Aimez-vous Krenek?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

My Glenn Gould CD tells me that the pianist included the sonata Op 92 no 4 regularly in his programmes, including in his final one in Los Angeles in April 1964. I'd love to read Gould's notes (always enlightening), but SONY have printed them so tiny that I can't, even with a magnifying glass. Dumb.

This might be useful, veris:

http://krenek.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Texte/Ausschnitte_aus_A_FESTSCHRIFT_FOR.pdf

Rolmill (#15) - the Lamentations are the only work by Krenek that I know at all; I find them coolly beautiful - more Renaissance than "plainchant", I'd say: Webern meets Victoria. (The composer, not the queen, that is.)

[verismissimo]

This might be useful, veris:

http://krenek.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Texte/Ausschnitte_aus_A_FESTSCHRIFT_FOR.pdf

What an enlightening piece, ferney. Thanks.

[verismissimo]

Listened again after twenty years or so to Jonny Spielt Auf. Good fun and in many ways a seminal work.
Shame it's so neglected.

[umslopogaas]

Since my previous post I have acquired a four CD set of the complete (five) symphonies: NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover cond. Takao Ukigaya and Alun Francis. The code is cpo 777 695-2. As well as the symphonies, you get Potpourri op. 54 and Concerto Grosso op. 25, 2. The CDs are also available individually. I have played them all through and I am sorry to say they made little impression, though at least the little they did make was favourable. Must have another listen.

[Beef Oven!]

I'm afraid the answer is that the owners of Krenek's estate, mainly his family, demand excessive performing rights fees thus reducing the number of his pieces that get programmed. A great shame!

Pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap, I say!

I have the Gould recording, but haven't got round to Jonny or any of the symphonies.

[Roehre]

Since my previous post I have acquired a four CD set of the complete (five) symphonies: NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover cond. Takao Ukigaya and Alun Francis. The code is cpo 777 695-2. As well as the symphonies, you get Potpourri op. 54 and Concerto Grosso op. 25, 2. The CDs are also available individually. I have played them all through and I am sorry to say they made little impression, though at least the little they did make was favourable. Must have another listen.

I guess the set lacks the 4th symphony?
That one has re-emerged after being considered lost for four decades or so and has been recorded by CPO as well, but as their "complete" set had been issued already, this symphony is available as a CD not included in it.

The symphonies deserve to be listened to.
No.2 has been mentioned already, but the others have their qualities too, but it takes time/trouble to get into them, as they are relatively dense works: densely composed and densely emotionally.

Then there are the operas.
Johnny spielt auf is obviously the best known, but e.g. there are some rather humourous/sarcastic one-act operas like the 1926/'27 Der Diktator(The Dictator) op.49, Das geheime Königreich (the secret kingdom) op.50 and Schwergewicht oder Die Ehre der nation (The Heavyweight boxer or the honour of the Fatherland) op.55 (available as 2 CD set on Capriccio).
For an impressive historical opera -Verdi's Don Carlos-like - turn to Karl V. (Holy emperor Charles the Fifth, on this DVD)

There is a host of smaller orchestral and chamber music pieces, e.g. the string quartets (for these applies what I remarked earlier for the symphonies), but also the string trio op.118, the (early) Serenade for clarinet, violin, viola and 'cello op.4 (a good example of Krenek's roots), the sonatas for violin-solo (similar in expression to Hartmann's or Bartok's, less "baroque" than Reger's), or the frivolous Sinfonietta e Brasileira op.131 (1953) or the 7 easy pieces for orchestra op.146 (also 1953) or the 3 Lustige Märsche(3 humorous marches) op.44 (1925).

It must be said that Krenek's output generally is of a qualitatively high level - but sometimes one cannot escape the impression of a kind of milhaud-like note-spinning. Especially the piano music suffers from this in my experience (not the piano sonatas, that is).

PS: I don't understand the length of 40 minutes mentioned regarding the 1945 Sinfonische Elegie in Memoriam Anton Webern op.105, which AFAIK has a duration of some 10 minutes only .

[umslopogaas]

Roehre: no, the set is complete with five symphonies, symphony no. 4 is paired with Concerto Grosso Op. 25, 2 on cpo 777 210-2.

[Roehre]

Roehre: no, the set is complete with five symphonies, symphony no. 4 is paired with Concerto Grosso Op. 25, 2 on cpo 777 210-2.

They've re-issued a really complete set then, including the fourth with the same filler.
Has obviously escaped my attention.