Juon Rhapsodic Symphony

[Wheesht]

Although Juon's orchestral works appear to have found little favour here previously, I'd still like to point out that a new recording is in the offing from CPO in case anyone is interested and wants to give orchestral Juon another try.

[Alan Howe]

Well, these are late works from 1939, so they may or may not be suitable for discussion here.

[Mark Thomas]

I'll admit to being most disappointed by the Juon orchestral music which I've heard so far: he seems in those works to have been adept at aping other composers' styles (Brahms, Tchaikovsky) whilst never getting to grips with their substance, never mind having an identity of his own. Maybe he was a late developer and his mature music will have more character and value. The sound bites won't answer that question, but they should tell us whether he remained enough of a romantic for these late works to be discussed here.

[Alan Howe]

My guess is that they won't be, but let's see.

[Ilja]

The Sterling CDs have given us mostly early orchestral works, and while I like them I admit that they're not that exceptional. It seems as though Juon was one of those composers that was almost intimidated by the task of writing a symphony (just having handed in my PhD, I can appreciate that sentiment). It seems as though he found his stride in later years. His "Kleine Symphonie" of 1929 is a much more individual and delightful work (and certainly romantic enough to be discussed here), as is the Mysterien concert piece for cello and orchestra.

[Mark Thomas]

That's encouraging. thanks, Ilja. I'd like to think that there's more to Juon that has met the ear so far..

[Alan Howe]

I doubt that there is, but...

[eschiss1]

I think I've heard a few of his late chamber works that suggest so, but that like many a 20th century composer he was not comfortable pretending to write like a 19th-century one, so no, not appropriate for this forum...

[Ilja]

It varies. Some works (like the aforementioned Kleine Symphonie) are in a more traditional idiom. It's always tonal, but Juon does experiment with structure. Whether that is appropriate here will vary from case to case.


And Alan, I like to think that the whole reason that this forum exists is to give forgotten music a chance to be listened to. And only then decide whether it merits being revived or not.

[Christopher]

Alan - do stop being the voice of doom who has to have the last word! 

[Alan Howe]

I know the drift of Juon's music, so I'm just being realistic.

[Gareth Vaughan]

I must say that I enjoyed very much the Swiss Music label's recordings of Mysterien and the Episodes Concertantes. Also such chamber music of his that I have heard. I am not familiar with the two Sterling CDs of his orchestral works.

[Mark Thomas]

You haven't missed very much, Gareth, but I do try to keep an open mind about music that I haven't heard, so I'll certainly be interested in giving at least one hearing to these "new" works.

[Alan Howe]

The point I was trying to make was that these are very late works, well outside UC's timeframe. Of course, I'd be delighted to be proved wrong...

[Alan Howe]

And I am wrong! More anon! Meanwhile: buy this! Spoiler: this is somewhere between Mahler and late (Symphonic Dances) Rachmaninov. Gorgeous...