Swiss Composers in the 20th Century

Started by Dundonnell, December 06, 2007, 03:05:22 PM

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Dundonnell

Quote from: snyprrr on May 28, 2009, 11:51:50 PM
Which are Bloch's "Swiss" works?

Which are Honegger's "Swiss" works? Sym. No.4? Is his general craggy style Swiss, because his "Franch" sense of humor has a bit o' bitterness to it?

Comparatively few of Bloch's orchestral works could be called specifically 'Swiss'. After the age of 20 he spent only another 25 years of his adult life in Switzerland(1904-17 and 1930-38) and many of the works composed during those years are strongly influenced by his Jewish heritage(the Israel Symphony, Schelomo, Voice in the Wilderness for example). The early Tone Poems "Hiver-Printemps" is more influenced by Debussyian impressionism.

if by 'Swiss works' you mean pieces celebrating Switzerland then the 1929 Symphonic Fresco 'Helvetia' would count.

As for Honegger-who was born in France and spent only a very short time living in Zurich-the only 'Swiss' work I can think of, apart from the Symphony No.4, would be the Suite 'Jour de Fete Suisse', a very rare work indeed. It is an arrangement(1946) of music from an unpublished Ballet "L'Appel de la Montagne"(1943) and has no opus number. You will not find it in many lists of Honegger's compositions.

snyprrr

Yes, that's a fair answer, Dun. Thanks.

The new erato



This guy barely makes it into the 20th centurty, but still, anyone have any information?

snyprrr

Quote from: Dundonnell on November 08, 2008, 04:23:17 PM
Sadly, I cannot recommend the Fritz Brun symphonies (on Guild) I have heard so far-Nos. 3, 5, 9 and 10.

Despite the passionate advocacy of the eccentric musicologist and conductor Adriano the symphonies are turning out to be rather turgid affairs-Brucknerian but without a tithe of the inspiration.

Won't stop me collecting them all, no doubt-just as I collected all the pleasant but pretty feeble Hans Huber symphonies ;D

Sometimes History does get it right :)

I remembered your post as I was listening to Brun's SQ No.3 in F Major (1942). Even the notes mention the eh of Brun's symphs, that apparently he wasn't quite the orchestrator either, along with being imitative to a yawning degree.

The SQ, however, is really something, I think. At first one may be reminded of something French, such as Roger-Ducasse's sprawling ode to Faure, his SQ No.2 (1953), and, indeed, this is one of the most picturesque musics I've heard. you really really get a sense of the hills and dales of Lucerne and Tinico (where Brun settled right before writing this). I may also be hearing some Stenhammer, or some such thing.

Written in 1942, this music is totally removed. All we have here is pure joy and sunshine and mountain air! I prefer it a bit to the Schoeck SQ on the same cd, but, honestly, the two pieces make such a perfect match that I'm sure I will end up always listening to both.

Brun discography is split between the symphs and this cd. I encourage anyone who may be reticent to try the Schoeck/Brun SQs on this musiques-suisse.ch cd. And be happy!


kentel

#44
Quote from: bhodges on December 06, 2007, 04:08:46 PM
Earlier this year, I did hear a short piece called Lied for violin and piano by Beat Furrer (b. 1954), that sort of sounded like Morton Feldman (but much shorter than most of his works).  I liked it, but have no idea whether it's representative of his overall output or not. 

--Bruce


Unfortunately it is. I listened to all the 9 cd's available on the Kairos catalogue : I didn't like any of them. It is classical post-serialism
post-Darmstadt, inevitably bleak and sinister with hard, dry and austere sonorities, shattered notes and loads of silences in order to give the whole thing an essentialist and metaphysical dimension. We are so little in this wide universe. The orchestra is colourless, it feels like the composer drop some notes not knowing where they would fall.

The catalogue includes 2 operas : Begehren (Desire) and Fama. If you like it conceptual, you'll love it - if no, don't even try. whispers,  hushes, a little klong of piano from the left, a little dzoing of strings from the right, distant mutterings, silences here and there. And of course, don't try to understand what's going on on the stage, that would be a mistake : you have to feel, not to understand, the notes are the meaning and blah-blah.

The comments in the booklets are worth reading. Nono wrote the same kind of metaconceptual gobbledygook about his Prometeo BUT the music behind the words was magnificent. This is definitely not the case here.

And he has 9 cds on the Kairos catalogue. The question is just : why ?


--Gilles


kentel

Quote from: snyprrr on May 26, 2009, 12:57:37 AM
btw- Holliger's SQ (1973) is THE last word...beyond Lachenmann OR Xenakis!!! please someone prove me wrong!

Not me :)

I think Holliger is a rather interesting composer. Maybe he overuses the piercing strident sounds, but it is his trademark.

You can hear his Violin Concerto on the musicme website at http://www.musicme.com/ and 3 other cds. The concerto is a bit too long, but very beautiful.


jowcol

Quote from: Dundonnell on December 07, 2007, 07:17:01 AM
I am not a fan of 'avant-garde' music although I am aware of composers like Klaus Huber and Heinz Holliger. I also did consider mentioning Rolf Liebermann. There is indeed a Naxos CD devoted to Liebermann and I might give it a go although the idea of a Concerto for Jazz Band and Symphony Orchestra doesn't much appeal to me, to be honest.

I know I'm reviving a long-dormant thread, but I was curious if you ever DID pick up the Liebermann disc from Naxos.    I've just gotten acquainted with the Fritz Reiner recording of the Concerto for Jazzband, and I really, really like it.  It has to be one of the most accessible, ear-friendly 12 tone pieces I've ever heard, lyrical, rhythmically inventive,  and  a butt-shaking Mambo at the end that I had to keep rewinding and player over.   It's definitely enough for me to want to dig deeper, unless someone has had a bad experience with that Naxos disc.  From what little I've been able to dig up on Liebermann, he's got a reputation for mixing some of the more progressive elements of the day (such as 12 tone) with much friendlier structures.
"If it sounds good, it is good."
Duke Ellington

vandermolen

#47
I've taken this thread out of hibernation as I did not want to start a new one for a Soviet/Swiss/Russian/German composer of the 21st Symphony. I wanted to mention this most interesting CD. I'm currently listening to the Symphony No.4 (2014-2015) by Alexander Brincken (born 1952) I found the long opening paragraphs very moving. Sure, the tonal language is anachronistic but so what? Rather than ramble on about it I've attached the Musicweb review. Frank Schmidt's 4th Symphony came to mind most of all, at least in the opening movement with its searching/visionary motto theme. The finale reminded me, at times, of the hopeless defiance of Schulhoff's magnificent 5th Symphony.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2020/Jan/Brincken_orchestral_v1_TOCC0550.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).

Roy Bland


vandermolen

Quote from: Roy Bland on February 03, 2020, 03:40:12 PM

and

Looks interesting. That's the third post on this thread in twenty years. Things are hotting up for Swiss composers!
;D
"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).

Roy Bland


Roy Bland



Maestro267

Quote from: Roy Bland on February 04, 2020, 06:54:45 PM


Goodness me, he must have been quite an age when that recording was made. Born in 1898, presumably still alive when the recording was made as they don't give a death year. Judging purely on the artwork (so I might be wrong), that looks like an 1980s issue at the earliest.

Roy Bland

#54
Quote from: Maestro267 on March 10, 2020, 06:12:05 AM
Goodness me, he must have been quite an age when that recording was made. Born in 1898, presumably still alive when the recording was made as they don't give a death year. Judging purely on the artwork (so I might be wrong), that looks like an 1980s issue at the earliest.
Cd is 1991.Muller Zurich died in 1993 after a long career as composer.
https://www.musinfo.ch/it/personen/komponisten/?pers_id=915&abc=M

Maestro267


Roy Bland

I am posting here to corroborate thesis that swiss/italian composer are unjustly neglected
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6xCShbmBUw

Roy Bland

IMHO a positive novelty,Daetwyler is sadly neglected