Romberg’s Cello Concerto 4 broadcast 16 Nov on Radio 4

[Peter1953]

This week is the Amsterdam Cello Biënnale 2010. One of the works played is the Cello Concerto No. 4 in E minor, op. 7, from the German cellist and composer Bernhard Heinrich Romberg (1767-1841).
This concerto is performed by Christophe Coin and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century under Frans Brüggen. It will be broadcast next Tuesday the 16th at approx. 20:00 hours European time on Radio 4, the Dutch classical radio station.

I have never heard anything by Romberg. Is it classical or perhaps very early Romantic, like most of Hummel's output? I don't even know whether Romberg's cello concertos are released on CD. A provocative question asked at the Cello Biënnale is why did Beethoven never wrote a cello concerto? Is this because Romberg already was so successful with his own cello concertos?

Has anyone ever heard anything composed by Bernhard Romberg?

[eschiss1]

I recall one of his cello sonatas is conjectured to have strongly influenced Brahms' E minor sonata. I don't think I've yet heard any of his music.  There's a few of his works recorded including symphonies, flute concertos and some chamber works, an oratorio a few years ago on cpo,  and on Koch Schwann some while back his op.72 2-cello concerto; not sure if his 1-cello concertos have reached CD though.  I note that Rampal's recording of one of his flute works is on a CD of the 'Romantic flute' suggesting that he's classified at least sometimes in that era rather than the classical, anyway.

[jerfilm]

His Symphonys 1,2,3 are on a fairly recent ARS Production CD.

[eschiss1]

FWIW I do notice that some string quartets by Andreas Romberg are on CD and downloadable from a few online sources, but that's off track...

[FBerwald]

CPO has released the Cello Concerto No. 1 & 5. Has anyone sampled this yet?



https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/bernhard-romberg-cellokonzert/hnum/7136643

[Gareth Vaughan]

From the very brief extracts given at CPO I would say the 1st concerto is definitely in the classical mode ( I am reminded of Haydn), whereas the 5th sounds a lot like Beethoven.

[FBerwald]

Ok. I just finished hearing Cello Concerto No. 5 and here's the thing - The soundworld is definitely Beethovenian but not in any way pastiche. Romberg's use of the orchestra especially woodwinds, brings striking colours. Harmonically the music is adventurous and it has the Berwald like quality of taking unexpected turns when the ear expects the music to go a certain way. All in all this can (arguably) be called a masterpiece. That being said it's the playing that strikes a bit off. 1st off a modern orchestra would sound way better than the period sounds of  Die Kölner Akademie. I'm not sure how I can put this but the Cello [in some beautiful low register passages] is completely obscured by the orchestra many times - May be it's the instrument or style of playing.
I have yet to hear Concerto No. 1 but this is definitely a winner.

[Alan Howe]

The usual HIP problem, perhaps? Caveat emptor - i.e. try before you buy!

[FBerwald]

Aw we have no other alternates at present, this is the best. The music really is smashing. Please give it a try.

[Alan Howe]

I'm afraid that my experience with bands whose strings set my teeth on edge and soloists who eschew virtually all vibrato means that further purchases along these lines are ruled out for me from the outset. Sorry - the excerpts tell me that this is just not to my taste at all.