Hans Rott Symphony under Paavo Järvi

[eschiss1]

The String Quartet and a Symphony for String Orchestra in A flat have both been issued on an Acousence CD (ACO-CD 20205). Audio extracts at jpc here.

At a guess, the recorded string quartet is this one?? *checks more closely * Oh- yes, it's linked to under -recordings- no 'guess' needed. never mind

(Also, performed in New York City in September 2009.)
Eric

[Peter1953]

Good to read those enthusiastic reviews of Rott's Symphony under Järvi. I've always felt sympathy for poor Rott as a person and his remarkable Symphony, in 1880 crushingly rebuffed by Brahms.
I'm very pleased with my Rott under Weigle. I ask myself, how frequently do I listen to this symphony? Maybe not even once a year. Therefore I'm not going to put Järvi's version on my wantlist, but I hope to listen to a broadcast in the near future.

[Ilja]

I've given this a couple of good listens now, and I agree with the general positive attitude - with the exception of the last movement, particularly the 'Brahmsy' final two-thirds of it. Järvi takes this a breakneck speed and it appears to me that that takes away most of its charm and all of its elegiac character. Samuel's approach (whatever else one might think of his recording) is far more expansive, but these tunes demand for a certain amount of time and fluidum to develop. Not quite the definitive recording, then.

[Alan Howe]

I have to disagree, Ilja. Järvi manages to keep together the sprawling structure of the finale in a way which is, to my ears (obviously!), thoroughly convincing. There's no such thing as a definitive recording, but Järvi's will be the closest yet. And he has the best orchestra so far!

[Paul Barasi]

While we're waiting for so long ... heard Paavo Järvi with Cincinnati SO (performed in February 2011) when this conductor took the symphony very fast – quarter of an hour quicker than the slowest-ever: Sergerstam in 1994 with Swedish RSO.  It was well played with good coherence, rhythm, and momentum; superb in the brass fanfares, the ghost waltz and movement endings; and brought out the texture unusually clearly in the 3rd movement's short love theme. There is a tempo argument to be resolved in this work and whilst I haven't yet decided which side I'm on, Järvi certainly makes a persuasive case.

Incidentally, there's a Summer Workshop + evening informal performance (Bromley SO) at Legacy Hall, Beckenham on 10th June

[Alan Howe]

The CD is being advertised as a forthcoming Japanese import by jpc...
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Hans-Rott-1858-1884-Symphonie-E-Dur/hnum/4916894
...but it is very expensive, so it'll be probably be worth waiting for its wider international release.

[Alan Howe]

Having found the CD for sale at HMV in Japan, I've put in an order (it's not released until 9th May over there) at a bit of a premium over UK prices - but I couldn't wait for its wider release, so I hope I can report on it sometime soon...

[Alan Howe]

And now jpc are advertising it as a June release...
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Hans-Rott-1858-1884-Symphonie-E-Dur/hnum/2571018?SESSIONID=14b4acb310a945e850299f20f7bd5e58

[Paul Barasi]

Wow: this CD includes the world premiere (I don't think it's even yet reached any concert hall) of Rott's Suite in B flat major (1877, the year before both his wonderful Suite in E and starting his symphony). So this is the last of his recognised performable orchestral works to be recorded (well, 2 of the movements are performable). So, we have the Jarvi recording and a surprise bonus.

[Alan Howe]

Well, for my money (and it cost me an arm and a leg to get it early from Japan!), this is the most dramatic account of Rott's fascinating work on the market. Coupled with world-class playing from the Frankfurt RSO under Paavo Järvi and recording quality to match, this is an immensely exciting release. Having said which, I'm now off to explore Segerstam's very different (and much slower) take on the piece. I suppose it's a bit like comparing, say, Kubelik and Maazel in Mahler 1: yer pays yer money...

By the way, this also seems to me the most Mahlerian account of the Symphony to have appeared. Of course, we know that P. Järvi regards Mahler's use of Rott's sound-world as virtual plagiarism:

<<I don't remember how I first came across this Symphony in E, but it was at a time when I was already receptive for Rott's mix of Wagner, Bruckner, and—so I would have thought—Mahler. It turns out that the 19 year old composer's audacious work, though heavily indebted to the first two composers as well as Brahms and Schumann, didn't copy anything from Mahler. Mahler copied from Rott, his fellow student-colleague. "In today's world", Paavo Järvi said to me earlier, "Mahler would be sued for plagiarism." (See interview on WETA.) Complete phrases, the treatment of the chorales—they are all there in Mahler's Second Symphony or the opening of the First Symphony's second movement. "You've got the Scherzo: daa Bum, baa Bum-da-dam, bum-da-da-da-dam... I mean, really!" Järvi is almost amused at the chutzpah Mahler displayed in lifting ideas from Rott.>>
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2010/04/ionarts-at-large-paavo-jarvi-excites.html

[Alan Howe]

Well, Segerstam's is a very fine, but very different performance. I'd say it was more Brucknerian than Järvi (i.e. much more monumental), but nothing like as colourful or dynamic. If you want to hear how much Mahler there is in Rott (or vice versa!!), then Järvi's your man...