The Symphony in Germany/Austria 1827-50

[Alan Howe]

If we omit Spohr, Lachner, Mendelssohn and Schumann, which are the most important symphonists in Germany/Austria in the period 1827 to 1850?

[Hovite]

If we omit Spohr, Lachner, Mendelssohn and Schumann, which are the most important symphonists in Germany/Austria in the period 1827 to 1850?

Richard Wagner
Otto Nicolai

[Mark Thomas]

Important in what sense, Alan? To the subsequent development of music or viewed as important at the time?

I'm not sure that there's any body in the former category and precious few outside your list in the second. I suppose that Kalliwoda was amongst the most highly regarded symphonists in this period and, of course, Hermann Hirschbach was briefly thought a star in this era but we know nothing now of the music. Julius Rietz' early symphonies may just squeeze into this time frame as may Eduard Franck's but I'm not sure. Norbert Burgmüller comes to mind, also Staehle occur straight away, although I don't think that they were al that well known in their lifetimes.

[Alan Howe]

I meant in any sense, Mark - whether viewed as important at the time or in the light of the subsequent development of music.

Franck's symphonies, I think, come later than 1850.

I agree that we have Wagner, Nicolai, Kalliwoda (although he was born in Prague), Burgmüller and Staehle - and Rietz and Hirschbach certainly fit too. Ferdinand Hiller would be another possibility, I assume. And then there is Moscheles and Ries (whose final symphony dates from 1835).

Otherwise we have Rufinatscha and Netzer...

[FBerwald]

What about the Symphonies of Norbert Burgmuller? I believe he wrote 2!

[TerraEpon]

What about Czerny? He apparently wrote 6 symphonies...

[Alan Howe]

Yes, Czerny - thanks, I'd forgotten him!

[Hofrat]

And Ries wrote 8 symphonies!

[Mark Thomas]

Gade, although Danish, was part of the German music scene during this time. How could I have overlooked Czerny and Ries?

[Alan Howe]

Only Ries' last symphony (No.7) dates from after 1827. (No.'8' was actually written much earlier).
Gade - yes, he was really part of the Leipzig scene, wasn't he?
Has anything else been recorded from this period - or have we covered everything?

[Amphissa]

 
Not wanting to dampen the proceedings, but --

Wagner and Moscheles were important symphonists? Damn, I must have missed something along the way.

And if I remember correctly, Hiller's two symphonies were after 1850 -- the first premiered in London, not Germany (not sure it was performed in Germany anytime soon after that) and the second premiered in 1865.

[John H White]

Wagner's only complete symphony was written in 1834 when the composer was 19.
It was certainly well written ( I copied it out into Noteworthy last year), rather similar in style to the very early Schubert symphonies but, in my opinion, not a work of genius. I think Moscheles was persuaded to write a symphony against his own better judgment. Again, it was very well written, but not in the same class as his best piano concertos.

[jimmosk]

Excellent topic; thanks Alan! 
I had never realized what a comparative dearth of symphonists Germany/Austria had in the second quarter of the 19th century. Maybe everybody was scared to follow Beethoven.  Or maybe they decided to let the rest of Europe have a chance; there were certainly a lot being composed in other countries (by Gounod, Berwald, Farrenc, MacFarren, Hartmann, Onslow...).

-J

--
Jim Moskowitz
The Unknown Composers Page:  http://kith.org/jimmosk/TOC.html
My latest list of unusual classical CDs for auction:  http://tinyurl.com/527t7

[Alan Howe]

Grove online has this entry for Hiller' symphonies:

Es muss doch Frühling werden, e, op.67 (Mainz, ?1860);
Im Freien;
2 syms., 1829–34

It appears, then, that there are also two very early symphonies...

Moscheles' Symphony in C may not have been an important work in its day (Schumann found it old-fashioned), but, looking back from our perspective today, it is an impressive  piece in its own right. Well known writer and critic Malcolm MacDonald, writing in IRR (May 2009), describes it as a 'fine work'. I agree.

Gounod's two symphonies both date from after 1850 - the third quarter of the 19th century.

[JimL]

Don't forget that at least one of Hiller's symphonies was composed while he was in Paris (about 1829).