Erich Wolfgang Korngold

[Symphonic Addict]

Listening to the string quartets from this spectacular recording blew me away. It's been years since my last listen to these magnificent works, I barely remembered something about them, and today they revealed themselves as strong, cohesive masterpieces or quasi-masterpieces. If Korngold is refined in his orchestral writing, in these chamber works he is even more sophisticated. His use of some dissonances and astringent gestures aimed to highlight the sensuality, to enrich the intimacy in a way that one feels involved in the musical discourse; the slow movement from the String Quartet No. 1 exemplifies that very well, a remarkable movement. The Aron Quartett set the bar very high, so I see difficult that these performances may be bettered, it's playing of the highest degree and the music is treated with complete understanding. Serious fans of Korngold shouldn't miss this set!

[relm1]

Some seriously beautiful music here!

[Irons]

Listened to a BBC "Building a Library" download of Korngold's Violin Concerto. Vilda Fran came out top choice. More interest for me was the comment from the reviewer that although he uses themes from his film music in the concerto, Korngold's film music today sounds dated whereas the Violin Concerto transcends time and doesn't sound dated at all.   

[Spotted Horses]

Listening to the string quartets from this spectacular recording blew me away. It's been years since my last listen to these magnificent works, I barely remembered something about them, and today they revealed themselves as strong, cohesive masterpieces or quasi-masterpieces. If Korngold is refined in his orchestral writing, in these chamber works he is even more sophisticated. His use of some dissonances and astringent gestures aimed to highlight the sensuality, to enrich the intimacy in a way that one feels involved in the musical discourse; the slow movement from the String Quartet No. 1 exemplifies that very well, a remarkable movement. The Aron Quartett set the bar very high, so I see difficult that these performances may be bettered, it's playing of the highest degree and the music is treated with complete understanding. Serious fans of Korngold shouldn't miss this set!

I've had this set for ages (since it came out, perhaps) but never found time to listen. A 15 second sample of the first quartets makes it clear that this is my sort of thing. Must find time for it.

[Symphonic Addict]

I've had this set for ages (since it came out, perhaps) but never found time to listen. A 15 second sample of the first quartets makes it clear that this is my sort of thing. Must find time for it.

That will be time well spent.

[The new erato]

They are doing Die Tote Stadt in Bergen in November. I will be there.

[relm1]

They are doing Die Tote Stadt in Bergen in November. I will be there.

Report back!

[Symphonic Addict]

I think I'm posting too much on this part of the forum lately, but I can't help myself. 

Just discovered a work of the utmost brilliance and sheer splendour: Schauspiel-Ouvertüre, op. 4 (on the CPO recording below).

Holy smokes... If I said that it's an astonishing work for a 14-year-old composer, it would be a ridiculous understatement. What a portentous piece of music!!! I mean, this knocked my socks off, it's late-Romanticism at its very best, glittering with all the possible intensity, voluptuousness aplenty and filled with masterful orchestration of first order, and that ending is so powerful and imposing. Loved this piece so much, which is in the spirit of his also precocious Sinfonietta. I can't explain myself why I had never heard it before. One of my favorite overtures from now on.

[Roasted Swan]

I think I'm posting too much on this part of the forum lately, but I can't help myself. 

Just discovered a work of the utmost brilliance and sheer splendour: Schauspiel-Ouvertüre, op. 4 (on the CPO recording below).

Holy smokes... If I said that it's an astonishing work for a 14-year-old composer, it would be a ridiculous understatement. What a portentous piece of music!!! I mean, this knocked my socks off, it's late-Romanticism at its very best, glittering with all the possible intensity, voluptuousness aplenty and filled with masterful orchestration of first order, and that ending is so powerful and imposing. Loved this piece so much, which is in the spirit of his also precocious Sinfonietta. I can't explain myself why I had never heard it before. One of my favorite overtures from now on.

Great review!  I agree with everything you say - as the title of Brendan Caroll's fine biography is sub-titled - "The Last Prodigy".  In a world where hyperbola is overused Korngold was a genuine prodigy - and that is whether you like his music or his compositional style.  In his chosen field and genre he was prodigious.  I struggle to get my head around how it is possible for someone so young to have so fully grasped not just the technical aspects of large scale composition but also to have the emotional maturity to make the works feel profound and deeply expressive.  This is especially true of his early operatic works.  But this overture is just a joy.  I should revisit this version - my memory is that I generally found this 4 disc set valuable because of its completeness (and the first such survey to be made) but not quite as dynamic or thrilling as other versions.  But your enthusiasm picques my curiosity to dig it out!

[Wanderer]

Just discovered a work of the utmost brilliance and sheer splendour: Schauspiel-Ouvertüre, op. 4 (on the CPO recording below).

I can't explain myself why I had never heard it before. One of my favorite overtures from now on.

Better late than never! It's one of my favourite overtures as well, irrespective of composer - and you can read my extolling it in one of the very first posts of this thread back in 2009 (and before that in the old, now defunct version of the forum). Its thematic ingenuity, compositional prowess and irresistible élan make it an extraordinary sample of just how ingenious young Korngold was - the same spark can be heard in most of his early works, two of my other favourite "unknowns" being the Sinfonietta and the breathtaking Prelude to Violanta. Thank you for reminding me of these CPO recordings which I haven't listened to in a while. For the Schauspiel-Ouvertüre I urge you to also listen to the BBC PO/Bamert recording on Chandos. So glad you've discovered this gem!

[Der Schattenmann]

Just an FYI, but the Schauspiel-Ouverture is also found on these two recordings:

[Symphonic Addict]

Great review!  I agree with everything you say - as the title of Brendan Caroll's fine biography is sub-titled - "The Last Prodigy".  In a world where hyperbola is overused Korngold was a genuine prodigy - and that is whether you like his music or his compositional style.  In his chosen field and genre he was prodigious.  I struggle to get my head around how it is possible for someone so young to have so fully grasped not just the technical aspects of large scale composition but also to have the emotional maturity to make the works feel profound and deeply expressive.  This is especially true of his early operatic works.  But this overture is just a joy.  I should revisit this version - my memory is that I generally found this 4 disc set valuable because of its completeness (and the first such survey to be made) but not quite as dynamic or thrilling as other versions.  But your enthusiasm picques my curiosity to dig it out!

Absolutely, especially the bolded text. It's nothing short of miraculous how accomplished he was from the very beginning. I even dare to say that his personal voice sounds loud and clear already for a very young composer. Definitely a prodigious man that left us many stupendous creations. As for the CPO recording, I didn't expect to be that amazing and robust. It clearly made an impression.

[Symphonic Addict]

Better late than never! It's one of my favourite overtures as well, irrespective of composer - and you can read my extolling it in one of the very first posts of this thread back in 2009 (and before that in the old, now defunct version of the forum). Its thematic ingenuity, compositional prowess and irresistible élan make it an extraordinary sample of just how ingenious young Korngold was - the same spark can be heard in most of his early works, two of my other favourite "unknowns" being the Sinfonietta and the breathtaking Prelude to Violanta. Thank you for reminding me of these CPO recordings which I haven't listened to in a while. For the Schauspiel-Ouvertüre I urge you to also listen to the BBC PO/Bamert recording on Chandos. So glad you've discovered this gem!

It's always the greatest of pleasures when you discover a gem by a composer you are familiar with, and with Korngold that was simply a scintillating revelation to me. There's much more Gold than Korn on his works (I haven't heard anything close to the latter yet, nevertheless).

[Symphonic Addict]

Just heard the Chandos recording of the Schauspiel-Ouvertüre and, whilst it's a valid interpretation, it can't hold a candle to the CPO recording, which has more impact, radiance and punch. Glad I listened to that performance the first so the effect I obtained was maximum! I'm considering to give the recording of the Symphony of that set a listen.

OTOH, a work that is not often recorded and it's another hit is the Baby Serenade. Such a lovely work!

[Roasted Swan]

Just heard the Chandos recording of the Schauspiel-Ouvertüre and, whilst it's a valid interpretation, it can't hold a candle to the CPO recording, which has more impact, radiance and punch. Glad I listened to that performance the first so the effect I obtained was maximum! I'm considering to give the recording of the Symphony of that set a listen.

OTOH, a work that is not often recorded and it's another hit is the Baby Serenade. Such a lovely work!

One of the things I really enjoyed about the CPO set is that the works are presented chronologically so not only do you marvel at just how "fully formed" the young Korngold's musical personality was but also how little, relatively speaking, it changed over the entire course of his composing career.

[Wanderer]

Just heard the Chandos recording of the Schauspiel-Ouvertüre and, whilst it's a valid interpretation, it can't hold a candle to the CPO recording, which has more impact, radiance and punch.

Well, you've only been listening to the work for a couple of days and your "imprint" first recording is normal to stand out for you. I don't think of it as highly myself. My next ambition regarding this work is to listen to it in concert; I have managed to do so with the Sinfonietta a couple of years ago in Vienna, so it's not an impossible aspiration - his early works are getting back in the concert hall. Fingers crossed! 😎

[Wanderer]

...but also how little, relatively speaking, it changed over the entire course of his composing career.

It was perceived as a flaw in his later years ("why can't he "evolve" with the times?"), but now that constant change for change's sake is more or less passé it just shows what an extraordinary prodigy he was - his musical language appeared almost fully complete from the very beginning. There are no real "juvenilia" in his oeuvre.

[brewski]

I think I'm posting too much on this part of the forum lately, but I can't help myself. 

Just discovered a work of the utmost brilliance and sheer splendour: Schauspiel-Ouvertüre, op. 4 (on the CPO recording below).

Holy smokes... If I said that it's an astonishing work for a 14-year-old composer, it would be a ridiculous understatement. What a portentous piece of music!!! I mean, this knocked my socks off, it's late-Romanticism at its very best, glittering with all the possible intensity, voluptuousness aplenty and filled with masterful orchestration of first order, and that ending is so powerful and imposing. Loved this piece so much, which is in the spirit of his also precocious Sinfonietta. I can't explain myself why I had never heard it before. One of my favorite overtures from now on.

Thanks for mentioning this piece with such fervor. I listened to it the other day, and agree, it's fantastic —  and really hard to imagine someone 14 years old writing it.

[Der Schattenmann]

Just heard the Chandos recording of the Schauspiel-Ouvertüre and, whilst it's a valid interpretation, it can't hold a candle to the CPO recording, which has more impact, radiance and punch. Glad I listened to that performance the first so the effect I obtained was maximum! I'm considering to give the recording of the Symphony of that set a listen.

OTOH, a work that is not often recorded and it's another hit is the Baby Serenade. Such a lovely work!

Have you heard the Caspar Richter/Bruckner Orchester Linz recording on Capriccio (originally issued on ASV) yet? I think it's a good one.

[Symphonic Addict]

Thanks for mentioning this piece with such fervor. I listened to it the other day, and agree, it's fantastic —  and really hard to imagine someone 14 years old writing it.

Good to read! Yes, it also bowls me over the huge talent he showed at that tender age.