Widor Symphony 1 & VC etc. from Dutton

[Alan Howe]

Dutton tell me that the physical CD will be out at the end of January.

[musiclover]

Thanks for that information Alan. I will stop watching for the postman then!

[Alan Howe]

The VC's a very attractive piece indeed - and beautifully played by Sergey Levitin. We all owe Martin Yates an enormous debt of gratitude for this piece of sleuthing - and reconstruction work. Although not particularly long (approx 24:30), it seems to pack in an awful lot in that time span. I'd say there were some similarities to Saint-Saëns, although some of the climaxes pack a tougher punch, as it were. I don't think it's a major discovery (unlike, say, the roughly contemporary Raff VC1 or the Dietrich VC), but it's an uncommonly appealing one.

More on the remainder of the CD anon...

[musiclover]

Finally got my copy....I agree with Alan about the concerto, it is a really beautiful piece and Sergey Levitin is an exceptional player. Hopefully he will be doing more with Yates and Dutton. Reading About Levitin I guess he and Yates know each other as they both work at the Royal Opera House. An outstanding player. I was taken with the early Symohony, it does fit into the genre of all those symphonies written as entrance pieces for the Prix de Rome, but it also has the most delicious slow movement, almost Elgarian.
The Nuit de Walpurgis is a very colourful work and well worth hearing and the orchestral playing by the RSNO is outstanding. Why Yates isn't their chief conductor I just don't know. Musical tastes too eclectic perhaps. Whatever, Yates has done a great job resurrecting this basically "lost" concerto and has done a wonderful job on behalf of unsungs generally. This disc is worth having in my opinion. I keep listening to the concerto. It is really something.

[jdperdrix]

Still waiting for my copy! 
I hope I won't wait too long for it to reach France!

[eschiss1]

Is Levitin a common surname? Reminds me of a Soviet-era composer. Still, I expect the answer is "yes, it is".

[Alan Howe]

The Symphony No.1 in F minor is very much of its period (1870); the first movement reminds me somewhat of Svendsen, which may seem rather odd, but probably reflects their shared commitment to the broadly conservative tradition which one might describe in both cases as 'Leipzig plus'. The slow movement, scherzo and finale are similar in style to, say, Saint-Saëns or Godard (not to say Mendelssohn or Raff - one should never underestimate the latter's influence in this period).

Still this is extremely attractive and vigorous stuff, with not a note wasted. Again, not an undiscovered masterpiece, but well worth anyone's attention.

[semloh]

I wonder why the Dutton recording of the 2nd symphony appeared before the 1st. I suppose there is some logic to it (?)

[Mark Thomas]

I suspect that for their three Widor CD recordings, Dutton chose to release them in declining order of commercial appeal. That's to say, create a market for Widor with the Piano Concertos, both very strong and attractive works, and it'll stay with you for the discs with the two symphonies, the Second being again a stronger work than the First. Much as I like the music on this latest CD, for me none of it has the impact of the Piano Concertos.

[Alan Howe]

Quite right, Mark.

[jdperdrix]

For those who, like me, cannot wait for their cd to arrive, you can hear it from spotify.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Have you listened to La Nuit de Walpurgis yet, Alan? Incidentally, I thought this work contained a part for chorus? Where did I read this?... Ah, yes. On the Naxos website. http://www.naxos.com/person/Charles_Marie_Widor/22417.htm "His symphonic poem La Nuit de Walpurgis ('Walpurgis Night') is scored for chorus and orchestra,"...  Perhaps they got it wrong, or perhaps the chorus is "ad lib.", or perhaps there are two versions. Anyone know? Fleisher lists score and parts with no mention of a chorus. On the other hand, the Wikipedia article on Widor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Marie_Widor gives this entry in his list of compositions: "La nuit de Walpurgis - poeme symphonique op. 60 (1887, Hamelle) - Chorus and Orchestra".

[Alan Howe]

I haven't listened to the piece yet, Gareth, but the sleevenote says that the piece can be performed with chorus, although it is omitted here.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Ah, clearly an optional part. All the same, I imagine it was the composer's intention that it be performed with chorus. Nevertheless, costs would probably have been prohibitive for Dutton. Do let me know what you think when you listen to it.

[musiclover]

Strange, I have a copy of the full score. There is no chorus part at all and there is no mention of a chorus in the review of the London Premier with the Royal Philharmonic Society. Maybe it's a different piece.