Draeseke - digital realisations

[Mark Thomas]

Added to the internet in recent months are several decent quality digital realisations of early and late orchestral works by Felix Draeseke. The most important is of the early (1865) tone poem Frithjof WoO.7, a three-movement programmatic work lasting 41 minute available as part of Steffen Fahl's klassik-resampled web site here. It's a fascinating piece, in a fragmented avant-garde, New German style. No wonder the young Draeseke gained a reputation as a revolutionary. More conventional for their time are the several shorter late works, from between 1890 and 1910, for which Manfred Eibl has made realisations: Der Thuner See WoO.27, Der Traum ein Leben WoO.29, Feenzauber WoO.36 (for harp and orchestra) and an Academic Festival Overture Op.63. They're available here on his Ascended from Silence YouTube channel.

Our own tpaloj has also made realisations of two Draeseke works, of course: Feenzauber and the Merlin Overture - both available, amongst many other excellent realisations, at his YouTube channel here.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks very much indeed for flagging up these invaluable renderings of works by Draeseke, Mark. As an aficionado of his music I am most grateful.

[semloh]

Yes, indeed. Thank you, Mark.

[taxus_mre]

I would also like to thank you, Mark, for the benevolent mention of my work. I am particularly pleased when my efforts to achieve a certain basic interpretative quality are recognized - this takes more time than purely digitizing the score.
Of course, I can't compete with the professional level of Steffen Fahl.
With the publication of "Lake Thun", the score and part editions of Draeseke's purely orchestral works are now completed.