In regards Paul Caro (1859-1914)

[eschiss1]

who I've asked about previously (quite awhile ago) - a premiere recording of some of his chamber music came out just last year. (Probably the first recording of any of his chamber music, I'm guessing.) I have not (yet) heard it. Has anyone here?

[Alan Howe]

Is this the release you were thinking of, Eric? If so, it's not out here in the UK until 1st March:

[eschiss1]

That looks like maybe the 2nd ever recording of his chamber music. My. It never rains but it pours (no matter one's opinion of his music, which I've neither seen nor heard yet.) According to Worldcat, the contents of the 2023 disc (or eMusic) is "Violin sonata, op. 2 (23:06) -- Piano trio, op. 8 (26:44) -- Cello sonata, op. 42 (27:50)." -- and here is the YouTube playlist ; I'm not sure if it exists as a physical CD, but it does exist in several electronic formats. A search reveals that these were performed and perhaps recorded to the 2023 recording at the 7th Krakow Music Salon festival. (The original manufacturer offers it here.)

[Alan Howe]

This is the release, I think - only available as a download:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BTMM4W1Q/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33MVYWYMURVEO&keywords=hommage+a+paul+caro&qid=1707164815&sprefix=hommage+a+paul+caro%2Caps%2C270&sr=8-1

 

[Wheesht]

A physical CD is available to order from the Polish Chamber Music Association by bank transfer.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks.

Here's a video (in Polish) about the composer containing excerpts from his music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1LCr2YQrHs

[Sharkkb8]

Also available from Apple Music.

hmmm, link not working?  Try copy/paste - https://music.apple.com/us/album/hommage-à-paul-caro-chamber-works/1670177671

[Alan Howe]

Thanks to Wheesht, I duly contacted the Polish Chamber Musicians' Association (SPMK) and ordered their CD of music by Caro (1859-1914), titled 'Hommage à Paul Caro':


https://spmk.com.pl/en/publikacja/hommage-a-paul-caro/

The Violin Sonata in F major, Op.2 is a very beautiful, melodically generous work apparently written during Caro's period of study under Bruckner in Vienna between 1880 and 1885. You'll look in vain for Brucknerian influences, however: this is clearly music of the Brahmsian/classical school, reflecting no doubt the composer's prior period of study under Bernhard Scholz who had been conductor of the Orchestral Society in Caro's home town of Breslau/Wrocław since 1871.

Caro's Piano Trio in E major, Op.8 also dates from his Vienna period; a later copy of the score carries a dedication to Bruckner. If anything the writing here is even more generous than in the Violin Sonata; it really is a most gorgeous work, the arching melodies ravishing in their allure. The playing here fully realises the shining beauty of Caro's writing.
  I suppose that one might sense Bruckner's influence if one thinks of the arching themes of his 7th Symphony, but there's no real hint of Wagnerian harmony here.

More on the Cello Sonata later...

I am also extremely grateful to eschiss1 for pointing me to this release.

[Wheesht]

I am happy to read that, Alan. My copy is on its way from Poland and now I am even more looking forward to receiving it.

On a trip to Vienna two weeks ago, I visited the excellent Gramola shop on the 'Graben' and bought a copy of the double CD with music by students of Bruckner. It will be interesting to compare the two recordings of Caro's Piano Trio.

[Alan Howe]

My copy of the Gramola 2-CD set is on its way!

[Alan Howe]

The Cello Sonata in D minor, Op.42 from 1910 is a more serious, assertive work, but the same qualities are evident here, namely glorious arching themes.

Cellists ought to be queuing up to play this magnificent work. I haven't heard anything quite so inspiring for this combination of instruments since I encountered Draeseke's Cello Sonata many moons ago.

Now I wonder what his symphonies are like. According to the SPMK booklet, they're unpublished. The Austrian National Library has a large collection of scores, including his Symphony in C minor, Berg-Symphonie and Symphony in D major (all undated). There are also a number of symphonic poems.

This link is to page 1 of their listing (there are 183 entries):
https://search.onb.ac.at/primo-explore/search?institution=43ACC_ONB&vid=ONB&tab=default_tab&search_scope=ONB_gesamtbestand&mode=basic&displayMode=full&bulkSize=25&highlight=true&dum=true&displayField=all&query=any,contains,Paul%20caro&offset=0

[tpaloj]

Now I wonder what his symphonies are like. According to the SPMK booklet, they're unpublished. The Austrian National Library has a large collection of scores, including his Symphony in C minor, Berg-Symphonie and Symphony in D major (all undated). There are also a number of symphonic poems.

Very interesting. But as for the symphonies, it seems to me they only have the instrument parts for them, right? I wonder where the full scores are. It's not impossible to reconstruct a score from a set of parts, but it can be unreliable, often enough, especially if sloppy copyists have been involved in copying out the parts in the first place.

[Alan Howe]

Yes: the C minor Symphony has '45 Stimmen' (45 parts), the 'Berg-Symphonie' '41 Stimmen', and the D major Symphony '58 Stimmen'.

The booklet notes accompanying the SPMK CD state that the symphonies (presumably the C minor and D major?) are early, but were performed in Berlin and Vienna, so there ought to be full scores somewhere.

[Mark Thomas]

Having just listened to Caro's Piano Trio (from the Homage à Paul Caro recording) I can only echo everything Alan has written about it's appeal and quality. It's very seldom that one comes across a work by such an unsung composer which couples such generous melodic richness with a firm grasp of form. It's a real delight and I'm very much looking forward to hearing the two companion sonatas. One does indeed wonder what the symphonies might be like but if they echo the characteristics of the Piano Trio then maybe something resembling Goetz's sole Symphony might be expected?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Maybe a message to the ONB will help in locating the full scores. They might be able to help.