Ires of Holm) which inspired many of his later pieces. They are just outside the house on Sanday where he lived after Hoy for the rest of his life.

Bottom left: The view to Stromness as you leave on the ferry - the route which is imagined in his most famous work, Farewell to Stromness.

Bottom right: The cliffs at uranium-rich Yesnaby, recalled in Farewell to Stromness's companion piece, Yesnaby Ground.

Thanks for sharing!

[Peter Power Pop]

Benjamin Britten: Four Sea Interludes from "Peter Grimes" (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra / Paavo Järvi)

[Luke]

I went there for the book too; it;'s a lot more local than Orkney! This is Maggi Hambling's Britten-homage sculpture Scallop on Aldeburgh beach.

[pjme]

Les chants de la mer , trois tableaux symphoniques (1929)

1/ Chants et parfums, mer colorée.
2/ Ronde sur la fallaise -scherzo;
3/ Là-bas, très loin sur la mer

In ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite was the goddess of the sea, the queen of the sea, and her consort is Poseidon.
In works of art, both ancient ones and post-Renaissance paintings, Amphitrite is represented either enthroned beside Poseidon or driving with him in a chariot drawn by sea-horses or other fabulous creatures of the deep, and attended by Tritons and Nereids.

Lovely -late-romantic/ impressionistic music. As often with (19th - 20th century) conductor-composers, Gaubert knows how to make the orchestra sound lush.



charles - Joseph Natoire (1700-1777)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

/quote]I remember listening to that sometime within (I want to say) the past few years and found it to be very intriguing and fascinating....enjoyed it. 

PD