Draeseke boxed set

[Mark Thomas]

It's pre-Christmas boxed set release time in Germany - they do love their boxes! cpo have put together their three Draeseke symphonies CDs into one box, which will be available from the middle of November. Details (scant at present) here. Looks like good vale at €19.99.

[eschiss1]

better than one of tears!

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Yummy, yummy! But then I'd hope every single friend on this Forum would already have (and cherish) the constituent discs making up the box.

Certainly don't want to begrudge CPO, but, ahhh, if only they would direct attention to the very considerable number of Draeseke works that haven't been recorded (or which once were but are now unavailable).

No matter: I hope that a Draeseke box in a Christmas stocking might awaken further interest in this immensely rewarding composer and might in turn lead to more recordings (especially of the remaining chamber and instrumental music).

Golly, what a fantasy: imagine you had never heard of Draeseke and then found this box in your Christmas stocking. I reckon you would quite forget the Christmas pudding!

[Alan Howe]

This is a real bargain, containing as it does some of the most original symphonic writing of the 19th (and early 20th) century. If you don't have these CDs, snap them up now!

[eschiss1]

*blink* Now there's a statement to touch off a thread...  I'm still marveling at the instrumentation and counterpoint in the Liszt symphonic poems, for instance...

[Alan Howe]

Draeseke is one of the most individual-sounding unsung composers. His music doesn't really sound like anyone else's at all. Try from page 29 onwards of Alan Krueck's ground-breaking study of the symphonies available here (second bullet-point down):
http://www.draeseke.org/essays/index.htm

[chill319]

Draeseke was how I happened upon this wonderful site. I happen to have all the CPO symphony releases. The boxed set I would LOVE to see would be a collection of the chamber music discs Dr. Krueck so magnanimously published during the 1990s. For example, if Brilliant Classics entered into an arrangement with Dr. Krueck's estate...

[eschiss1]

Seconded, those chamber music discs were real finds...

[Gareth Vaughan]

Hear! Hear!

[Miles R.]

Draeseke is one of the most individual-sounding unsung composers. His music doesn't really sound like anyone else's at all. Try from page 29 onwards of Alan Krueck's ground-breaking study of the symphonies available here (second bullet-point down):
http://www.draeseke.org/essays/index.htm

Thanks for the link. I wouldn't have expected such materials to be available on the Web!

[eschiss1]

There are good sound samples (also, sound recordings: an entire sonata and symphony, and the violin/piano version of the violin concerto) at that site- see Mp3clips. And all that information and those essays. A good generous site, I can only agree (Alan Krueck is much missed.)

[khorovod]

Well, the postman has been this morning and I now have the rest of my weekend to investigate Draeseke's complete symphonies! I've been meaning to get them for some time and splashed out finally.

Where is the best place to start, if that doesn't sound too silly? Should I work through them chronalogically or is there one that cries out to be heard first?

[Alan Howe]

My advice would be to go through them chronologically. And do tell us what you think...

[khorovod]

Thanks Alan.I have taken your advice.

So far I have just listened, yesterday, to symphonies 1 & 2 and initial feelings are very positive. But I think this is music that is going to take me many listens to fathom completely. But on first impressions, most definitely Draeseke is an original voice even where his music seems on the surface to follow convention (i.e. the outline of the 19thC symphony) and a great melodist. Stand out movements for me are the "slow movements", the beautiful one of the first and the imaginative one of the second, which stuck in my head even after the first hearing!

I suspect I'm going to be even more impressed by the latter two mature symphonies.

[Alan Howe]

No.3 is the really great one; No.4 is an ironic oddity composed in his old age. Glad to hear you are enjoying them - they definitely reward repeated listenings..