Albert Becker

[Reverie]

I have uploaded some samples from Becker's Symphony in G minor for those interested. Hopefully I will finish a rendition of the entire work later this year.

SYMPHONY IN G MINOR (1859) samples only

LINK:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxpqTQ6NXFM

[Alan Howe]

This is really interesting, Martin. Thanks so much. All I can add is: more, please!

[Mark Thomas]

Great, Martin, thanks as ever.

[Mark Thomas]

It's fascinating to hear this work which came second to Raff's An das Vaterland Symphony in the 1862 Vienna competition which catapulted Raff to prominence. The late lamented doyen of Raff enthusiasts Alan Krueck wrote a short paper about the competition (download here) which goes into some detail about Becker's Symphony because it's discussed in a letter by one of the competition judges, Robert Volkamnn. Here's the relevant paragraph from Alan's paper:

Trotz allem Freundeswort...(Despite every friendly word) is the motto of entry No. 17, a symphony in G minor and the last of the three major considerations for the prize put forth by Volkmann. In his description of the music Volkmann perceived in the first movement deutscher Ernst und deutsche Art (German seriousness and German manner) and, as with his two previous choices, finds the symphony characterized by moderner Geist or contemporary thought - whatever that is supposed to mean. As to the authorship of the symphony there is no doubt: it is by Albert Becker (1834-99), for he was named as runner-up to Raff by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. Becker himself and this symphony in particular pose problems for the researcher today. In the only extant and reasonably extensive biographical essay on Becker, penned by a certain Anselm Fritzsch in 1882 for Vol.14 of Musikalisches Wochenblatt, pages 179-185 including a lithograph portrait of the still living composer, we are told that the prize winning Symphony in G minor is actually Becker's second essay in the form, composed in 1858 a year after his First Symphony in D major. Unfortunately we are also informed that the G minor symphony was awarded its prize in 1860, a slip uncorrected by Becker himself and one which nurtures suspicion that there are many other inaccuracies in this crucial biographical source. Although a Third Symphony, in D minor, is supposed to have followed in 1865, Becker is rarely listed as a symphonist and, indeed, his large catalogue of works does consist mainly of vocal pieces. It is of note that none of his symphonies, including the prize-sharing G minor Symphony, were ever published. My 1977 inquiries as to the whereabouts of the manuscript of that Symphony led to a cul-de-sac, for the four Berlin libraries which were contacted - and Albert Becker spent most of his life in Berlin -had no listings for such a work. According to contemporary accounts, the Symphony was played a number of times after 1862 and turn-of-the-century reference books often refer to it as his most important work. Be that as it may the Symphony in G minor of Albert Becker, along with any sets of parts, has disappeared. It is possible the work is in some private collection for a large number of other Becker works are catalogued in the Museum Preussicher Kulturbesitz. Perhaps the unkindest cut of all is the fact that the recent editions of MGG, Grove's, Riemann and Slonimsky-Baker have deleted Albert Becker from posterity.

Well done, Martin, for tracking down the manuscript when it eluded Alan. From the excerpts it sounds like a worthwhile discovery - in the Schumann tradition, perhaps?

[Gareth Vaughan]

I strongly echo Alan's and Mark's enthusiasm. This is a most intriguing work. The extracts are very attractive.

[eschiss1]

I think the ms was at Northwestern library, or something- that's ringing a bell! - link as found in imslp's worklist (originally via Worldcat!)

[eschiss1]

ah. I see the link's moved, they're migrating their digitizations to Hathitrust.

[eschiss1]

Ok, I can't find the digitized online version right now, it's temporarily down while they move them, but here is a description of the scan of his G minor symphony.

[Alan Howe]

Now that I've had the time to listen properly to the excerpts from Becker's Symphony, I'd hazard a guess that this is another important missing link in the history of the symphony in the so-called 'Dahlhaus Gap' between Schumann 4 and Brahms 1. Immediately obvious are Becker's rhythmic ingenuity and lyrical impulse. All in all, it sounds like a very attractive work which it'd be great to be able to hear in full - hint, hint!

Martin: have you any idea how long the entire Symphony is?

[Reverie]

Alan, rough estimates ....

1st 12 mins
2nd  9 mins
3rd  6 mins
4th  9 mins

36 mins. The obvious influence to my ears is Beethoven but he's pushing the boundaries as you'd expect in trying to be innovative. I think the First movement is the least successful - the other three go together stylistically. I wonder if it was from an earlier symphony?

Anyway looking forward to finishing this. It's quite refreshing to work on something from this era that isn't predictable.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Martin. I rather like the rhythmic figures in the first movement, but anyway I'm a sucker for symphonies from this period.

[Reverie]

SYMPHONY in G minor - ENTIRE WORK

Here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPA5hJ0qlFE&t=193s

[Mark Thomas]

That's great, Martin. Many, many thanks for completing the whole symphony.

[Alan Howe]

I enjoyed this very much without being particularly 'grabbed', if you know what I mean. I found that the music tended to wander at various points between the more vigorous sections in I and IV - but that could just have been me not paying proper attention.

Main positive takeaways: some lovely extended lyrical writing for the strings in I, II and IV, and interesting rhythmic writing in I, III and IV.

Idiom: certainly beyond Schumann.

Certainly another candidate for a recording, I'd've thought.

[Alan Howe]

I should have listened more carefully the first time. This is a very fine symphony, quite original, it seems to me, and full of incident. I particularly appreciate some of the quirky rhythmic writing and the overall drive and elan of the opening and closing movements.

Martin's rendering is an excellent one. I just hope cpo might be listening in...