Jan Kubelík: Symphony in A minor (1937)

[JP]

Here's an interesting find and quaintly surprising and remarkably rare discovery which constitutes somewhat of a musical curiosity from the stylistic standpoint. Legendarily renowned Czech virtuoso violinist Jan Kubelik (1880-1940) and father of eminent conductor Rafael Kubelik composed a singular symphony, apart from 6 violin concertos (of which his 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th are best known and have been recorded), alongside other violin recital pieces. It's somewhat intriguing that for a composer who performed and for the most part composed works in the standard to late-romantic repertory, this symphony which was written towards the end of his life is, in sharp contrast, couched in a densely chromatic semi-rhapsodic meandering style, albeit rather colourfully orchestrated, and intermittently infused with brief violin solo and woodwind passages of fleeting tender lyricism. Its compositional language is eclectically enmeshed with elements hailing from the transitioning end-phase of post-romanticism intermingled with early modernistic flavours of polytonality and some degree of expressionistic dissonance. Perhaps Kubelik was trying to keep up to some extent with the contemporaneous musical trends of the pre-WWII milieu. In this regard, perhaps this piece resides at the outer borderlands and edgy fringes of Unsung Composers' obscure repertoire domain. One wonders whether recording companies like Naxos, Supraphon, Arco Diva, Tocatta Classics, Chandos, Hanssler Classics, Capriccio, and CPO would find it worthwhile commercially championing this piece.  Perhaps it could be coupled alongside the equally obscure Symphony in E minor "Reminiscences" by fellow Slovak contemporary composer Mikulas Schneider-Trnavsky < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5-Et14ohsg > or Jaromir Weinberger's equally underrated "Lincoln" Symphony < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSmKb4BiYPE >.   

Jan Kubelík (1880-1940): Symphony in A minor (1937)

Plzeňská filharmonie / Pilsen Philharmonic
řídí / conducted by Chuchei Iwasaki
23/9/2021 Plzeň, Měšťanská beseda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z_y3Y0DT0o         

[Mark Thomas]

I've always wondered what Kubelik's Symphony was like but, to use JP's delightful phrase, unfortunately much of it is definitely on "the outer borderlands and edgy fringes of Unsung Composers' obscure repertoire domain" I'd say.

[Alan Howe]

Frankly, it's 'orrible. Sorry...

A candidate for Dave Hurwitz's 'chromatic sludge', perhaps?

[tuatara442442]

I think this is still more enjoyable or at least easier to grasp than Regerian chromaticism...

[Alan Howe]

I disagree - but each to his own. It's the relentless chromaticism that I can't tolerate for such long stretches.

[Mark Thomas]

I'm with Alan on this, extended passages of chromaticisn do get very wearing.