CPO's
first CD to introduce us to the symphonies of the composer
of the
Donna Diana overture was
777
056-2 which
included symphonies 2 and 5.
With
the present disc we make the acquaintance of the 55 minute
leviathan that is Reznicek's
Tragic Symphony. This
was premiered in Berlin under the baton of Felix Weingartner
on 2 January 1903. It’s a symphony of spectacle rather
than an ineluctably coherent organic document. The spectacle
is grand but it proceeds as a series of tableaux - a cavalcade
of splendid incidents in which various elements merge.
The writing sometimes references Bruckner, Tchaikovsky,
Elgar and Berlioz (as in the ‘bacchanale’ of IV, at 5.54
onwards). There are a few echoes of Strauss - though never
as torridly superheated as the original. If anything this
is the Strauss of the
Alpine Symphony. The Symphony
has its grand moments but this is essentially an indulgent
discursive piece with some fantastic episodes along the
way.
By
contrast the
Four Songs of Prayer and Repentance after
words of the Holy Scripture are more focused and compelling.
Together the four songs run just short of 12 minutes. The
mezzo Marina Prudenskaja renders them with as much soulful
feeling as if they were Brahms'
Vier Ernste Gesange -
indeed these songs belong in that select company. Outstanding
among the four is the third song
Alles, was aus der
Erde stammt with its poignant feelings driven graciously
home.
As
I mentioned in my review of that first symphony disc, Reznicek
was more at home in the theatre. His most significant opera
is
Donna Diana, premiered in Prague in 1894. Do
not overlook
Till Eulenspiegel premiered in Carlsruhe
in 1902,
Ritter
Blaubart in Darmstadt in 1920,
Holofernes in
Berlin in 1923 and
Spiel Oder Ernst in Dresden in
1930.
As
usual, the CPO notes are very extensive, intellectually
convoluted and fascinating if sometimes difficult to follow
in the English translation.
These
performances carry great conviction with Frank Beermann
having rapidly become
the Reznicek champion alongside
his efforts. We should not however forget that CPO have
issued his recordings of the two symphonies by Heinrich
von Herzogenberg (
777
122-2) and the three symphonies of Friedrich Ernst
Fesca (symphony 1: 999889-2; and symphonies 2 and 3:
999
869-2).
Rob Barnett
Marina
Prudenskaja (mezzo) 
