Positive Röntgen reviews

[Alan Howe]

David Hurwitz (Classics Today) can't be all bad. Here are two of his latest reviews of CDs with music by Julius Röntgen...

JULIUS RÖNTGEN
Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 4
Matthias Kirschnereit (piano)
NDR Radiophilharmonie
David Porcelijn

CPO- 777 398-2(CD)
No Reference Recording

These two piano concertos date from an earlier period than the two violin concertos already released in this series. Piano Concerto No. 2 was composed in 1879 and shows the composer very close to his Leipzig school roots, while No. 4 dates from 1906. Like the later of the two violin concertos, it's more concisely structured than its predecessor, but otherwise is written in much the same style. What distinguishes Röntgen's music here, as elsewhere, is its strong melodic personality, and the sense that, even though the idiom is conservative, the composer has no damaging inhibitions. This is simply who he is.

The performances in this series have been very distinguished, by and large, and this disc is no exception. David Porcelijn is always a fine conductor of unusual repertoire; he makes the music sound easy, natural, and familiar. Pianist Matthias Kirschnereit plays with a very attractive sensitivity to Röntgen's colorful keyboard palette. There's a lot of figuration in the treble register in both of these works, but particularly in Concerto No. 2, and it never sounds pointlessly "tinkly" here. As with other volumes in this project, the engineering is very good. Röntgen wrote a lot of music, and he hasn't let us down yet.

--David Hurwitz

JULIUS RÖNTGEN
Violin Concertos in A minor & F-sharp minor; Ballad for Violin & Orchestra
Liza Ferschtman (violin)
Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz
David Porcelijn

CPO- 777 437-2(CD)
No Reference Recording

Liza Ferschtman plays these two concertos (and the Ballad) very beautifully, and they are truly lovely works. The Concerto in A minor (1902) has two very long, slow opening movements, but the melodic ideas are so attractive that you hardly begrudge Röntgen the time he takes. The work is unified by a strikingly gorgeous, descending chromatic motive in which Szymanowski meets Wagner's "magic sleep" motive. You never know exactly when it's going to turn up, and whenever it does the result is bewitching. Ferschtman is particularly impressive in her high register, pure and singing, which is often exploited by the composer. The end of the slow movement is especially exquisite.

The Concerto in F-sharp minor dates from 1931, but stylistically there's little difference from the earlier concerto, aside from a greater economy and concision. Röntgen was an unashamed follower of the Leipzig school (his father was concertmaster of the Gewandhaus Orchestra), but a very good one. The finale of this concerto, for example, features a splendid principal tune, and sounds like no other work, even though the stylistic provenance is clear. The Ballad, from 1918, is also memorably lyrical and atmospheric. In short, this is just good music, very well played and recorded.

--David Hurwitz

[edurban]

Yes, Hurwitz always has good things to say about Rontgen.  He almost said something nice about Stanford a few weeks back, but then caught himself.

David

[eschiss1]

Well, Röntgen deserves them (have heard a lot of his music on Concertzender and am glad there is more being recorded.)
Hurwitz had some interesting things to say about Haydn's piano trios back in Fanfare ages ago (or am I confusing him with someone else?) but ...
erm.

[Revilod]

I was a bit disappointed by Andrew Achenbach's  review of the violin concerto disc in the current "Gramophone", though. He complains about a lack of "truly distinctive" melody in the A minor concerto. All I can say is that he must have dropped off during the slow movement which is wonderfully melodic throughout. That second subject  (the one first heard on the trumpet at 3 mins 19 secs and then repeated and extended by the soloist) is just exquisite.

I agree, with him, though, that the finale of the F# minor concerto is weak...."fluffy and inconsequential" he says. Surely Hurwitz over-praises it. Is its main theme really "splendid"? Does it sound like "no other work"? As soon as I heard it I was reminded of the finale of Joachim's "Hungarian" Concerto, though that movement is far more substantial, of course.

[Alan Howe]

I agree. AA's Gramophone review was incredibly disappointing and may put off many from trying out this lovely music. I can remember the very distinctive main themes of the A minor VC with any difficulty, so why can't AA?

[Gareth Vaughan]

A lot of Gramophone reviewers, when asked to review music by unsung composers, seem to start from the premise that the music is third rate to begin with, and dismiss it accordingly without listening properly. In other words they approach it with a large measure of prejudice based on ignorance. In any case, this shallow, coffee table publication is a poor shadow of its former self. There are better journals around.

[Dundonnell]

A lot of Gramophone reviewers, when asked to review music by unsung composers, seem to start from the premise that the music is third rate to begin with, and dismiss it accordingly without listening properly. In other words they approach it with a large measure of prejudice based on ignorance. In any case, this shallow, coffee table publication is a poor shadow of its former self. There are better journals around.

Hear, Hear!!

[Alan Howe]

Anyway, people should simply ignore AA's review. He clearly wasn't listening to the music properly...

[Dundonnell]

Anyway, people should simply ignore AA's review. He clearly wasn't listening to the music properly...

I think that is a tad harsh Andrew Achenbach is, I think, one of the better Gramophone reviewers with a genuine interest in British music, for example.

Yes, he does make the criticisms highlighted but he also praises "felicitous touches of orchestration", calls the A minor Concerto "a likeable find, none the less", describes the slow movement of the F sharp minor concerto as "genuinely haunting" and is enthusiastic about both performance and recording.
He also qualifies his judgment of "the comparative dearth of truly distinctive melody" by saying "to my ears, at any rate".

I would deem that to be a relatively balanced review. You may disagree with his judgments (so might I; in fact I was very pleasantly taken by these concertos )  but I do think that it is somewhat unfair to say that people should "simply ignore" them.

[Alan Howe]

I'm afraid I disagree. To say that there is a 'comparative dearth of truly distinctive melody' is just plain wrong. I repeat for the benefit of anyone reading this thread: ignore AA's reservations and buy the CD!

[Alan Howe]

...mind you, for once I may a slight advantage over Mr Achenbach - I've had the score of Röntgen's A minor VC since Röntgen expert John Smit edited it for publication by NMI/Donemus in 2004 and was also involved in a minor way in the first recording of the piece for Centaur released in 2006. Maybe, therefore, I am more familiar with the work than Mr Achenbach? If so, I think we can see the dangers of having to come up with instant opinions for widely-read publications. After all, we've all done it - i.e. uttered or written opinions about unfamiliar music which we later come to regret (sometimes the next day!)

[Dundonnell]

 

[Alan Howe]

 

[FBerwald]

I agree that certain reviewers can totally trash a piece without giving it a fair listen but ultimately the real test is to see these pieces performed onstage. To see a Raff or Rontgen or Berwald played (even semi regularly) is the IDEAL..

[eschiss1]

considering that I still feel I got more from my 2nd live hearing of Mahler's 5th (which was from a university orchestra) than from very very many listenings to really very good to even better listenings to recordings of the work  (my audio equipment may be at fault ) -- (itself not always such a "sung" work- but anyway) - -- yes- I can well believe it.

(and some pieces of music - perhaps the Rontgen and Berwald- definitely Mahler and Magnard - contain gestures, orchestration, etc. - that work well on recording but which keep making one wish one were in the concert hall for the full effect. The opening movement of Magnard's 4th symphony contains a couple of very, very nice cases in point. Anyhow. ... would break that off into a separate thread but it seems not a very long one... or... hrm. ...)