More Braunfels

[der79sebas]

Fortunately, Braunfels is no longer a completely unsung composer anymore. Still, there are works to discover. Dutton epoch has recently released his wonderful Piano Concerto + Scottish Fantasy. cpo is to release his Sinfonia concertante op 68 together with a string orchestra version of his string quintet. Also with cpo there soon comes a CD "Radiomusiken II" with Theis conducting, including Braunfels' "Divertimento". On 22. 6. WDR will broadcast a better cut version of the recent "Das Leben ein Traum" from Bonn, which will not come on CD since the tenor was indisposed. On May 8th there will be a performance (and certainly broadcast) of "Auferstehung" op 72 in Munich with Schirmer. Finally, there will be a staged performance of "Ulenspiegel" in Linz in September (not in the new opera house, but in the "Tabakfabrik") - let us hope that there will be a broadcast/recording, too. Any further Braunfels' news? Does anyone know about the long planned "Braunfels all songs" CD with Marlis Petersen?

[Alan Howe]

I have mixed feelings about Braunfels. I found the Scottish Fantasy rather grey, chromatic and uninteresting and in general much prefer his earlier music. Like many composers of his generation who were still writing in the late 1920s and 30s the chromaticism eventually becomes self-defeating and, frankly, wearying. I also look for more sinew - but that's just my opinion.

[der79sebas]

I also prefer Braunfels' early music, i.e. his wonderful opera "Die Vögel", the piano concerto, the mass and "Ulenspiegel" from 1913, which can be found on youtube (from Gera 2011) and imho ranks 2nd among his operas (so, I am glad about the upcoming performances in Linz, although tickets are not too cheap :-). I a not so fond of the once very successful "Don Gil"...

[BerlinExpat]

 

WDR will broadcast a better cut version of the recent "Das Leben ein Traum" from Bonn, which will not come on CD since the tenor was indisposed.

The SWR broadcast the opera on April 5th and I didn't notice the tenor was indisposed. My recording is incomplete because of some transmission disturbance but it will be repeated on WDR on June 22nd. When I attended the second performance on April 12th the tenor was quite fit.

BTW Ulenspiegel in Linz is in a specially reduced version  for chamber orchestra.

[der79sebas]

"chamber orchestra" is not quite correct, according to my information, they will do the Ulenspiegel in Linz with about 35 orchestra player, which is indeed quite smaller than original (well, in Gera they had 50 players), but not exactly "chamber"... last year they had 23 players for Schreker's "Schatzgräber", but the result was most of the time convincing. So, I think 35 musicians in a not too big hall should be enough!

[BerlinExpat]

"chamber orchestra" is not quite correct

An interesting point of view. How many players constitute a chamber orchestra? I would have thought 35 is a good number when you take into account the Mahler Chamber Orchestra has 44 members, the Basel Chamber Orchestra has a basis of 50 and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe ca. 60, augmenting to 72 when required, which suggests it sometimes wishes to play music intended for a full orchestra.

[der79sebas]

Update: Braunfels' "church year"-cycle of cantatas is also to be released on CD in the near future. I do not yet know the label...

[der79sebas]

And there it is, the Braunfels Divertimento for radio-orchestra:

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/edition-radiomusiken-vol-2-radio-suiten-ouvertueren/hnum/3126625

By the way, it is not yet clear if there will be a recording of the "Ulenspiegel" in Linz (see www.entarteopera.com), i.e. it will be recorded but the decision about a commercial DVD will only be made afterwards.

[Aramiarz]

Dear friends, I recomended the Sinfonía Brevis , is in Youtube, it's a powerful And dramatic work, I can fell a great anxiety in this piece, it's a vigorous work. I wish read your comments about this interesting work by Braunfels!