Egon Wellesz: Symphonies 1-9 (Complete) [Box set] Egon Wellesz

[guest377]

Does anyone have this box set? 

Egon Wellesz: Symphonies 1-9 (Complete)
Egon Wellesz (Composer), Gottfried Rabl (Conductor), Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien 

any thoughts??

[kyjo]

Wellesz's symphonies are well worth your time, Dave! They fall into two distinct groups: Nos. 1-4 are thoroughly tonal works in the Bruckner/Mahler tradition, and nos. 5-8 are sparer, more dissonant works which experiment with dodecaphony. It would be fair to say that each symphony gets more advanced in its harmonic
language, especially when you hit no. 5, from where on the symphonies become increasingly forbidding. My personal favorite is the Second, a noble, joyful, and expansive work. The Fifth, while by no means "easy listening", is a marvelously intense, even terrifying work. I must confess that I can't yet come to terms with nos. 6-8, intractable as they are, but don't let that turn you off! Wellesz is a major symphonist with many important things to say.

[Dundonnell]

I can only echo Kyle's every words :)

[guest377]

Thanks.. was browsing thru some of his works.. and just wanted some thoughts ...

[guest128]

I can only echo Kyle's every words :)

Me too, - his summary would just about be my own.

One additional note, however.  There's about a 4' visionary section in (I think) Symphony No.4 that is simply altogether startling and captivating in its unearthly beauty, - the most memorable thing in all of Wellesz's output IMO, with a comparable impact on me to that island of serenity and benediction amidst the tumult about 25' into Allan Pettersson's 7th Symphony (Dorati recording).  Unforgettable.

Anyone else been especially struck by it?

 

[Expi]

you can download the symphonies here: http://avaxhome.cc/music/classical/wellesz_symphonies_rabl.html  -  but don't know if the links are still alive ???

otherwise they are also on rutracker:  http://rutracker.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3281194

and you can request them on Odeon:  http://odeonmusic.blogspot.de/

[guest54]

. . . There's about a 4' visionary section in (I think) Symphony No.4 that is simply altogether startling and captivating in its unearthly beauty, - the most memorable thing in all of Wellesz's output IMO, with a comparable impact on me to that island of serenity and benediction amidst the tumult about 25' into Allan Pettersson's 7th Symphony (Dorati recording).  Unforgettable. . . .

Thanks for the pointer - I will have a listen later. I suppose it is similar in effect to the slow passage near the end of Beethoven's ninth? - which sets the words:

    Do you bow down before Him, you millions?
    Do you sense your Creator, o world?
    Seek Him above the canopy of stars!
    He must dwell beyond the stars.

Also, come to think of it, there is a similar slow passage near the end of B's third!

[guest128]

. . . There's about a 4' visionary section in (I think) Symphony No.4 that is simply altogether startling and captivating in its unearthly beauty, - the most memorable thing in all of Wellesz's output IMO, with a comparable impact on me to that island of serenity and benediction amidst the tumult about 25' into Allan Pettersson's 7th Symphony (Dorati recording).  Unforgettable. . . .

Thanks for the pointer - I will have a listen later. I suppose it is similar in effect to the slow passage near the end of Beethoven's ninth? - which sets the words:

    Do you bow down before Him, you millions?
    Do you sense your Creator, o world?
    Seek Him above the canopy of stars!
    He must dwell beyond the stars.

Also, come to think of it, there is a similar slow passage near the end of B's third!

For what it's worth, the passage I'm referring to occurs between 2'30 & 4'30 in the 3rd movement (track 3) of Symphony No.4 (thus somewhat shorter than I suggested).  Of course, for full effect one needs to hear it in
context with the surrounding music.  I am just always particularly struck by the beauty of it, but others might
not find it exceptional to the same extent.

[Gauk]

I have had the box sitting in front of me next to the PC monitor for the last week! Yes, they are worth investigating. The one that sticks in my mind the most is actually No 1.

[Jolly Roger]

While researching the thorny music of Nepomuk David, I listened to other composers in search of a "sounds like".
Some of his music sounds like a parody of Bach or even Mahler, but his later symphonies reflect more modern influences..
As a Matter of fact, after an overwhelming opening movement, the 2nd movement of the 4th symphony sounds like a nitemarish dance with Mahler's ghost to me.
So would I find echoes of Hartmann, Krenek, even Vemeulen? and possibly Wellesz...hence I was drawn to the latter's music.
My previous impressions of Wellusz were not that favorable, I had found his music to be dense, angular and morose and that is probably because I sampled his later symphonies...but I was in for a major awakening.
It was a complete revelation for me to hear his 1st and 2nd symphonies because they were marvelous accessable works which must be heard by everyone.
After playing each of them several times, I am now savoring the balance of the Wellusz symphonies and other works, making sure I don't repeat the premature dismissal of his fine music.
I would like to step thru the symphonies with someone..for me, the angular passages finally showed up in the 4th, with what sounded a lot like Holst's MARS...and the 3rd seemed more sedate and lyrical than 1,2,and 4..

[Jolly Roger]

While researching the thorny music of Nepomuk David, I listened to other composers in search of a "sounds like".
Some of his music sounds like a parody of Bach or even Mahler, but his later symphonies reflect more modern influences..
As a Matter of fact, after an overwhelming opening movement, the 2nd movement of the 4th symphony sounds like a nitemarish dance with Mahler's ghost to me.
So would I find echoes of Hartmann, Krenek, even Vemeulen? and possibly Wellesz...hence I was drawn to the latter's music.
My previous impressions of Wellusz were not that favorable, I had found his music to be dense, angular and morose and that is probably because I sampled his later symphonies...but I was in for a major awakening.
It was a complete revelation for me to hear his 1st and 2nd symphonies because they were marvelous accessable works which must be heard by everyone.
After playing each of them several times, I am now savoring the balance of the Wellusz symphonies and other works, making sure I don't repeat the premature dismissal of his fine music.
I would like to step thru the symphonies with someone..for me, the angular passages finally showed up in the 4th, with what sounded a lot like Holst's MARS...and the 3rd seemed more sedate and lyrical than 1,2,and 4..

And how on earth could I overlook the abundant influence of Bruckner in Wellusz's music !!!! No wonder he was struggling to find a unique voice in his later symphonies..