Woyrsch Symphony 3 from cpo

[Alan Howe]

The Symphony's a rather knotty piece. I don't think it'll win many new friends, but it has a certain fascination...

[Mark Thomas]

I've at last got a copy of this recording. I must say that I was surprised to discover that, for all that Woyrsh's 3rd Symphony is clearly a work of the 20th century when compared with its two predecessors, I greatly preferred it to them. They are anonymous, turgid pieces, wallowing in the soupy post-Bruckner world of very late romanticism, whereas in this piece Woyrsch seems to have a more personal voice. There's a lot of drama in the work and it's certainly not a comfortable listen, but he does make you sit up and take notice, which is a distinct advance on the sleep-inducing qualities of Nos.1 and 2. After a turbulent 35 minutes, the conclusion of the Symphony is satisfyingly redemptive too. Not a work I'll return to very often, but that's better than not returning at all, which is probably the fate in my house of the first two symphonies. I'm afraid that its companions on this CD, the three Böcklin Phantaisies, return us to the world of the earlier symphonies: muddy brown music which seems to spend 25 minutes going nowhere and then finishes inconsequentially.

[sdtom]

Naxos just announced the release of this in the US.
Tom

[Mark Thomas]

If you haven't already done so, before you order I suggest that you listen to the audio samples of the first four tracks - the Symphony - as Woyrsh's idiom there is markedly different to that of the first two symphonies.

[sdtom]

Will have a listen. Good advice.
Tom

[sdtom]

His third symphony certainly doesn't fall in the category of anything remotely close to romantic. Having now listened to it I'm not sure what to make of it.
Tom

[mbhaub]

I've been listening to the 3rd for a few days now. It is MUCH better than the previous two symphonies. The most striking thing to my ear is the gorgeous, clear orchestration. The thematic material is pretty mundane and forgettable. The real treasure on the disk comes after the symphony - the Three Boeklin Fantasies. This is very evocative, beautiful music and to me much more interesting than the symphonies.

[sdtom]

I've been listening to the 3rd for a few days now. It is MUCH better than the previous two symphonies. The most striking thing to my ear is the gorgeous, clear orchestration. The thematic material is pretty mundane and forgettable. The real treasure on the disk comes after the symphony - the Three Boeklin Fantasies. This is very evocative, beautiful music and to me much more interesting than the symphonies.

Agree with you more. I've become quite fascinated with the Die Toteninsel portion of the Three Bocklin Fantasies. As I did a little bit of research I was amazed at the number of composers who wrote about the painting. I've listened to it and I hear no Rachmaninoff but I do detect the style of Miaskovsky.  Has anyone heard what Max Reger did with it
Tom

[sdtom]

https://sdtom.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/three-bocklin-fantasies-op-53woyrsch/
My take on the three Bocklin fantasies
Tom