Röntgen symphonies 9, 21 and Serenade

[Alan Howe]

OK, neck well and truly stuck out here: Symphony No.21 in A minor (1931) is a truly great work. This is one of Röntgen's terse (19+ minutes) masterpieces - a veritable pocket-battleship of a symphony, quite mesmerising in its range of sonorities and inexorable in its progress. To give you some idea, it's as if Röntgen had carried on where the finale of Brahms 4 left off...

Magnificent! One of the few symphonies (e.g. Sibelius 7?) that packs into 20-odd minutes more than most composers could say in three-quarters of an hour. This is my discovery of 2017 so far.

[Mark Thomas]

Sounds terrific. I wonder how long I'll have to wait for the mp3s to appear so that I too can marvel...

[eschiss1]

If you get Naxos Music Library it's actually already streaming there. I think I've heard the Cobra recording of symphony no.9 also (broadcast on Concertzender) but in anycase this one's a very good performance; I'll listen to no.21 and the serenade soon. Looking forward to it.

[eschiss1]

Just listened to No.21. I agree wholeheartedly. Between this and some of the other works of his last few years like his G major piano quintet too I think we may have some of the best of his works I've heard.

[Mark Thomas]

If you get Naxos Music Library it's actually already streaming there.

Thanks, Eric, I always forget that membership of IMSLP has the benefit of belonging to the NML too. What a tremendous resource.

I completely agree about Röntgen's 21st Symphony. I can't immediately think of a comparable work. It's a terrific piece: rather edgy, full of drama and utterly remorseless, you are left feeling as if you've just experienced some monumental 40+ minute epic - but not a note is wasted. Phew! Alan's "pocket-battleship of a symphony" is spot on.

[Alan Howe]

I played it (No.21) three times yesterday and I'm still reeling from the impact. Every time I'm ready to relegate Röntgen to the ranks of the second-rate, I discover an absolute jewel. This is one of those, albeit more akin to a black diamond...