Listening Project

Bazza - It would be impertinent of me to take issue with your opinion of Rendering but I am not sure it would ever be classified as an attempt to complete Schubert's sketches, unlike other versions. If I am not mistaken the main point of Berio's concept was that he had little time for the idea of completing unfinished works.

I suppose that means he also had issue with Mahler 10? If I am not mistaken Shostakovich turned down the chance to complete the Mahler, but worked on a version of Khovanshchina by Mussorgsky.

Bazza

My mistake - I was using my Kempff recording, which has the piece in four sections. (My other recordings are split in six sections - go figure?).

To be clear (having checked wikipedia) the Humoreske Op.20 is one work, in seven sections, played attacca. Anyway, ignoring my shocking research, I think it is a piece that might make for good listening because like most of Schumann it is so difficult to pin down. Of all the composers I have tried to listen to I find Schumann the one who presents the greatest challeng as his music shifts moods so quickly.

I'll take your advice on the Krauss... thank you.

I agree with this. I recently downloaded Jorg Demus's complete set of the piano music (13 CDs) and much of it is quite bewildering. Knowing as we do the composer's sad fate, it is easy to attribute the weird juxtapositions of mood and pace and style to schizophrenia or mental imbalance or whatever. To my mind his greatest work is also his most cogent - the op17 Fantasie which he consciously based on Beethoven - and yet the wilder pieces such as Kriesleriana and Humoresque are certainly fascinating!

A lot of comments I agree with on Krauss have been said already on the C minor symphony by the core gang; 50 ml I find myself agreeing with you on perhaps a lack of melodic spark, and Graham has written eloquently of the moods. Chris and Bazza have written about the structure.

So here's my twopence worth, and only my perceptions:

I think Chris is right that material from the slow introduction is worked alongside the first subject in the development part of the 1st movement. In which case, that kind of explains why there is no 2nd subject, because the slow intro is treated as the first subject. Yes, that's quite clever. Love the Sturm und Drang chords at about 1.20 in this movement!

It's not an easy movement to follow structurally and I had to listen twice to try to grasp it. Patrt of the reason in my opinion is that the melodic writing is sequential - ie short statements follow each other and therefore to keep the interest going there is already re-statement and variation going on in both the introduction and first subject group before we reach the development section proper.

The first 3 minutes of the 2nd movement were not great melodically - this part felt a bit like 'stock' writing of harmonic progressions, suspensions and cadences. Then, all of a sudden at 3.30 ish the composer downs a Bavarian beer (surely a Lowenbrau) and puts his melodic-inventive hat on and the movement really lifts off! Great then for the rest.

The last movement is delightful scherzoesque writing and a good round-off. Not over-long either, just right.

It's a very fulfilling work overall. Yes it reminds one of Papa...He really works the material with a great and sensitive variety of moods and contrasts, proof that you don't need to be a melodic genius to write a coherent and satisfying symphony.

Worth exploring some more of this composer too...

Mark

Bazza

I would have to agree that the Fantasie is a standout piece from Schumann, taut and wonderfully crafted while at the same time containing the swift changes of mood that really come out in Schumann's piano music. As I spend more time with them the Davidsbundlertanze rises in my estimation as one of his finest works. But, first I would recommend the Humoresque (all one of it!) to the project.

There is also a nice 2010 New Yorker column from Alex Ross here.

I am looking forward to listenting to this -it's a piece I have been circling since reading Ross.

Partsong, others: I am now wondering if the falling (sighing) minor seconds from the Larghetto introduction (say at 1:17) are morphed consciously into the little idea (four repeated notes then a falling minor second) that comes in the second group of both exposition (4:37) and "recapitulation" (7:22). It is not substantial enough to really be called a "theme" or "subject" but nevertheless seems to serve the function of a second subject. It should also be said that falling minor seconds are also predominant in the first group (especially at 3:46) and again in the "new" theme (5:48 and 8:52) which gives an idea just how interrelated Kraus's material is.

I am glad you mentioned the middle section of the Andante. The first part with the oboes (più mosso by the sound of it) is fairly straightforward but what about the pianíssimo link back the opening idea (4:02)? Sublime harmonies and a real magical sense of mystery (or mysterious sense of magic). It is also, I would suggest, a conscious reference back to the slow introduction to the first movement.