Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Hermann Scherchen
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CD Details
Composer: Ludwig van BeethovenComposer: Johannes Brahms
Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn
Composer: Carl Orff
Composer: Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek
Composer: Arnold Schoenberg
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Conductor: Hermann Scherchen
Orchestra: Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Orchestra: Wiener Staatsopernorchester
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2003-11-04
Music Label: EMI Classics
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Coriolan Overture, Op. 62
- Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: I. Allegro vivace e con brio
- Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: II. Allegretto scherzando
- Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: III. Tempo di Menuetto
- Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93: IV. Allegro vivace
- L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird), concert suite for orchestra No. 2: Introduction. The Firebird and its Dance
- L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird), concert suite for orchestra No. 2: Variation of the Firebird
- L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird), concert suite for orchestra No. 2: The Princesses' Round
- L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird), concert suite for orchestra No. 2: Infernal Dance of King Kashchei
- L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird), concert suite for orchestra No. 2: Lullaby
- L'oiseau de feu (The Firebird), concert suite for orchestra No. 2: Finale
- Suite for string orchestra in G major: I. Ouverture. Largo - Allegro
- Suite for string orchestra in G major: II. Adagio
- Suite for string orchestra in G major: IV. Gigue. Moderato
- Entrata, overture for 5 orchestral groups & organ (after 'The Bells' by Byrd)
- Donna Diana, opera: Overture
- Symphony No. 100 in G major ('Military') H. 1/100: I. Adagio - Allegro
- Symphony No. 100 in G major ('Military') H. 1/100: II. Allegretto
- Symphony No. 100 in G major ('Military') H. 1/100: III. Menuet. Moderato - Trio
- Symphony No. 100 in G major ('Military') H. 1/100: IV. Finale. Presto
- Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68: I. Un poco sostenuto - Allegro
- Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68: II. Andante sostenuto
- Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68: III. Un poco Allegretto e grazioso
- Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68: IV. Adagio - Pi? Andante - Allegro non troppo, ma con brio
Music reviews of Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Hermann Scherchen
Music Review: Scherchen, the wild man in the room, doesn't disappoint
Rating: 4 Stars
The problem with Hermann Scherchen is also the great thing about him: his unpredictability and crazily reckless decisions. We hear this in practically every note of these two CDs in the Great Conductors series. Balances can be wildly off, tempos helter-skelter, ensemble thrown out the window (and the compilers by no means picked the worst of Scherchen's many recordings for Westminster, which can be so ragged as to be unlistenable). But Scherchen was much more than a lovable maniac; he is never less than gripping.
CD 1 begins with a slapdash, exciting Coriolan Overture (good mono, 1954) with the Vienna State Opera Orch. Technically this orchestra is supposed to be some version of the Vienna Philharmonic, but during the early Fifties at least they sounded like a ragtag pickup band. Ensemble and sound improve markedly with the Beethoven Eighth (mono, 1954) which curiously took 13 days to record with the Royal Phil., Beehcam's orchestra. Tempos are fast and alert, and there is no time for digging deep. Scherchen makes this symphony into an exciting race that you either join or walk away from. There's not much middle ground. (The piece lends itself well to his approach, something I can't say for his equally breakneck Eroica.)
At these speeds we have room for a lot more. A Firebird Suite (mono, 1954) comes from the same sessions as the Beethoven, oddly enough. It's full of the same racing excitement. Schonberg's Suite for String Orch. is a bizarrely conventional tonal work, but being mature Schonberg it's full of modernist touches that Scherchen expertly highlights for us in a live performance with the Berlin Radio Sym.--this is one of the best things in the set (stereo, 1959). CD 1 ends with a short work totally unknown to me, Orff's Entrada (stereo, 1960), which sounds like Baroque pastische a la Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances. It loses its fake achaic charm long before eight min. are up.
CD 2 starts off with a burst of champagne, Resnicek's Donna Diana Over. (stereo, 1957). For once the Vienna State Opera Orch. actually sounds like it's from Vienna, and things couldn't be better. The same group is reasonably up to scratch in Haydn's 'Military' Sym. #100, though the 1958 stereo sonics make them sound a scrawny. Haydn was Scherchen's least eccentric composer, at least until we get to the breakneck finale, which is something else again--Beecham on amphetamines. With more robust forces the VSOO takes on the Brahms First (mono, 1952), which Scherchen dispatches in 41 min., equal to Toscanini's NBC Sym. recording from the same period. Hiss rocket-propelled finale will leave you agog. The dated sonics make the strings sound wiry and buzzy, but this is an energetic, well shaped reading, and recognizably similar to many others from mainstream conductors. Too bad we didn't get something more modernist or at least a taste of Scherchen's hair-raising Mahler and Liszt.
Anyway, what we do get is a fair portrait of this one-of-a-kind conductor, who deserves a lot more exploration by anyone who gets a tempting taste of what he could do.
CD 2
General CDs
- Styles > Classical
- Featured Composers, A-Z > ( B ) > Beethoven, Ludwig van
- Brahms, Johannes
- ( H ) > Haydn, Franz Joseph
- ( O ) > Orff, Carl
- ( S ) > Schoenberg, Arnold
- Stravinsky, Igor
- Featured Performers, A-Z > ( B ) > Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
- ( V ) > Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
- Forms & Genres > Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music > Overtures
- Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830) > General
- Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Forms & Genres > Symphonies
- Symphonies > General
- Opera & Vocal > General
- Beethoven, Ludwig van - Works by Beethoven
- Brahms, Johannes - Works by Brahms
- Haydn, Franz Joseph - Works by Franz Joseph Haydn
- Orff, Carl - Works by Orff
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