Customer Reviews

George Templeton Strong: Symphony No. 2 "Sintram"

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Somewhere between Lizst and Richard Strauss, but more expansive than either, with dashes of Tchaikowsky, Sibelius and others (or did he influence them?), lies the music of the late 19th-early 20th century American, working in Europe, George Templeton Strong. Championed by Toscanini and others, his music is little known now, possibly in part because, though American, there is nothing recognizably American about his music, and partly because of the towering figures of Strauss, Mahler, Bruckner and Sibelius who surround him. This disc contains an hourlong symphony/symphonic poem, and a 7-minute elegiac chorale for strings. The symphony is programmatic, chronicling the struggle and triumph of humanity. It's often thrilling, often grand and intense, but my personal jury is still out on the greatness of the work. As a side issue, the 3rd movement sounds like it may have been the inspiration for 'The Sorcercer's Apprentice'. The recording is very good, as is the conducting of Adriano, although occasionally I have the sense of missed dramatic opportunities. Definitely worth a listen, though!

One in a series of American Classics CD's from Naxos, this is actually a second recording. This Symphony is very progromatic, reminding me of the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique, as it portrays the struggle between good and evil. The Moscow Symphony under Adriano play this symphony with passion and fire and do not over-do the histronics which makes this symphony work. Good sound quality without being outstanding.

If you're a fan of Hovhaness, Hindemith, and/or Virgil Thomson, you'll very much like this excellent music.

I don't know why Strong isn't incredibly more popular than he is -- one rarely hears about him these days. He was an American composer, (who lived mostly in Switzerland), who died in 1948 at the ripe old age of 92. He was known for jumping back and forth between creating watercolors and composing works of music, which I suspect are quite representative of his paintings.

Symphony No. 2 was Strong's biggie and what a fine symphony it is, melodic yet modern, and clearly representative of classical music in the 20th Century. While it follows the essential formatting of a symphony, the first two movements are not especially like the latter two; however, the entire work has the feel of a tone poem, very atmospheric. The second piece on this CD "The Theme," is similar in nature although it was written much earlier in Strong's career. It's a bit of a fantasia as well.

The Moscow Symphony Orchestra does a fine job with this one -- nice and tight. And Naxos captured their essence perfectly -- great sound. One gets an impression that the orchestra very much enjoyed playing these pieces.

I bought my copy of this CD from Arkiv Music on a clearance sale and I'm so glad that I did. My highest recommendation for these fine compositions.

This symphony is a real find. It derives its concept from Liszt's Faust Symphony, with a heavy dose of Mephistopheles's music from Gounod's Faust in the third movement, which deals with "Death, the Devil, and Insanity." Nevertheless, Strong's idiom is basically quite gentle. He has a fine grasp of subtle harmonic coloring, and his tunes are rather arresting, especially in the peroration of the last movement, an idea borrowed from Liszt and perhaps Tchaikovsky. I find that the symphony becomes richer each time I listen to it. The performance is well played, without the histrionics one often encounters in this type of Romantic repertoire, and the sound engineering is rather good. The Chorale is a nice work, simple and eloquent.

The world premiere recording took place in 1967 with Karl Krueger and the Royal Philharmonic (MIA 136), as part of the Music in America series, sponsored by The Society for the Preservation of the American Musical Heritage, with funds from Henry H. Reichhold. Bridge Records has been reissuing recordings from this series, but until this one is released, you'll find great enjoyment from the Naxos. It's very well played and recorded, especially the brass and percussion. I've fallen in love with this most haunting of scores, but I don't know why! It's neither great nor original. In it, you'll hear smatterings of Richard Strauss, Bruckner, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Liszt, Dukas, plus the Dies Irae and God Save the Queen thrown in for good measure. That being said, and begging the question of originality, how is it that the scherzo bears such a striking resemblance to Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice? The Sintram was finished in 1888, premiered in 1893, and published in 1895, yet the Sorcerer's Apprentice wasn't written until 1897! By the way, Krueger does not observe the 4th movement repeat, which is a shame. It's one of the best things in the score! The Adriano is the one to have!

Naxos has devoted three discs to the music of George Templeton Strong (1856-1948) and we should all be grateful for the effort. Now, no one is going to claim that Strong's musical voice was particularly original, and I guess it is hard to defend any claim to the effect that his second symphony (1887-88) is a masterpiece without qualification. Yet it is hugely enjoyable, atmospheric, colorful and well crafted and I have to admit that I really have developed a very soft spot for it - perhaps a guilty pleasure, but still a genuine pleasure. It is an ambitious work, lasting almost an hour, and while it would perhaps be an exaggeration to say that his themes are consistently particularly memorable they are often quite compelling and I do want to claim that Strong manages to retain tension and momentum throughout, and not for a moment have I been bored when listening to this music.

The opening movement appears to have a certain Brucknerian sweep to it, though the impressions stems more from the juxtaposition of contemplative stretches and passionate outbursts than from anything really to do with the structure or the themes (there are some points of connection in the scoring, however); it works, however, and the result is definitely very compelling. The second movement cannot completely avoid an element of the kitchy. According to Rob Barnett it "gives the impression of being on nodding acquaintance with the world of potted palms and grand marble hotel vestibules", which I think is not entirely inappropriate but may suggest that the music is weaker than it in fact is - I suppose the impression is equally due to the fact that the movement appears to avoid dealing with ambitious grand themes and instead is supposed to function as a wistfully pastoral interlude.

The third movement is grandly dramatic in the vein of Liszt's tone poems and while it may fail to plumb any real depths it remains thoroughly enjoyable and catchy - it really is the kind of music that makes you sit up and smile at its cleverness and ability to utilize all the tricks to achieve maximal enjoyment. The Finale contains plenty of grandeur and spirit - sufficient to create at least the impression of a deeply felt arrival after a substantial musical journey; in fact, this is genuinely stirring music, and the finale is the movement in the symphony where the listener realizes that Strong actually does have something to say (and that it was there all along).

Stylistically, I suppose it will appeal to fans of Liszt and Tchaikovsky more than anyone else, but if you are at all curious about it I urge you to try it; it really is a fine work. The Hassler Chorale is a stirring, gorgeous meditation that would, perhaps, have a better chance of acquiring a life of its own e.g. in the concert hall - and that wouldn't be undeserved. The performances are overall very good; lush and spirited and impressive at realizing both the high-romantic twilight atmosphere and the almost otherworldly spirited undercurrent that drives the music forward. Sound quality and booklet notes are good, and overall this is a very much recommendable disc.