Robert Radecke Symphony etc.

[Alan Howe]

By the way: there's an extraordinary foreshadowing of the third movement of Tchaik 6 in the first of Radecke's Two Scherzi, Op.52 (pub.1888). I wonder....

[Alan Howe]

...or had he been listening to Raff (Im Walde - finale)?

[adcsound]

Dear Alan,

If you are interested to give a look to the scherzi scores:

http://www.adcsound.ch/Archives/Radecke2ScherziOp52.zip
.pdf file 52Mo.

Greetings from Bern,

Fred.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks!

[minacciosa]

Quite coincidentally, I watched the video on YouTube last night, and was extremely impressed by the quality of the music. Is it possible to get a pdf of the Symphony's full score?

[minacciosa]

And thank you for the scores to the Scherzi. I can look briefly and tell that they are really good works.

[Alan Howe]

The first movement of the Symphony is based on the same rhythmic figure which dominates the equivalent movement in Schumann's 3rd, although its character is totally different. Radecke really doesn't sound much like Schumann.

[adcsound]

To minacciosa and others interested:

http://www.adcsound.ch/Archives/RadeckeSymphonieOp50.zip
.pdf 197Mo.

http://www.adcsound.ch/Archives/RadeckeNachstuckOp55.zip
.pdf 45Mo.

http://www.adcsound.ch/Archives/RadeckeOuvertureOp25.zip
.pdf 81Mo

All the scores that I have linked on this website will be available until March 2016, the 20th. Then I'll cancel the download links.

All the best from Bern,

Fred.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks again!

[minacciosa]

Thank you very much!

[eschiss1]

Thirded!

[Mark Thomas]

What a rewarding discovery Radecke turns out to be! Here is a composer who wrote in the conservative tradition for his time, but who still managed to have an original voice. Of course one can hear reminiscences of other composers, but Radecke is no epigone and he melds all these influences into an individual and characteristic style. There's a nervous energy which pervades almost all the music here, lending it an excitement and vitality which is quite exhilarating. The praises of the Symphony have already been sung elsewhere here (although that won't stop me adding mine later in this post !), but I do want to say how enjoyable the four shorter pieces are. All of them are works of consequence in their own right.

The earliest is the King John Overture, written in 1860 when Radecke was 30. At about 11 minutes it's the longest of these works, but it's certainly not diffuse. Over a third of its length is occupied with a darkly brooding slow introduction. When the work speeds up it is dramatic, with plenty of incident and contrast - full of that feverish activity which seems to characterise Radecke. Thematically it's not as individual as the other works here, and the emphatic brass interruptions have strong echoes of Schumann's symphonies, but it remains a very enjoyable concert piece. I was reminded of Brüll's Macbeth Overture. The Two Scherzi post-date the Symphony by a few years (1888) and are both fine, short pieces which could easily have come from Raff's pen (a compliment, by the way). The first piece, with those frenetic strings very much to the fore, is a rhythmic tour de force, unrelenting in its propulsive momentum. The second is rather gentler, with a couple of delightful trios featuring the same contrasting pastoral material. Both works are thematically strong and are most impressive despite their small scale.  Written two years later, the Nachtstück like the Overture features a substantial dramatic slow introduction leading to a fast main body. The booklet gives no clue as to what nocturnal event Radecke had in mind, but this is no calm Notturno. Once the introduction is over, despite the main section being based on an ever-present leaping theme, he maintains interest by constantly varying the music's rhythm and orchestral texture. The 10 minutes goes very quickly.

The Symphony is even more impressive than its companions. The opening Allegro is a vigorous, lyrical, generously open-hearted movement with, again, plenty of momentum. Although the work dates from 1877, it seems that this movement dates mostly from 1851, making it a most impressive achievement for a 21 year old. The Scherzo breathes the same air as the two later Scherzi, it's full of propulsive rhythmic energy and melodic verve. The Andante sostenuto which follows is a passionate interlude which features some gorgeous, yearning string writing which is in marked contrast to Radecke's usual busyness in the string section. It's the emotional heart of the work and is a powerful testament to Radecke's ability. The final Allegro con spirito is just that, an appropriately spirited conclusion, but not an empty one as there's lots in it to enjoy. That it is perhaps the weakest of a set of four strong movements is only the faintest of criticisms.

Having listened to this CD at least half a dozen times, on each occasion I have found more to appreciate in these five fine works. Not a note is wasted or needlessly repeated. Radecke uses his excellent themes sparingly, developing them satisfyingly and to good effect. His orchestration gets the maximum of excitement and emotion from a modestly sized orchestra. His harmonic language may not be adventurous for its time, but that doesn't detract from the effectiveness of his compositions. Radecke may have been a conservative but, my word, he wasn't a dull one. I only wish there was a lot more of his orchestral music to discover.

[Alan Howe]

Here's a link to Rob Barnett's review at MusicWeb:
http://musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Mar/Radecke_sy_7779952.htm

[Mark Thomas]

It's very good to know that there's a second disc in prospect, I hadn't picked that up before.

[Alan Howe]

IIRC vol.2 will be of chamber music.