Willem Mengelberg - Etchings by Rembrandt

[Wheesht]

Mine arrived yesterday.

[Alan Howe]

Mine arrived today. I haven't listened to anything yet.

[Alan Howe]

I'm afraid that, for all its sound and fury (and there's an awful lot of that), Mengelberg's Music to Etchings by Rembrandt is a pretty dreary piece, rescued only by the section approx 4 mins. from the end which sounds like a direct crib from Mahler 1. Not a work I'll be returning to, except to check whether it was really as bad as I thought it was.

[Alan Howe]

The Feierliche Messe (Solemn Mass) of 1895, on the other hand, is a much more grateful work, written in what is clearly a more traditional style. More when I've got the measure of it...

[Justin]

Kenneth Montgomery's recording of the Rembrandt piece is a little too fast overall for my liking, although he takes the "Mahler" section at a perfect tempo.

For those who may purchase this 3 CD/2 DVD set, the documentary about his home is available in German, Dutch and English audio. It runs about 25 minutes. I haven't watched it yet.

[Alan Howe]

Kenneth Montgomery's recording of the Rembrandt piece is a little too fast overall for my liking, although he takes the "Mahler" section at a perfect tempo.

I'm no expert. I just thought it was a very dull piece - until the Mahler episode came along.

[Justin]

I'm no expert. I just thought it was a very dull piece - until the Mahler episode came along.

Me neither, and it certainly isn't a masterpiece (I wouldn't go that far). I just happen to like it a bit more than you.

The Sinfonietta was written 15 years earlier and it seems underdeveloped.

[Justin]

The Feierliche Messe (Solemn Mass) of 1895, on the other hand, is a much more grateful work, written in what is clearly a more traditional style.

Absolutely. Particularly the Kyrie, which is majestic to say the least. Here it is, as uploaded by the performers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW1YWw3p50o

It's a shame he didn't compose more like this.