Enescu VC and Phantasy for piano & orchestra

[Alan Howe]

...both early, unpublished works, forthcoming from cpo - the Violin Concerto in A minor is apparently a two-movement unfinished work dating from 1896; the Phantasy dates from 1898:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/george-enescu-violinkonzert/hnum/10779625

[eschiss1]

Neat. Looking forward to!

[Alan Howe]

The 2-movement VC torso is pretty derivative - the slow movement is very lovely, but the first movement wanders all over the place for 19 minutes. So, no more than an interesting footnote in the development of Enescu's compositional abilities. Violinists could certainly programme the slow movement, but I can't see much point in playing the whole thing.

Two years later the 20-minute Phantasy/Fantasy evinces a more advanced language, but it feels too much in thrall to its post-Brahmsian idiom to be thoroughly convincing. Strauss did this sort of thing much better in his Burleske, although that's probably an unfair comparison. To be honest, it's just not that interesting.

For me, apart from the second movement of the VC, this is for Enescu completists only. A disappointment overall and certainly not up to the standard of his Study Symphonies, of which two have been recorded (Nos.1 and 4).

[Mark Thomas]

That's a shame. The two study symphonies we know are really fine works, and I'd been hoping for more of the same. Mature Enescu is not to my taste, I'm afraid.

[eschiss1]

how about in-between works like the op.13 symphony, symphonie concertante, first two (published) violin sonatas, &c?

[Mark Thomas]

I don't know any of them well, Eric, but I've never yearned to know them better either, which may answer your question I suppose.

[eschiss1]

Just as my adoration of works like the 3rd symphony (1916-18) doesn't actually say much . That said, there are other very early Enescu works (about contemporary with these...) recorded that -may- reward the curious and which have received a recording or two.

[Alan Howe]

In the case of the two works featured here I'd say it's obvious why they've never been published or recorded before now.

[Mark Thomas]

I've at last got around to listening to these two works and I guess it's proof of my lack of musical taste that I disagree with Alan (and all the reviews I've read) about the unfinished Violin Concerto, which I really quite enjoyed. It's debt to Brahms is evident in every bar and that, I guess, is it's attraction as well as its weakness. If I'm in the mood for some undemanding cod-Brahms then this torso of a work, with its dramatic (and yes, repetitive, I agree) first movement and really quite lovely slow movement, will do very nicely thank you in much the same way as do the two study symphonies of the same vintage. The Piano Phantasy has less going for it - it has more noise than purpose, Enescu huffs and puffs with less attractive material than the Violin Concerto and, this time I do agree, only an Enescu completist could value it.

[John Boyer]

I wish I'd read this ahead of time.  I had no idea these were such early works.  I generally agree with Alan: the violin concerto is juvenilia, while the phantasy, though better, suffers when compared to Strauss's Burleske. 

Unlike Mark, I adore mature Enescu, which made this release all the more disappointing.  Of course, mature Enescu lies outside our remit.  Mark, you may like the transitional Octet, which Gidon Kremer marvelously recorded for ECM. 

But what fond memories I have of hearing Menuhin at a concert at Smith College, playing the the Third Sonata!  I almost bumped into him at intermission, searching for a bathroom.  Was it really 40 years ago?

[Mark Thomas]

Mark, you may like the transitional Octet, which Gidon Kremer marvelously recorded for ECM

Thanks, John. Yes, much more to my taste.

[Alan Howe]

I have an on-off relationship with Enescu's early music. The two 'Study Symphonies' are wonders, but the VC just doesn't do anything for me. Just shows how personal musical taste can be!