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Discussion: Schubert: Death and the Maiden, Arpeggione - Kanka, Praga Camerata, Hula

Posts: 11
Page: 1 2 next

Post by Beagle November 2, 2007 (1 of 11)
DAMN IT! Yes the normally calm, philosophical Beagle is irritated. This is the fourth orchestral version of Death and the Maiden:
Schubert & Dvorak: Quartets (arr. strings) - RPO/Rosekrans
Schubert: Death and the Maiden, Mahler: Adagietto - Kofman
Schubert/Mahler: Death and the Maiden, Wagner - Spivakov
Schubert: Death and the Maiden, Arpeggione - Kanka, Praga Camerata, Hula

And yes I know that there is a "quartet version" of this famous quartet on its way:
Schubert: String Quartets Vol. I - Mandelring Quartett

--But FOUR ORCHESTRAL VERSIONS! Who is buying these 19th century revisionist versions?

Post by Julien November 2, 2007 (2 of 11)
The lack of good string quartets on SACD is indeed irritating. Many of the most beautiful pages in history have been written for string quartet.

Post by Arthur November 2, 2007 (3 of 11)
The sad thing is Praga has the world of chamber music pretty much cornered on SACD if they'd just release some things. But two-piano arrangements and string arrangements just don't make that much sense. Is there really a market for these? And in multiple versions no less?!
I am at least happy to see the "(I)" after the Mozart Haydn Quartets. But are they going to release the rest of the Haydn Op. 33's?
I certainly wish they had a web site and showed us some release planning!

Post by TerraEpon November 3, 2007 (4 of 11)
Beagle said:


--But FOUR ORCHESTRAL VERSIONS! Who is buying these 19th century revisionist versions?

Yeah, who was that Mahler guy anyway, anyone ever heard of him? How dare he butcher Schubert and make his music more accessible to the public.


-Joshua

Post by Windsurfer November 3, 2007 (5 of 11)
TerraEpon said:
How dare he butcher Schubert and make his music more accessible to the public.


-Joshua

Did he? I mean is it really MORE accessible to the public? Which public (in this day and age) would listen to the transcription and not to the original version?

Post by Beagle November 3, 2007 (6 of 11)
TerraEpon said: Yeah, who was that Mahler guy anyway, anyone ever heard of him?
Mahler was a conductor, song-writer and orchestrator; his genius lay in the grandiose, e.g. "Symphony of One-Thousand". Although he wrote a piano quartet when he was 16, he never tested himself against the string quartet form, a rite of passage for many composers.*

Bach transcribed Vivaldi; von Webern transcribed Bach and Schubert; Mahler and Busoni transcribed Schumann; Schönberg transcribed Busoni and Mahler.... And they all profited from the experience, in part by learning a thing or two from an old master, but sometimes by producing quickly some new repertoire for for a novelty-hungry public (cf Barshai's arrangement of Shostakovich's Quartet no. 8).

The subject matter of Der Töd und das Mädchen resonated with Mahler's own preoccupation with youth and death; he debuted the Andante movement of his orchestrated score in 1894. But even then in the heyday of his fame, the public was outraged and critics stormed in the press that Mahler had robbed Schubert's piece of 'all of its initimacy'.**

That should have been the end of it, but nearly a century later Mahler's daughter discovered the Schubert score with Mahler's annotations and handed it over to a pair of Mahler scholars who converted the notes into an orchestral score and published it in 1984. Even Mahler scholars aren't above quickly whipping up new repertoire for a novelty-hungry public.

Personally, I agree with the 1894 critics and would like to see a stake driven through this undead monster's heart.
___________
*4514 composers in my database.

**"Die Hamburger Premiere des langsamen Satzes im November 1894 stieß auf solch harsche Kritik, dass Mahler von weiteren Aufführungen gänzlich absah. Wohl erkannte er selbst, dass die Hochinstrumentierung, so feinfühlig er sie auch dank geteilter Streicher und dem Einsatz von Dämpfern bewerkstelligte, zwangsläufig Schuberts Quartett seiner wesentlichsten Merkmale beraubte: seiner kammermusikalischen Intimität und Unmittelbarkeit."

Post by Windsurfer November 3, 2007 (7 of 11)
Beagle said:

Personally, I agree with the 1894 critics and would like to see a stake driven through this undead monster's heart.
___________
*4514 composers in my database.

This is our soft spoken, mild mannered Beagle speaking? Whew!

Post by Beagle November 3, 2007 (8 of 11)
Windsurfer said: This is our soft spoken, mild mannered Beagle speaking? Whew!
As noted above, I am IRRITATED: one orchestrated version on SACD was regrettable, two was silly, three was incomprehensible, four is a Serious Lapse of Good Taste.

Post by Beagle November 3, 2007 (9 of 11)
Arthur said: I am at least happy to see the "(I)" after the Mozart Haydn Quartets.
Likewise, but don't hold your breath. Just order Mozart: The "Haydn" String Quartets - Quartetto Classico : quite nice discs -- all three of them.

Post by Arthur November 3, 2007 (10 of 11)
Beagle said:

Likewise, but don't hold your breath. Just order Mozart: The "Haydn" String Quartets - Quartetto Classico : quite nice discs -- all three of them.

I've been tempted, but at nearly $80 including shipping, I always find something else to buy first; and so it remains (like half the Exton catalog) on my wish list.

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