Otto Nicolai

[JSK]

Looks like the modern premiere of "Die Heimkehr des Verbannten" will be streamed on German radio on Saturday:

http://www.dradio.de/dkultur/sendungen/konzert/1336444/

[FBerwald]

....   Otto Nicholai's only Symphony came second to Franz Lachner's 5th in the competition organised by the Vienna Friends of Music in 1835...

Didn't Otto Nicholai write 2 symphonies or am I wrong?

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, he did. According to New Grove: No.1 in C minor (1831 - lost) and No. 2 in D major (1835, revised in 1845).

[jerfilm]

And the Symphony #2 in D has been recorded but not being at home, I can't say where or when or by whom.

Jerry

[eschiss1]

two or three times, I believe. On Virgin Classics in 1989 (reissued on EMI in 2010?); on MDG in 1998.

[Jonathan]

Slightly off topic I know but I have great admiration for Liszt's organ transcription of Nicolai's overture on "Ein feste burg" - can anyone recommend a recording of the original version?
Many thanks...

[eschiss1]

Worldcat doesn't seem to list any recording of the original version at all (but there is one, all the same- in volume 2 of the MDG series of his complete orchestral works; "Kirchliche Festouvertüre on "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott", for 4 voices & orchestra, Op. 32".) Haven't heard it I think, so I can't recommend it or recommend against it, though...

(Neat though- thought it was orchestra only. I like that... but it should be Op.31, unless he wrote two such overtures. His Op.32 is " Künstlers Erdenwallen. Gedicht von R. Reinick. Wechselgesang f. 2 Männerstimmen m. Begl. d. Pfte."

Hrm, otoh... "Kirchliche Fest-Ouverture, über den Choral: ,,Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott," f. gr. Orchester, Chor u. Orgel. Op. 32." too...
and the Liszt is an arrangement of Op.31.

Now I'm just confused. Ok, I am guessing that Opp.31 and 32 are basically the same- they were both published in 1845 ... and Liszt's is, I think, an arrangement of Op.31...
erm... hrm.

(And both versions were published as Op.31, it seems from Worldcat- by Hofmeister, ca.1845...- though Hofmeister's own Monatsbericht distinguishes the two. Go figure... BTW the chorus, organ and orchestra version Op.32 (as "Op.31") is available (in a new edition?) from Carus (©2010). If you do hear the MDG version, or a broadcast recording on YouTube or something (not conducted by David Stern and therefore not the MDG version), or something, I'm now curious; I can see the piano duet version (with voice ad lib) uploaded at IMSLP (arr. I presume or at least edited by Louis Oesterle) and would like to hear it too - I'll check radio listings, I guess... )

[eschiss1]

Oh. Hrm.
The version that was published as Op.31 listed on HMB 1845, p.69 that doesn't even mention chorus or organ at all is a piano duet arrangement. Every other version in HMB (of the original) does. That explains everything...

[Jonathan]

Thanks for that - sounds complicated.  I'll keep an ear open!

[eschiss1]

I think the reason Worldcat didn't list a recording was because I insisted on misspelling Burg as Berg (better to just use festouvertüre)... oh!
Ok, there's also been a few other recordings- on Capriccio in 1998? and at least two others on CD. My mistake!...

[Derek Hughes]

I love The Merry Wives. There is some wonderful lyrical music, notably Fenton's 'Horch, die Lerche singt im Hain', and the Windsor Forest Scene is magical, and by no means obliterated by Verdi's later version. His second symphony, which I recorded from the radio decades ago, has never made much of an impression on me. I bought Il Templario as soon as it has been released. Parts sound like second-drawer Donizetti, but I agree that it has strong moments and was well worthy of revival--as is Marschner's Der Templer und die Judin, which I think still awaits a modern professional recording.