Bargiel Symphony & Overtures from Toccata

[Alan Howe]

Expected in a couple of months' time is this mouthwatering release:
http://www.toccataclassics.com/cddetail.php?CN=TOCC0277

[Wheesht]

I'm positively drooling even now! Great news indeed.

[Mark Thomas]

Now THAT'S something to look forward to. Knowing the fine Symphony from a German radio broadcast, I'm particularly excited by the prospect of hearing the three overtures. And I see that it's "Complete Orchestral Music. Volume 1". What a tantalising prospect.

[edurban]

I don't know...the Siberian Symphony Orchestra leaves me cold.

David

[Alan Howe]

Ouch!
Actually they're red-hot right now, so the snows are probably melting in Omsk...

[Gareth Vaughan]

If this is Complete Orchestral Music Vol. 1, what will be on volume two? I know only of the Adagio for cello and orchestra, an intermezzo and 3 Allemandes. Those wouldn't be enough to fill another CD surely. Could someone correct my ignorance, please?

[Wheesht]

The only other orchestral works I have been able to find are two overtures for large orchestra: to Orpheus, Op. 16 (Breitkopf & Härtel 1865) and to Medea (Leuckart 1873), both available for downloading from the University of Rochester (urresearch). A German biographical article also mentions a suite in C major, Op. 7 from 1866.

[Gareth Vaughan]

The Op. 22 Medea overture is included on the Toccata CD, as is the Op. 16 overture (Prometheus, not Orpheus). The Op. 7 Suite is listed on Wikipedia as being for piano 4-hands, though the composer may well have later orchestrated it.

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, it's a puzzle. Apart from the pieces which Gareth mentions, I suppose there might be independent orchestral numbers in the three psalm settings for choir and orchestra Opp.25, 26 and 43. I can't find anything else involving an orchestra in Dean Cáceres' Bargiel Werkverzeichnis. I did wonder whether the superb Octet Op.15a might have been orchestrated, but apparently not. There's nothing for it, we'll just have to wait and see.

[eschiss1]

they might have to fill out vol.2 with works by someone else, though if they were to record an _entire_ Bargiel unrecorded choral/orchestral work (I assume some of them are?) as coupling to the purely-orchestral works - well, given that some who'll buy orchestral music won't buy vocal, etc., there might be a problem there (... wonder if people programming Mahler symphonies when he was unsung had to stick with the instrumental ones until he started getting a foothold again?...)

[Alan Howe]

No, vol.2 will be an all-Bargiel disc. That's how Toccata releases work.

[Wheesht]

Apologies for my undue haste which resulted in several errors - I meant to write Prometheus rather than Orpheus, and of course I ought to have checked first what other pieces are on Vol. I. And the suite apparently dates from 1853/4, not 1866. See here: http://www.musikmph.de/musical_scores/vorworte/602.html

[Alan Howe]

I predict that this vol.1 is going to be a release of major importance, finally proving beyond doubt that great symphonies were written between Schumann and Brahms (as if we didn't know that already).

[Alan Howe]

The signs are good for this forthcoming release. This is an excerpt from a MusicWeb review of a recent Shebalin CD on Toccata referring specifically to the quality of the Siberian Symphony Orchestra:

The orchestra rewards its artistic director and chief conductor Dmitry Vasiliev with alert playing of vitality and substantial expressive character. Impeccably prepared by Vasiliev the unison of the orchestra is evident. Unquestionably this is a marvellous orchestra and an invitation to the BBC Promenade Concert series cannot come too soon.

The Siberian Symphony Orchestra is based in the Siberia capital of Omsk, Shebalin's place of birth and where this recording was made at the Philharmonic Hall. This is the second Toccata Classics recording I have heard from that hall which underwent substantial redevelopment in 2010/11 and comes across as having a quite spectacular acoustic. The recording is vividly clear with substantial presence.

[edurban]

Thanks, Alan.  I'll add it to the list.

David