Permit me to recommend the lovely new CD of piano music by Reinhard Oppel (1878-1941) on Toccata Classics. Martin Anderson, who runs the label, has a habit of sniffing out good unsung music and he has done it again here. First of all, despite his dates, there is nothing to frighten the horses in Oppel's music. What we have here is solid, sensitive late-Romantic fare - and often a lot more. The Piano Sonata No.1 written just after WW1 is a 29-minute, largely elegiac affair until we reach the Presto finale when the music becomes more tempestuous. Not flashy stuff, but my suspicion is that this is music you will want to listen to again and again...
Thanks for the recommendation, Alan. My order is on.
I have listened to this CD twice and I find it dreary to the extreme, to the extent that my mind wandered to other things. I think it is composing for composing sake not much to say.
Much more rewarding is another disk which Toccata released, Nicolai Tcherepnin's piano music; 3 pieces Op.24, 14 Sketches from the Russian Alphabet and A Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish. It is for me a shear delight and the booklet alone is worth having with beautiful colour illustrations.
...which shows how much tastes differ!
Much as I hate to disagree with you, Alan, I find myself of Giles' opinion. This music struck me as bloodless. Oppel doesn't seem to have anything to say (at least, not to me); he just goes through the motions.
But what a good thing it is that we can maintain our different opinions in harmony.
What about the last movement of the sonata, Gareth? I was rather swept away by it...
As you say, though: nothing better than disagreement courteously expressed.
It was, admittedly, more arresting than the rest of the sonata but, oddly, it failed to engage me. The emotive gestures seemed manufactured, as if the composer was not really feeling the "emotion" the music was meant to convey. I'm sorry, but there it is.
I was reminded of the recent double-CD of music by Urspruch and wondered whether Oppel had studied under him...
I see a mini-biography here (http://mt.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/schenker/profile/person/oppel_reinhard.html) - doesn't mention Urspruch but it is interesting. Does mention Knorr who also has come up before in my wanderings-around (saw something of Knorr's at Sibley, thinks I?... :) )
It is a long listen to get to the final movement of the sonata. My mind was on what shall I play next.
...whereas I shall want to return to this music. Each to his own...
I returned my copy to the shop and got Weingartner's 1st symphony instead, much more rewarding for me.
Fair enough, Giles. I think we've established that we disagree, and why. Moving on...