Ernst KRENEK (1900-1991)
Symphony No. 4, Op. 113 (1947) [30:26]
Concerto Grosso, Op. 25 No. 2 (1924) [26:52]
Volker Worlitzsch (violin), Dimitar Penkov (viola), Nikolai Schneider (cello)
NDR Radiophilharmonie/Alun Francis
rec. 27 Feb – 3 March 2006, Grosser Sendesaal des NDR Landesfunkhaus Niedersachsen.
DDD
World Premiere Recording (4)
CPO 777 210 2 [57:24] 
Krenek is so much more than Jonny Spielt Auf. CPO have opened the door
on the symphonies. Indeed they did so as long ago as 1993-95. Their CDs of
the symphonies from the NDR Radiophilharmonie with Takao Ukigaya are: 999
359-2 (1 and 5); 999 255-2 (2); 999 236-2 (3).
The obvious lacuna was the Fourth Symphony. It's performing materials and
score had gone missing and were thought lost until five years ago when the
Krenek Institute found the score in America.
Somewhat along the lines of Frank Bridge his style chameleoned with the twists
and turns of musical mores. He began, according to Philipp Weber's notes,
in the embrace of his teacher Schreker and moved with every development until
he largely ceased writing in 1989 two years short of his death.
Mitropoulos premiered the Fourth Symphony at Carnegie Hall in 1947 three months
after completion. The first of the three movements is angry, volatile and
explosive after a prefatory pastoral poem. The middle movement is dynamic,
flightily dissonant and gently and nostalgically melancholy. Angular vituperation
characterises the finale with exciting writing recalling William Schuman but
more unforgivingly acidic and excoriating.
From the mid-1920s and premiered in Zurich under Volkmar Andreae comes the
typically spiky, gum-booted Regerian and neo-classical Concerto Grosso op.
25 No. 2. It shivers with collegiate soloistic detail. The dissonance is not
yet present just a shade of stinging vitriol. The second movement adagio and
fourth movement andante have outgrown the determination and activity of the
first movement and sing with an affecting almost Brahmsian sincerity through
the solo instruments. The writing here is of the highest quality and is strikingly
predictive of the melos of late Tippett.
These two works are, as with so many pieces of music, in debt to convention
but the symphony has some magnificent moments especially at the start of the
first movement. Of similar exalted quality are the slow movements of the Concerto
Grosso in which real enchantment is attained. Very impressive indeed.
Not to forget this Capriccio CD:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2007/July07/Krenek_67176.htm
Rob Barnett
Real enchantment is attained. Very impressive indeed.