Reger: Four Böcklin Tone Poems; Hiller Variations. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Neeme Järvi (cond.) Chandos Check Out the Dave's Faves Playlist: • Dave's Faves
I’ve been away in Scotland for a few days so lots to catch up on. That “isle of the Dead” painting is just wonderful, you can see it in Berlin. Reger is really a test character for critics and music appreciation as you can’t exactly say you love his music but on the other hand if you diss it too much you’d miss some wonderful music. It was his Serenade that convinced me of this, so unexpectedly lovely. Jochum loved it. But this particular disc sounds like a great idea too :)
Your talks have had me wary of Reger! But along with the other 4 recordings I ordered today, I bought this one. Just completed my first listen. Very fine! Thanks again for all your videos!
Thanks, I surely don't hate Reger. The latest cd from Markus Becker's "Max Reger: The Complete Works For Piano" is certainly one my Faves. For the orchestral works, I am not too convinced or too familiar. I will definitely try this disk!
I’ve been slaving away on the Bach variations for some time now, and I couldn’t put your criticisms of Reger any better. They are so exactly right. His extremely Germanic attempts at marrying counterpoint and chordal writing, noble and idea as it may have seemed is highly problematic for all the reasons you mentioned. All the frustrations I felt in studying it and learning it (and in my efforts to keep it from slogging) caused me to have truly cathartic laughter at your perfect descriptions of the issues. At the end of the day he is a composer I do really appreciate in spite of these issues, and I’m looking forward to hearing this set, especially the Böcklin set. I also agree that the Hiller are probably the best of his variations. If you had to pick a second place variation set, what would it be? (And if you’d rather not, don’t worry, I won’t push the issue lol). For the record I agree the concerto is just awful.
This is one of Two recordings that I regard as the absolute EPITOME of beautifully recorded, sumptuous but detailed orchestral playing/sound (the other also conducted by Jarvi...his Glazunov 5th on Orfeo). I have great difficulties with Reger's music, but I totally agree that THIS is one Reger cd every serious collector should own. And NO...your opinion about Reger's variation sets is NOT "crazy"; the Hiller Variations are the cleanest, clearest, most uncluttered and least TORTUROUS of his Variations; my goodness, his Mozart Variations take the simple, innocent, pristine A Major Sonata theme and transform it into a bloated, phantasmagoric behemoth that seems as likely to trample Tokyo as delight a concert audience. LR
@@jasonclark901 I ALSO had a (long-ago) resistance to Glazunov, a totally uninformed bias against his music. It largely came from reading about him in Shostakovich's memoirs and seeing pictures of him...a big, slovenly, elephantine guy who usually drank his lunch from his desk drawer at the St Petersburg Conservatory. How could his music be anything but dull, morose, and flabby, in the worst possibly Russian idiom? I was so thrilled to discover how wrong I was; Glazunov is the soul of, as you say, simple, clean melodies, fresh and lively, music that is basically joyous and positive. What a turnaround for me! (Conducted the Glaz 5th in 2018; orchestra and audience loved it). LR
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I’ve been away in Scotland for a few days so lots to catch up on. That “isle of the Dead” painting is just wonderful, you can see it in Berlin. Reger is really a test character for critics and music appreciation as you can’t exactly say you love his music but on the other hand if you diss it too much you’d miss some wonderful music. It was his Serenade that convinced me of this, so unexpectedly lovely. Jochum loved it. But this particular disc sounds like a great idea too :)
Your talks have had me wary of Reger! But along with the other 4 recordings I ordered today, I bought this one. Just completed my first listen. Very fine! Thanks again for all your videos!
Enjoy!
Thanks, I surely don't hate Reger. The latest cd from Markus Becker's "Max Reger: The Complete Works For Piano" is certainly one my Faves. For the orchestral works, I am not too convinced or too familiar. I will definitely try this disk!
Thanks!
I'm very touched by your kindness. Thank you!
I’ve been slaving away on the Bach variations for some time now, and I couldn’t put your criticisms of Reger any better. They are so exactly right. His extremely Germanic attempts at marrying counterpoint and chordal writing, noble and idea as it may have seemed is highly problematic for all the reasons you mentioned. All the frustrations I felt in studying it and learning it (and in my efforts to keep it from slogging) caused me to have truly cathartic laughter at your perfect descriptions of the issues. At the end of the day he is a composer I do really appreciate in spite of these issues, and I’m looking forward to hearing this set, especially the Böcklin set. I also agree that the Hiller are probably the best of his variations. If you had to pick a second place variation set, what would it be? (And if you’d rather not, don’t worry, I won’t push the issue lol). For the record I agree the concerto is just awful.
This is one of Two recordings that I regard as the absolute EPITOME of beautifully recorded, sumptuous but detailed orchestral playing/sound (the other also conducted by Jarvi...his Glazunov 5th on Orfeo). I have great difficulties with Reger's music, but I totally agree that THIS is one Reger cd every serious collector should own.
And NO...your opinion about Reger's variation sets is NOT "crazy"; the Hiller Variations are the cleanest, clearest, most uncluttered and least TORTUROUS of his Variations; my goodness, his Mozart Variations take the simple, innocent, pristine A Major Sonata theme and transform it into a bloated, phantasmagoric behemoth that seems as likely to trample Tokyo as delight a concert audience. LR
@@jasonclark901 I ALSO had a (long-ago) resistance to Glazunov, a totally uninformed bias against his music. It largely came from reading about him in Shostakovich's memoirs and seeing pictures of him...a big, slovenly, elephantine guy who usually drank his lunch from his desk drawer at the St Petersburg Conservatory. How could his music be anything but dull, morose, and flabby, in the worst possibly Russian idiom? I was so thrilled to discover how wrong I was; Glazunov is the soul of, as you say, simple, clean melodies, fresh and lively, music that is basically joyous and positive. What a turnaround for me! (Conducted the Glaz 5th in 2018; orchestra and audience loved it). LR
I burst out laughing at your description of the Mozart. 👌 perfect