CDs half price at Tiroler Landesmuseum

[oldman]

With all due respect I'll pass on this. I can wait for the chandos rufinatscha

[Alan Howe]

You'll have to wait a fair time. There probably won't be any further releases until well into 2012 and 2013.

[febnyc]

Well, it now has been two weeks since I placed my order with the Tiroler folks, and the CDs have yet to arrive.  Considering the past service (or, really, lack thereof) which I've received from these people, and the fact that they apparently have a new payment scheme, I am wondering if the order was processed at all.  Yes, the charge has appeared on my card statement - but it should not take so long for mail to reach the US from Europe.  We'll see....

[Peter1953]

I've spent the last two days listening to undiscovered Tyrolian music. And I've enjoyed it very much.

The 4 symphonies from Josef Netzer (1808-1864) are all easy listening. Nothing exiting, hardly any progress, no sparkling passages, no catching thematic material, but just pleasant. Anyone who likes symphonic music of the 2nd quarter of the 19th century will like Netzer's symphonies. I've listened to these symphonies twice, and I have a slight preference for the 4th. Are they worth buying? I think so, and certainly for half price. To my ears it's relaxing classical background music. They are "documented" in the CDs Klingende Kostbarkeiten aus Tirol 40 (2&3) and 45 (1&4).

Much more interesting is the purely Romantic symphony In Tirol in F major, op. 39, from Josef Pembaur (The Elder, 1848-1923). It's a description of the Tyrolian life translated in four lovely movements. I hope to hear this symphony also when I'm visiting Tyrol, and can enjoy the folk music, like Pembaur presents in the 3rd movement Spiel und Tanz im Dorfe (Play and Dance in the Village). His Frühlingsouvertüre (Spring Overture), written as a young man to present himself as a composer of symphonic music, is also very worth while listening. This CD, Klingende Kostbarkeiten aus Tirol 54 features another work, here for the first time performed. Nothing less than a most wonderful Cello Concerto (no key is given). To my ears a real find! In fact I'm amazed that this gem (I even dare to call it a masterpiece) has been so neglected. This op. 86, composed around the year 1910, is in a late Romantic style and has kept me fully concentrated listening. BTW, congratulations for the young cellist Tim Ströble, especially in his subtle playing of the moving Romanze. The concerto is a winner and deserves to be put on a list of great Romantic Cello Concertos.

The CD Klingende Kostbarekeiten aus Tirol 51 couples two other symphonies. The 2nd is Matthäus Nagiller's Symphony 1 in C minor, composed in 1845 when he was staying in Paris. A picture of a part of the score shows the French names of the musical instruments in his beautiful handwriting. The first movement, an allegro, is IMO the best part of his symphony. I hope to hearing more from Nagiller (1815-1874).
And now the Pièce the Résistance. That is the only symphony by Johann Baptist Gänsbacher (1778-1844). In one word, no, two words: utterly sparkling. At this moment I'm listening to it for the 6th time in two days. This music makes me feel good and happy. All four movements are a constant joy. There is an important role for the wind instruments, especially in the outer movements. It reminds me of Joseph Haydn's Trumpet Concerto, the opening movement after the slow introduction in particular. In fact, I think the whole symphony seems like a sort of combination of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto and both symphonies from Von Weber. I just love it. Very warmly recommended!

In summary, very lovely music, but... not at the same level as Johann Rufinatscha. He is definitely the pearl of Tyrol.

I am so enthusiastic about Pembaur, so I thought I order his four-handed piano music as well. But... what happened to the Museum's on line shop? It looks like it is not accessible.

febnyc, once your CDs arrive, you will find out that it has been worth waiting for.

[JimL]

Much more interesting is the purely Romantic symphony In Tirol in F major, op. 39, from Josef Pembaur (The Elder, 1848-1923). It's a description of the Tyrolian life translated in four lovely movements. I hope to hear this symphony also when I'm visiting Tyrol, and can enjoy the folk music, like Pembaur presents in the 3rd movement Spiel und Tanz im Dorfe (Play and Dance in the Village). His Frühlingsouvertüre (Spring Overture), written as a young man to present himself as a composer of symphonic music, is also very worth while listening. This CD, Klingende Kostbarkeiten aus Tirol 54 features another work, here for the first time performed. Nothing less than a most wonderful Cello Concerto (no key is given). To my ears a real find! In fact I'm amazed that this gem (I even dare to call it a masterpiece) has been so neglected. This op. 86, composed around the year 1910, is in a late Romantic style and has kept me fully concentrated listening. BTW, congratulations for the young cellist Tim Ströble, especially in his subtle playing of the moving Romanze. The concerto is a winner and deserves to be put on a list of great Romantic Cello Concertos.

You can figure out the keys of the overture and concerto from the Symphony, whose key is given.  The Frühlingsouverture, as I recall, is in A.  The Cello Concerto is in B minor.

[febnyc]

febnyc, once your CDs arrive, you will find out that it has been worth waiting for.

Thank you, Peter - I have loads of CDs from Tiroler and, indeed, enjoy all of them.  This time I ordered only the Pembaur and the Nagiller discs.  If, and when, they arrive I have no doubt they'll be entertaining.

[Peter1953]

Fortunately the on-line music shop is functioning again.
The CD Classic Dreams aus Tirol features symphonic works by Rufinatscha, Netzer and Pembaur. That's the only given information. Does anybody know more details?

[Alan Howe]

It contains excerpts from CDs that are already available:
1. Rufinatscha Sym 2: Aadgio con espressione
2. Pembaur Cello Concerto: Romanze
3. Rufinatscha Piano Quartet: Adagio molto
4. Netzer Sym 4: Andante
5. Pembaur Symphony In Tirol: Idylle
6. Rufinatscha Sym 5: Adagio
7. Netzer Sym 3: Adagio

So, a nice CD - but containing nothing new!

[Peter1953]

Thank you very much for your information, Alan.

[febnyc]

Well, the CDs I ordered on December 4th never have arrived here in the States.  A couple of emails to Eva Bertsch result only in her telling me that they were sent on December 10th.  No offer to investigate or, heavens!, to send replacements.  My past credit-card-fraud experiences with this outfit had me skeptical - now I certainly am disappointed.  They have 36 bucks of my hard-earned money and I have no Pembaur or Nagiller CDs.   

[Peter1953]

Maybe there is hope that your ordered CD's are still on its way to you, febnyc. The delivery can take some more time than usual because of the extra Christmas mail handling, and perhaps the Tyrolean package is also opened by the customs.
My company does some business with US customers and sending an ordinary airmail (!) letter sometimes takes more than 3 weeks from the Netherlands to the US customer. Sending a letter to Japan lasts only 3 days before delivery.
One of these days I'm expecting your enthusiastic post telling us about Gänsbacher's symphony with its catching tunes. 

[febnyc]

Peter1953:  Thank you for your kind note and eternal optimism.  I buy lots of CDs from European sources and never have I had to wait this long to receive.  However, I will allow for the weather in Europe and the holidays, and therefore hope to be posting my enthusiastic comments forthwith!

[jimmattt]

Thanks for the guidance, I got an invoice easily, then was surprised that my order went through smoothly via debit card (I never have enough money in it to worry too much about fraudulent charges , and received within about 2 weeks, doesn't seem unreasonable to me. I got the new CD of Emil Berlanda and the Pembaur Cello Cto, et al, have had several of Rufinatscha from them for several yrs, and can't wait to hear more if CPO does do his stuff. The recording of Rufinatscha's wonderful piano concerto was done with a fortepiano, so I hope someone does it with a modern piano, too, no one quibbles about Beethoven and Schumann being done on today's magnificent pianos, so I wonder why they felt the need for a fortepiano, very, very good anyway. I can barely contain my enthusiasm for Berlanda, and I hope the rest of you will get his CD, hidden genius and almost never got to hear his own wonderful stuff played. Anyway, am happy, and you all helped me get that way!

[JimL]

It was actually done with a "Hammerfluegel" from 1838.  Hardly an 18th-Century fortepiano!  More like one of Beethoven's Broadwoods, although it looks to be about the size of a baby grand, from the photos.

[terry martyn]

I wonder if anyone has an update on the availability of the Pembaur.  My German isn´t up to much!