Woyrsch Symphony 3 from cpo

[Alan Howe]

Announced as a late-January release in Germany:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/felix-woyrsch-symphonie-nr-3/hnum/5434242

[Mark Thomas]

I'm afraid that I found both Symphonies No.1 (MDG) and No.2 (cpo) rather overworked, turgid pieces, but we live in hope.

[Alan Howe]

Quite. Why they're doing Woyrsch in preference to, say, Wilhelm Berger, is anyone's guess. Still, let's see...

[Gareth Vaughan]

I tend to agree, Mark - and the neglect of Wilhelm Berger, Alan, is inexplicable. He is infinitely better than Woyrsch.

[britishcomposer]

I agree with Mark but Woyrsch's orchestration is quite fresh. Unfortunately his material isn't very inspired and therefore his fine orchestration remains hollow.

[Alan Howe]

Seems the 3rd Symphony was premiered in 1928...

[eschiss1]

the string quartet (no.2 of 6, published 1910, but because of composer death-date might not be audible in the EU-erm... ...)
that's @ IMSLP (thanks again, Matesic) I, anyway, rather liked...

[matesic]

Just heard it again and thought "Oh Lord...", but it's a fine piece, ear-catching and quite moving in the "Sehr ruhig" adagio. To be strictly legal, EU readers can also get it here:

http://www.mediafire.com/listen/y2g1yk3xa8026vv/woyrsch.mp3

I agree, his first two symphonies sound rather pompous in comparison.

[eschiss1]

Thanks for uploading the quartet.

[Alan Howe]

The 3rd Symphony is in my view much more interesting than Nos.1 and 2: its idiom (unsurprisingly for 1928 when it was premiered) is considerably more dense and chromatic, yet there is a purposeful feel about the music throughout what is often a stormy work. Not easy or particularly grateful listening - and often right on the edge of UC's remit - this is well worth worth exploring. But expect to be challenged!

Now: if cpo can do Woysch justice, what about Wilhelm Berger...?

[adriano]

Oh Alan, if you only knew how my heart pounds every time there is the talk about Wilhelm Berger... Just read the scores of his two Symphonies once more and feel such an affinity with my taste/repertoire! If I only could find a sponsor for this... cpo will certainly win one day and produce them, who can stop them? - and they never wanted me as a conductor, so my impossible dream remains impossible...

[Alan Howe]

Oh, and by the way: it seems to me that Woyrsch and Brun are near neighbours, musically speaking.

[Mark Thomas]

A couple of questions, if I may, Alan. Firstly, what's your impression of the other Woyrsch work on the CD: Böcklin-Phantasien? Secondly, of the seven demo tracks on the jpc page to which you linked, which are the Symphony and which the Böcklin-Phantasien?

[Alan Howe]

I haven't listened to the other pieces yet. On the CD tracks 1 to 4 are the Symphony and 5 to 7 the coupling.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks