Casella Symphony #2

[ggl]

Mahler was a great composer, but there are only nine (or ten or eleven, depending on how you count) Mahler symphonies.  It would be nice if there were more, but there aren't.  So when I saw online reviews of Alfredo Casella's Second Symphony, I was motivated to purchase it. 

See http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_cd_review.php?id=8292

and

http://www.classicalmusicsentinel.com/KEEP/keep-casella-sym2.html

The second reviewer points out that Casella's "real passion was for the music of Gustav Mahler. Upon their meeting in 1909, Casella informed Mahler that he knew all his symphonies 'by heart'."

I am not a musician, and have no expertise that would qualify me to review the recording.  But I will say that, though Casella's Second Symphony is not, as evidenced by this recording, on the level of Mahler's symphonies, it's really pretty good.  Casella clearly was directly inspired by Mahler's symphonies; he uses gestures that are familiar from Mahler. (And this is not necessarily a bad thing -- consider how Mahler appropriated musical ideas from Hans Rott.)  Casella was, like Mahler, a superb orchestrator.  The CD is well-recorded, though the complex orchestration (including bells and organ) likely would be better served by SACD.  The thematic materials do not sound like Mahler; Casella has his own voice.  In some ways this symphony reminds me of Shostakovich, but I find it more enjoyable than the Shostakovich symphonies I know.  (I tend to agree with Boulez's view that Shostakovich is like "third-pressing Mahler.")

I've culled from my collection works by other symphonists who might be considered comparable; Hausegger, and all but one of Weingartner's symphonies.  But I'll keep the Casella.  (The other work on the disc, Scarlattiana, is a neoclassical work for piano and orchestra that strikes me as expert, enjoyable and forgettable.  When I want to hear neoclassicism, which isn't every day, I'll stick with Stravisinsky, Roussel and Martin.)

I'm curious to know how the more devout among you react to Casella's Second.

[GL]

Describing the spell under which Casella composed his Symphines 1 and 2, italian critic Quirino Principe spoken of them as "Puro Mahler" (pure Mahler). I have just ordered both of them because I'm very curious.

One reviewer claims that Noseda's is the only recording available. It's not true:

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Alfredo-Casella-Symphonie-Nr-2-op-12/hnum/9999701

(but I think that Noseda's is the best)

For another point of view:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=12835

Casella masterpiece is his Third Symphony (Sinfonia per orchestra op.63: http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Alfredo-Casella-Symphonie-op-63/hnum/7411161). It's a shame it is not regularly performed around the world.

He who is interested in great, genuine symphonists of the first half of 1900, should check Josef Suk (in particular: Fairy Tale, Praga, Asrael, Summer tale, Ripening, Epilog). There are splendid performance recorded by the Czech Philharmonic under great conductors such as Mackerras, Talich, Neumann, Pesek.

Regards,
Luca

[mahler09]

Suk was the son-in-law of Dvorak, if I'm not mistaken?

[GL]

Suk was the son-in-law of Dvorak, if I'm not mistaken?

You are not mistaken. He married Dvorak's daughter Otylka. She died an year after her father. The magnificent symphony "Asrael" is dedicated to the memory of both.

Luca

[Don]

I admire Casella's works but I just do not see the works as all that Mahlerian. Yes there are some gestures similar to Mahler but I think his orchestration, while colorful, does not hold a candle to Mahler. It is more dense and less graceful than Mahler's. I do enjoy his symphonies, more so the wonderful and less Mahler influenced 3rd which should be heard more often.

[GL]

Sorry, among the less known, great symphonists of the first half of the 1900 I forgot mentioning Kurt Atterberg. His nine Symphonies are really worth investigating (and superior to the ones of Weingarthner), especially in this edition:

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/Kurt-Atterberg-Symphonien-Nr-1-9/hnum/2793016

My favorites are the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth (this last much admired by Sibelius).

For the ones interested in studing scores of not very popular composers (or of less known works of great composers), I found this publisher:

http://www.musikmph.de/musical_scores/information/information_e.html

L.

[GL]

Now I'm really curious:

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=12869

...and I have not yet received the package with my copy!!!

L.

[techniquest]

If you want to hear a symphony that definitely does have a Mahler 'sound' (other than Mahler of course), then try to get hold of the Symphony No.1 "Pan" by Willem Pijper. It was written in 1917 and there can be absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Pijper had heard Mahler - particularly his 1st symphony!

[GL]

If you want to hear a symphony that definitely does have a Mahler 'sound' (other than Mahler of course), then try to get hold of the Symphony No.1 "Pan" by Willem Pijper. It was written in 1917 and there can be absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Pijper had heard Mahler - particularly his 1st symphony!

Thanks for the interesting suggestion. In fact, it has been written that the Pan Symphony is influenced by Mahler's First and Third. It has been recorded only once by an orchestra of Rotterdam, but it has been never released on CD. It s currently unavailable even in the original LP version. I'll keep an eye on this dutch guy.

L.

[ggl]

There are now two CD recordings of Casella's Symphony #2.  Naxos is releasing a series of Casella recordings.  Here are sound samples:

http://www.amazon.com/Casella-Symphony-No-notte-alta/dp/B003TX12HA/ref=mb_oe_o

[GL]

Finally I got my copies of the First (http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=12874) and of the Second. Very exciting, youthful, bold music, especially the Second! In particular, I liked the Scherzo and the Finale-wow, this is Spaghetti-Mahler!!! Warmly recommended!

L.