Reinecke Cello Concerto

[JimL]

I don't know if this is the right place to post this, since the recording isn't exactly in the pipeline yet, but...I received a PM here (and an email) that reads as follows:

Hi Jim,

My name is Michael Samis, and I just joined the Unsung Composers forum. I'm a cellist based in Nashville and a member of the Nashville Symphony. I'm going to be releasing my first solo album on the Delos label early in 2014, which is centered around the long-forgotten and beautiful cello concerto of Carl Reinecke.

You should know that a post of yours from 2009 on this forum led me to discover this piece about a year ago. The post was in the "Unsung Romantic Cello Concertos" thread, where you said: "Reinecke is long overdue for a decent recording with a top-notch soloist and orchestra. Does anybody know if Hyperion or cpo have it somewhere in the pipeline?"

Thank you for that! I'm currently in the process of a Kickstarter campaign for the production of this recording. If you play the video at the top of my page, you can hear clips of me performing the piece with the emerging Gateway Chamber Orchestra a few weeks ago on Feb. 13, which could have been the U.S. premiere. (Can't find evidence to the contrary)

My Kickstarter campaign is here: http://kck.st/Xu5Fws

I'm writing to you because I am very inexperienced at writing in forums and blogs on the internet, and I'm wondering if you might be able to start a thread about my project since you are a very active user. Or do you think I should start one myself? I'd really like to share my project effectively with the people in this forum, whom I'm guessing will be very interested.

My project has been receiving some great reviews and attention.
There is a review by a local paper where I performed it on Feb. 11 performance here: http://ow.ly/ilWrO
And a review of a recital I gave yesterday with other music from my CD here: http://ow.ly/ilWyx

I just thought I would start by talking to you since your post started this whole thing! I'm in love with this piece and I totally believe it should be in the repertoire. If you don't mind, please advise me as to the best way to share this on the forum. Also if you have other connections and friends, please share my link and help me get the word out.

Thank you again for what your post has done for my career!
All best, Michael

email: michael@michaelsamis.com

website: www.michaelsamis.com


Let's all extend him a warm welcome and I hope to see him become an active participant in our discussion.  I, for one, will do my part to support him in his endeavor! 

[eschiss1]

Glad to hear. I know of a recording (and am trying to recall if I have heard it- don't know if it's still available; it was coupled, appropriately for this forum, with Raff) but would be very glad to hear a new one.

[Alan Howe]

A most heart-warming and encouraging post, Jim. Many, many thanks!

[petershott@btinternet.com]

An especially warm welcome to Michael Samis from me, and I'm delighted by the news of a revival of interest in the Cello Concerto and an eventual recording. The four Piano Concertos I found most pleasing works (in the CPO recordings), but the Violin Concerto I hold to be a near masterpiece which stands out high in the Reinecke corpus. Let's hope the Cello Concerto is of a similar quality! (I also recall the Harp Concerto is another dazzling work, but haven't heard it for a good while).

There are, incidentally, two complete recordings of the Cello Sonatas (on MDG and CPO). Delightful works!

I think the recording of the Vc Cte that Eric has in mind might be that by Thomas Blees [vc], Tubingen Physician's Orchestra / Norbert Kirchmann. (The same performers recorded some Raff I remember. ...And how I wish my doctor played in an orchestra!) The recording dates back to 1999, is probably long unavailable, and in any case is an 'amateur' one (however worthwhile) and would form no competition to a new, fully professional performance and recording.

There seems to be much Reinecke gathering dust. A great pity in my view since much far less deserving music gets attention these days. The forthcoming CPO release of his Dornroschen Op. 139 might spark off more interest? Maybe the point merely reflects my own prejudice, but I think he's at his best in chamber music (the three Symphonies aren't quite top notch works, but, unusually, the 1st is a far better work than the 2nd and 3rd). I think there are five String Quartets - and none recorded (so far as I know), so I'd encourage Michael Samis to get together with three of his colleagues and give them a go!

Warm best wishes for the success of the Cello Concerto venture. I'm eager to get to know it!

[Alan Howe]

the 1st is a far better work than the 2nd and 3rd

Really? I find No.1 to be too derivative of Schumann, whereas Nos. 2 & 3 are memorable and individual works poised in that delicious area somewhere between Mendelssohn/Schumann and Brahms. No.3 in particular is a really strong late work with pithy themes superbly worked out. IMHO, of course.

[JimL]

I like the 1st Symphony, but find it rather more Mendelssohnian than Schumannian, if you will.  I particularly like the writing for trombones in the 3rd - very individual.  I just heard Hakon Jarl again yesterday, and was reminded of what a strong work it is.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

I should have made it explicit that when I said Symphony 1 "was a far better work" than 2 or 3, I didn't take myself to be making a statement based on some 'objective' factors such that anyone who disagreed would be wrong......I was simply expressing a preference grounded on nothing but subjective taste. Should have made that clear, and apologies for not doing so. But maybe we could all agree that without the three Reinecke symphonies we'd all be worse off.

How about the Violin Concerto from 1876? I stuck out my neck and suggested it was a near masterpiece. No-one has yet picked up that statement.....do others agree it is a veritable cracker of a concerto?

[Alan Howe]

Absolutely, Peter. It's a gem.

[Richard Moss]

I can't recall the specific details without delving into my previous correspondence but I'm sure Mark indicated to me a year or so ago that there was a private recording of it that was (then) still available (but a bit over my budget at the time - hope I don't regret not getting then).

When Mark gets a chance to pick this up, he might be able to shed some more light on this.

Best wishes

Richard

[Mark Thomas]

If you mean the existing recording of Reinecke's Cello Concerto, Richard, then Peter has already given the broad details: full details are here. Despite what that review says, it was available commercially, although whether that is still the case I don't know.

[eschiss1]

bounced around from there to the description of the Raff first concerto at Raff.org and was intrigued to find that Raff chooses B major for the slow movement of his D minor concerto, an unusual choice- but then checked the cello/piano score @ IMSLP and found that he didn't; it's in B-flat...

[Michael Samis]

Thank you, Jim, for posting my message.  It's great to be here, especially since this forum is how I initially found the Reinecke Cello Concerto.  As both a cellist and champion of Romantic-era music, I cannot believe this piece has been overlooked.  I really feel that it deserves wider audiences and a place in the standard cello repertoire.  I initially tried to find a copy of the Blees recording, but simply could not.  I must say, though, it was really fun interpreting a concerto completely from scratch with no one else's ideas to compare, though also a great challenge at times.  The performance on Feb. 11 with the Gateway Chamber Orchestra was a great success, and I hope that our recording will be as well. 

I invite you all to explore my Kickstarter page about my project.  In the short video, you can hear clips of the first two movements from our performance.  It is found here: 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/michaelsamis/a-forgotten-cello-concerto

Enjoy, please let me know if you have any thoughts or questions...  -Michael

[JimL]

Well, if you want to champion some other neglected Romantic-era gems, your next stop would probably be the 2 Raff concertos!

[Josh]

Let me just say that I never thought of using KickStarter for this purpose, and I think it's fantastic.  I donated instantly, and I strongly hope that we see more of this in the future!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for doing this.  If I told you how excited I was about what you've done here, you'd never believe that I wasn't exaggerating.  That I've become a huge Reinecke fan  over the past 2 years doesn't hurt!  I'm going to spread the word about this as much as possible.  I do truly hope that this won't just die instantly on March 25th if the financial goal isn't quite reached by that deadline.

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Good for you, Josh, in supporting this worthwhile project!

Kickstarter isn't all that uncommon in the world of recording unsung composers. If you look at the website of the Kreutzer Quartet you'll read that they have successfully used Kickstarter to enable their recordings of the Reicha string quartets which will be released (in 3 Volumes I believe) on Toccata.

I'm awaiting Volume 1 (due very soon) with great keenness. I can pass on an assurance that the Kreutzers are making every effort to get their performances and the recordings exactly right. For me the release of these CDs will be a real 'event' for the Reicha quartets seem to have been largely bypassed in both concert hall and recording studio.

Incidentally - and I have absolutely no connection with Toccata other than to be an immensely grateful consumer of a good number of their books and recordings - membership of the Toccata 'Discovery Club' (£20 p.a.) allows you to purchase any of their CDs at almost bargain price. No case for hesitation here!

And now, before a moderator proclaims 'back to the thread', we can return to Reinecke and the Cello Concerto. Another eagerly awaited event!