Reinecke Orchestral works vol.1

[Alan Howe]

Actually, on closer inspection of what was sent according to my account at jpc, the Reinecke CD was not included.

[Alan Howe]

And yet today the Reinecke arrived! How strange. Anyway: report to follow...

[Alan Howe]

Timings of the three available recordings of Symphony No.3 may be instructive here:

                                        I           II         III        IV         TT
Shelley/Chandos              9:11      8:38     6:42    8:16     33:02
Beissel/Christophorus       9:16    10:28     6:44    8:37     35:05
Raudales/cpo                   8:27      8:55     6:27    8:21     32:23

The first impression is how fiercely Raudales tears into the first movement - and then how much more dynamic the finale is too, with the coda so much more convincing (because it is given with real punch) than under either Shelley or Beissel. There's no doubt in my mind that this is the recording to demonstrate the quality of this work. It emerges freshly minted here.

[Alan Howe]

Raudales' performance of No.3 is way, way better than Beissel or Shelley. The orchestral response is absolutely electrifying throughout (the Munich Radio Orchestra are clearly the best band), the recording quality is clear and weighty, and the performance just has more dynamism - it's as if the conductor really believes in the music. Reminds me of Carlos Kleiber. This is the best recording of anything involving orchestra by Reinecke I have ever heard.

[edurban]

Yummy.  Looking forward to it. 

[Alan Howe]

Quite so. The problem is that it isn't listed at jpc any more. It appeared just long enough for me to order it, but now it's vanished.

[Holger]

For the moment, I would guess that it will reappear later this month. In the past months, jpc / CPO typically have been rather late with announcing their new releases. So I was surprised to see that they already announced their June (actually, late May) novelties (to which the Reinecke disc should belong – it is clearly not part of the May / late April batch) so early. Maybe it was an error or so. Anyway, as Alan got the CD, it must exist, and I tend to believe it will reappear once the next batch of new releases can be found on their website.

[eschiss1]

Doesn't seem to be on other sites either. Never heard of this conductor/violinist I thought but I think I have at least heard of some of his other recordings, nicely chosen repertoire, looks like a name to watch at the least...

[Alan Howe]

It's amazing - and faintly ridiculous - that Reinecke gets written off as some sort of Mendelssohn/Schumann clone. Symphony No.3 is completely his own and quite clearly the product of a later composer, albeit a conservative one. It's worth another look at this previous thread:
http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,2775.msg32042.html#msg32042

[Alan Howe]

And then there are the three excerpts from Reinecke's opera König Manfred of 1866, i.e. the Overture, Romanze from Act 4 and the Prelude to Act 5. Wow! Not only is the music superb - you'd never guess this was by some dry-as-dust academic - it is also superlatively played. Hearing this, you'd think you were listening to a world-leading orchestra and one of the great conductors: there's passion, superb control of dynamics (some of the pianissimi are breathtaking) and wonderful unanimity, especially in the string playing.

This is a disc that should burst the bounds of the standard repertoire. It showcases a major composer in major performances. My candidate for CD Of The Year. And it's only May!

[Alan Howe]

The CD is now available (again!) for pre-order. It's new release date is 25th May:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/carl-heinrich-reinecke-symphonien-vol-1/hnum/6100112

[Alan Howe]

I recall that David Hurwitz (ClassicsToday) didn't rate Reinecke's 3rd Symphony. But now that we have it in a stellar performance, I wonder whether he'll change his mind. Of course, having dismissed the work...
https://www.classicstoday.com/review/review-8640/?search=1
...he probably won't even review the new cpo release.

[eschiss1]

... are we masochists? there are reviewers of actual insight out there but each time it's his word we wait on instead...

[Kevin]

Yes, please no more mention of Hurwitz.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Yes, please no more mention of Hurwitz.

Hear, hear!