Bizet's Symphony No. 1 in C...simply amazing!

Blkmage · Post by **Blkmage** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:22 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBbjvIfW ... ed&search=

The first movement (Allegro).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yqU15H2 ... ed&search=

The last movement (Allegro Vivace). I couldn't find any recordings of the second and third movements but the first few seconds of movement IV are the Minuet and trio (III).

Enjoy! This is just a great piece to listen to.

jbuck919 · Post by **jbuck919** » Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:40 pm

Heartiest welcome to the site and please continue to post often.

A lot of people "discover" the Bizet symphony, and are forced to accept that a composer died rather young with only a couple of masterpieces when there might have been much more. I had a college professor who was rather too opinionated for people as young as we were, and he stated that if Bizet had been allowed a full composing career then Saint-Saens might have been completely prevented. That's over the top even for me, but we never have enough masterpieces in music that we could do without one that turns up in the odd corner.

Post by **Lance** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:09 am

Welcome to our site, Blkmage!

Do you have a favourite recording of Bizet's Symphony in C? I grew up with one that I think is still incomparable, that with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting on EMI 47794. I am also partial to the one with Jean Martinon conducting on DGG 437.371. A stunning work that illustrates the genius of a composer who is normally connected with, really, one work: the opera Carmen, of course.

Jack Kelso · Post by **Jack Kelso** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:24 am

Lance wrote:Welcome to our site, Blkmage!

Do you have a favourite recording of Bizet's Symphony in C? I grew up with one that I think is still incomparable, that with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting on EMI 47794. I am also partial to the one with Jean Martinon conducting on DGG 437.371. A stunning work that illustrates the genius of a composer who is normally connected with, really, one work: the opera Carmen, of course.

By all means, the Beecham recording (coupled back then with Lalo's wonderful G Minor Symphony) is in a class by itself.

After listening to Bizet's C Major, put on the Schubert 5th. One notices immediately that the Frenchman admired this early Schubert masterwork.

Jack

walboi · Post by **walboi** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:30 am

Yes of course the Bizet Symphony is nice, but since I heard the Shedrin reworking of it, the original compositions holds no charms to me anymore. I think it so much better and improved.
Harry

Jack Kelso · Post by **Jack Kelso** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:35 am

walboi wrote:Yes of course the Bizet Symphony is nice, but since I heard the Shedrin reworking of it, the original compositions holds no charms to me anymore. I think it so much better and improved.
Harry

How can someone gild the lily?

Jack

walboi · Post by **walboi** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 7:39 am

Simple, listen to the bunch of Lillies, Shedrin created!
Harry

maskedman · Post by **maskedman** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:51 pm

[quote="walboi"]Simple, listen to the bunch of Lillies, Shedrin created!
Harry[/quote]

Harry,

Please do go into details about Shedrin. I am in the dark with that one. I love the Beecham, Bernstein, Martinon and Ansermet. I thought I was through....

Robert

walboi · Post by **walboi** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:19 pm

I am so sorry Robert, but I got confused with some compositions. I meant the reworking of the Carmen Suite which was done by Shedrin, and not the Symphony in C, allthough that would have been a treat also, to hear what Shedrin could have done.
Harry

maskedman · Post by **maskedman** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:28 pm

[quote="walboi"]I am so sorry Robert, but I got confused with some compositions. I meant the reworking of the [b]Carmen Suite[/b] which was done by Shedrin, and not the Symphony in C, allthough that would have been a treat also, to hear what Shedrin could have done.
Harry[/quote]

No problem Harry....You just got me a bit curious and excited at the same time.....

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:33 pm

The MUNCH/RPO performance is set apart from the others--quicksilver, it's over & out in only 23 minutes; as spontaneous as you can get. It's fairly well circulated--originally part of the Reader's Digest 12-record box "Treasury Of Great Music," then reissued in the 80s on cheap Quintessence LPs......& there've been at least a couple of CD issues:
http://amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-04 ... in+c+munch

My first copy of it was one of Stokowski's farewells, from '77 (Sony/Columbia): amazing how an ex-organist can get so many different colors out of (even) a piece that doesn't REQUIRE it!--
http://www.amazon.com/Mendelssohn-Bizet ... F8&s=music

One of the very first recordings (THE first???) has a certain place in my affections: Walter Goehr & the LPO; admittedly, not one of the absolute best (& never put out on CD, I don't think).

moldyoldie · Post by **moldyoldie** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:28 pm

I've always loved my impeccably performed and recorded Haitink/CO on Philips -- it glows!

Alas, like much of this prolifically recorded combo's discography, it appears to fallen out of print.

Brahms · Post by **Brahms** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 4:38 pm

jbuck919 wrote: I had a college professor who was rather too opinionated for people as young as we were, and he stated that if Bizet had been allowed a full composing career, then Saint-Saens might have been completely prevented.

Molto stupido . . . . . . .

karlhenning · Post by **karlhenning** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:00 pm

maskedman wrote:No problem Harry....You just got me a bit curious and excited at the same time.....

There is no question for me of the Bizet original being supplanted, Robert . . . but the Shchedrin arrangement is very enjoyable, indeed.

Cheers,
~Karl

maskedman · Post by **maskedman** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:52 pm

[quote="karlhenning"][quote="maskedman"]No problem Harry....You just got me a bit curious and excited at the same time.....[/quote]
There is no question for me of the [b]Bizet [/b]original being supplanted, [b]Robert [/b]. . . but the [b]Shchedrin [/b]arrangement is very enjoyable, indeed.

Cheers,
~Karl[/quote]

Karl,

Please let me know this disc...I am very curious.....

Robert

xiaopv · Post by **xiaopv** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 6:58 pm

Lance wrote:I grew up with one that I think is still incomparable, that with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting on EMI 47794.

I own this CD and used to enjoyed it until recently I read something about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Beecham">Beecham</a> saying something about how he disrespect other British conductors. I have no way to prove or disprove it.(I hope it is not true) But it really makes me uncomfortable when I listen to his CDs.

Sorry if this diverges the topic a little bit.

Jack Kelso · Post by **Jack Kelso** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:00 am

xiaopv wrote:
Lance wrote:I grew up with one that I think is still incomparable, that with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting on EMI 47794.
I own this CD and used to enjoyed it until recently I read something about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Beecham">Beecham</a> saying something about how he disrespect other British conductors. I have no way to prove or disprove it.(I hope it is not true) But it really makes me uncomfortable when I listen to his CDs.

Sorry if this diverges the topic a little bit.

We've had this topic before: I can enjoy a composer (or conductor, pianist, etc.) even if he/she has character flaws.

Let's face it---Beecham was the greatest British conductor of his time and he knew it. I believe he might have been referring to Sir Malcolm Sargeant, not one of the outstanding conducting talents of the time.....

Jack

Wallingford · Post by **Wallingford** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 7:09 pm

While hopelessly trying to organize my LP library last evening, I came across my Leibowitz recording of the Symphony......there's ANOTHER classic performance that's fallen into total obscurity.

Heck148 · Post by **Heck148** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 10:10 am

xiaopv wrote:
Lance wrote:I own this CD and used to enjoyed it until recently I read something about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Beecham">Beecham</a> saying something about how he disrespect other British conductors.

Beecham's put-downs of lots of things were most colorful, humorous and [in]famous.
his contempt was not limited to British conductors -

Toscanini = a glorified Italian bandmaster"
Bruno Walter = "malodorous"

CharmNewton · Post by **CharmNewton** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 11:33 am

Heck148 wrote:
xiaopv wrote:
Lance wrote:I own this CD and used to enjoyed it until recently I read something about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Beecham">Beecham</a> saying something about how he disrespect other British conductors.
Beecham's put-downs of lots of things were most colorful, humorous and [in]famous.
his contempt was not limited to British conductors -

Toscanini = a glorified Italian bandmaster"
Bruno Walter = "malodorous"

I remember reading that Beecham criticized the British public for their love of foreign conductors over Brits. He said Sargent was as good as any of the foreigners and named names (which I don't remember). There are others from the era that are pretty good, judging from records--Sir Dan Godfrey, Leslie Heward and Constant Lambert just to name three.

However, he did say that Barbirolli had turned the Halle Orchestra into the finest chamber orchestra in the world, which had to be a slap after Harty.

John

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Bizet's Symphony No. 1 in C...simply amazing!

Bizet's Symphony No. 1 in C...simply amazing!

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