Messages

There's also apparently Max Tan's 2024 dissertation?

Thanks, sounds interesting! Looking forward to what will be coming up.
Currently still waiting for the Serenissima score to arrive, I think (hope!) it will clarify a lot of the issues...

Samazeuilh-edited edition: OCLC.

Thanks a lot!

Apparently there is a critical edition of the full score by Nieweg (Serenissima Music), ed. 2022. I wonder about this one, just ordered it. The manuscript scores (Bibliothèque nationale and Library of Congress) have a lot of discrepancies, so I'm really curious to find out how the editor solved these issues.

Still astonishing that it took more than hundred years after the composer's death until someone had a musicologically based look at the sources...

Gustave Samazueilh

Thank you for this, Eric. I was searching, but couldn't find editions of the piece mentioned by Samazeuilh. Do you have a link?

Concerning the Piano Sonatinas: These have been published, yes. There are three of them, two being four-hand, one for two hands. As (almost) all other pieces by Chausson they are available and almost all of Chausson's (small, but significant) output can be found at IMSLP. They problem, as mentioned, is that there has never been a complete works edition, along with musicological research... We (often) seem to rely on the old/first editions...

In any case, a complete works edition would be due for this composer, in particular considering that his output is not too numerous (lots of mélodies and smaller-scope pieces...).

Thanks a lot, this is very interesting to know! I was not aware of the connection with Fritz Kreisler.
I wrote to Library of Congress yesterday as I was surprised not to find the manuscript with Bibliothèque nationale in Paris. They seem to have a piano score, written in Chausson's hand (with the original title referring to Turgenyev's novel "Le chant de l'amour triomphant")...

So you're convinced the manuscript at Library of Congress is Chausson's handwriting?

I am preparing a program scheduled February 2025 (three performances) which will include, among other works, the well-known "Poème" for Solo Violin and orchestra by Ernest Chausson (1855-1899).

Chausson unfortunately still is not a household name, but having known a significant portion of his output, I am quite shocked at how difficult it is to get anything like a decent edition of the above mentioned piece. Maybe someone could shed light on the following questions:

-Is there any modern edition of the score, better than this one here by Breitkopf (first edition)? :

https://imslp.org/wiki/Special:ImagefromIndex/27765/punt

To me it seems, that all the succeeding editions are based upon this one. Am I wrong about this? Obviously, there has never been a complete works edition for this composer...
There is a decent violin-piano-edition by Henle, probably the only one coming a bit closer to a "scientific approach". But I decidedly am looking for a full orchestral score.

-Is this manuscript here written by Chausson? :

https://imslp.org/wiki/Special:ImagefromIndex/02363/punt

I get the impression that it is not Chausson's handwriting, based upon comparable faksimilia in Gallois' biography on the composer. I am not an expert, but I doubt it is Chausson's handwriting.
There are huge discrepancies between this manuscript and the printed score by Breitkopf. And these are not minor!

-If it is not Chausson's manuscript: Where is the original? Does anybody know whom to contact about this?

-I read that Ysaÿe, to whom the piece is dedicated and who played the first performance, made some adjustments of his own. This seems to have been reported by his son. Have these been documented anywhere? Any possibility of getting these materials?

-Are there any other articles associated with this precise piece?

I got the biographies by Gallois (both versions) and Grover. They are very detailed in their picture of his life and surroundings, there exists also an edition of Chausson's diaries and literary sketches (very much worth reading), but unfortunately both men didn't really work on the music itself. Their analyses often lack depth, despite their merits with biographical stuff. It's really a pitty that when dealing with Chausson we have to rely on the old (first) editions...

Maybe someone can shed some additional light on this.
Thanks in advance!

I remember about 15 years ago I looked for the 2 piano concertos but at that time failed to find any material (though the 1st was supposed to have been published). I see now, however, that the orchestral parts for no. 2 are available on IMSLP. Does anyone know if either the solo piano part or the full score has surfaced. And does anyone have information about the 1st PC, please?

We know that the piano concertos were played often in concert by Raucheneckers daughter Helene, herself being an excellent pianist/teacher. Unfortunately, the solo parts seem lost currently, a full score isn't available either at the moment. Griffiths also asked about this, because he wanted to couple it with an instrumental concerto. However, currently the only "solo thing" that exists for more than solo and piano is the "Oriental Fantasy".

Rauchenecker wrote a lot of concerti (see list on IMSLP/Wikipedia!), but mostly we have only piano reductions (so no orchestral scores/parts) or we have - as in the case of the piano concerti - only fragments of the parts. But hope persists    Maybe these parts will show up somewhere. Anyway, we'll for sure be in contact about it!

Dear all!

Sorry for having been absent for quite a while! (My music theory studies and lots of projects as conductor - thank God they are coming back, after all! - kept me very busy).

First of all: I'm very happy to read the lively discussion on here about the recent release of Rauchenecker's f minor Symphony, coupled along with the "Symphonisches Tonwerk" and the "Oriental Fantasy". And I'm happy that finally we can share our thoughts on it, based upon listening! I'm enthusiastic about your all your positive acclaim of the recording!

Now, there's a little story I'd like to share with all of you, concerning this recording:

As some of you might know, I did a pre-concert talk in October 2020 when the pieces were played (without audience - for reasons well-known...) here in Winterthur. My interest in Rauchenecker dates back to 2010, when I did my thesis and edited the "Symphonisches Tonwerk" (which I conducted myself with Musikkollegium Winterthur in 2013). The conductor of the recording, Howard Griffiths, invited me to work as his assistant during the recording session in October 2020, we had some good conversation about it all, work was pleasant with him! He then suggested me to cpo, the label in charge, to write program notes for the booklet. So I did, both in my mother tongue (German) as well as in English. It's a rather lengthy text (they didn't specialise any length, so I included some information I found interesting about the composer. After all, he's not established in concert life and needs suiting promotion!).

This was all done in 2020/21, we (seemed to!) agree on a reasonable fee with cpo. However, I never got any response on the text after sending it in (I asked whether there was anything to add/shorten/lengthen). They just took the text and never replied. I heard from a close friend that cpo is storing a lot of recordings and it might take a long time until they issue something. So I was patient and thought they would come back to me, when issuing would be getting closer.

Yesterday, I got a message from a complete stranger, asking me something about the "Oriental Fantasy". I was rather confused because on the one hand I hadn't heard about the remainders of the recording for over one year, on the other hand the person didn't specify how he got aware of this piece. I though - naively as I was - this MUST be some guy from cpo itself, as I didn't know about any issuing of the CD. (the content of the very short message was basically just the question of who played in the recording of the "Oriental Fantasy". Obviously there was some mistake: The guy said the piece is for Solo Violin und QUINTETT, but he only read about the Sarastro QUARTETT playing...). I honestly replied to him that in both the recording and the concert in Winterthur there was Sebastian Bohren (Solo Violin) playing together with the Sarastro Quartett, accompanied by double-bassist Josef Gilgenreiner (himself a member of Musikkollegium Winterthur Orchestra).

In order to answer as precisely as possible to the question, I googled the Sarastro Quartett and all of a sudden was taken to cpo's website. So, after all even I learnt that: CPO HAD ALREADY ISSUED THE RECORDING IN JULY! NOBODY THERE NEITHER TOLD ME ABOUT THIS NOR DID THEY CONTACT ME IN ORDER TO SEND THE FEE WE AGREED ON FOR MY BOOKLET TEXT! (the very booklet text Alan Howe was citing from and that is - at least in some shortened form - publically visible on cpo's website...)

On the one hand I'm very happy the recording is now out there for everybody to listen to! We can finally talk about it and discuss it on here. I am also considering drawing David Hurwitz' attention on it; I know he's terrible busy and probably won't put up with it, but we could try. On the other hand, I'm just shocked at cpo's behaviour! It's a shame and a scandal at the same time! (I obviously didn't even receive a copy of the CD, I was never offered anything alike; now am trying to get my money - wish me luck, they are super bureaucratical with it all!)

Indeed! Performed 9 months before the premiere of Brahms' 1, and NB in the same year as the first Bayreuther Festspiele He's in rather good company

Perhaps you could give us your impressions of the character of the Symphony No.1 in F minor?

The Symphony really worked out very well, it's a nicely orchestrated piece, though sometimes a bit thick.
The first two movements are very Wagnerian, I also hear some Bruckner in the first one (long building-up passages, a "misterioso" coda, starting only with Timpani, Celli/Basses). The third movement is a very wild "impetuoso" scherzo, twice alternating with a lyrical trio. The finale has an introduction featuring a big Cor anglais solo, starting in a very elegiac mood. The main theme is played by Violas, very stormy character, whereas the second subject is a very clear reference to Wagners "Meistersinger" prelude. The symphony ends with a big and brilliant stretta!

All in all, a very nice, very "melodic" piece, I'd say rather easy to grasp quickly Well-crafted and original, though in its overall design rather conservative middle-of-the-road German Romanticism. Certainly worth a listen, am very much looking forward to the recording!

Thanks everybody! The concert was very special, as we had to do it without audience. The orchestra played very fine and we're happy to have at least played the pieces in a concert-like situation as well. It's always something different than "just" recording the works. It was a very interesting and intense process this week.

And indeed we can be grateful to cpo for being so adventurous. We'll keep you up to date as soon as I get to know anything about the CD release 

The recording sessions have been successfull, will keep everybody up to date about the date of release. I had a listen at the "Orientalische Fantasie", played by Sebastian Bohren. He really did an excellent job with this technically very challenging piece!
The orchestra worked very hard and under difficult circumstances - concert life here in Switzerland is now basically reduced to zero again  ...

However, the concert (including my introduction) tonight will take place, but without audience! There will be a live streaming - for those interested: There is a possibility to buy online tickets for the live streaming through the orchestra's website:

www.musikkollegium.ch

Best wishes and stay safe everybody!

Dear all,

Just a quick reminder:

The concert "Hommage an Georg Wilhelm Rauchenecker" with the Musikkollegium Orchestra Winterthur, conducted by Howard Griffiths will take place on Thursday, 29th October, at 7.30 pm at Stadthaus Winterthur.

The program includes:

-Orientalische Fantasie (for Violin Solo and String Quintett)
-Symphonisches Tonwerk im Stil einer Ouvertüre
-Symphony No.1 f minor

The whole program will be recorded, rehearsals starting tomorrow. I'm very excited to be part of this
Will keep you up to date about the recording.

If franc. is still monitoring this group, do parts exist or would creating them be something I should consider adding to my queue if I can?)

Eric, Frank actually set the score of the Third Symphony some time ago with a computer program. I had played trough the piece and started proof-reading, unfortunately I have not finished yet. Have this high on my list and very much hope to complete this task. It's a nice piece, I remember it to be quite different from the other things I know by him; as this is almost his last work, I felt a rather "impressionstic" touch to it, not so much the German-Romantic style prevailing in most of his other music. Would you be interested (and do you have the time) in proof-reading this? In any case, 4 eyes certainly see more than just mine... The manuscript score was quite full of mistakes, particularly missing accidentals and so on.

I also discussed with Frank that once the score is prepared we might consider offering it to Musikproduktion Höflich Verlag Munich, who also republished the F Minor Symphony. It was actually this republication which allowed me to attract the attention of Howard Griffiths to do the piece in concert. So republishing seems to help, at least partly... But at the moment this certainly is "Zukunftsmusik"...

the symphony in D major (#3, 1904) seems to exist in full manuscript score. (If franc. is still monitoring this group, do parts exist or would creating them be something I should consider adding to my queue if I can?)

Yes, Symphony No.3 turned up a couple of years ago among some paper's of the family of Rauchenecker's libretist Otto Schönebeck.
There is an online scan here:

https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.3_(Rauchenecker%2C_Georg_Wilhelm)

Symphony No.2 which had a moto of the Munich October Fest seems lost at the moment. Most probably it was in a German archive and burnt during the war(s). But hope persists...

Yes, indeed there are plans to record exactly this program on CD.
Will keep you up to date.