Unicorn-Kanchana (Raff 5 'Lenore')

[raffite33]

I just found out yesterday that Heritage Records have, in the past few years, been reissuing Unicorn-Kanchana CDs, including several Bernard Herrmann titles.  As noted in a thread from a few years back, all copies of the 1990 CD reissue of Herrmann's 1970 recording of Raff's 5th Symphony evidently suffer from "bronzing," aka "CD rot."  I've emailed Heritage encouraging them to consider reissuing the Raff.

My eternal gratitude will go out to any of you who would do the same.  I'd also note that there are a number of other currently unavailable titles in the Unicorn catalog that might be of interest to readers here, so it can't hurt to let them know there's interest in their efforts.  I'll paste the link to their website below:

https://www.heritage-records.com

[Revilod]

Thanks for doing this. I know that many of us retain an affection for this disc and still regard it as the definitive performance in spite of that over enthusiastic timpanist! My copy is badly bronzed but still plays perfectly.

[Alan Howe]

I'm sure it would be a noble cause. However, this particular recording can hardly now be regarded as definitive: historic, yes; definitive, surely not. So, I'd buy it for its historic importance in the Raff discography; but I'd hesitate to commend it as the way to play Raff. 

[raffite33]

I can't disagree.  It is my favorite symphony, but, to my mind, all seven of the recordings released on CD so far are flawed in one way or another, be it sound quality, phrasing & tempo, or quality of orchestral playing.  That said, I still enjoy listening to all of them, well, maybe all except Yondani Butt & The Philharmonia on ASV.  That one is absolutely lifeless.

[Mark Thomas]

I do agree that Herrmann's is some way from being the "best" all round of Lenore recordings but it is iconic. It was, for many of my older generation of Raff enthusiasts, our introduction to his music and for that reason alone I return to it from time to time but it's no longer the benchmark of Raff interpretation it once was. I keep the LP and CD as artefacts but to listen I turn to an mp3 rip.

[M. Yaskovsky]

Point taken there seems to be no 'best Raff 5', but what is the second best recommendation? Bamert, Jarvi, Schneider, Stadlmair?

[FBerwald]

I can't disagree.  It is my favorite symphony, but, to my mind, all seven of the recordings released on CD so far are flawed in one way or another, be it sound quality, phrasing & tempo, or quality of orchestral playing.  That said, I still enjoy listening to all of them, well, maybe all except Yondani Butt & The Philharmonia on ASV.  That one is absolutely lifeless.

Strange..., since Y. Butt's Im Walde is pretty terrific.

[Alan Howe]

Im Walde on ASV was conducted by Francesco d'Avalos. I agree: it's very well done. Yondani Butt only recorded Lenore.

[Alan Howe]

Point taken there seems to be no 'best Raff 5', but what is the second best recommendation? Bamert, Jarvi, Schneider, Stadlmair?

I'd say that Järvi is the most idiomatic choice. I just wish he'd re-done the opening which, to my ears, is slightly smudged. Nevertheless, I'm sure it's how Lenore is supposed to go...

[John Boyer]

Funny, but the one Lenore I tell people to avoid is Jarvi.  Raff a tempo is rather like Beethoven the same way: it makes you wonder if his metronome was out of whack. 

[Ilja]

Oh, I found Järvi's Lenore eye-opening. And it really was the first time I really enjoyed the piece. Different folks, and all that.

[Alan Howe]

I'm certain that Lenore was meant go considerably more swiftly than under Herrmann. I suppose Stadlmair is the safest modern choice, but is Raff really meant to be safe?

[FBerwald]

Im Walde on ASV was conducted by Francesco d'Avalos. I agree: it's very well done. Yondani Butt only recorded Lenore.

Oh my! Sorry, I don't know how I missed it. Back to the topic. I have no issue with Järvi's Lenore because I felt the hair-raising tempo in the beginning only added to the surprise and out worldly atmosphere Raff wanted to create and any disappointment, I might have felt was purely due to my ears being "spoiled" by pre-existing recordings that I grew comfortable with. Are there any non-commercial recordings/performances that have done Symphony No. 5 some justice?

[Alan Howe]

Not to worry - same label, but different conductor.

The mistake, I think, is to play Raff as if he were Brahms. His music requires real athleticism, I feel.

[terry martyn]

Whilst I am very comfortable with my old Herrmann LP, Alan, I think you are spot-on with the point you have just made . Raff benefits from the nimble and suffers from the solemn, and I think that is even true about his First Symphony.