Korngold Symphony

[Alan Howe]

If you don't know Korngold's remarkable Symphony of 1951-2, allow me to give an enthusiastic recommendation to the new recording of it on Pentatone, featuring Marc Albrecht conducting the Strasbourg PO in wonderful sound. This time David Hurwitz has got it spot-on...
http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=13070

[albion]

I would certainly echo Alan's enthusiastic endorsement of Korngold's Symphony (in fact pretty much his entire output, from the chamber music to the operas and film scores). Lush Romanticism (with an unapologetic capital R), sublime melodic inspiration and phenomenal orchestral technique.

I have Edward Downes recording of this work (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Korngold-Orchestral-BBC-Philharmonic-Orchestra/dp/B000000ARX/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1295046205&sr=8-5) which I would rate very highly - the only problem is that the typical Chandos 'house' reverberation plays havoc with the denser passages in the fast-paced Finale. Although as a rule (due to increasing square-yardage of CDs) I generally avoid duplication on disc, I might just have to give this new recording a try ...

[Alan Howe]

I have never heard Downes in this work, but the Albrecht may well be the answer: technically it's an absolute tour-de-force.

[Pengelli]

I feel tempted by this new recording. I had the Chandos recording,but always felt disappointed by the finale which seemed to be a little thin on material & go on far to long for it's own good. At present I have the emi Korngold twofer with Welser- Most conducting. Hopefully the new performance tightens up the finale a little. In fact the emi reading seems tauter.
  Must say here, I am a bit baffled by the contrasting lack of interest in his earlier 'Sinfonietta',(albeit,maybe not here),which is, despite it's title,a large scale symphony,in all but name. Astonishingly precocious. In one fell sweep Korngold created the Hollywood movie sound years before the first 'talkie' ever hit the 'silver screen'.

[albion]

I am a bit baffled by the contrasting lack of interest in his earlier 'Sinfonietta'

Absolutely - the Sinfonietta should be in the repertoire of major orchestras the world over, as should Sursum Corda, Op. 13 (1919) and the Schauspiel Overture, Op.4 (1911), written when Korngold was just 14! 

[mbhaub]

The new Pentatone recording is the ONE to have. I have all of them, and this one blows them all out of the water. And it's not just the recorded sound, which is A+. It's the conducting: he really makes it dramatic, razor sharp rhythm, and wide dynamics. As much as I like Downes, De Priest, Welser-Most, and Kempe, this one is just brilliant. It's kind of like the Furtwangler 2nd when Barenboim finally did it. Back to Korngold: he died a heartbroken man, feeling time had passed him by and he would be forgotten. Can you imagine how astonished he would be to see the vast catalog of cds of his music?

[Pengelli]

Not to denigrate the achievement of a great composer like Strauss,but some of his lesser tone poems seem quite bombastic in comparison,yet they get played to death. 'Don Quixote' is him at his best,but as one critic pointed out,with respect to 'An Alpine Symphony',after you get to the top it's downhill all the way! The symphonic works of Korngold would make an exciting change in our concert halls,and like Shrecker,Zemlinsky and the tragically short lived Rudi Stephan,he has his own very distinctive sound world.
  To be fair to Downes,he was usually pretty good at tightening up this sort of thing. Just,as an example, look at his exciting reading of Gliere's 3rd symphony. I feel he did more than anyone to change peoples perception of it as a huge dramatic symphony instead of just a sprawling,nationalistic tone poem.

[edurban]

The only recording of this that really seriously misfires is Previn.  Slow, deathly slow.  I've been loyal to Kempe since lp days, but the sound is not up to the modern standard.  Downes was solid but missed the magic imho, and was given away years ago.  Sure, I'll try the new one!

David

[Pengelli]

Previn was/is always a bit self indulgent,although with his showbiz credentials.....what was it,Morecambe and Wise? I never liked his over praised Gershwin,mind. As to the Downes,it got sold to the lady in the market. I hope Albrecht does the 'Sinfonietta',although I do think Downes did a pretty good job of that and he WAS one of my favourite conductors. I rather liked the under rated Bryden Thomson too,but I really don't think he had the right temperament for Korngold!!! Incidentally,conducting seems to be a precarious job these days,if you want to live long. If it's not your health you go, like Mata,in a plane!
  Another fantastic symphony with a problem finale is Enescu's Second. It's as if he got that far & just couldn't quite work out the best way to end it. It just goes on and on! Another job for Albrecht?  Fortunately,Korngold doesn't seem to have as much trouble as that,and having listened to Welser-Most,I do think it was mainly down to Downes conducting. For the first time I remember getting to the end of it and wondering why I ever had a problem with it.
  Which brings me to other symphonies with 'dodgy' finales,like Brian's 'Das Siegeslied'. Could someone like Albrecht actually make THAT one work?
  I will buy the Albrecht,(but not yet,as I just splashed out on Solti's 'Marriage of Figaro'. I like Lucia Popp). But if it beats Most,(Welser,not Mickey),it MUST be good!

[mbhaub]

The Sinfonietta has had at least two knockout recordings: Andrew Litton with the Dallas Symphony on Dorian which is coupled with a fine violin concerto, and then a harder to get version from Varujan Kojian with the Utah Symphony on Varese Sarabande, which can be downloaded from iTunes. It is an amazing work, especially when you consider how young Korngold was when he wrote it.

The problem with Previn is he boring as he got older. When he was young, his recordings were thrilling. His years with the London Symphony were terrific, but then when he re-recorded some music with the Royal Philharmonic the magic was gone. The Rachmaninoff 2nd is a great example of what went wrong. His Prokofieff Romeo and Juliet is still my favorite version almost 40 years on. And his version of the Korngold Violin Concerto is pretty darn good, too.

[TerraEpon]

Eh, Previn was great in the Ravel operas, as well as their couplings, however....but that's off the topic.

As for Korngold, the only one I own is on the CPO 4 disc set. I imagine that's considered of low standard compared to others....

[eschiss1]

Though only unsung in the US , I will put in a word for Previn's cycle of the Vaughan Williams symphonies as quite a good one (not trying to compare Previn or Slatkin to Boult, but still glad that they have their recordings out there. I have all of Previn's set and enjoy it. And Boult's also, I believe.) (And his Elgar 1, also.)
Anyhow, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Having mentioned Slatkin, I heard on radio or on a tape, I think I recall, a very good Ropartz sym. 5 by him some years back, my introduction to the symphony though not to the composer- but that's way off-topic for this thread, though less so for this forum than this post is )

[chill319]

I have and enjoy many Boult recordings, and I grew up with his and Barbirolli's VW, but it was Previn who first made sense of VW's symphony 9 for me -- no small achievement considering Boult's apparent advantages.

[Pengelli]

Went off to the shop a little while ago for some milk & stuff,and my trust hi-tech Roberts transistor radio caught the Classical music programme on 'France Inter',(6 days a week at approx 3.05pm gmt & no annoying ads)) on good old Long Wave radio,(no ipods here so I got the cash till,as wel!). Suddenly realised they were playing the Korngold Symphony. I wonder which recording?

[Pengelli]

Not being a fluent french speaker (!),can anyone tell me what this radio programme is actually called in english? I mean 3pm,uk time,not in France. The programme should be listed on the website of the station. It's lightweight & nice to listen on the way to the shop,but not (extremely)annoying like Classic FM,and the French language is,um,rather nice!