A little while ago, I put on my favorite Internet radio station, Cesky Rozhlas D-Dur (yes, I am leaving out all the diacriticals), and found them playing the Faust Symphony of Liszt, which I'd never heard before.
What a whacky piece! The section I came in on sounded like outtakes of Schumann's symphonies, and 20 minutes later it turned into purest Wagner. A bit of a mess, but a really beautiful and memorable mess, conducted with plenty of commitment by Simon Rattle and with Peter Seiffert, last year's San Francisco Tannhauser, singing the tenor solos. Must buy!
I heard that in concert, mumbledy years ago. SFS, I think. Not a work that gets its due, though it's as worthy as Mahler and considerably shorter than many of his.
ReplyDelete"As worthy as Mahler" - but you are not a fan! I agree, though; it doesn't get its due.
ReplyDeleteDid James Conlon play it in 2006 on one of his Romantic era concerts? Not mumbledy years ago, though.