The two substantial selections on this Chandos release represent the early and late phases of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's impressive career and show the wide stylistic range and versatility of his work. The lush post-Romanticism of the Lieder des Abschieds, Op. 14, is typical of the youthful Korngold's music from the early '20s, and this haunting work is contemporary with his operatic masterpiece Die tote Stadt. These four orchestral songs partake of the musical language of Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss, particularly in their poignant harmonies, richly colored orchestration, and overwhelmingly melancholy moods. In contrast, the Symphony in F sharp major is a rough-hewn and problematic work that reflects the tensions of tonal modernism in the years following WWII, as well as the difficulties the composer faced in using the expanded Romantic symphonic form for the first and only time. The 1992 performance of the songs by contralto Linda Finnie and the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Edward Downes, does justice to Korngold's tenderly lyrical side, while the same orchestra and conductor give the symphony a muscular reading that is striking in its vehemence and power. Chandos delivers excellent reproduction in both offerings, though the sound is somewhat crisper and more concentrated in the recording of the symphony. Blair Sanderson Tracklist & Credits :
4.9.24
KORNGOLD : Symphony in Fis-Dur · Abschiedslieder (Linda Finnie · BBC Philharmonic Orchestra · Edward Downes) (1993) APE (image+.cue), lossless
4.3.22
BARBER · KORNGOLD · WALTON : Violin Concertos (James Ehnes · Vancouver Symphony Orchestra · Bramwell Tovey) (2006) APE (image+.cue), lossless
Aficionados of classic movies may recognize portions of the Korngold
concerto as the composer lifted several of the melodies from his
favorite film scores. There are parts of the concerto that still sound
as if it was created for the screen instead of the concert hall,
especially the orchestral tuttis. It is nonetheless an entertaining work
and Ehnes' interpretation is both engaging and solicitous. The Barber
concerto is filled with lush, lugubrious playing. The second movement
especially, with its extensive passages on the G and D strings, puts the
listener awash in the violin's sound. The third movement, while well
executed, is a bit on the slow side until the final push to the end.
Like Korngold, Walton is another composer leading somewhat of a double
life between film composition and music specifically for the concert
hall, but Walton does not reuse materials from his film scores. Unlike
the Barber, Walton's Presto movement is quite energetic and almost
diabolical -- a very satisfying performance. The Vancouver Symphony
Orchestra also deserves kudos for this recording. The accompanying sound
is quite sensitive to the needs of the soloist; orchestral tuttis are
rich, powerful, and consummate. Mike D. Brownell
28.2.22
16.1.22
KORNGOLD : Piano Concerto In C Sharp For The Left Hand, Op 17 ♦ MARX : Romantisches Klavierkonzert (First Recording) (Marc-André Hamelin · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra · Osmo Vänskä) (1998) Serie The Romantic Piano Concerto – 18 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
The Korngold left-hand concerto was written (like that of Ravel) for Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein who had lost his right arm during the First World War. It is Korngold at his most experimental and features a very large and colourful orchestra, and a particularly demanding (and awkward) piano part. Hyperion
Joseph Marx (1882-1964)
Romantisches Klavierkonzert in E major [36'30]
Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)
Piano Concerto for the left hand in C sharp Op 17 [27'37]
Credits :
Conductor – Osmo Vänskä
Leader – Iain King
Orchestra – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Piano – Marc-André Hamelin
10.1.21
KORNGOLD : Sursum Corda • Sinfonietta (Matthias Bamert · BBC Philharmonic) (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
This 1995 Chandos release features two impressive works from the early
years of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's career, when he was regarded as a
Wunderkind rather like his namesake, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The
symphonic overture, Sursum Corda, Op. 13, written in 1919 when the
composer was 22, is a fantastically adventurous work in the mold of
Richard Strauss' tone poems; yet surprisingly, it proved to be a bit
ahead of its time and a failure with audiences. However, it ended up
being used extensively in Korngold's 1938 score for Warner Brothers' The
Adventures of Robin Hood, which won an Academy Award. This brilliant
piece is well matched on this CD by an earlier composition, the
ambitious Sinfonietta in B flat major, Op. 5, which Korngold composed
between 1911 and 1912 and which demonstrates his astonishing precocity
in orchestration, harmonic modulations, and absorption of the finer
points of symphonic structure. Recorded in 1994, these performances by
Matthias Bamert and the BBC Philharmonic are enjoyable for their bright
colors, smooth execution, rich textures, and abundant energy, but they
are not well-served by Chandos' reproduction, which is distant, shallow,
and lacking clear separation of orchestral sections. Often, the result
is an aural haze that may be suitable in some of the lush passages, but
such soft-focus recording makes the music indistinct where it needs to
be crisp and obscures many interesting internal details. Blair SandersonErich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957)
1. Sursum Corda, Op. 13 ]19:31]
2-5. Sinfonietta, Op. 5 [43.02]
Credits :
Conductor – Matthias Bamert
Orchestra – BBC Philharmonic
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TAMPA RED — Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order ★ Volume 9 • 1938-1939 | DOCD-5209 (1993) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
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