Gernsheim Symphonies

[Finn_McCool]

Just an update that I gave the CD of Gernsheim symphonies to my brother.  He has pretty wide open listening habits, so we'll see what he thinks.  He had never heard of Gernsheim, so maybe it's better he got the CD instead of someone who's already familiar with the composer.

[Pyramus]

Two and a half years after the last contribution on this thread, I've just acquired the Arte Nova set of the Gernsheim symphonies from eBay for £6, so a bargain similar to Albion's purchase in 2011! I'd already listened to Symphony no. 1, which is discussed in Christopher Fifield's book, having never heard of Gernsheim before (I'm in my mid-70s).

These symphonies had an immediate appeal for me. There are many reminders of his friend Brahms, particularly the main theme of no. 2's finale, but also hints of Dvorak and other contemporaries. Gernsheim handles his thematic material well and writes especially well for the woodwind. He also includes instruments unusual in a German symphony - triangle and tambourine in no. 2 (tarantella) and harp in no.3. Nos. 2 to 4 last around 30 minutes each, so much shorter than the Brahms symphonies, but no. 1 runs to around 40 minutes and that's without the first movement repeat omitted by Köhler on the Arte Nova set; the scherzo is a more substantial movement that the equivalents in the other symphonies.

Although generally "conservative" in style and form, these works can be recommended to anyone wanting to hear a fresh voice from a period from which there is still so much music to be rediscovered. American music critic Dave Hurwitz has a ten-minute talk which can be found on line.

[Alan Howe]

The Arte Nova set was also my introduction to these lovely works, but I now prefer the richer sound of the performances on cpo:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8031677--gernsheim-symphonies-nos-1-3
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8145269--gernsheim-symphonies-nos-2-4

[Ilja]

The thing that stood out for me about the Gernsheim symphonies from the beginning was the evident quality of the writing: great melodies and expert craftsmanship combined. They are certainly among the best symphonies written in my home country of the Netherlands (well, 3 out of 4 anyhow). I think that there's not much difference in quality between Köhler and the alter Bäumer set on CPO; their approaches are also roughly similar so if this one's available at a discount, go for it.

[Jonathan]

Interestingly, I'm on a Gernsheim "binge" at the moment, I've recently got the wonderful violin concertos (CPO) and, just last week, Toccata Classics 2 CDs (so far) of the piano music.  Must give the Symphonies a spin soon - I've got the old Arte Nova recording and it one of the first obscure composer discs I ever bought.