Korngold: Piano Quintet op. 15, Suite op. 23

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Korngold, a prodigy composer, wrote the expansive Piano Quintet when he was 24. It's composed on a large scale in a very lush, late-romantic idiom that makes it easy to understand how Korngold would eventually become most famous as a writer of Hollywood movie music. You have to like this style to enjoy the music, but it's quite a good example of its type.

The suite, written a few years later for the one-armed "virtuoso" Paul Wittgenstein (actually he couldn't play his way out of a paper bag), is even better music, with a gorgeous song as its fourth movement that may leave you breathless. The performances, by an excellent British ensemble and friends, are powerful enough to carry the music along, and the sympathetic program notes also help. --Leslie Gerber

Tracks:

Pno Qnt in E, Op.15: First Movt: Massiges Zeltmass, Mit Schwungvoll Bluhendem Ausdruck - Jan Schmolck
Pno Qnt in E, Op.15: Second Movt: Adagio (Mit Grosster Ruhe, Stets Ausserst-Ausdruckvoll) - Jan Schmolck
Pno Qnt in E, Op.15: Finale (Gemessem, Beinahe Pathetisch) - Jan Schmolck
Ste, Op.23: First Movt: Prld And Fugue - Claire McFarlane
Ste, Op.23: Second Movt: Walzer - Claire McFarlane
Ste, Op.23: Third Movt: Groteske - Claire McFarlane
Ste, Op.23: Fourth Movt: Lied - Claire McFarlane
Ste, Op.23: Fifth Movt: Rondo-Finale (Var) - Claire McFarlane

Amazon.com

Korngold, a prodigy composer, wrote the expansive Piano Quintet when he was 24. It's composed on a large scale in a very lush, late-romantic idiom that makes it easy to understand how Korngold would eventually become most famous as a writer of Hollywood movie music. You have to like this style to enjoy the music, but it's quite a good example of its type.

Customer Reviews:

Rare Korngold Performed with Style.......2006-03-23

Erich Wolfgang Korngold remains an enigma. From his early works while in Germany such as the two included on this fine CD he all the promise to follow in the footsteps of the great post romantic composers. But when he our of necessity moved to the United States his highly regarded and justly famous film scores created there became his legacy. Not that the film scores are not magnificent: they contain some of the finest cinematic music composed. And certainly many 'serious composers' composed music for films!

But now and then it is exciting to return to his works not meant to enhance a visual experience. Hisc oncerti, his gorgeous opera 'Die Tote Stadt' and his chamber works are some of the finest produced in his time. On this excellent CD we have the opportunity to taste two early works. The beautifully elegiac Suite for 2 violins, cello & piano left hand, Op 23 was yet another work composed for the one-armed Paul Wittgenstein and it receives a near flawless performance here by Jane Salmon, Douglas Paterson, William Howard, Clare McFarlane, Schubert Ensemble of London.

Likewise the Quintet for piano & strings in E major, Op 15 as performed by Simon Blendis, Jane Salmon, Douglas Paterson, William Howard, Schubert Ensemble of London is young, fresh and sublimely romantic. The writing is brilliant and the musical thoughts and motifs are not derivative but clearly his own. The recorded sound is excellent and though the artists may not be individually well known, the Schubert Ensemble of London of which they all are members is a highly regarded chamber group. This is a fine introduction to Korngold's chamber music and one that will appeal to almost every music taste. Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06

An unbelievable performance!!!.......2003-08-23

This recording of Korngold is absolutely the best recording that i have bought.It's not just the brilliant technique but also them soul shaking musicality.This recording is so wonderful that i have purchased it for several friends as a gift and all of them,whether they like this type of music or not, have fallen in love with both this record and Schubert Ensemble.Schubert Ensemble perform the Korngold's music with astonishing accuracy and excellent expression.They are warmly expressive,disciplined,and beautifully balanced. The sound quality is superb.This has become one of my favorite albums in any genre.

Anne Sofie von Otter - Rendez-vous with Korngold: Songs & Chamber Music / Forsberg

Average customer rating:

Not to be missed
Ecstatic, Voluptuous Korngold

Anne Sofie von Otter - Rendez-vous with Korngold: Songs & Chamber Music / Forsberg
Erich Wolfgang Korngold , Anne Sofie von Otter , Bengt Forsberg , Mats Lidstrom , Kjell Lysell , and Ulf Forsberg
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Otter, Anne Sophie von | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Anne Sofie von Otter - Love's Twilight (Late Romantic Songs by Berg, Korngold, Strauss)
Angelika Kirchschlager - Debut Recital Recording / Helmut Deutsch

ASIN: B00000HY3U
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Four Songs Of Parting Op. 14: 1. Sterbelied - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Four Songs Of Parting Op. 14: 2. Dies eine kann mein Sehnen nimmer fassen - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Four Songs Of Parting Op. 14: 3. Mond, so gehst du wieder auf - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Four Songs Of Parting Op. 14: 4. Gefasster Abschied - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Quintet For 2 Violins, Viola, Violoncello And Piano In E Major: 1. Massiges Zeitmass, mit schwungcoll bluhendem Ausdruck - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Quintet For 2 Violins, Viola, Violoncello And Piano In E Major: 2. Adagio. Mit grosster Ruhe, stets ausserst gebunden und ausdrucksvoll - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Quintet For 2 Violins, Viola, Violoncello And Piano In E Major: 3. Finale. Gemessen, beinahe pathetisch - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Songs Of the Clown Op. 29: 1. Come Away, Death - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Songs Of the Clown Op. 29: 2. O Mistress Mine - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Songs Of the Clown Op. 29: 3. Adieu, Good Man Devil - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Songs Of the Clown Op. 29: 4. Hey Robin - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Songs Of the Clown Op. 29: 5. For the Rain, It Raineth Every Day - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Simple Songs Without Op. No.:: Nachts - Anne Sofie Von Otter
Simple Songs Without Op. No.:: Die Geniale - Anne Sofie Von Otter

Tracks:

Four Shakespear Songs Op. 31: 1. Desdemonas Song - E.W. Korngold
Four Shakespear Songs Op. 31: 2. Under the Greenwood Tree - E.W. Korngold
3. Four Shakespear Songs Op. 31: Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind - E.W. Korngold
Four Shakespear Songs Op. 31: 4. When Birds Do Sing - E.W. Korngold
Three Songs: 1. Was Du mir bist? - E.W. Korngold
Three Songs: 2. Mit Dir zu Schweigen - E.W. Korngold
Three Songs: 3. Welt ist stille eingeschlafen - E.W. Korngold
Suite For 2 Violins, Violincello and Piano (left hand): 1. Praludium und Fuge - E.W. Korngold
Suite For 2 Violins: 2. Walzer - E.W. Korngold
Suite For 2 Violins: 3. Groteske - E.W. Korngold
Suite For 2 Violins: 4. Lied - E.W. Korngold
Suite For 2 Violins: 5. Rondo - Finale (Variotionen) - E.W. Korngold
Mariettas Lied: Mariettas Lied Op. 12 - E.W. Korngold

Amazon.com

The slithering idiom of early-20th-century Vienna dominates but never consumes Korngold's fluent lyricism, from the ingenuous Suite for Piano Left Hand and Strings to his gorgeous lieder. Anne Sofie von Otter cuddles her ravishing voice around the sublime "Songs of Parting," while longtime accompanist Bengt Forsberg shadows her every nuance. Her supple and pointed diction in the Shakespeare songs is an object lesson in how to sing perfect English, and this from a non-native singer. In the aforementioned Suite, Forsberg and friends don't match the tight-knit ensemble, glitchless intonation, and virtuosic profile that distinguishes Leon Fleisher's powerful version on Sony. They pick and jab at the fragmented yearnings of the Piano Quintet op. 15 yet never get Korngold's lopsided mountain to move. But you'll always return to the songs, for which texts and translations are included. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Not to be missed.......2001-07-11

Listening to the songs (which are the chief attraction of this set) it's difficult to understand why Korngold is not more well known than he is, at least for his "serious" works (i.e. not film scores). As beautifully executed by Anne Sofie von Otter, it should be apparent that his songs are worthy to be ranked with those of Schubert and Strauss and should be performed and recorded as often. Of the German songs "Sterbelied" ("Requiem") and "Mond, so gehst du wieder auf" ("Moon, thus do you rise again") from Op. 14 and "Was du mir bist?" ("What are you to me?") from Op. 24 are the most beautiful, in my opinion. It's no wonder that Korngold reused their melodies in the chamber works included. The Op. 14 songs come off better in their purely instrumental guise than does "Was du mir bist?" which, compared to the perfection of its vocal form, is little more than a barely adequate transcription as the fourth movement of the Suite, Op. 23. Of the English songs, "Desdemona's Song" from Op. 31 is memorable for it haunting quality and heartbreaking simplicity.

While I would agree that the recording of the Suite, Op. 23, is better handled by Fleisher et al. on Sony (I have no comparison for the Quintet, Op. 15), in one respect I prefer this recording. In my opinion, the third movement "Groteske" requires a kind of wildness that this recording contains (perhaps inadvertently) while on Sony the playing is almost too controlled and thus sounds relatively restrained.

The chamber arrangement of "Mariettas Lied" from "Die tote Stadt" is an interesting curiosity and while once again the singing is exquisite, without its lush orchestral colour the music is missing something. Charming but a bit thin.

Ecstatic, Voluptuous Korngold.......2000-05-27

Perhaps the best introduction yet to the unique sound world of the great Erich Korngold, this varied, entirely enjoyable set will be loved by afficianados and newcomers alike. Don't miss it.

Average customer rating:

Way beyond five stars....

Korngold: Piano Quintet; Suite

Manufacturer: Albany Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000296SQ
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

Piano Quintet In E Major, Op. 15: I. Massiges Zeitmass, mit schwungvoll bluhendem Ausdruck
Piano Quintet In E Major, Op. 15: II. Adagio: Mit grosster Ruhe, stets ausserst - ausdrucksvoll
Piano Quintet In E Major, Op. 15: III. Finale: Gemessen, beinahe pathetisch
Suite, Op. 23: I. Praludium und Fuge - Kraftig und bestimmt
Suite, Op. 23: II. Walzer - Nicht schnell, anmutig
Suite, Op. 23: III. Groteske - Moglichst rasch
Suite, Op. 23: IV. Lied - Schlicht und innig. Nicht zu langsam
Suite, Op. 23: V. Rondo - Finale (Variation)

Customer Reviews:

Way beyond five stars...........2000-03-18

This is an amazing performance of a work that is only just being rediscovered and fully appreciated by an ever growing assemblage of Korngold aficionados. I think Korngold's time has finally come and I think this utterly breathtaking performance is going to help skyrocket the memory of this composer's extaordinary music (OUTSIDE of Hollywood!). It is a shame that Korngold didn't live long enough to see the resurgence of his music in something other than a film score. I cannot recommend highly enough this exquisite performance and the consummate artistry of the musicians on this gorgeous recording. I wish there were enough superlatives to describe the heartbreaking beauty of their performance. The passion literally oozes out of this recording - it is as wonderful as anything I've heard in a long time. If you are not moved beyond control by this piece and particularly this performance, perhaps you should consider having your pulse taken...... Pity that five stars is the highest rating that we can give this impassioned performance. Bravo!