Benjamin Frankel: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6

Benjamin Frankel (Composer), Werner Andreas Albert (Conductor), Queensland Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Queensland Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Werner Andreas Albert
• Composer: Benjamin Frankel
• Audio CD (December 17, 1996)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Cpo Records
• ASIN: B000001RXJ
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #397,162 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Mephistopheles' Ser And Dance Op.25: A Caricature

2. Sym No.4 Op.44: Moderato: Andante Con Moto

3. Sym No.4 Op.44: Quasi Allegretto

4. Sym No.4 Op.44: Lento

5. Sym No.6 Op.49: Andante

6. Sym No.6 Op.49: Allegro

7. Sym No.6 Op.49: Adagio

8. Sym No.6 Op.49: Intermezzo: Allegretto

9. Sym No.6 Op.49: Allegro Alternating With Adagio

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Music, Brilliantly Recorded, January 12, 2003

By 

mackjay (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Benjamin Frankel: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6 (Audio CD)

Anyone who has been impressed with Benjamin Frankel's ingenious film scores owes it to himself to hear the composer's other music, especially the symphonies. Composed from 1958-1971, Frankel's seven symphonies form an original, consistantly inspired body of work.

For some listeners, Frankel seems to carry on the Mahlerian 'tradition', using a large, expressive orchestral pallette. But Frankel creates works much smaller in scale. Also in common with Mahler's symphonies is the suggestion of a private emotional world, private, but nevertheless accessible to the attentive listener. This is music by a top-drawer musical mind in absolute command of his material and resources.

This expertly engineered CPO disc contains a relatively early orchestral work, MEPHISTOPHELES' SERENADE AND DANCE (1952) and two symphonies, No.4 (1966) and No. 6 (1969). There is no enormous stylistic difference between any of Frankel's symphonies and these are two of his most inspired. They both serve as an excellent introduction to the composer. A new listener has only to hear the opening movement of No.4 to recognize the sound of a major talent. Idiomatic writing for strings and winds, strangely evocative use of percussion, dramatic, but carefully managed climaxes and a sure sense of musical shape all characterize Frankel's orchestral writing. In terms of musical idiom, this is mainly music derived from atonal methods, particularly from 12-tone methods. As is often the case with neglected composers who utilized these styles, this music has been underrated. For decades, Frankel's symphonies have been ignored by a musical elitism that insists such methods 'must' produce arid, 'academic' art. The beauty of Frankel's ideas and the sometime awesome evocation of a strange, undiscovered world are proof that assumptions about any composer's style are dangerous.

Those who would avoid an unfamiliar name, or a dreaded 'film music' composer will deprive themselves of incredible music, brilliantly performed by The Queensland Symphony Orchestra, led by Andreas Albert.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, provocative music, October 14, 2011

By 

pohjola (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Benjamin Frankel: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6 (Audio CD)

I have been making my way through Frankel's symphony cycle on cpo (this is the third installment I have listened to) and I feel an enormous attraction to Frankel's idiom. In the current release the fourth symphony is the piece that made the greatest impression. Frankel wrote using his own version of serialism, and he uses it to create marvelously dissonant harmonies which evoke moods and impression that are simply not possible with traditional harmony. The general scheme of the symphony involves two rather pensive outer movements enclosing a more extroverted central movement.

The sixth symphony is similar in technique to the fourth, although I did not find it as engaging, at least after a few listens.

The overture that opens the disc is another affair entirely. this "Serenade and Dance" is a delightful, caricature which depicts a frustrated Mephistopheles' unsuccessful attempts to woo a village girl. Not as 'deep' as the symphonic music, but a wonderful piece.

Performances are well done throughout, and cpo provides its usual, superbly detailed audio.

In any case, I'd give five stars to the 4th symphony and the Serenade and Dance, but deducted one for the less satisfying 6th symphony.