Bendix Symphonies 1 & 3

[Alan Howe]

...forthcoming from dacapo:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9640029--bendix-symphonies-1-3

[Ilja]

Dacapo has a reputation for following such symphonic recording projects through, so I'm really hopeful we'll have a full set soon.

Remember our despondency some years ago at the thought that labels would consider the Bendix symphonies "done" after the sub-par (IMO) Omsk set? We have arrived at a point where a fair bunch of previously very obscure works exist in more than one recording. Of course, there's still oodles of stuff that need to receive their premiere, but I consider this encouraging.

[Alan Howe]

If they follow this up with Symphonies 2 and 4, we'll finally be able to retire the very disappointing Danacord/Omsk set.

[Revilod]

Great news. Are they downloads only, though?

[Alan Howe]

I don't think so - see this Amazon entry:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=bendix+dacapo&i=classical&crid=2WAJ04D46814O&sprefix=bendix+dacapo%2Cclassical%2C115&ref=nb_sb_noss

[Revilod]

Thanks, Alan.

[Alan Howe]

My copy of the CD arrived from jpc in Germany this afternoon. I must admit that I had completely forgotten what Bendix's Symphonies sounded like (the Danacord set of all four symphonies is very poor with regard to both performance and recording and doesn't exactly invite repeated listening).
Symphony No.1 in C major, Op.16 'Ascension' (more accurately 'Mountain Climb'), which dates from 1877-78, is actually quite a shock in terms of idiom, for this is quite clearly the work of a Wagner/Liszt disciple setting out a programme depicting in music a mountain ascent representing a sort of personal struggle for artistic acceptance. All in all, it's very different from the conservative tradition of Danish composers such as Gade and more advanced in idiom than, say, Raff (who, of course, was born nearly thirty years before Bendix). A closer match might be a composer such as Rauchenecker.

All in all, Symphony No.1 is a highly enjoyable work, more interesting for its idiom than its achievement, I think, but surely a landmark in Danish symphonic music. Now for No.3...

[Alan Howe]

Symphony No.3 in A minor, Op.25 (1891-2) is a more confident work, this time in three movements (13:43; 7:30; 14:24) taking 35:37 in total in this new recording, with the central movement being the Scherzo. Once again, the influence of Liszt/Wagner is felt, although there is a gentler, more melancholy spirit at work here, especially in the opening movement. The Scherzo is one of those spooky/rustic romantic creations very much of its time, while the Finale is titled 'Elegie. Lento ma non troppo', a sort of milder Danish pre-echo of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique, but no less genuinely felt.

The performance and recording are both first-class. Bendix's is an original symphonic voice well worth getting to know. I'm not sure he's a major talent, but there's more to his music than one grasps at first hearing, perhaps something distinctly nordic. And the finale of No.3 really is quite something, full of melancholy and barely suppressed emotion until its eventual release in a blaze of glory, only to be cut short by a dissonance distantly related to the much more violent one towards the close of Bruckner's 9th. The ending is one of pain and (just about) resignation.

Let's hope that Dacapo have Symphonies 2 and 4 up their sleeves...

[Jonathan]

This is sounding like another disc for the want list!

[Alan Howe]

It's fascinating music. I must listen to No.3 again soon!

[Tapiola]

Glad to have these symphonies in better performances and recordings. Can't wait to listen to these ones. I guess we'll have to wait one year or so for the other two symphonies.

[Ilja]

Alas, those of us who prefer downloads over physical media will need to be patient for another month...

[Alan Howe]

There's life in physical media yet, it would seem...

[Ilja]

Oh, I'll wait; Bendix is not that central to my happiness. Anyhow, Danacord's archaic web site does suggest that they haven't fully embraced the digital age yet.

In general, the sale of physical media seems to have been slightly on the up for a few years now, although in general CDs are vastly outsold by LPs these days.

[terry martyn]

For myself, it is "pride of possession". I like to view my prized LPs and CDs, and read the booklets..    Downloads just don't interest me - I might just as well wait to listen to YouTube offerings.   It took me nearly 30 years to embrace CDs,and I have had a lot of catching up to do, but that is as far as I am going. The Jurassic is fine for me.

Of course,all this means that i have only just purchased the Omsk.   Ah well!