Toch Talk

[karlhenning]

(Title inspired by Cato's thread . . . was it really only at the old GMG? Couldn't scare it up here at all.)

Although I have heard as yet only the symphonies and the Bitter Herbs Cantata, I think highly of Toch.

Here he is on wikipedia.

[lukeottevanger]

Not even the (whisper it) Geographical Fugue?

All together now:

Trinidad! And the big Mississippi and the town Honolulu and the lake Titicaca. The Popocatapetl is not in Canada rather in Mexico Mexico Mexico.....

[karlhenning]

Not even the (whisper it) Geographical Fugue?

Ach! How could I forget?

Indeed, back in the season of Mark's wedding, we heard it in concert!

[Guido]

Except when we sang (said?) it at 6th form it was more like: TRINIDAD!!! And the BIG(!) Mississippi and the TOWN(!) Honolulu and the lake Titicaca (teehee!!). The Popocatapetl is not in Canada rather in Mexico Mexico Mexico...

We were bad kids 

[karlhenning]

Well, having school agers say Titicaca in unison is just inviting mass-gigglage.

(Did Toch know? . . .)

[Guido]

It was a sort of post modern self referential giggle at least (well at least for some of us) - we were all aged between 16 and 18, so at least we were aware of our childish immaturity! Maybe that makes it worse...

[Cato]

Greetings!

Cato's here, so everybody get off the bar and get on the wall!  

Ernst Toch is highly recommended: in my earlier, apparently lost writings here, I reviewed all the symphonies.

My Internet circumstances are not the best right now: allow me to summarize quickly that Toch follows a more tuneful path, somewhat less stressful path than e.g. Karl Amadeus Hartmann, but a path no less impressive in its own way!

The clarity of Toch's counterpoint and the expressivity of the lines I have always found amazing.  On this point the String Quartets are not to be forgotten!

[karlhenning]

Hmm . . . Toch string quartets . . . and my birthday is coming up . . . .

[The new erato]

Stumbled across this in my collection:



Now I must hear it!

[karlhenning]

Dolce!

[bhodges]

The clarity of Toch's counterpoint and the expressivity of the lines I have always found amazing.  On this point the String Quartets are not to be forgotten!

Don't have much Toch, but I do have a couple of the string quartet recordings on CPO (Nos. 6 and 12 with the Verdi Quartet, below) and like them, at least after a couple of hearings.  Definitely an underrated composer.

--Bruce

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I have heard several of Toch's symphonies, and his Big Ben Overture. I also have his excellent study The Shaping Forces in Music, An Inquiry into the Nature of Harmony, Melody, Counterpoint and Form (Dover Books, 1977)

[The new erato]

I have heard several of Toch's symphonies, and his Big Ben Overture.

And....? Inquiring minds want to know!

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

And....? Inquiring minds want to know!

I should re-acquaint myself with them, it's been two years... But the musical language appealed to me - modern in a 'European mid-20th century' sense, a bit spiky, colourful. Not too far away from, say, Honegger. Serious.

[Dundonnell]

I should re-acquaint myself with them, it's been two years... But the musical language appealed to me - modern in a 'European mid-20th century' sense, a bit spiky, colourful. Not too far away from, say, Honegger. Serious.

In addition to the CPO complete symphonies set conducted by the ever enterprising Alun Francis, I have the Symphony No.3 conducted by William Steinberg on EMI, the Symphony No.5 "Jephta" coupled with the Cantata of the Bitter Herbs conducted by Gerard Schwarz on Naxos , and the two CDs below. The New World Records Disc is interesting because it couples the early Piano concerto No.1 written in 1926 while Toch was still in a relatively youthful 'avant-garde' phase' with lighter and later music. It is remarkable that Toch took to the symphony fairly late in life(hist 1st was completed when he was 62) and then composed a further six in the next 15 years. In fact the last three were written within the last year of his life while he was dying of cancer.

An 'easier' composer than Krenek certainly but I am not sure that as a symphonist he outdoes his fellow Austrian Egon Wellesz but more of Wellesz anon

[karlhenning]

In addition to the CPO complete symphonies set conducted by the ever enterprising Alun Francis, I have the Symphony No.3 conducted by William Steinberg on EMI . . . .

Boston? Pittsburgh?

[Dundonnell]

Boston? Pittsburgh?

Pittsburgh. Coupled with Hindemith's 'Mathis der Maler' Symphony and Stokowski conducting Frank Martin's Petite Symphonie Concertante.

[scarpia]

Ernst Toch is highly recommended: in my earlier, apparently lost writings here, I reviewed all the symphonies.

I also don't  understand why my earlier thread, "Toch's Cock" was deleted.  Apparently discussion of Toch and/or foul is frowned on in these parts.

[Kullervo]

I also don't  understand why my earlier thread, "Toch's Cock" was deleted.  Apparently discussion of Toch and/or foul is frowned on in these parts.

That was you? What was your nick then?

[karlhenning]

Oh, goodie! Genuine adolescent locker-room humor!