Herschel: Symphonies

William Herschel (Composer), Matthias Bamert (Conductor), London Mozart Players (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: London Mozart Players
• Conductor: Matthias Bamert
• Composer: William Herschel
• Audio CD (April 22, 2003)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Chandos
• ASIN: B00008NRJ6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,281 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant surprise!, June 29, 2004

By	Ursiform (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

I must admit that I bought this CD because I was curious to hear what symphonies by the astronomer Herschel would sound like. I was most pleasantly surprised! And not least because this CD is part of the "Contemporaries of Mozart" series, and Mozart and his contemporaries are not among my favorites. Nobody would mistake these symphonies for great classics, but they are light, cheerful, and enjoyable, and I've listened to them several times. (More than I can say about most CDs I buy because I am "curious".) They don't much remind me of Mozart, by the way. Born nearly a generation before Mozart he was a closer contemporary to Haydn, although these works predate the greatest works of either of those composers. (In 1782 King George III, an astronomy buff, granted Herschel a stipend that allowed him to give up music and devote himself to astronomy.) I haven't pulled out anything to compare these symphonies to, but for some reason I find myself thinking of CPE Bach. If you are interested in how astronomers feed themselves before they make the big time, or are just looking for something new and enjoyable from the early to mid classical era, this CD is worth hearing.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just a Great Astronomer, October 12, 2006

By	Robert F. Royce (Northford, CT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Conventional wisdom has routinely advanced the idea that the father of modern astronomy, the incomparable and brilliant William Herschel, was in his youth a lack-luster composer who was fortunate enough to find a new planet and a well-paying career. Nothing could be further from the truth. Herschel was quite a good composer and very successful in his own time. While organist at the Octagon Chapel in Bath (and through other musical efforts) he earned £400 per year, a lot of money back then. Since 1974 I have been spending considerable time studying and arranging for performances of Herschel's music and it's far better stuff than the average for the period. The scientific mind can clearly be seen working even in his early 20s creating complex and interesting music.

The present recording is a very well-performed collection of six of his 24 symphonies. All 24 are three movement works ranging in orchestration from strings only to 'full' orchestras of oboes, horns trumpets and drums. The structural content of these works is highly organized and carefully worked out. Stylistically, Sturm and drang elements common to C.P.E. Bach are evident as well as the melodic galant. While not quite on the level of similar period Haydn, Herschel presents a distinctive voice and unique musical finger prints of his own. Significantly, when Joseph Haydn first visited England in 1791 he is reported to have immediately asked if he could visit William Herschel. This is music worth listening to.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, March 12, 2008

By	David Saemann - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. All the symphonies are premiere recordings which deserve wider exposure. Herschel is less influnced by Handel or Haydn than by the Mannheim School, as befits a German born composer. Melodically, the works are charming rather than memorable. It is the rhythmic innovations and interesting harmonies which provide these symphonies with real zest. Herschel clearly had a keen mind, at work musically before his career as an astronomer. I was very pleased with these performances, although I think the innovative quality of this music could be brought out even further on period instruments. For the time being, though, this will certainly do, and the sound engineering is very fine, also.