Korngold in concert survey

General questions regarding E.W.Korngold

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Peter Timoney
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Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:21 pm
Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Korngold in concert survey

Post by Peter Timoney » Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:34 am

Hello

As someone who cannot really travel around to see Korngold concerts, I was wondering what experiences you have had with your local orchestras in matters Korngoldian. If you have heard Korngold concerts, what pieces have been played and how frequently do they appear? I am always intrigued to hear about works being performed around the globe, then wonder why they rarely appear in my corner of the world.

I have once heard THE SEA HAWK suite with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in the late 1990s, followed soon afterwards with a repeat of the same piece by the Halle Orchestra on an Aberdeen beachfront (celebrating the Tall Ships Race). I missed a performance of the Violin Concerto by the RNSO due to work commitments, but thankfully caught a concert by a group called the Hebrides Ensemble who performed the Sextet. In my one moment of travelling I was lucky enough to see a production of Die tote Stadt in Cologne (despite it being a spliced together 2 act version), although in my defence I was living there at the time. Last year in a film music concert with the RSNO conducted by Carl Davis there was a brief suite of Robin Hood, but it was about 2 or 3 minutes long and frankly left no impression whatsoever, even with me.

Hopefully someone can tell me a slightly more adventurous tale that really convinces me that the concert world is taking Korngold seriously.

Thanks

Peter
spoon752

Well...

Post by spoon752 » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:57 am

Hello
But i just can't understand it...
fireatheart
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Post by fireatheart » Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:50 pm

Not much to report on the Geneva, Switzerland front, but still: The Violin Concerto has been played twice here in the last few years (once 4 years ago and once this year). The first performance was rather impeccable, and the second... well, believe it or not, I chose not to attend: it was programmed with some Mahler which I find utterly boring, and I just couldn't bring myself to go for 20 minutes of Korngold, which I had experienced live before anyway.
In a few months, genevans will be offered the chance to experience "Tote Stadt"!!!! It's quite a thrill to see the name of Korngold permanently featured months ahead of time on a large bilboard, alongside the usual (for opera) Wagner, Mozart and Puccini!

Otherwise, I once contacted the musical director to "l'Orchestre de La Suisse Romande" (the local Orchestra) about playing some Korngold, and I was thrilled to be answered that he was a big fan of Sea Hawk, and that he hoped to have it played once here.
That was 2 or 3 years ago... Still no Sea Hawk. :cry:

I often wonder why the Concertos for Piano and for Cello are not played more often (I occasionally check orchestra schedules in Paris and London), as I find them to be truly wonderful.

I'l be curious to hear from other fans...
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