For fans of Eduard Franck's mellifluous orchestral music, how about this forthcoming CD from Audite...?
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Cesar-Franck-1822-1890-Orchesterwerke/hnum/2571079 (http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Cesar-Franck-1822-1890-Orchesterwerke/hnum/2571079)
I never feel that my life would be that much poorer for the absence of Eduard Franck's music, but it's never less than pleasant and ingratiating, so this is certainly a welcome release. What a shame that jpc have it listed under Cesar Franck!
Quote from: Mark Thomas on Friday 13 April 2012, 10:07
What a shame that jpc have it listed under Cesar Franck!
Quite! I did about three double-takes before posting...
Hurrah, more Eduard Franck. Mark's comment is spot on right, but in contrast I consider the world would be a poorer place without Eduard Franck (along with Cesar!)
In terms of mistaken identities, the one I especially liked was the contemporary Dutch composer Robin De Raaff telling me of his delight in finding a CD of his music sandwiched between CDs of Raff in a large record store.
Actually the CD is rather good - Donemus KTC1309 containing his Concerto for Orchestra and Piano Concerto. But imagine the bafflement of some hapless punter who played that disc thinking he had alighted on some hitherto unknown piece of Raff!
I see that jpc have corrected the listing now and there are soundbites now too, which certainly sound like Eduard and not Cesar! The new url is: www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Eduard-Franck-1817-1893-Orchesterwerke/hnum/2571079 (http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Eduard-Franck-1817-1893-Orchesterwerke/hnum/2571079)
Audite mentions it in an email they send to people on their mailing list (yes, they have one, though it's in German) - though they only just announced it (I got the email 3 hours ago) - they provide three links, one of which is this (http://www.audite.de/de/product/SACD/97686) (which also has soundbites) - not sure if they're the same ones.)
My copy of this new CD arrived today. The booklet notes (an odd place to begin, I know, but bear with me) are excellent. Intelligent and informative, they put Franck into musical and historical context with a precision best summed up by two phrases: "To sensitive and gentle musical personalities such as Eduard Franck ..... it was nigh on impossible to write anything outside certain bourgeois expectations" and "Eduard Franck did not feel drawn to the concept of progress in music, but instead strove to produce substantial works of genuine craftsmanship whose stylistic radius was shaped by the examples of Mendelssohn and Schumann." If you're happy with what that tells you about Franck then this recording will be an enjoyable listen.
There's nothing here which will surprise anyone who already has some of the previous Franck CDs issued by Audite. The four works here all date from the 1840s: There's a fanfare-laden Roman Carnival Overture, an earlier rather anonymous Concert Overture and an attractive Mendelssohnian Konzertstück for Violin & Orchestra in two sections (Andante-Allegro). For me at first hearing the best of the bunch is a half hour long Fantasie for Orchestra which has three movements of which the first is almost 13 minutes long. The piece is effectively a four movement symphony, in with the first two movements (moderate, then slow) are combined very effectively, and with a rather archaic Minuet instead of a Scherzo. It's a rather confused work but has much which is attractive and, as is always the case with Franck, is beautiful put together. Everything is played beautifully and with real commitment.
Nothing here to frighten the horses, then, and if you already like Eduard Franck's music then you'll be pleased with what you hear as this is a thoroughly safe buy. On the other hand, it'll tell you nothing about Franck which you don't already know.
Sometimes it's comforting to know roughly what you're going to get. Especially if you like it...
And it's available as an Amazon.com download for ONLY 5.34 USD !!!
Jerry
Oh, I like it too Alan, but I like it when I want something "nice" to listen to. Which I do, sometimes.
You can now download the tracks from ClassicsOnline (http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=1526475) too.