Spanish romantic symphonies and violin concertos

[Martin Eastick]

For those of us here in the UK, it may be rather disappointing to learn that the Spanish label Verso now has no distribution here. and consequently information concerning new releases has been less accessible, however, I was more than pleased to see that this label has released a 2CD set of the complete 3 Symphonies of Tomas Breton (Feb 2012). Furthermore, as it will be now necessary to order from a Spanish source, I went to trito.es and see also that they have available on their own label a recording of Breton's violin concerto coupled with that by Monasterio. Also on their label is a recording of symphonic works by Juli Garreta (b.1875), which seem to be most promising from the short sound samples!

[JeremyMHolmes]

Martin,
I recently used trito.es to order a lovely CD of music by the Catalan composer Juli Garreta (Impressions simfoniques) and the service was excellent - v fast and reasonably priced. I would certainly recommend them and will be checking out the CDs you mention!
Jeremy

[JeremyMHolmes]

I meant to say "the lovely CD of Garreta" above, more laste less speed with the typing!! This CD was a very rare example of an unsung composer I found out about from a Gramophone review!

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Martin. I have snapped up a copy of the Breton symphonies straight away!

[Mykulh]

This is why I love the Unsung Composers forum. I had no idea of the existence of the Breton Symphonies set until I read it here. Now these performances will take their proper places in my Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Symphonies Discography. Thanks guys for opening my eyes!

Mike Herman

[Alan Howe]

Well, it's great to have you looking in, Mike.

[Alan Howe]

At first hearing by far the most individual and interesting of Breton's three symphonies is No.3 in G of 1905. It is apparently a re-working of a lost Piano Quintet composed the year before, although I don't think I'd have suspected this, such is the glorious orchestral writing on offer here. It's a lovely work, not profound, but bathed in a warm Spanish glow throughout, with some glittering colours in the woodwind writing. It's also by a distance the most original of the three symphonies, with the previous two relying heavily on Mendelssohn and Beethoven. More on them when I've digested them...

[jerfilm]

I went to the Spanish site and tried to order this album but gave up after leaving something out of the credit card part, apparently, and it sent me back and I started getting Spanish instructions.  Do any of you know where else one might find it??

Jerry

[Alan Howe]

It's advertised on Amazon - but is as yet unavailable there. Otherwise, only trito.es seems to be stocking it.

[jerfilm]

Thanx Alan.  I don't see it there but will keep looking

Jerry

[Alan Howe]

Please follow these links for Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr or Amazon.de:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-Breton-Tomas/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1347746074&sr=1-1-catcorr
http://www.amazon.fr/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-De-Breton/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347746155&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.de/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-Breton-Tomas/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347746195&sr=8-1

[eschiss1]

A symphony (no.4 in E) by Pedro Miguel Marqués y García (1843, Palma-1918 or 1925?, also Palma) is sometimes broadcast on Euroclassic Notturno. I recall thinking well of it...

[Mark Thomas]

Alan wrote:

At first hearing by far the most individual and interesting of Breton's three symphonies is No.3 in G of 1905.

and he's spot on.

The first two symphonies, from 1872 and 1882, are enjoyably bright but very derivative works whose debt to Weber and the lighter side of Beethoven in particular is glaringly obvious. The melodic material is attractive but shortwinded, which makes the 46 minute long No.2 something of a repetitive listen. I was reminded of Gouvy here and there in the works' more inspired moments, but the comparison isn't very flattering to the Frenchman. No.3 is also upbeat and sunny (all three pieces are in major keys) but it has much more melodic distinction, has a more adventurous approach to harmony (although it still seems untouched by any Wagnerisms) and Bretón uses a noticeably more piquant orchestral palette, with some nicely prominent woodwind writing, although there's nothing which would identify the work as the product of a Spanish composer. I still found it a disconcertingly anonymous work but the Third Symphony is definitely the pick of the bunch and has enough depth to repay repeated hearings.

The Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León seems to be a perfectly capable orchestra, although I suspect that Bretón had a lusher string tone than theirs in mind - maybe it's a typical regional orchestra with too few strings. I also felt that, especially in the Third Symphony, conductor José Luis Temes could have invested his interpretations with a lot more drama and should have risked a more driven approach. Most obviously, the Third's long first movement and Scherzo only really come to life in their closing pages, although both movements are peppered with potentially dramatic passages. He has the courage to do this in the Finale to good effect.

The completist in me is happy to have this set, but with hindsight I'd have been equally happy just to have the Symphony No.3 in my collection.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

There is a rather good review of the set on Amazon UK (the first of Alan's links) by J.A. Peacock - and it exactly supports Mark's comments. Yes, I'm a dreadful sucker for being a determined completist, but I think this time I'll give Breton a miss. Pity in a way, but then I can't spend all my life making yet more CD shelves.

Don't know who Mr Peacock might be, but he writes consistently well-informed, lucid and often illuminating reviews on a large number of CDs found on Amazon. Wish we could recruit him here!

[eschiss1]

Hrm- his piano trio and string quartet are worth hearing (Marco Polo CD; more piano trio works are available on a more recent Naxos CD in different performances, I gather)- I'd argue against giving him a miss quite entirely