First grade Gade

[Glazier]

The Gade strig octet seems to me a wonderful piece. In many ways for me it's better that the Mendelssohn which it imitates- less overstretched and orchestral.

Any other recommendations for first grade Gade? (or from those not bored by Gade or who feel he's "nothing marred" Gade)

[Alan Howe]

For me his best two pieces are the 1st Symphony, which has a marvellous freshness which he never again recaptured, and his Violin Concerto - a late work with memorable tunes in every movement. The best performance on CD of the former is IMHO that by Kitajenko on Chandos (less rushed than Järvi on BIS) and the VC is available in a lovely rendering recently issued on Dacapo.

[Alan Howe]

BTW, for a rhyme going with 'Gade', you may need to try 'harder'...

[TerraEpon]

Try the Piano Sonata in e, Op. 28. If you know some well known jazz tunes, the second movement may just make you go "hey wait a minute".

But it's a very lovely piece all the way, reguardless.

[Glazier]

I suspect Gade 's name is unpronouncable unless you'r e a Danish speaker. Isn't it close to "Gawther" with the vowels something like in "for her"?

[edurban]

Some Danish speakers tried to teach it to me once.  Gae-the, I think, with the last e like a short French e.  Any Danish speakers among us?

As for the music, I'm with Alan.  Symphony No.1 had him on the track to greatness--so fresh, tuneful and utterly delightful, but alas he never reached those heights again.  The  version I grew up with lingers in memory:  Johan Hye-Knudsen and the Royal Danish Orchestra, once available here in the USA on Turnabout. 

Still, there's so much other Gade to enjoy, The Crusaders, the nifty symphony with piano (No. 5), his parts of the ballet Et Folkesagn...(I don't even know the violin concerto...) 

David

[JimL]

The violin concerto is one of the great unsungs.  There isn't a weak moment in it.  And I rather like his 4th Symphony, even if, as you've all said it doesn't reach the level of achievement of the 1st.

P.S. I pronounce it "gotta".  Gotta go.

[Kriton]

Funny, but I would not recommend the Octet.  But that's just a matter of preference.  I would, however suggest:

...the string Sextet, which definitely has the better tunes of the two. Also, his "Quintettsatz" for the Schubert instrumentation makes one sad he didn't make a full work out of it, I like it better than his "Mozart" string quintet.

And the 5th symphony, with its concertante piano part, which makes it an rather an oddball amongst symphonies of that period. That being said, I must say I do prefer Berwald to Gade among the early romantics from Scandinavia. I gave Gade's Violin Concerto (BIS recording) a couple of spins - I think it was two-and-a-half - last month and can't say I find it very engaging.

[edurban]

I just ordered the VC.  We shall see...

David

[Alan Howe]

It's a gem. Choc full of memorable tunes. One of the best unsung VCs of its period.

[Jonathan]

I've got 2 of the 3 discs of the piano music.  It's utterly charming and very pleasant to listen to.  I've also got one of the symphonies but not heard it for yonks.  I suppose the concerto is another one for the wish list...

[edurban]

Amazing, I got my Gade VC already!  First hearing: it's marvelous.  Adore that last movement...

Thanks, Alan.

David

[Alan Howe]

Phew, I thought it was just me!!

[oldman]

An unsung portion of this unsungs repertoire not to be missed are his cantatas.  My favorite among them is his 1869 cantata Kalanus Op. 48. The recording on the Kontrapunkte Label can be auditioned and purchased on iTunes.

For those wanting more, Kontrapunkte has also recorded the cantatas Comala, Psyche, Zion, Gelfion and Die Heilige Nacht.  Al of which IMHO are well worth acquiring.

[khorovod]

An unsung portion of this unsungs repertoire not to be missed are his cantatas.  My favorite among them is his 1869 cantata Kalanus Op. 48. The recording on the Kontrapunkte Label can be auditioned and purchased on iTunes.

For those wanting more, Kontrapunkte has also recorded the cantatas Comala, Psyche, Zion, Gelfion and Die Heilige Nacht.  Al of which IMHO are well worth acquiring.

I agree, generally, but I do think some of those choral works are stronger than others. "Kalanus" I like and "Comala" - also, "Baldur's Dream" which wasn't recorded by Kontrapunkt for some reason. A great shame as it is representative of his early Nordic/Ossianic style and very Romantic and atmospheric. It was recorded by Classico, I think, and I got it direct from the label last year. I don't know whether they just happened to have old stock left over but I couldn't find a copy anywhere else online for love or money.

It's hard to credit when you listen to any of these scores that he was scolded by the critics for being too "Wagnerian" in some of them!