Louis Glass Symphony 5 & Fantasie Op.47

[Alan Howe]

...forthcoming from cpo:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/louis-glass-symphonie-nr-5/hnum/4111668

[eschiss1]

I only know of one other recording of the fantasy Op.47 of 1913 for piano and orchestra offhand, in the complete set on Danacord, though maybe there's another somewhere. Since this is coupled with a work that's been recorded several times (including twice on the Danacord label- a historic recording and in the complete symphonies cycle- also on Marco Polo...; also, we have a BBC broadcast of it ...) - (while this I guess is vol.2 in cpo's competing (!) Glass symphony cycle... not that I begrudge, just surprised...; if I had my druthers, there are worse things to spend resources on in all the world, than creating alternative symphony, sonata, quartet etc. cycles of lesser-known composers. And maybe the Danacord cycle could be improved on here, as I've heard is true for their cycle of eg Bendix's symphonies- hrm, cpo, _there's_ another thought, btw.)

(Fantasy in full score.)

[Alan Howe]

There's no doubt in my mind that the 5th Symphony is the finest thing Glass wrote. The idiom is totally individual - imagine forward thrust à la Nielsen clothed in the expressive garb of late romanticism. Yet there's no wallowing here - the whole 4-movement work is over in 35½ minutes. Wonderful! And the performance is spectacular too, with playing of power and delicacy from the Rhine State Philharmonic Orchestra under the adventurous Daniel Raiskin. This is one of cpo's most successful recent releases. Hausegger/Barbarossa was pretty good; but this is much more interesting music because it is far less derivative...

[dhibbard]

looking forward to picking this up.  I have all his recordings currently on the market.

[Mykulh]

Alan's assessment of this work is perfectly stated. Since first hearing this symphony many years ago, I always counted it as a favorite. It grabs you immediately and never lets go. I've always wondered if its unfortunately misleading title has kept it from the greater fame it surely deserves. Kudos to CPO for giving this superb composer the high quality presentation he absolutely merits.

Mykulh

[Ilja]

To be honest, I would include the Third Symphony with the fifth as Glass' finest; particularly because of its lighter touch. The cpo recording of that work is particularly rewarding.

[dhibbard]

well that was written in 1920.. which is clearly outside the barrier of 1918. 

[Mark Thomas]

Yes, but it's also clearly written in a romantic style. So, no problem.

[Alan Howe]

As Mark says, 1918 is not an absolute date after which no music can be discussed. If the music in question can be sampled and it accords with our guidelines, then it is a legitimate subject for debate here. This clearly applies to Glass' 5th Symphony. However, with Zolotarev we simply don't have enough information to go on (yet), so the onus is upon members to provide said information.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for your review - and welcome to UC!

[Alan Howe]

the 5th symphony, surely one of the most neglected symphonic masterpieces of all time

Beware hyperbole! Now let me see: one more to add to my looooooooooong list of the most neglected symphonic masterpieces of all time 

[eschiss1]

Given how many recordings it's had (and some fine broadcast recordings) compared to other arguable contenders on that list, the claim does require some ballast, yes. (FWIW One of my high-up contenders would be Rutland Boughton's graceful and tragic Deirdre symphony (#2) - which has had only -one- recording, and that a semi-commercial (BBC/Carlton) and now deleted one. But this is all meat for another thread. Sorry.)

[eschiss1]

I think what we have here is a failure to communicate. *ducks*

"Most neglected" first-in-line emphasizes -most neglected-, which no one will claim Beethoven's 5th [symphony] to be. (Some Beethoven works, like some Haydn and some Dvorak works, are neglected - they have been, and are, performed and recorded, though not at all often, and not proportionally to their value, this author does maintain; but that's another matter.)

(No, I haven't seen the referred-to movie...)

[Justin]

There's no doubt in my mind that the 5th Symphony is the finest thing Glass wrote.

I agree with you, Alan. The second movement, Rest, is the greatest movement from a symphony that I have ever heard, and that one "Desert Island" piece I would bring with me if nothing else.

It is incredibly detailed with many textures that interact between the strings and woodwinds. You could apply its colors to a dark forest with rays of sunlight seeping through, a vast mountain range in the mist, a field in the star-studded moonlight, a glorious shimmering lake or the dry and concealing desert, and it fits beautifully. In my opinion, that confirms Glass' musical connection to nature, pulling every emotion from it as possible, most importantly that of the "Pastoral," expressed by the oboe about halfway through. It gives no indication of the horrors from the past 5 years.

My preference will have to stay with the Downes radio recording from 1990. Raiskin is a bit too fast for me and I feel the oboe is unnecessarily drowned out near the beginning, but his conducting illustrates how Glass' writing sounds marvelous at a faster tempo.

According to my iTunes data, I have played it at least 400 times since 2018 when I discovered this work. Thought it would be more. 

[John Boyer]

I think what we have here is a failure to communicate. *ducks*
[...]
(No, I haven't seen the referred-to movie...)

You *never* saw "Cool Hand Luke"? Ever?

Anyway, if the 5th is his finest, then I'm in for a treat, because I heard the 3rd today and thought it beautiful indeed.