Johann Rufinatscha: unjustly unsung

[Peter1953]

Hello Dennis,

You can mail to Eva Bertsch, Secreatary. Her address is: E.Bertsch@tiroler-landesmuseen.at

For one reason or another it takes several weeks before the CD arrives. I don't know why, but we customers have to be very patient. It looks like the mail is getting difficult out of the Alps. But don't hesitate to write to Eva Bertsch once again.

Dennis, your patience will be "rewarded". Rufinatscha's 6 is a more than gorgeous symphony (although I even prefer his 5th) and you will love every minute of it. Please let us know what you think of it.

Best regards, Peter

[Alan Howe]

My guess is that they may have been closed for the summer - but do send another e-mail. Another contact I have there is Sonia Buchroithner, so you could copy your message to her...

S.Buchroithner@tiroler-landesmuseen.at

[DennisS]

Hello Alan

Thank you for your kind reply. I am pleased to say that the CD turned up today (post marked Innsbruck 4 Sept)!!!  I am looking forward to listening to Sym no 6 this weekend and will almost certainly order sym no 5 next. I can't imagine not liking Rufinatscha's music, especially in view of what both Mark and you have said!

Thanks again for your advice.

[DennisS]

Hello Peter

I read Alan's reply first and replied to his email, without realising initially that you too also kindly replied to my posting. Thank you for taking the time to give me your advice. I much appreciate it. As you can see from my previous posting, the CD arrived today!I am really excited about the prospect of listening to sym no 6 and I know I will like it and then immediately order sym no 5!!! I now know that I will have to be patient though awaiting its arrival! Of course I will let you know what I think of Rufinatscha's music.

Kind regards

[JimL]

Well, Dennis, whaddya think?  Is that some great stuff, or what?

[DennisS]

Hi JimL

I too think that Rufinatscha's music is truly great and fully deserves to be far better known. Everyone is saying that his 6th is the best, although I note that Peter says he prefers the 5th. I would like to hear the 5th firstly before making a final judgement, the idea being to contrast the 2 symphonies. Naturally I am ordering the 5th! What is your take on the 2 symphonies? Which do you prefer and can you say why? I also intend to order the other Cd of his two earlier symphonies in order to have an even better overview of his music. I am very grateful to all the members who have spoken so glowingly of his music and thereby introduced me to another superb composer.

Cheers
Dennis

[Peter1953]

Dennis, I'm very pleased that you like the symphony (...doesn't really surprise me... ). Maybe his 6th is even more developed than his 5th. It's a very great symphony, without doubt.
However, Rufinatscha's 5th belongs definitely to my favourite symphonies. It's so beautiful. I'm sure that if the composers name would be Robert Schumann, and the CD of this magical work would be available everywhere, you will hear it frequently broadcast and performed in concert halls.
Please let us know what your opinion is.

[a.b.]

You can hope for a new recording by Rufinatscha: In January 2010 the Tyrolean Museum Ferdinandeum has recorded his ,,Serenade für Streicher". I heard the connected concert – it was the fist performance since Rufinatscha's time – by  the "Akademie St. Blasius" conducted by Karlheinz Siessl. Well done!
The short work itself is with strange instrumentation: sometime eccentric deep playing field of the violas and second violins.

[This record will be as more interesting as you also can hear two new works by the Tyrolean Composer Michael F.P. Huber: (,,Jen la momento!" op. 35 and ,,Partita" op. 41). Huber (1971) is – in my opinion – the most gifted Composer (at least [!] of Tyrol) with a lot of courage to compose consequently in a tonal way as well as contrapuntal. He sees himself in the symphonic tradition of Mahler, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and, most of all, K.A. Hartmann. His works are brilliant of instrumentation and full of astonishing Haydn's humor. Great music! I really do love his first Symphony - more than all the symphonies by Prokofiev. His second Symphony will be premiered in January 2011. I hope very, very much, that the Tyrolean Museum Ferdinandeum also will produce a recording of his first Symphony.]

I will report, when the Rufinatscha CD is available!

By the way: There also has been in autumn 2009 a concert with many Lieder (songs) of Rufinatscha. I was deeply impressed: Very good and diversified compositions. (Much more interesting than the songs by Joseph Netzer (1808-1964)  – the friend of Franz Schubert – whose Lieder a recorded by the Tyrolean Museum Ferdinandeum (musikmuseeum2). It is a pitty that there is no live recording of this pleasurable evening!

[edurban]

"...Joseph Netzer (1808-1964)..."

His Opus 15,782 is my favorite.

David

[Alan Howe]

No doubt his setting of the song So bin ich endlich vom Zweige gefallen...

[JimL]

    Is there an emoticon for hands slapping thighs?

[Alan Howe]

No, but apparently EIGHT emoticons are appropriate. Very subtle.

[albion]

Having been gripped by the recently-purchased Tudor box of Raff (so far, more than a week of solid repeated listening), I have taken the plunge and tonight ordered the Rufinatscha discs (Symphonies 1, 5 & 6) from the Tyrolean State Museum. I kept coming across his name on this forum and, passionate anglophile though I may be, I do occasionally stray across the channel! Although much has been posted about the quality of Rufinatscha's music, I don't think anybody has given a review of the actual recording in terms of performance or engineering. Any thoughts?

[Alan Howe]

They are recorded by a small-ish orchestra in the large acoustic of the basilica in Stams, Austria. This gives the music - especially in Syms 5 & 6 - a sense of scale that would otherwise be lost given the size of the orchestra, although they actually play very well. I would still like to hear this music played by a larger orchestra recorded in a more analytical acoustic. However, the recordings we have are an excellent start...

[albion]

Thanks, Alan. I'm more than happy to go with recommendations from members of this forum - I'm really looking forward to hearing these Rufinatscha recordings and am already eyeing-up some Draeseke!