Louis Glass - Symphony #4 on cpo

[Ilja]

I downloaded the MP3s from Presto as soon as I had the chance, and haven't regretted it. Raiskin's reading is a huge improvement over the Todorov, both in approach and execution. Most of all, he keeps things together much better and prevents the work from becoming the rambling behemoth that the older recording turned it into. Harmonically, it's a somewhat conservative symphony, but Glass does interesting things with rhythm (particularly in the opening movement), and under Raiskin's direction the effect is almost cinematic in places. Quite a re-discovery for me.

By the way, the recording has hit Spotify already, too (rather unexpectedly).

[eschiss1]

Amazon Music too, now you mention it.

[John Boyer]

Raiskin's reading [...] keeps things together [...] and prevents the work from becoming the rambling behemoth that the older recording turned it into. Harmonically, it's a somewhat conservative symphony, but Glass does interesting things with rhythm (particularly in the opening movement), and under Raiskin's direction the effect is almost cinematic in places. Quite a re-discovery for me.

My copy from JPC arrived today. I agree with Ilja's judgment. It is a work with many grand cinematic moments.  I do find it is something of a "rambling behemoth", but perhaps that will disappear with additional hearings.  And it does suffer from the usual "finale problem", with a last movement that does not live up to the scale of what preceded it.  Still, it made a favorable impression on one hearing. 

[Ilja]

I just linked to yet another version of Glass's 4th in the Downloads section, by Jorma Panula and the Aarhus City Orchestra from 2006. It shaves almost another seven minutes off the symphony compared to Raiskin's version, and although the recording isn't ideal (there is some tape echo, and it is a bit uneven overall) and the orchestra isn't in the same league as the Rheinische Philharmonie, I think overall I prefer this interpretation.

The time savings take place entirely in the two middle movements; the two outer ones are almost exactly the same length as in Raiskin's version. The Adagio is just played a bit brisker, which to me makes it just flow a bit better (although other people's mileage may vary). In the Molto vivace second movement, however, Panula just makes very different choices than Raiskin, and it works really well. Worth a comparison.

[CelesteCadenza]

I just linked to yet another version of Glass's 4th in the Downloads section, by Jorma Panula and the Aarhus City Orchestra from 2006. It shaves almost another seven minutes off the symphony compared to Raiskin's version, and although the recording isn't ideal (there is some tape echo, and it is a bit uneven overall) and the orchestra isn't in the same league as the Rheinische Philharmonie, I think overall I prefer this interpretation.

The link to the download results in four .mp3 files with each movement equal to the cpo recording in timing. The metadata also indicate "Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie - Daniel Raiskin" and a copyright "©2022 CPO"

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for pointing this out. I have deleted the download details and trust that Ilja will upload the intended performance.

[Ilja]

Oops! Thanks, CelesteCadenza, for reporting this; I (rather obviously) uploaded the wrong set of files. Apologies. All should be well now.

[Alan Howe]

Many thanks, Ilja.

[Alan Howe]

Just received my copy of the new cpo recording. It'll please all lovers of large late-romantic symphonies, although it's hard to discern much beyond a sort of generic idiom typical of the period (1905-8). Up against his compatriot and contemporary, Nielsen, one can see exactly why his music hasn't really caught on.

The performance takes 54:38 and seems to be well played and recorded - no quarrels there. No doubt potential purchasers will know precisely what they're ordering. Recommended, but with only modified rapture. (Although they're obviously the work of a composer from a later generation, the early Langgaard symphonies knock Glass into a cocked hat - IMHO, of course.)

[John Boyer]

I have found #5 to be a much more enjoyable work, but I suppose that's the subject of another thread.