Henze, Hans Werner (1926-2012)

[Richard Barrett]

7 is very good, I have the Rattle, but having spent so long with 1-6 on Deutsche Grammophon, 7 was a bit of an anticlimax for me.

May I recommend the Cambreling recording with the SWR orchestra (also containing the aforementioned Ariosi). Most people seem to prefer Rattle but I've never got on with his recording. The Cambreling sounds to me much more like I think Henze ought to sound, by which I probably mean more like his own recordings sound.

[Beef Oven!]

May I recommend the Cambreling recording with the SWR orchestra (also containing the aforementioned Ariosi). Most people seem to prefer Rattle but I've never got on with his recording. The Cambreling sounds to me much more like I think Henze ought to sound, by which I probably mean more like his own recordings sound.

I wasn't aware of that recording, I'll check it out - thanks

[Stanfordian]

My first choice recordings of the ten Henze symphonies are from the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under Marek Janowski on Wergo. In my view all eminently recommendable.

[Richard Barrett]

My first choice recordings of the ten Henze symphonies are from the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin under Marek Janowski on Wergo. In my view all eminently recommendable.

Those are excellent too; I've spent most time with the CD of nos.3-5, which I like a lot although it and the others aren't going to draw me too far away from the composer's own recordings. I'm reminded that I need to get to know 8-10 a lot better than I do.

[frankbridge]

I was quite fortunate to look after HWH for a week when he was in Manchester for a retrospective of his output at the RNCM in 1997: I was working at a wellknown bookshop at the time, but I knew Henze quite well from his time in Birmingham, where Rattle was a staunch champion in the glory days of the CBSO, and I jumped at the chance of concerts and talks with the composer present (completely free). Needless to say, he signed my CDs of his Sym Nos 1-6 on DG, and Uncle Simon in 7.

I have the Henze symphonies 1 - 6 in its Brilliant Classics incarnation but my favourite of his symphonies is the 7th, perhaps because it was the first one I heard. I attended the UK premieres of the 8th and 9th, both at the Proms, and sat in the front row at the pre-Prom talk that Henze gave before the 8th in 1995. I was hoping to get him to sign my programme but minders hustled him away so I never got the chance even though I was literally just a few feet away from him.

I've got the 9th on CD but have never really got on with it. Anyone got any thoughts on it?