Gustav Jenner Symphonic Fragment

[Alan Howe]

A true rarity:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/claudio-monteverdi-warsaw-radio-symphony-orchestra-festspiel-sinfoniekonzert/hnum/10671907

[Mark Thomas]

Given the rest of the programme on the CD, I'd really like to know how long the Jenner fragments are before I commit. There's around 15-17 minutes available on the CD, which I guess would be enough to accommodate the two symphonic movements listed on the back of the CD.

[Alan Howe]

I've ordered it, so I'll let you know...

[eschiss1]

Please do. Intriguing. (Unfortunately the only thing I see listed under the conductor Siegfried Heinrich @ Amazon Music is (a compilation containing) a recording I actually have - his Liszt Elisabeth Legend. Which is cut, I think, but otherwise really good.)

[Mark Thomas]

I'll let you know

Thanks, Alan - it's a fascinating prospect, though may be juvenilia as I see it's his Op.1..

[Alan Howe]

The blurb at jpc says that this first recording was made in 1987 by the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra of Warsaw  conducted by Jan Pruszak (1931-1920), its chief conductor at the time.

The two movements (as per the details at jpc) are:
i.  Adagio in B flat major   
ii. Finale (Scherzo) in B flat minor

The work is referred to here (entry no.17 under Instrumental Music)...
https://www.uni-marburg.de/de/fb09/musikwissenschaft/hessisches-musikarchiv/dateien/kohleick-werkverzeichnis
...as 'Two Movements of an Unfinished Symphony: Adagio – Scherzo (Presto – Moderato), composed Marburg, 1912'.

Jenner's Op.1 comprises Four Songs, pub. Simrock (Berlin) in 1890.

[eschiss1]

right, his op.1: "No. 1. Nachts: ,,Der Westwind streichelt die Locken". No. 2. Noch einmal: ,,Noch einmal fällt in meinen Schoss". No. 3. Waisenkind: ,,Ich bin eine Rose". No. 4. Sonntag früh: ,,Am frühen Sonntagmorgen""

[Mark Thomas]

  Obviously I should have checked my "Op.1" source!

[Alan Howe]

Not to worry. The fact that this is a mature work makes it intriguing...

[Mark Thomas]

Quite.

[Alan Howe]

Try tracks 2 and 3:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/claudio-monteverdi-warsaw-radio-symphony-orchestra-festspiel-sinfoniekonzert/hnum/10671907

[Alan Howe]

Track 3 - Scherzo (Presto – Moderato) - begins like an undiscovered movement by Beethoven. It's extremely anachronistic for 1912!

[semloh]

This is fascinating. Thanks for the links. 

[Alan Howe]

This is far better than I had imagined! It is in essence a mini-symphony, with an unbelievably beautiful solemn Adagio (10:08) followed by a Scherzo/Finale (06:15) which starts like Beethoven (think 5th & 7th Symphonies), but continues in a somewhat 'stomping' Brucknerian fashion before segeuing into a lovely lyrical trio section.

OK - I'm going to say it: the slow movement is a masterpiece of the first rank and the work as a whole could be as popular as Schubert's Unfinished if it were played. I find the two movements deeply satisfying. Yes, it is anachronistic, but frankly - who cares?

The performance is wonderfully played and recorded in a suitably resonant acoustic.

[Mark Thomas]

That's a a very persuasive review, Alan, what a shame he didn't finish the Symphony. As far as the recording goes, it's not available to download, can't be bought in the UK and I really don't need the couplings, so I'll be giving it a miss.