Louis Glass (1864-1936)

[Ilja]

There is a worthwile radio recording of the Sinfonia Svastica (no. 5) with Edward Downes recording the BBC Philharmonic on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fHwPTHuUiQ (This connects to the first movement). Another good recording was made in the 1980s (I think) by the South African Broadcasting Corporation National SO under Peter Marchbank. I shan't begin to ponder the poltical implications of a 'Sinfonia Svastica' being performed in Apartheid-era South Africa, though...

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Yes, Peter Marchbank and the National Symphony Orchestra of the South African Broadcasting Corporation ('phew, what a long ponderous name) recorded Symphonies 5 and 6 on Marco Polo 8.223486. Haven't listened to them for at least 15 years, but I'm about to blow the dust off the disc and remind myself of the music. I remember (vaguely) those recordings are very much an improvement on the Danacord ones (serious dust has settled on those).

It reflects my own likings, but the Louis Glass I do dig out now and again are two CDs of chamber music. There is a CPO disc of the String Sextet in G major, Op. 15 and Piano Quintet in C major, Op. 22 from 1893 and 1895-96 respectively. And then a Dacapo disc of String Quartets No. 2 in A minor, Op. 23 (1896) and No. 4 in F sharp minor, Op. 35 (1907). None of these works are sufficient to halt the earth on its axis, but they are well crafted and satisfying things which produce pleasure. And who could complain about that!

[Balapoel]

Yes, I too am a fan of Glass' chamber music.

[eschiss1]

I see that cpo also released a disc of violin sonatas by him. Trying to remember what else besides two broadcast recordings of his symphonies and one of the Danacord CDs (the latter from the public library here), that I've heard, though.  The scores I've skimmed of other things did look promising.  There were some remarkably poor CD reviews from reviewers I respected, unfortunately (that doesn't mean I would have agreed with them.)

[Gauk]

The 3rd Symphony is the best of those I've heard - a wonderful piece.

[giles.enders]

The 23rd of March will be the 150th anniversary of Louis Glass's birth.  Are there any celebrations or new recordings to mark this date ?

[regriba]

None that I know of - not even in Denmark.

[jerfilm]

Yah, not even in Denmark.

Funny how even orchesras on tour ,mostly don't really promote their own countries composers.  A couple of nights ago we heard the Academy of St. Martin orchestra here in Palm Desert.  I was hoping for some Elgar, or Vaughn-williams or maybe Delius.  Oh no, Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven 3.  The orchestra seemed to me to be the best we've heard this season and Bell playing the Brahms Concerto was outstanding.  Still......when the St. Petersburg SO was here earlier - no question, all Russian program.

Off topic.  Sorry, gentlemen

J

[eschiss1]

"The 23rd of March..."

Not May? Ah, you're right- En-Wikipedia has a typo. Fixing.

[regriba]

Around 1990 when Leif Segerstam was conductor of the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, he conducted a performance of Glass' 5th, the Swastika. A fine performance, if I remember right. There were rumours of a Chandos recording (they recorded the DNRSO at the time in Mahler and Sibelius) but for some reason unknown to me it never materialized. That is the last performance of a Glass symphony by a Danish orchestra that I know of.

[Miles R.]

I've got three of the four discs of the symphonies recorded by Maestro Todorov with the Cacophonic Orchestra of Plovdiv. It has been a long time since I have listened to them: my distress at the bad playing of the orchestra seems to have overbalanced my interest in the works themselves. The same balance of pain and pleasure has held me back from buying the fourth disc of the series. If only somebody would record these symphonies with a decent-sounding orchestra!

[eschiss1]

Well, fwiw there used to be a recording of the 5th and 6th on Marco Polo, and I think someone's uploaded the 5th in a broadcast recording to this site - I think --?  Hrm... hrm. I see symphony 3 conducted by the late Edward Downes,  and 5 likewise, uploaded 2 years ago.

[Mark Thomas]

the Cacophonic Orchestra of Plovdiv

You're joking, right? If not, then the clue is in the orchestra's name! 

[jerfilm]

Oh, we've all bought one or two of their recordings in our lifetimes, haven't we??

[Miles R.]

You're joking, right? If not, then the clue is in the orchestra's name! 

Yes, I was joking. The orchestra is called the Plovdiv Philharmonic. Its excellence is proportionate to its fame.