For those of us here in the UK, it may be rather disappointing to learn that the Spanish label Verso now has no distribution here. and consequently information concerning new releases has been less accessible, however, I was more than pleased to see that this label has released a 2CD set of the complete 3 Symphonies of Tomas Breton (Feb 2012). Furthermore, as it will be now necessary to order from a Spanish source, I went to trito.es (http://trito.es) and see also that they have available on their own label a recording of Breton's violin concerto coupled with that by Monasterio. Also on their label is a recording of symphonic works by Juli Garreta (b.1875), which seem to be most promising from the short sound samples!
Martin,
I recently used trito.es to order a lovely CD of music by the Catalan composer Juli Garreta (Impressions simfoniques) and the service was excellent - v fast and reasonably priced. I would certainly recommend them and will be checking out the CDs you mention!
Jeremy
I meant to say "the lovely CD of Garreta" above, more laste less speed with the typing!! This CD was a very rare example of an unsung composer I found out about from a Gramophone review!
Thanks, Martin. I have snapped up a copy of the Breton symphonies straight away!
This is why I love the Unsung Composers forum. I had no idea of the existence of the Breton Symphonies set until I read it here. Now these performances will take their proper places in my Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Symphonies Discography. Thanks guys for opening my eyes!
Mike Herman
Well, it's great to have you looking in, Mike.
At first hearing by far the most individual and interesting of Breton's three symphonies is No.3 in G of 1905. It is apparently a re-working of a lost Piano Quintet composed the year before, although I don't think I'd have suspected this, such is the glorious orchestral writing on offer here. It's a lovely work, not profound, but bathed in a warm Spanish glow throughout, with some glittering colours in the woodwind writing. It's also by a distance the most original of the three symphonies, with the previous two relying heavily on Mendelssohn and Beethoven. More on them when I've digested them...
I went to the Spanish site and tried to order this album but gave up after leaving something out of the credit card part, apparently, and it sent me back and I started getting Spanish instructions. Do any of you know where else one might find it??
Jerry
It's advertised on Amazon - but is as yet unavailable there. Otherwise, only trito.es seems to be stocking it.
Thanx Alan. I don't see it there but will keep looking
Jerry
Please follow these links for Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.fr or Amazon.de:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-Breton-Tomas/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1347746074&sr=1-1-catcorr (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-Breton-Tomas/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1347746074&sr=1-1-catcorr)
http://www.amazon.fr/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-De-Breton/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347746155&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.fr/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-De-Breton/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347746155&sr=8-1)
http://www.amazon.de/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-Breton-Tomas/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347746195&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.de/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-Breton-Tomas/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347746195&sr=8-1)
A symphony (no.4 in E) by Pedro Miguel Marqués y García (1843, Palma-1918 or 1925?, also Palma) is sometimes broadcast on Euroclassic Notturno. I recall thinking well of it...
Alan wrote:
QuoteAt first hearing by far the most individual and interesting of Breton's three symphonies is No.3 in G of 1905.
and he's spot on.
The first two symphonies, from 1872 and 1882, are enjoyably bright but very derivative works whose debt to Weber and the lighter side of Beethoven in particular is glaringly obvious. The melodic material is attractive but shortwinded, which makes the 46 minute long No.2 something of a repetitive listen. I was reminded of Gouvy here and there in the works' more inspired moments, but the comparison isn't very flattering to the Frenchman. No.3 is also upbeat and sunny (all three pieces are in major keys) but it has much more melodic distinction, has a more adventurous approach to harmony (although it still seems untouched by any Wagnerisms) and Bretón uses a noticeably more piquant orchestral palette, with some nicely prominent woodwind writing, although there's nothing which would identify the work as the product of a Spanish composer. I still found it a disconcertingly anonymous work but the Third Symphony is definitely the pick of the bunch and has enough depth to repay repeated hearings.
The Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León seems to be a perfectly capable orchestra, although I suspect that Bretón had a lusher string tone than theirs in mind - maybe it's a typical regional orchestra with too few strings. I also felt that, especially in the Third Symphony, conductor José Luis Temes could have invested his interpretations with a lot more drama and should have risked a more driven approach. Most obviously, the Third's long first movement and Scherzo only really come to life in their closing pages, although both movements are peppered with potentially dramatic passages. He has the courage to do this in the Finale to good effect.
The completist in me is happy to have this set, but with hindsight I'd have been equally happy just to have the Symphony No.3 in my collection.
There is a rather good review of the set on Amazon UK (the first of Alan's links) by J.A. Peacock - and it exactly supports Mark's comments. Yes, I'm a dreadful sucker for being a determined completist, but I think this time I'll give Breton a miss. Pity in a way, but then I can't spend all my life making yet more CD shelves.
Don't know who Mr Peacock might be, but he writes consistently well-informed, lucid and often illuminating reviews on a large number of CDs found on Amazon. Wish we could recruit him here!
Hrm- his piano trio and string quartet are worth hearing (Marco Polo CD; more piano trio works are available on a more recent Naxos CD in different performances, I gather)- I'd argue against giving him a miss quite entirely :)
I do agree, Peter, about the quality of J A Peacock's reviews on Amazon and have written to him...
I'm not, Eric, advocating that Breton should be passed over. That would consign him to the ranks of the unsung, and unlike a few who I shall not name, that would be a cruel fate. The Piano Trio in E major is a fine and substantial work. Curious that Marco Polo / Naxos should have two attempts at it with different performers. I suggest to any Breton neophytes that they should go for the earlier Marco Polo disc. In doing so they would also acquire Breton's String Quartet in D major. The later Naxos disc has a perhaps more idiomatic performance of the Piano Trio, but it is coupled with the later (1911) Four Spanish Pieces and, given my own prejudices, I'd far prefer the String Quartet!
Now that I've given it a proper listen, I've got to say that I find Breton's 2nd Symphony a fascinating take on Beethoven (specifically, the Eroica); it's also given a rather good performance in this new 2-CD set, with very good work from the often hard-pressed string section in particular. The music is generally of a sunny disposition, although this does not mean that the music is lacking in serious intent. Quite the opposite, in fact: it is precisely the sincerity of the composer's ambition here which I find so endearing. OK, it's far too long, but it's never boring because the music bowls along at a lively pace, even in the 15 minute-long finale. Not a great symphony, then; maybe not even a good one, but absolutely fascinating because it reveals what was in the mind of a Spanish composer intent on writing symphonies in the last quarter of the 19th century.
http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/audios/musicas-de-espana/musica-espana-29-12-12/1628924/ (http://www.rtve.es/alacarta/audios/musicas-de-espana/musica-espana-29-12-12/1628924/)
For those who are interested there is a streaming on demand presentation of the Juli Garreta Vn cto here on RNE.
Many thanks for that link, Matt. ;)
The Concerto actually starts after some 6 minutes into the broadcast, being preceded by another short work. It's a very fine concerto indeed, performed here with passion and precision, and I'm sure it will be greatly enjoyed by forum members. :)
It sounds like it's from a CD, otherwise we could have made it available to UC members in mp3 format.
hrm. score seems to be still in copyright in the US (composed after 1922 (in the last year of his life, 1925), then published later (1973 in reduction, etc.) but I don't know who's released a CD of it. Couple of full scores and parts have been published last few years, so people are serious about getting it performed- not even knowing the work yet I think that's a good thing...
Also thanks from here. Though Worldcat's being its cranky-self, I see other curiosity-impelling works listed as available in multiple publications (some in recordings, I think)- piano quartet, violin (and cello, I think) sonatas, some other orchestral works... if the violin concerto is as good as one hopes (will check soon...), there's more to look forward to, and when's that been a bad thing? :)
If you consider buying this set, do so through Amazon's Spanish branch as their price is about half of what it is elsewhere:
http://www.amazon.es/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-Breton-Tomas/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1347746074&sr=1-1-catcorr (http://www.amazon.es/Las-Tres-Sinfonias-Breton-Tomas/dp/B007H2KIME/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1347746074&sr=1-1-catcorr)
I can't say I totally agree with Mark and Alan on the respective merits of the symphonies. I found that the Second takes a few listens to appreciate it properly, but then I already knew it before this set came out from the (somewhat better) Bragado-Darman recording (coupled with the symphonic poem Salamanca).
To me, that is Breton's orchestral masterpiece. The (shortish) symphonic poem Salamanca from 1916 is one of his last works, but it is much more unconventional and adventurous han either of the symphonies. In fact, it always reminds me of Gernsheim's Zu einem Drama, created in a comparable context (free-wheeling symphonic poem by established composer in the dusk of his career).