John Knowles Paine: Symphony No. 2

John Knowles Paine (Composer), Zubin Mehta (Conductor), New York Philharmonic (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: New York Philharmonic
• Conductor: Zubin Mehta
• Composer: John Knowles Paine
• Audio CD (December 8, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New World Records
• ASIN: B0000030DR
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,865 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A neglected masterpiece, June 12, 2005

By 

Stephen Shotwell (Belmont CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: John Knowles Paine: Symphony No. 2 (Audio CD)

A neglected masterpiece from a most underrated composer. A superior achievement to Paine's Symphony #1, this second symphony is titled "Spring", and, as indicated in the CD booklet, someone at some point hit upon programmatic titles to each movement. But this is not program music, and I find any such ideas only trivialize the meaning of this superbly constructed symphonic music.

Most wonderful of all is the first movement. The slow introduction presents a germinal 5-note motif that recurs later in the movement in stunningly climactic ways. There are passages of enormous passion, with a very powerful sweeping effect. This music is in temperament somewhat like Tchaikovsky, or maybe Elgar, but with an architecture that even Brahms would admire.

The second movement is a demonic scherzo a la Beethoven's Ninth, but with a middle section as lyrical as good Schumann. The slow third movement is very lovely and imaginative. The final movement I enjoy somewhat less, as the anthem-like theme seems sort of pasted on.

Don't fail to obtain this recording, even if you have to go to lengths to get it. You will be amazed by this music, and you will not tire of it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A splendid work, November 18, 2010

By 

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

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: John Knowles Paine: Symphony No. 2 (Audio CD)

John Knowles Paine (1839-1906) studied in Germany and spent most of his life in Boston/Harvard. His early works, such as the first symphony, were modeled on the classical masters, relatively conservative in idiom but full of spirit and vigor. With the substantial (50 minutes) second symphony, however, the musical language has turned more chromatic and forward-looking - which may strike some as surprising insofar as the two symphonies were written only four years apart. Paine's models seem to have changed as well; whereas the first is heavily indebted to Beethoven and Schumann, the second employs Wagnerian developments and is clearly inspired by Liszt's tone poems (Paine originally had a program for the symphony as well, though later suppressed it).

The first movement opens with a "winter" theme in the low strings, which is going to recur throughout the movement and generate thematic material throughout the whole work. It has time to suggest spring thawing before launching the main theme of the first movement, however. The winter theme and the main theme then developed, sometimes together and sometimes apart, with skill and confidence throughout the sonata-form first movement, which is overall very effective and enjoyable. The second movement is a bawdy scherzo with a touch of Mendelssohnian elfin mystery, and the adagio is a rather Schumannesque, very passionate movement; effective and finely scored. The energetic, joyful finale brings back the winter theme of the first movement, but this time playful drenched in sunlight and warmth, intertwining with themes or echoes of themes from the other movements, culminating in a broad, hymn-like coda.

It is really a splendid work, and its neglect is unfathomable. The performances are also very good; Zubin Mehta is clearly intrigued by and sympathetic to the music, and the New York Philharmonic responds with verve and panache. I have no complaints about the sound quality either, and this is overall a very strongly recommended release.