Herzogenberg at last from cpo!

[Alan Howe]

cpo have at last announced the release of their recordings (on one CD) of Herzogenberg's Violin Concerto and Odysseus Symphony. They will be available on 22nd of this month...

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Heinrich-von-Herzogenberg-Violinkonzert-A-Dur-WoO-4/hnum/8752507

[Peter1953]

Usually I regret how time flies, but in this case I can't hardly wait...Great news!

[Mark Thomas]

Where does the concerto fit into the Herzogenberg canon, Alan? Odysseus is an early work, I know.

[Alan Howe]

It's late-ish, dating from 1889. Should be interesting to see how much in thrall to Brahms it is and whether it's as sunny as its key-signature (A major) suggests.

[eschiss1]

The concerto's slow movement- but just its slow movement- has been broadcast from an earlier recording (of the complete concerto, coupled with op. 56 die Weihe der Nacht; label "Kuma", 2008 recording, Mario Schwarz cond., Lisa Shnayder vn., Collegium Musicum St. Gallen), I assume, over Radio Swiss Classic a few times already. Quite nice minor-mode songful piece.  (If that earlier recording is commercially available then the cpo is not a premiere, I guess.)

Eric

[Marcus]

I can't wait to hear the Odysseus Symphony (op16 1876), Alan. I think it will be a little different from the previous offerings. I remember reading somewhere, that he wrote four or five symphonies. Do you know of any others ?

Marcus.

[Alan Howe]

Odysseus is an early work from his Liszt/Wagner phase. Two other (much more conservative) symphonies are available on CD - audio excerpts here...

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Heinrich-von-Herzogenberg-Symphonien-Nr-1-2/hnum/2727208

[Peter1953]

This morning my copy arrived and I immediately listened to the VC.

My first impression is... that I'm not overwhelmed. The work didn't give me the excitement as I had hoped for, a feeling I had after listening for the first time to the VC's by Dietrich, Reinecke and both Raff's masterpieces. Of course it's only my first listening experience, but I'm a little bit disappointed. It just didn't meet my expectations, but maybe this is unfair and besides, expectations based upon what? Herzogenberg's very appealing chamber music, I guess. Who knows how I think about the concerto after I've given it more listenings.
This afternoon I will listen concentrated to the Odysseus Symphony.

The performance, both by violinist Ulf Wallin and the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, is excellent. It's a CD of first rate quality.

I'm very interested to learn what other members think of it.

[Alan Howe]

I think it may be important to remember that Herzogenberg is a generation younger than Dietrich, Reinecke and Raff, so that we should perhaps be expecting something rather different. In addition, he is a rather more intellectual composer than many of his contemporaries, which may mean that his works yield up their secrets rather more slowly.
Odysseus should be quite different, coming as it does from his early Liszt-inspired phase.

[Peter1953]

The Odysseus. What a most surprising opus, lasting almost 48 minutes. It has left me tongue-tied for a couple of minutes, but not in a negative way. Is this really Herzogenberg? Yes it is.

It's good to know the history, and the informative booklet notes by Bernd Wiechert of the International Herzogenberg Society are very useful.
I think everyone who loves Herzogenberg's music, should get to know the Odysseus as well. It is so different. The work has beautiful passages, like the (unfortunately very short) solo violin playing in the last movement (after some 8 minutes), but as a whole it sounds like a hard nut to crack. It definitely needs and deserves repeated hearings, for it's surely an interesting work in comparison with Herzogenberg's other, much more traditional works, as I see it.

At this very moment I'm listening to the VC for the second time. The slow movement is most lyrical, but ends rather abrupt.

This new cpo disc with two interesting works is an absolute must-buy, not only for all Herzogenberg lovers.

[Alan Howe]

The VC is a lovely work of the composer's maturity, recognisably in the same style as the sunny 2nd symphony. And it has tunes! I guarantee that, once heard, you won't be able to get the main theme of the finale out of your head! Is it Brahmsian? Of course, Herzogenberg and Brahms shared the same conservative musical aesthetic, but there is a certain earthiness to Herzogenberg which is quite different from Brahms.

Of course, you may prefer the Lisztian/Wagnerian posturing of the Odysseus Symphony - very exciting in its own way, and a fascinating musical document of its time. Either way, this is a magnificent CD, with around 80 minutes of unfamiliar music. An essential addition, I'd have thought - and all brilliantly performed and recorded, by the way.

[Mark Thomas]

I've written enough times here about my Herzogenberg blind spot. However I have to say that I have really warmed to the Violin Concerto after several hearings. Unusually for his music, the first movement made a strong impression from the first. Despite its comparative length, it's quite tautly put together and has both an immediate appeal and lasting value I suspect. I didn't rate the finale at first, despite its catchy material, but it has grown on me and I'm reminded of Bruch's 3rd. Violin Concerto, which it pre-dates by several years. I'm afraid that the slow movement has yet to make much of an impression, but two out of three isn't bad for me! Odysseus I have liked since hearing the radio broadcast which preceded this CD, but it's not typical Herzogenberg.

[Alan Howe]

Dunno. Give it 3 months, maybe?

[Jonathan]

Hi All,
I've just found it on Amazon.co.uk with a release date of the 27th of April so it's available for pre order.  Still no sign at MDT though...

[DennisS]

I have now had time to listen to both the VC and the Odysseus Symphony a number of times and have come to really appreciate both works. I particularly like the VC, especially the first movement. As Alan said so aptly, it's a work which is similar in style to his sunny 2nd symphony. The Odysseus Symphony is also very impressive with its already stated, obvious Lisztian/ Wagnerian overtones. I like it a lot but it is quite different in style from his symphonies nos 1 and 2 both of which I am quite fond.
cheers
Dennis