Josef Bohuslav Foerster (1859-1951)

[Alan Howe]

I was a trifle dismayed that others on the forum, whilst confessing to some enjoyment of Foerster, don't give it perhaps unqualified full praise. True, the orchestral music can tend to meander a little without much in the way of rigorous development...

Well, yours is not unqualified praise either, Peter. Just realism...

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Point taken!

[Balapoel]

Well, I for one agree with you, Peter. Foerster's chamber music is quite compelling, particularly the piano trio in f minor. cello sonata no. 1, and the violin sonata quasi fantasia, op 177.

In terms of his orchestral music, it can be quite mellow. I wonder if the tempi were sped up a bit, it would seem less langorous. But I'm listening more closely now - and I definitely get a sense of his individuality - not so much sturm und drang.... Of all his symphonies, Symphony No. 5 in d minor seems the most balanced and moving - if still a little slow-paced. His orchestral suites are more charming (Shakespeare, op 76, Cyrano de Bergerac, op 55).

[Alan Howe]

Foerster's chamber music is quite compelling

Quite compelling? I rest my case 

[LateRomantic75]

In terms of his orchestral music, it can be quite mellow. I wonder if the tempi were sped up a bit, it would seem less langorous.

Excellent point! While the performances of the symphonies on MD&G are much more than just serviceable, they do leave some things to be desired, particularly faster tempi and fuller string sound. These are two elements that are often important in successfully bringing off late-romantic orchestral music such as Foerster's.

[Alan Howe]

That's a very good point - and one of the problems arising from using lesser orchestras in unsung music in general. So often it's the string section that's not quite up to the job.

[britishcomposer]

That's a very good point - and one of the problems arising from using lesser orchestras in unsung music in general. So often it's the string section that's not quite up to the job.

Re Foerster: as far as I know MD&G recorded in the Stadthalle Osnabrück which - to my mind - has a bad acoustic, too short reverberation. MD&G always try to maintain the original acoustics of the recording venues; in this case probably not a wise decision. A bit more of say Chandos reverb would have helped the OSO!

(Well, I have a soft spot for the OSO; it's the first orchestra I heard live as a young boy. It has improved a lot under the directorship of Bäumer.)

[Alan Howe]

They're a good orchestra. And we owe them a lot for the recordings they have made. But we can all imagine what top-flight orchestras might make of the same music. A truly fabulous example is what the Suisse Romande make of Raff 2 on the recent Chandos release.

[Patricia Goodson]

Hi Peter (and everyone else),
The earlier thread I mentioned is here:  http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php?topic=4062.0
If you would like to hear a few things, I have placed some recordings on youtube, and on my website www.patriciagoodson.com.  Also there is the Kickstarter page, now dormant in terms of fundraising, which has a bit more information, especially perhaps in the updates  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1230126388/dreams-memories-impressions-piano-works-of-jb-foer?ref=email

You are right that the pieces have not been commercially recorded.  Věra Kopecká has recorded many sets of pieces over the years for Czech Radio, but they are locked up in the archives.  Marian Lapšanský recorded the five Snění (Dreaming) for Supraphon, but that is the only commercial recording.  For me as an artist, the opportunity to learn Romantic era music entirely without reference to anyone else`s interpretation or ideas was astonishing and humbling.
There are about seventy pieces, if you count the movements of larger works as individual pieces.  Most of them have the peculiar pianistic awkwardness common (in my opinion) to Czech composers such as Suk, Dvořák and Smetana, though (thankfully!) without the latter`s Lisztian virtuosity.  It could simply be my own failing, but for the most part, the pieces - even the simplest ones - don`t leap immediately off the page and sound good, which may partly explain their obscurity.  In particular, they require careful voicing, rubato and coloration, and perhaps an awareness that Foerster`s great love was song and voice.  I suspect the orchestral works have not received scrupulous, imaginative performances because of the time and expense involved.

Thank you for your good wishes, and for likely being the first purchaser!  I hope you will enjoy it.

[JimL]

Please keep us posted on your future endeavors, Patricia!  Don't be afraid to come on here and ask for suggestions either!  We gotta lotta experts!