Goetz: Complete Chamber Music

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Bernard Shaw said Goetz's Symphony was the greatest since Beethoven, blithely brushing aside Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Brahms. Goetz wasn't that good (and Shaw wasn't that good a music critic), but he showed a great deal of promise before his death at 36. The way Goetz develops his material is not compelling, but his tuneful romantic style can be very appealing, especially in these fine performances by a group of experienced chamber players. This set could have been more attractive if it offered more than 95 minutes of music on two full-priced CDs. But the analog recordings from the mid-'70s still sound excellent. --Leslie Gerber

Amazon.com

Hindemith was the greatest German composer of the post-War period, and the last in that great line that began with Bach and extended through the Classical and Romantic periods. His orchestral music is varied and generally extremely approachable, and the percentage of major works is very high. Nobilissima visione, Symphonic Metamorphoses, Mathis der Maler, Symphony in E-flat, and Concert Music for Strings and Brass are all popular masterpieces, while works such as the Symphonic Dances, Symphonia Serena, and Harmony of the World Symphony deserve the same accolades. This set, excellently performed and recorded by a selection of fine Australian orchestras, really deserves the widest circulation among fans of listenable contemporary classical music. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Great performances of a great composer.......2006-08-23

While Hindemith will never be known for changing the way the world hears music, he will always be recognized as composing well-crafted minor masterpieces, even if they can be a little formulaic and his sense of melody was a little warped. All six discs in this set have gems that should be heard more often in the concert halls and recorded more. In particular, the Concerto for Orchestra on Disc 6 is fantastic -- with its addictive and fun themes and transparent structure, it was the only work I listened to for about a month. Of the rarer works recorded here, his Symphony Serena on Disc 5 is a little tougher to like, but is really quite good, while his Symphony in E flat on Disc 4 is nothing short of amazing. The Philharmonic Concerto, a set of variations on a strange but catchy theme that only Hindemith could write, also really shines in this set.

Of his more well known -- if you can call any Hindemith "well known" -- works, the recordings are a mixed bag. His Concert Music for Strings and Brass on Disc 3 have a wonderful fullness in the lower brass that I haven't heard in other performances. But the Mathis der Maler Symphony and Nobilissima Visione are both so-so and a little dull. And the performance of Symphonic Metamorphosis here is just outright terrible and a big disappointment, full of mistakes and uneven tempos.

But that's ok. Because you can get good recordings of his better-known works elsewhere. But because his lesser works are presented here in such convincing performances, this set is a must buy for anyone exploring Hindemith! The other 2 box sets on CPO that round out his complete orchestral works are just as good, if not even better. All are highly recommended.

Hindemith, Hindemith, Hindemith!!!!!.......2005-05-15

Wow, this box set is phenomenal. First off, HIndemith is one of the most underappreciated and underrated composers of the 20th century. In my opinion he is definetly in the top 5 along with Stravinsky, Schoenberg, etc. This box set is simply amazing. Whether it is the sound quality, or the works themselves, they will provide you with hours and hours of great music. Although Hindemith was a 20th century composer, his works are EXTREMELY ACCESSIBLE and have a chromatic-romantic feeling to them. I am a music teacher and I have a huge classical collection and this box set is played more than most else. Also, I would recommend the other two volumes by CPO, they are just as good as this set.

DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY MADE THEM LIKE THIS ANYMORE.......2002-12-08

I listened upstairs in bed, on the couch watching football with the sound off, while typing my uncle William E. Crawford's WWII journals. It doesn't get any better than Paul Hindemith, whether it is band music, symphony, ragtime, or overture.
I confess I sometimes have a love-hate feeling about the role of the Jewish Diaspora musicians and composers. But they do the time to the beat and more. I always go to them for performance. They should teach other Americans to compose and perform.

Tracks:

Pno Qt in E, Op.6: I. Rasch Und Feurig - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Alan De Veritch/Terry King
Pno Qt in E, Op.6: II. Langsam - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Alan De Veritch/Terry King
Pno Qt in E, Op.6: III. Scherzo - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Alan De Veritch/Terry King
Pno Qt in E, Op.6: IV. Sehr Langsam - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Alan De Veritch/Terry King
Three Easy Pno Pieces, Op.2: I. Marsch - Glenn Dicterow/Gerald Robbins
Three Easy Pno Pieces, Op.2: II. Romanze - Glenn Dicterow/Gerald Robbins
Three Easy Pno Pieces, Op.2: III. Rondo - Glenn Dicterow/Gerald Robbins

Tracks:

Pno Trio in g, Op.1: I. Langsam - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Terry King
Pno Trio in g, Op.1: II. Sehr Ruhig - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Terry King
Pno Trio in g, Op.1: III. Fluchtig, Erregt - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Terry King
Pno Trio in g, Op.1: IV. Massig Rasch - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Terry King
Pno Qnt in c, Op.16: I. Andante Sostenuto. Allegro Con Fuoco - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Alan De Veritch/Terry King/Dennis Trembly
Pno Qnt in c, Op.16: II. Andante Con Moto - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Alan De Veritch/Terry King/Dennis Trembly
Pno Qnt in c, Op.16: III. Allegro Moderato - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Alan De Veritch/Terry King/Dennis Trembly
Pno Qnt in c, Op.16: IV. Allegro Vivace - Gerald Robbins/Glenn Dicterow/Alan De Veritch/Terry King/Dennis Trembly

Amazon.com

Bernard Shaw said Goetz's Symphony was the greatest since Beethoven, blithely brushing aside Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Brahms. Goetz wasn't that good (and Shaw wasn't that good a music critic), but he showed a great deal of promise before his death at 36. The way Goetz develops his material is not compelling, but his tuneful romantic style can be very appealing, especially in these fine performances by a group of experienced chamber players. This set could have been more attractive if it offered more than 95 minutes of music on two full-priced CDs. But the analog recordings from the mid-'70s still sound excellent. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

AHHHHHH...... GOETZ.......2001-09-13

As in his piano music, I find the wistful, German-born composer Hermann Gustav Goetz [1840-1876] at his most original, unassuming, melodic and nostalgic in these four chamber works that, from simplest to complex, form his sole output. And, as in his piano music, again, we find a "pure" Goetz with scarcely a hint of derivation in any direction. How these beautiful works languished for over one hundred years simply boggles the mind; their CD incarnation, then, is cause to rejoice, especially in performances like these, so attuned to the Goetz spirit, the joy, the melancholy, the romance and tragedy.

How could one not fall instantly in love with the Piano Quartet in E, Op. 6 (1867)? The opening theme of the first movement (7:57), alone, is glorious--- it soars, leading us directly into a secondary development whose lyricism plunges straight to our heart; throughout, Goetz intertwines these melodies hauntingly. The following Langsam (11:06), filled with a languid, aching romanticism (so akin to the composer's more intimate works), is probably one of the most moving you will have heard in a long, long time. Engaging, too, is its seque into the Scherzo (4:53), without pause. This ingenious co-joining is so graced, I can't blame Goetz for allowing his emotions to flood out. And with another brilliant stroke, the composer begins the Sehr langsam finale (8:31), not in merriment, but with yet another heart-rending theme that wrings us dry before breaking out in songful elation.

The Three Easy Pieces for Violin and Piano of 1863, Op. 2 (12:07), are fairly lightweight works, but are nonetheless attractive "chips" from the Goetz workbench, especially the endearing "Romanze."

The Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 1, also composed in 1863 (24:42), is a splendid, multi-faceted jewel whose Langsam first movement, initially dark-hued, but turning zesty, resolves into the consummate beauty of the second movement, Sehr ruhig. Melodies like these are simply too gorgeous to describe. They must be heard. The Fluchtig-Erregt, following, brings us into some Mendelssohnian territory, briefly and lightly, and the concluding Massig rasch, knitting and weaving previous themes in a tapestry of sorrow and joy, with piano dancing, strings plucking or consoling, ends in a perfect, boisterous surge that is irresistible.

With the Piano Quintet in C Minor, Op. 16 (25:28), written in 1874, a mere two years before the composer's ridiculously untimely death, we enter a world darker and deeper. Here Goetz truly examines his soul, his fears, the ultimate doom he knew was coming, and over which he had no control. The Quintet is his ultimate expression of life's wonder and futility--- beautiful and intense--- and his final "raging at the dying of the light." The stunningly moving Andante, with its strings conversing back and forth, as in prayer, and the piano comforting them, is simply sublime.

Sublime, as well, is the playing of every member of this wonderful ensemble, each deserving the highest praise. The sound given them is intimate, warm, immediate, and does full justice to the music of this humble composer.

[Running time--- CD 1: 45:02 CD 2: 50:21]

Touches of Bernstein: The Complete Published Piano Music of Leonard Bernstein

Average customer rating:

Touches of Bernstein: The Complete Published Piano Music of Leonard Bernstein

Manufacturer: Centaur
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00076YP9O
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Average customer rating:

"THROUGH FIELDS AND HALLS OF BEECH"

Goetz: Complete Works for Solo Piano

Manufacturer: Genesis Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005WWN
Release Date: 1993-12-29

Tracks:

Lose Blatter, Op.7: Heft I: 1. Durch Feld Und Buchenhallen
Lose Blatter, Op.7: Heft I: 2. Frisch In Die Welt Hinaus
Lose Blatter, Op.7: Heft I: 3. Einsamkeit
Lose Blatter, Op.7: Heft I: 4. Liebesscherze
Lose Blatter, Op.7: Heft I: 5. Bei Dir!
Lose Blatter, Op.7: Heft II: 6. Ihr Fluchtigen Winde, Wohin, Wohin?
Lose Blatter, Op.7: Heft II: 7. Heimatklang
Lose Blatter, Op.7: Heft II: 8. Fruhlingsgruss
Lose Blatter, Op.7: Heft II: 9. Auf Wiedersehen!
Son in F, Op.8, No.1: Allegro Moderato
Son in F, Op.8, No.1: Andante Con Moto
Son in F, Op.8, No.1: Allegretto Grazioso
Son in E flat, Op.8, No.2: Allegro Con Brio
Son in E flat, Op.8, No.2: Andantino
Son in E flat, Op.8, No.2: Rondo: Allegro Scherzando
Genrebilder, Op.13: I. Andantino Espressivo
Genrebilder, Op.13: II. Allegro Scherzando
Genrebilder, Op.13: III. Larghetto
Genrebilder, Op.13: IV. Presto
Genrebilder, Op.13: V. Allegro Impetuoso
Genrebilder, Op.13: VI. Larghetto

Customer Reviews:

"THROUGH FIELDS AND HALLS OF BEECH".......2000-11-22

Chances are you've never heard of the tragically short-lived Hermann Goetz (1840-1876), nor any of his music, piano or otherwise. Such a simple flickering of a man. An unambitious, unambiguous wisp, the gentlest of souls amongst the grandest German Romantic composers. Such a man, especially a composer, comes rarely through life. No, chances are you've never heard of Hermann Goetz.

I hadn't, either, until the mid-70s, when Genesis Records, Inc., those incredibly enterprising champions of obscure Romantic composers, released the vinyl of the present CD, performed by Adrian Ruiz, the champion of obscure Romantic piano works. Well, I didn't waste much time buying the Goetz (almost twenty-five years ago!) and scurrying home to listen to same.

It was love-at-first-hearing.

When we are impressed and moved by music, we want to share our feelings immediately. I think this is, primarily, what Goetz held in his heart. What we hear, and what is so attractive about his music, is, well, Goetz. The man, not the composer. In these contagiously original and lyrical pieces, which comprise his entire ouvre for piano, we hear Goetz: poignant and tragic, mellow and life-affirming, hopeful, fearful, melancholy and joyous--- the compleat Romantic. With titles like "Fresh Out in the World," "Solitude," "With You!," "Ye Fleeting Winds, Where to, Where to?," "Auf Wiedersehen," and "Through Field and Halls of Beech," we hear more than piano music alone.

[Running time: 55:45]

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

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