Fritz Brun Symphony 1 from Adriano/Guild

[Alan Howe]

Certainly a must-buy for me: Fritz Brun Symphony No.1 in B minor (1901)...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DYV1I6C/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

[petershott@btinternet.com]

And certainly for me. His symphonies have attracted a fair bit of adverse comment, but I consider him an especially interesting composer if clearly not up there in the pantheon. Adriano has now given us Symphonies 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10. Looks as if he's aiming at a complete set. Hope so.

[Mark Thomas]

I find Brun's later symphonies rather prolix, but there are always rewarding passages buried within the longueurs and I shall certainly look forward to hearing his First.

[Alan Howe]

Some glorious-sounding audio excerpts are to be found at Guild's website:
http://www.guildmusic.com/shop/wbc.php?sid=29546796724f&tpl=produktdetail.html&pid=15359&rid=261&recno=1#

[Mark Thomas]

Oh, yes, I do agree. Despite my moans about his long-windeness in some of the symphonies, these excerpts from the First do sound right up my street. As does the Overture from 48 years later. In fact, judging very unfairly by the minute-long excerpts which Guild gives us, there seems to be no change in his style over all that time.

[Alan Howe]

The symphonies, especially from No.3 onwards, actually chart an increasingly complex path, harmonically speaking. Nos 1 and 2 are much less chromatic and convoluted in style.

[LateRomantic75]

Excellent news! Brun's symphonies (especially the later ones) may be unwieldy beasts, but I find them quite fascinating. Brun developed somewhat of an original voice in his later works, with their dark chromaticism that differs from the lush, Wagnerian/Straussian harmonic languages of his contemporaries. I didn't find his Brahmsian Symphony no. 2 particularly gripping or memorable, but perhaps his Symphony no. 1 will impress me more....

[chill319]

Isn't he a bit late for this forum? I'm confused.

[Alan Howe]

The subject of this thread is Brun's 1st Symphony of 1901 - no confusion there!

[Gareth Vaughan]

I note the CD is subtitled "Volume 4" so maybe Guild & Adriano will give us a complete set of Brun Symphonies. That would be worth having. Adriano really understands this music.  Of course, apart from the ones already issued by Guild, 2, 3 & 8 are available from other companies. However, 8 is an historic performance and the CD containing No. 2 is not that easy to find, though it is still available. A modern recording of 8 would be vey valuable. And, of course, as far as I'm aware 4 has not been recorded.

[Alan Howe]

Brun's 1st Symphony is a densely argued post-Brahmsian piece of considerable imagination and power, superior to, say, either of the available symphonies by another post-Brahmsian, Felix Woyrsch. Adriano conducts it superbly and his Moscow orchestra do him proud. This is a most distinguished release of some very fine music and I for one am most grateful to all concerned in producing this glorious release. Thoroughly recommended!

[adriano]

Hi there everybody and regards from Switzerland.
Nice to read your positive comments on my recording of Brun's First. Immense thanks! In the meantime I've also recorded his Fourth (coupled with a somehow strange Rhapsody for Orchestra) and his complete works for piano and orchestra (Concerto and 2 pieces with strings) - and you won't be disappointed! The Fourth has a scherzo, combined with a slow movement, which is a genius's piece and the Piano Concerto (with an almost impossibly difficult first movement) is more in the neo-Romantic style, you will be astonished at its beauty. Next year it will be the turn of Brun's Second (coupled with an exciting longer Symphonic Prologue) and the Eight (of which I will surely provide a different interpretation than the composer's own on that historical Guild CD). The last CD of my complete Brun series will contain his wonderful Cello Concerto and two pieces for choir and orchestra.
Brun's First is very exciting, considering that it's his composer's diploma work and that he was 24 years old. Read my liner notes, they are longer than any other ones written previously. Presently, I am also realizing a series of video essays on Fritz Brun, in which sequences from Moscow and from Bratislava occur, taken during our sessions. They will also contain interviews, documents, location shots connected with the composer etc. Over here in Switzerland, no interest at all for this project, so I have to finance it out of my own pocket. The piano-and-orchestra works were recorded in Slowakia, with pianist Tomas Nemec, with whom I have already done two CDs (Naxos and Inedita) and whom I admire very much. We go along together perfectly and our July and August sessions were great. The musicians down there were so happy to work with me again after many years. This is, actually, my 44th CD as a conductor. To anyone of you, wanting to supply an e-mail-address, I can send via wetransfer.com two slideshows with music, of the sessions of the First and the Piano Concerto.
Adriano

[Alan Howe]

Great to hear from you, Adriano, and thanks for all the news about the continuation of the Brun project. It's obviously a labour of love for you and I am sure that we here are all very grateful to you.

[Kevin Pearson]

I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex in Texas, and the other day, our local radio station (WRR 101) on their "unknown" composers piece of the day they played Brun's Overture to a Jubilee Celebration, which is also on this album. I had not ever heard Brun's music before this and it immediately caught my attention and curiosity to hear more. Unfortunately Guild has not released this recording in the US yet but when they do I will be buying a copy. I have since listened to the other recordings via Spotify and find Brun an intriguing composer. I can't say that his symphonies are immediately accessible to me but I hope that with further listenings they will grow on me. Undoubtedly there are moments that hold my interest and thus my willingness to devote more time to them. I intend to buy the four volumes currently available and the others in the future D.V.

Thank you Adriano for your committment to this music and for even participating here!

Kevin

[hemmesjo]

Kevin,

You can buy them directly from Guild.

http://www.guildmusic.com/shop/index.php

I've been quite happy with their service and the prices aren't terrible.

Dan