Chris de Souza on Symphonies: 28.4.12

[Nick Armstrong]

No one's commented on this discussion, which I found an unusually interesting listen (very comfortably on Sunday morning under the duvet, Calum-style).

Andrew Manze's emergence as a conductor of much wider repertoire than one associates him with, continues with his Brahms symphonies which sounded fresh and compelling... the Dutch Beethoven 9 under De Vriend (CdS's desert island choice now, he said), Rozhdestvensky's Schumann in Estonia, and Hans Gal's Fourth...

... all were fascinating to hear, and the subject of a very cogent and balanced discussion.

The Gal extracts, I listened to 3 or 4 times - initially, the music sounds light and facile, but with relistening its appeal grows enormously.

Does anyone here know his music well?

Has anyone got and listened in full to Manze's Brahms, or to the de Vriend Beethoven? I'm on the verge of investing in the latter...

[Anna]

Oh, I listened as well (although not under a duvet - I am not such a slugabed!) Very interesting and good insights into Andrew Manze, and, No, cannot help on Brahms or Beethoven, nor Gal. But, a lovely programme I thought, with food for thought.

[jayne lee wilson]

No one's commented on this discussion, which I found an unusually interesting listen (very comfortably on Sunday morning under the duvet, Calum-style).

Andrew Manze's emergence as a conductor of much wider repertoire than one associates him with, continues with his Brahms symphonies which sounded fresh and compelling... the Dutch Beethoven 9 under De Vriend (CdS's desert island choice now, he said), Rozhdestvensky's Schumann in Estonia, and Hans Gal's Fourth...

... all were fascinating to hear, and the subject of a very cogent and balanced discussion.

The Gal extracts, I listened to 3 or 4 times - initially, the music sounds light and facile, but with relistening its appeal grows enormously.

Does anyone here know his music well?

Has anyone got and listened in full to Manze's Brahms, or to the de Vriend Beethoven? I'm on the verge of investing in the latter...

Caliban, I wrote a lengthy review on the Manze Brahms 3rd on the recent thread "New Brahms Recordings". Do have a look...

Most intrigued about the Rozh Schumann, it's been criticised in the Gramophone years ago for poor sound, any new comments in the review?

[Nick Armstrong]

Caliban, I wrote a lengthy review on the Manze Brahms 3rd on the recent thread "New Brahms Recordings". Do have a look...

Ah! Yes! That would have been a sensible place for me to start looking! Thanks for the reminder

Don't recall any specific comments about the Noddy Schumann... but after the Brahms and Beethoven recordings, it sounded a tad scrawny

[kernelbogey]

I enjoyed Chris de Souza's enthusiasm. I haven't heard him in a long time on R3. (I remember a series he gave years ago about Brahms's chamber music.) The Manze Brahms sounded very interesting.

[mathias broucek]

When I was in Glasgow recently Manze was doing two RVW symphonies (4 and 5 from memory). I didn't go as I was very tired and feared dropping off in the 5th (lovely piece though it be).