Václav Jindřich/Wenzel Heinrich Veit: Symphony in E minor, etc.

[Alan Howe]

...forthcoming from the label Nibiru:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/ein-wiederentdecktes-romantisches-erbe/hnum/10870569

[Mark Thomas]

Interesting. Toccata has a couple of CDs of Veit's early string quartets of the 1830s and 40s, which are post-classical Mendelssohn-light as I remember. Judging by it's opus number, this symphony is a later composition, but IMSLP dates it to "1860 or earlier- some sources give 1833" - which isn't that helpful. Rediscovered Romantic Testimony doesn't really make sense, but I guess it's lost something in translation from the Czech, and I shouldn't carp - we should be pleased to have the opportunity to hear these very obscure pieces.

[terry martyn]

Is the Romanze and Finale really by this guy?   I am certain I have this on LP, and composed by Joachim (I think...........)

[Alan Howe]

Why wouldn't there be two compositions with the same title?

In any case, I can't find a work with this title in the list of Joachim's compositions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Joachim#List_of_compositions

[Alan Howe]

This source gives the date of composition and premiere of the Symphony as 1859:
https://www.klassika.info/Komponisten/Veit_WH/Symphonie/049/index.html

I note that the Symphony is dedicated to Rietz, who took over from Mendelssohn in Leipzig in 1848:
https://imslp.org/images/c/c6/TN-PMLP1213783-Symphonie_f%C3%BCr_Orchester%2C_op._49-4800.jpg
However, the video (see below) reveals that Mendelssohn premiered the Symphony in Leipzig - so we have a bit of a conundrum here, date-wise, as the latter died in 1847!

Full details of the contents of the CD here (including video), with Veit described as 'The Czech Mendelssohn':

Ouverture, Op.17
Andante, poco maestoso. Allegro molto 10:57

Romance & Finale for violin and orchestra
(N.B. These two movements are identical to the 2nd and 3rd movements of the Violin Concerto No.2, Op.11 'Hungarian', by Joseph Joachim)
Romance. Andante 07:32
Finale. Allegro con spirito 11:53
Milan Al-Ashhab – violin

Symphony E minor, Op.49
I. Andante. Allegro molto 14:30
II. Adagio 09:06
III. Allegro 05:51
IV. Allegro assai 07:34
L'Armonia Terrena,
Zdeněk Klauda conductor

https://cdmusic.cz/en/old-czech-music/veit-w.h.-overture-romanze-finale-symphony-m.al-ashhab-larmonia-terrena-z.klauda-%5Bid%3DNIBIRU01712231%5D

[terry martyn]

It is the exactly same piece that was attributed to another composer (Joachim?)  and recorded by Aaron Rosand and the Orchestra of Radio Luxembourg
It may have been wrongly attributed, but I assure you that there is but the one composition

[Alan Howe]

Here's a list of Rosand's recordings on two pages - can you point out which one features the piece you mentioned, please?
https://www.discogs.com/artist/361074-Aaron-Rosand?page=1 
https://www.discogs.com/artist/361074-Aaron-Rosand?page=2

[terry martyn]

In fact, they are the second and third movements of the Second Violin Concerto by Joachim  (the "Hungarian").  An old Candide LP..........

[Alan Howe]

You are right - my apologies! This is very strange!

[Alan Howe]

I have emailed the label at nibiru@centrum.cz

[Mark Thomas]

That'll be an interesting exchange. So, who copied whom? My money is on Joachim being the composer and Veit making a copy for whatever reason. Study maybe?  This copy was then found amongst his papers and assumed to be a composition by him. FWIW the work doesn't feature on IMSLP's Veit worklist

[Alan Howe]

The label replied straight away and have referred our query to the conductor, Zdeněk Klauda.

[Mark Thomas]

All very embarrassing for them. You'd have thought that someone would have twigged that those two movements were stylistically very different from the Symphony and Overture, judging by what we heard on the video.

[semloh]

Wouldn't the conductor and the musicians have realised somehing was amiss? How bizarre.

[Alan Howe]

Extremely embarrassing, yes. Red faces all round, I imagine.

I have ordered the CD from jpc; I wonder whether I'll actually get hold of a copy or whether it'll quickly be withdrawn?