Messages

A twofer with music by Wilms can only refer to Anthony Halstead conducting the Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra in four symphonies plus the 'Wilhelmus van Nassauwe' Variations. The four symphonies being Nos. 3 Op. 14 (c. 1808), 4 Op. 23 (c. 1812), 5 Op. 52 (c. 1817) and 6 Op. 58 (c. 1823). In general, the performances are a bit more `period instrument' oriënted (chamber orchestra sound, rather unRomantic) than those by the Concerto Köln, but the only symphony both issues share is the Sixth.

BTW CPO just embarked on a fresh series by the NDR Radiophilarmonie under Howard Griffiths, starting with No. 1 Op. 9 (c. 1806) coupled with No. 4 Op. 23 (c. 1812) and the Overture in D major. I didn't try its qualities yet (too many downloads from this marvelous site standing in between). 

   

two additions on his list of 20th century violin concertos, written by Paulus Folkertsma (1901-1972):
Romance for Violin and Orchestra in C major,18 voices, op. 6 (1925)
Concertino for Violin and Small Orchestra in A minor, op. 70 (1967)

Great to learn, many thanks, I'll be playing them soon. (So far, my small Frisian shelve contained only pop music.  )

Yes, Seborga was a joke!  Tavo, however, has some claim.  There is even a portrait of the Tavo royal family in Buck Palace reportedly! According to the font of all knowledge (...) Tavolaran sovereignty."

Great story - mailed it to another enthusiast (and found the Wikipedia entrance, many thanks!)

[I]

Now, what I look forward to is to the first Frisian composer to appear in these columns. 

Here you are, the best (West) Frisian composer ever: http://www.paulusfolkertsma.nl/ 

Yes, I know his name (after having seen a programme devoted to him by the Frisian regional public broadcasters). I didn't realize felllow Dutchmen - or are you Frisian? - would compete, here. 

[I]

On my shelves I find Liechtenstein represented by Joseph Rheinberger, Albania by Petër Gaci, Tonin Harapi, Limos Dizdari, Nicola Zoraqui and Shpëtim Saraçi (all on one disc called `Rhapsodia Albanese'), the Faeroe Islands by a BIS cd with wind music by a series of Faroese composers including Kári Baek, Kristian Blak and Pauli í Sandagerði, lots of Basque and Icelandic composers and a couple of other small nations.

Malta is relatively well represented by Charles Camilleri (including his Pawlu ta' Malta (St. Paul in Malta) oratorio I bought in Malta, last year), the 'Discover Malta' disc already mentioned (with Camilleri, John Galea and Josie Mallia Pulverenti) and also Joseph Vella (a Bulgarian Gega cd with his Sinfonietta, Seher song cycle and some chamber music, also already mentioned probably).

BTW, I found a fine music shop in Valletta last year, but not much Maltese music that I didn't own already. Just one or two additions to my small Camilleri collection including the Olympia discs with his piano music and Unicorn-Kanchana with his organ works. Another one being the disc (Diversions label) with the Bournemouth SO under Brian Schembri conducting his 'Maltese' compositions (Knights of Malta Ballet Suite, Concertino no. 4 'Summer Nights in Malta' for two pianos and orchestra, Four Legends, Overture Classique, Intermezoo from Il-Weghda, Malta Suite)

Now, what I look forward to is the first Frisian composer to appear in these columns. 

Personal tastes apart, those who are interested in fairly traditional or tonal symphonies can still find some new ones coming up. For instance, from Slovenia, in the last twenty years: Alojz Ajdič's No. 3, Darijan Božič's No. 2, Maksimiljan Feguš's No. 1, Igor Krivokapič's No. 1 (I have not heard No. 2 yet), the late Dane Škerl's Nos. 7 and 8, Črt Sojar Voglar's No. 2 (not yet heard Nos. 1 & 3). From Latvia, in addition to Vasks's Nos. 2 and 3, Romualds Kalsons has turned to a kind of neo-tonal writing. From neighbouring Lithuania, Osvaldas Balakauskas and Onutė Narbutaitė are active major symphonists whose recent music is more challenging, but still very approachable. Serbia's Jugoslav Bošnjak has also composed a successful, immediately appealing Symphony-Passacaglia. And this is only from a few countries.

I would also recommend Thierry Pécou's "Symphonie du Jaguar".

Great post. I know Vasks, Kalsons, Balakauskas and Narbutaitė, but all the other names are new to me. So much to learn! 

And of course, if you contact him, you'll use your best German. 

Being `unsung' can also be a progressive development then.

Don't you - you all - realize how much remarks like these may cost the innocent music addict? Ordered for La Vita Nuova and the wind concertos immediately. 

Singular? I only know about one: Franz Berwald 3, the Sinfonie singuliere. My own once-and-for-all choice would be Ralph Vaughan Williams' `War Requiem', A Pastoral Symphony

Sung: Vaughan Williams 3 5 6 8 9, Nielsen 3 4 5 6, Shosta 6 8 10, Bliss Colour, Rubbra 10, Martinů 5 6, Mahler 6 7, Bruckner 9, Tchaikovsky 6, Dvořák 1 9

Unsung: Tubin 4 6 8, Raid 1, Vasks 2, Holmboe 5  6 7  8  9 10, Brian 1 6 7 8 10 16, Berkeley 1 2, Cooke 1 3 5, Bate 3 4, Arnold 5 9, Simpson 9, Kinsella 3, Diamond 3, Barber 2, Still 1, Braga Santos 3 4, Guarnieri 2 3, Madetoja 3, Englund 4, Langgaard 4, Orthel 2, Vermeulen 2, Lilburn 2 - and so many more. 

Recommended

You buy CPO cd's at full price! I always wait til JPC offers them for almost nothing - as is the case with the other three CPO releases of Wolf-Ferrari's orchestral music. Agree about the lyrical Idillio Concertino - a personal favourite ever since I heard it (which was when I was about 16, so please forgive me my youthful enthusiasm for easy-going idylls.

In between, found a more recent cd with string orchestra versions of - now - all eleven Miniatures, again by the Germany-resident (in Ingolstadt) Georgian Chamber Orchestra, this time coupled with the substantial Chamber Symphony No. 3 (1969) by Sulkhan Nasidse (Sulchan Nassidze in German transliteration) and the Concerto quasi una Fantasia for piano, strings, celesta and harpsichord by Ioseph Bardanashvili (would make Joseph Bardanaschwili in German).

BTW even the German label is now getting confused over the correct spelling of these Georgian names, offering a curious mixture of German and English transliterations on the cover:

Yes, the Orfeo `Kartuli Musika' cd is one of my favourites too. Not so much for the sake of Tsintsadze's Fantasy, but more for that of the two wonderful concertos by Taktakishvili and Nassidze.  When I bought it, I had no clue about any of these composers, but I found them first class, a delight.

BTW, there's another cd wit the same title (`Kartuli Musika') and by the same Georgian CO `in German exile' under another conductor. I don't have it, but it offers nine String Miniatures by Tsintsadze and a Chamber Symphony No. 2 by Nassidze. Can anyone tell us more about it?
   

Thanks to all, and especially Holger, for informing us about this interesting and too little known composer. Tsintsadse (1925-1991 indeed) has been on my radar ever since I heard his Fantasy for Violin and Strings (1989) [8'02], commercially recorded by the Georgian Chamber Orchestra under Liana Issakadze during their collective `exile' and lengthy stay in Germany in the early 1990s and found on a cd of the ORFEO label.

The whole cd (see below) is very recommendable BTW, with  two highly interesting concertos by Ota Taktakishvili (Concerto for Violin and CO No. 2 from 1987) and the Concerto for Violin, Cello and CO (1982) by Sulkhan Nassidze.

Best known are his Miniatures for SQ, based on Georgion Folksongs. Six of them were also recorded in a version for string orchestra (`Six Quartet Miniatures') on an ONDINE cd (ODE 766-2) labelled `Folk into Classic' in a sublime performance by the indomitable Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra under Juha Kangas. Pure delight.

BTW: his name is usually transliterated "Sulkhan Tsintsadze" in English but "Sulchan Zinzadse" in German - and one may find e.g. the Orfeo cd, and perhaps even more, by trying this and other transliterations of his name.