Walter Braunfels

[petershott@btinternet.com]

A late Romantic, but just within the Romantic category I think.

There is a mention in the BBC Music Magazine published today that Dutton are to record (or maybe have recorded) three works by Braunfels. No orchestra or soloists mentioned, but the conductor is Johannes Wildner.

And the works?

The Piano Concerto in A major, Op. 21 (first performed in Berlin in 1911, with Braunfels as soloist and conducted by Siegmund von Hausegger)

Schottische Fantasie for Viola and Orchestra, Op. 47 (1933)

Ariels Gesang (about which I know nothing).

I have an almighty high regard for Braunfels - so this goes straight to the top of a wants list. No mention in the BBC comic as to when the disc might be released. But terrific news (at least for me!). And, golly, aren't Dutton really spreading their wings?

[Mark Thomas]

Ther are several Braunfels scores which I very much enjoy, all of them earlyish works, and others (later pieces inevitably) which aren't my cup of tea at all. So, the 1911 Piano Concerto at least is a very enticing prospect.

[BerlinExpat]

According to the catalogue that accompanied the 2008 Walter Braunfels Exhibition at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Ariels Gesang is a piece for orchestra after Shakespeare's Tempest. It is opus 18, composed in 1910 but premièred in 1920 at the Tonhalle, Munich, conducted by Hans Pfitzner.

I also eagerly await the three pieces mentioned above. I would also welcome Don Juan - Eine Klassisch-romantische Phantasmagoria op. 70 and the Hebridean Dances for piano and orchestra. I have radio recordings of both and have always assumed CPO would at least issue the former as it's played by the Philharmonia hungarica under Werner Andreas Albert.

Braunfels' Ulenspiegel from March 2011 is still languishing in the CPO archives or storeroom or is it cemetery!?

[Alan Howe]

I have radio recordings of both and have always assumed CPO would at least issue the former as it's played by the Philharmonia hungarica under Werner Andreas Albert.

It'll be an old-ish recording by now. The orchestra was disbanded in 2001.

[Mark Thomas]

My recording of Braunfels' tremendous Don Juan is of a live performance by Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra. It's available only as a download from Amazon (here, with samples), amongst other place. Thoroughly recommended.

[britishcomposer]

Saturday, 18 May, 9pm - 10:30pm

Deutschlandradio Kultur

Die besondere Aufnahme

Walter Braunfels
Don Juan, Klassisch-romantische Phantasmagorie für großes Orchester op. 34

Symphonische Variationen über ein altfranzösisches Kinderlied op. 15
Philharmonisches Orchester Altenburg-Gera
Leitung: Markus Frank

Theater Gera
Aufzeichnungen vom 18./19.3.13

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks, Mathias.

[ewk]

Saturday, 18 May, 9pm - 10:30pm

Deutschlandradio Kultur

Die besondere Aufnahme

Walter Braunfels
Don Juan, Klassisch-romantische Phantasmagorie für großes Orchester op. 34

Symphonische Variationen über ein altfranzösisches Kinderlied op. 15
Philharmonisches Orchester Altenburg-Gera
Leitung: Markus Frank

Theater Gera
Aufzeichnungen vom 18./19.3.13

Is anyone going to record this? I am living in Germany but I'm not at home at this time...

ewk

[BFerrell]

I have just confirmed that the Braunfels is "in the can" and will be released by Dutton in October.

[britishcomposer]

Is anyone going to record this? I am living in Germany but I'm not at home at this time...

ewk

I will try to record it but I suppose this is a co-production with cpo. Therefore I hesitate to upload the recording. Most of my UC uploads have in turn been re-uploaded by several youtubers. Afterwards when the recording has become commercially available I can remove my UC upload but not the YouTube upload. I don't want to be the cause for copyright violation of uploaded material. Moreover it is very likely that many will decide not to buy the commercial release when a UC download or YouTube stream is available. You can record the programme by using the free dradio recorder: http://www.phonostar.de/partner/dradio-recorder
You can plan programmes to be recorderd automatically. The recorder will awaken your computer from sleep modus at the right time.

[Mark Thomas]

That seems to me be a very responsible attitude, Mathias. I am amazed at the vast amount of recent commercial recordings freely available on YouTube. Especially considering that it is owned by Google. It's a wonder that anyone buys recordings at all.

[savvy]

Thank you britishcomposer, I din't notice of that concert, I'm going to record it

[Ilja]

That seems to me be a very responsible attitude, Mathias. I am amazed at the vast amount of recent commercial recordings freely available on YouTube. Especially considering that it is owned by Google. It's a wonder that anyone buys recordings at all.

There is of course the issue of inferior sound quality (which used to be the reason why the making of cassette copies of LPs and CDs was tolerated in Europe). But yes, I'm frankly amazed that Google allows this much commercially available material on Youtube. From experience, I know that it's quite a chore getting stuff that you own the copyright to removed.

[Mark Thomas]

... and a lot of people will tolerate the poorer sound quality as a trade off against the fact that the material is free.

[JollyRoger]

some Braunfels to listen to here:
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/audios/los-raros/raros-walter-braunfels-29-11-12/1595283/