Felix Weingartner: Symphony No. 4; Der Sturm [Hybrid SACD] [Hybrid SACD - DSD]

Felix Weingartner (Composer), Marko Letonja (Conductor), Basel Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Basel Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Marko Letonja
• Composer: Felix Weingartner
• Audio CD (June 21, 2005)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD
• Label: Cpo Records
• ASIN: B0009JVOKC
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #308,823 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A neglected genius? Well, I'm probably at least half right, August 12, 2006

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Russ (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Felix Weingartner: Symphony No. 4; Der Sturm [Hybrid SACD] (Audio CD)

CPO appears to have committed itself to recording Felix Weingartner's (1863-1942) seven symphonies and other substantial orchestral works. Weingartner is known to us today as a conductor, especially of Beethoven's symphonies. However, CPO is making a strong case for Weingartner as a composer.

If you are unfamiliar with the works of Weingartner it is important to understand he was extremely conservative (not to be confused with being serious or pretentious), and was not particularly interested in developing a unique voice. In the words of the composer himself: "He who wants to appear original has no hope of ever being so. First, he loses his naiveté absolutely necessary for creative production and expressing itself precisely in that open imitation, but then his work will also never be able to become a whole but will always remain a patchwork; as a result, however, it already forfeits the claim of being regarded as a work of art. ... If a composition bears the unmistakable facial features of its author ... then even a coincidental sameness of the notes with the passages of some other work is completely immaterial." (Note that the structure of Weingartner's compositions is far simpler than that of his sentences).

With that said, I hear similarities to Liszt, Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Brahms in the music of Weingartner. Sources suggest that Weingartner was a sunny, optimistic bloke, and this temperament is evidences itself in the bucolic 30 minute Symphony No. 4 (composed in 1916 - three years after the premiere of The Rite of Spring!). Given Weingartner's inclinations, the music doesn't take itself very seriously, especially in comparison to most Romantic music from the German school. For instance, Weingartner incorporates a brief brass chorale in the finale of the symphony, but the music refuses to get weighed down by this, and the chorale is overtaken by move cheerful, lively ideas at the conclusion of the work. This music strikes me as being well-crafted with any individual moment being engaging. Yet, the work, as a whole, drags in parts and I found myself disinterested in some of the longer sections. This, however, may be a criticism of this school of music, as opposed to Weingartner's mastery of it.

The real treat on this program is "Der Sturm." Outside of the overture's opening orchestral outburst, if a comparison to any weather pattern were to be made by this listener, it would be to that of a warm sunny day, with a slight breeze. The overture is quite lovely and tuneful, and contains some nice woodwind writing and a gorgeous central theme. The overture and accompanying suite definitely bring to mind the music of Mendelssohn. The finale of the suite sounds like Mendelssohn's "War March of the Priests" ("Athalie") meets the symphonies of Christian Sinding. Also notable is the "Scherzettino" which contains a delightful theme for flutes, bassoon and pizzicato strings.

There is nothing earth-shattering here, but this is attractive, cheerful music nonetheless. The recording and playing itself are exemplary, while the accompanying notes are beyond encyclopedic, even by CPO's standards. This release is recommended for those curious about the lesser known (and especially conservative) figures within the Germanic school of music. For those looking for music with just a little bit more character, I would recommend checking out the compositions of Weingartner contemporaries, Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek and Christian Sinding, whose symphonies have both been recorded by CPO.

67:49

4.0 out of 5 stars Another fine installment in this overall very rewarding series, June 21, 2011

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G.D. (Norway) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Felix Weingartner: Symphony No. 4; Der Sturm [Hybrid SACD] (Audio CD)

Felix Weingartner is primarily known as one of the greatest conductors of all time, and while his compositional language is - as expected - rather conservative and the music is excellently scored, the music in this invaluable series from CPO reveals him as a composer of some substance (and his output was surely substantial, containing nine operas and seven symphonies among much other music including a rather famous orchestration of Beethoven's Hammerklavier sonata). It is certainly worth investigating the series, especially if you have a penchant for lushly textured late romanticism, but if you do I'd recommend starting with the second symphony. The one at hand is a fine work, slightly diffuse though containing some beautiful if not strikingly memorable ideas. It is also, like all the installments in CPO's series, very well played.

The fourth symphony, written in 1916, is more compact than some of his previous efforts in the genre, which is all to the good. It is a generally sunny and pastoral work with few traces of the troubled times in which it was written. It is hardly a masterpiece, but the themes are good and the music is well-paced - it may not add up to any convincing, big statement or argument, but if that is not essential to your enjoyment of music, you'll find plenty to cherish here.

The excerpts from The Tempest are overall even more impressive, especially the fine, colorful overture, which contains a very beautiful second theme. The Serenade is fresh and engaging without exactly scaling any heights or managing to linger in the listener's memory afterwards. The performances are overall very persuasive; the Basel forces under Marko Letonja provide lush textures and beautiful colors, even if it would apparently be possible to drive the music a little harder. The sound is warm, ambient, present and well-balanced (I have only heard the regular stereo version). Overall, then, another eminently recommendable installment in this rewarding series, even though I would still go with the second symphony if I were a newcomer to Weingartner's music.