Friedrich August Reissiger Requiem

[Alan Howe]

Sounds pretty imposing:
http://www.amazon.com/Reissiger-Requiem-king-Carl-Johan/dp/B00AIVEO9Y
The composer is Friedrich August Reissiger (1809-1883), younger brother of Carl Gottlieb. The Requiem dates from 1844.

[Hilleries]

Any day when you get to know two new composers is a good day

I gave the samples on amazon a spin, it sounds very influenced by Mozart. I'm curious to hearing more, I'm considering buying it. Did anyone?

[eschiss1]

Fairly familiar with his brother, whose chamber music interests me particularly, and had heard of Friedrich August, but had had no idea they were closely related. So thanks for that especially, but will also have an ear out for the Requiem...

(There also seems to be a D minor requiem by Carl Gottlieb Reissiger, orchestration given in a description of a new edition of the work @ Worldcat (DNB), but not familiar with it. He does seem to have written something like about a dozen settings of the mass ordinary, though, acc. to RISM...)

[Mark Thomas]

Hilleries, I have downloaded the album, but not listened to it yet. Tomorrow, with any luck...

[eschiss1]

I was thinking, "I've seen a cello-quintet by some Reissiger fellow" (which I see has also been recorded ) - yes, it was in fact Friedrich August. I thought he was Norwegian. He was. He was German-Norwegian- he travelled to Norway and settled there. (Sorry.) (The German Wikipedia article on him does not so refer to him but the Norwegian (bokmal, not nynorsk) one does. The latter does indeed mention the Requiem on the death of King Carl Johan from 1844... (the German one at more length:

"Requiem in Erinnerung an König Carl XIV. Johan von Schweden, gleichzeitig Karl III. Johann von Norwegen 1844".

Neither Wikipedia article mentions that string quintet, though Store Norske Lexikon does (it's from 1862. It's not to the point of the Requiem, but it did look like inventive stuff, I vaguely recall.)

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks for the background, Eric.

[Mark Thomas]

This is a very pleasant listen but it's some way from being great music which, by the way, is fine by me. The Overture (from 1841) lasts almost 10 minutes which, I suppose, is about twice as long as its material really warrants as there's a lot of literal repetition, but once the solemn introduction is out of the way, it's a jolly enough work, very much in the early romantic style of Weber. I was reminded of the overtures of Lortzing and Lindpaintner. Stylistically, the 40 minute long Requiem of 1844 is cut from pretty much the same cloth, which sometimes makes it a bit lightweight for its purpose, but it's unfailingly tuneful and often effective, in a naive sort of way. There is some drama, notably (and predictably) in the very short Dies irae and the Libera me, but generally Steffan Kammler adopts appropriately moderate to slow tempi, which seem to suit the music well. In contrast to the overture, some of the numbers are short-winded, almost as if Reissiger ran out of time. The excellent insert note (which you can read here) explains that it was probably written during the king's final illness, suggesting that its composition was halted when the old boy died and it had to be performed! I wasn't very impressed by the female soloists, but both the men were more secure, and the choral and orchestral contributions are splendid. Overall, I've enjoyed this album and, if you aren't looking for profundity, can recommend it as an enjoyable, tuneful diversion.