Spohr, complete Symphonies (Griffiths)

[adriano]

Thanks Alan :-)
Yes, and as far as Spohr's 5th Symphony is concerned, one could consider it as a formally perfect and ever so appealing tuneful piece!
I never listened to Shelley's interpretations, because I am not a fan of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana - who has more ad-hoc musicians than the fixed ensemble it promotes to be.

[Alan Howe]

No.5 is a very fine piece. What do you think of No.3 (my own favourite)?

[Mark Thomas]

Hmmm. I've never thought of Raff owing much to Spohr ... it's an intriguing idea.

[adriano]

Perhaps not even "owing", but looking from "outisde" at the development of the Romantic Symphony (?)

[Alan Howe]

The first and third movements in particular look forward to Im Walde. I'm sure Raff would have known the symphony.

[eschiss1]

He wasn't wholly ignorant of Spohr's muse, no matter what (consider the Faust transcription Op.68 No.5)...

(Rather odd/interesting transcriptions/arrangements of Spohr's symphonies 4, 8 and 9 or portions thereof, e.g. - by other composers, I mean, not Raff - have turned up, but that's another matter still...)

[adriano]

Listened to the 3rd and 10th yesterday, Alan. They are perfectly constructed and work very well, but so far I like the 5th better; there is more "personality" in it.
And the 4th, of course, which is a really special and original work.
I bought this set here in Zürich for 59 Euros, at Musik Hug - whose CD department will close down by the end of this year. 6 competent, always friendly and engaged salesclerks have been terminated. The Hug Company (who merged with Jecklin years ago, whose big CD shop was a treasure island during decades, but was also closed down) will also give up their legendary four-storied building near the Kunsthaus and concentrate all what they still (can) sell (scores, pianos, instruments and keyboards) into their Limmatquai building, on whose parterre the CDs were. The contents of the attached building with the string instrument's and the childern's music department will also be integrated to the mentioned "main" building. Not to speak what all Hug will close down in other Swiss cities!
In other words, in Zürich there is but one CD shop left, selling classical music (and pop as well), but there is no comparison with Hug/Jecklin; they just sell trendy things (a UC lover would have always to order everything) - but hire alleady since this summer 50% of their surface to a firm selling silly luxury flower pots, nippes and statuettes. They say that they make more money with all that than with CDs (classical and pop). Otherwise they could not afford their rent anymore.
Of course, I could have ordered this Spohr set at Amazon for 37 Euros, but very often I bought in our two shops in order to support them.
Cannot understand: on the other hand they try to resuscitate LPs and everybody says that the end of CDs is approaching. LP is but for a very few special audio freaks...

[Alan Howe]

LPs are also bought simply for display purposes, i.e. as pieces of art...

[Mark Thomas]

Oh, that's sad news, hadrianus. I have very happy memories from the early 80s of riffling through LPs in the old MusikHug store on Bahnhofstr. in Zürich, and perching on the bar stools there, sampling them. I bought your recording of Raff's Piano Quintet in that shop, and still have it today. Sic transit gloria mundi....

[adriano]

Thanks, Mark!
Incidentally, I am meeting Res Marty just today at 1315 hrs. Will make a new digital transfer of the "Welt-Ende" 3-LP set, so we may put it in here for download...
Hug Bahnhoftsrasse closed down already 15 years ago. In my student years I was helping out there during Christmas and Easter holidays. It was the time of these glorious Decca recordings (Maazel-Tchaikovsky and Sibelius; Rossini operas with Berganza, Karajan with the VPO and the Solti Ring) - and, of course, the Karajan-Beethoven and Brahms sets. I practically gave out all the money which I was paid to buy these recordings. In Zürich there were 2 Musik-Hug shops, the earlier mentioned big Jecklin one and Rena Kaufmann. And, of course, a Globus LP department which was well-furnished too. Plus 2 Ex-Libris shops...

[Alan Howe]

My days at Cambridge in the mid-seventies were similar. There was one shop that somehow acquired test pressings of new releases - wonder how that happened?

[Mark Thomas]

Still, we digress...

[Alan Howe]

Indeed. No chance of hearing Spohr symphonies in those days...