Saturday Morning

[Master Jacques]

Thanks for your BBC insights, Ein Heldenleben - they're always fascinating to read.

Rightly or wrongly, the Korngold violin concerto always reminds me of Billy Wilder's "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes". Perhaps TS is a secret fan?

As Korngold swiped material from at least four of his film scores when splicing the piece together, perhaps that's only justice!

[french frank]

To go back to your original thought it’s perfectly possible he loves the Korngold.

It's been performed 24 times (8 times in full, 16 bits) in the last year. R3 clearly loves it now. If Andrew tells no lie, it's been played 114 times in the past 5 years, compared with Beethoven's 100 times and Dvořák's 52 times. Fair enough

[Pulcinella]

It's been performed 24 times (8 times in full, 16 bits) in the last year. R3 clearly loves it now. If Andrew tells no lie, it's been played 114 times in the past 5 years, compared with Beethoven's 100 times and Dvořák's 52 times. Fair enough

It's one of not that many pieces to have featured more than once on the BBC MM cover CD.

Vol 18, No 14 (October 2010) Haveron / BBCSO / Belohlavek
Vol 27, No 1 (November 2018) Jack Liebeck / Ulster Orchestra / Watkins

[AuntDaisy]

The final movements theme strikes me as alarmingly similar to The Simpsons theme tune !

Perhaps suggest it for Music Nap?

[Ein Heldenleben]

It's been performed 24 times (8 times in full, 16 bits) in the last year. R3 clearly loves it now. If Andrew tells no lie, it's been played 114 times in the past 5 years, compared with Beethoven's 100 times and Dvořák's 52 times. Fair enough

It’s almost beyond parody. One is a cornerstone of the repertoire - one of the greatest works by the one of greatest artists in history . The other , as MJ points out is a pull together: hack work really. Tuneful but paper thin. I don’t feel sorry for Tom Service as much as the violinists who have to learn it and practice it.

[french frank]

It’s almost beyond parody. One is a cornerstone of the repertoire - one of the greatest works by the one of greatest artists in history . The other, as MJ points out is a pull together: hack work really. Tuneful but paper thin. I don’t feel sorry for Tom Service as much as the violinists who have to learn it and practice it.

An artificial enquiry elicited the following reply:

The Korngold Violin Concerto, composed in 1945, is a late Romantic work with strong ties to his film music scores. It's known for its lyrical melodies, lush orchestration, and virtuosic solo violin part. The concerto was dedicated to Alma Mahler, the widow of Korngold's mentor, Gustav Mahler. It was premiered in 1947 by Jascha Heifetz with the St. Louis Symphony.

Classic FM has featured the concerto in various ways, including:
"Full Works" series: The concerto is available as part of the "Classic FM: The Full Works" series, which includes other works by Korngold and related film music.
Concert broadcasts: Classic FM often broadcasts performances of the concerto, showcasing the work of various violinists and orchestras.

[cloughie]

I seem to remember Andre Previn making some reference to ‘more corn than gold’ but maybe he also had a hand through his Hollywood connection andcrecordings increasing the popularity of Korngold’s music.

[french frank]

An interesting comparison with the Korngold (1945): in 5 years Berg's VC (1935) has been performed 20 times (7 times on TTN), once - so far - this year and once last year, 3 times in 2023. But it was always played in full, except for once on Inside Music. Slight adjustment: Korngold was played 116 times in 5 years, mostly bits,

[Ein Heldenleben]

I seem to remember Andre Previn making some reference to ‘more corn than gold’ but maybe he also had a hand through his Hollywood connection andcrecordings increasing the popularity of Korngold’s music.

There are some interesting underplayed pieces of Korngold - the Piano Quintet, the Suite for 2 violins , cello ,left hand piano - they are well worth an outing. The concerto is vastly overplayed and not as good as the chamber works. Die tote Stadt is also remarkable given the age of the composer. It must have two of the loveliest arias in Opera - Marietta’s Lied and the Pierrot aria - but on stage it feels very static and undramatic or was that just the ENO production? The only one I’ve seen.

[Master Jacques]

The other , as MJ points out is a pull together: hack work really. Tuneful but paper thin. I don’t feel sorry for Tom Service as much as the violinists who have to learn it and practice it.

And unlike Dr Service, those poor violinists can't even cross their fingers behind their backs while trying to convince audiences what a masterpiece-beyond-compare they're playing.

Aside from all those film scores involved in the wretched thing, I can't help but wonder how close Korngold was to getting sued by Samuel Barber, the "onlie begetter" of its shape, moods, style and structure.

[oddoneout]

An artificial enquiry elicited the following reply:

The Korngold Violin Concerto, composed in 1945, is a late Romantic work with strong ties to his film music scores. It's known for its lyrical melodies, lush orchestration, and virtuosic solo violin part. The concerto was dedicated to Alma Mahler, the widow of Korngold's mentor, Gustav Mahler. It was premiered in 1947 by Jascha Heifetz with the St. Louis Symphony.

Classic FM has featured the concerto in various ways, including:
"Full Works" series: The concerto is available as part of the "Classic FM: The Full Works" series, which includes other works by Korngold and related film music.
Concert broadcasts: Classic FM often broadcasts performances of the concerto, showcasing the work of various violinists and orchestras.

In other words ideally suited to CFM and the modern apology for R3, whether complete or portioned.
Wonder what the sometime Mrs Service thinks of it - has she played/recorded it?

[french frank]

In other words ideally suited to CFM and the modern apology for R3, whether complete or portioned.

It's the music listeners love - so we play it a lot! And before they say it - no, that doesn't mean they should play works that people don't like .

[LHC]

I seem to remember Andre Previn making some reference to ‘more corn than gold’ but maybe he also had a hand through his Hollywood connection andcrecordings increasing the popularity of Korngold’s music.

I'm not sure that Previn would have been so disparaging of Korngold's music. He was a fellow film composer and made quite a few recordings of Korngold's works, including 3 separate recordings of the Violin Concerto (with Perlman, Shaham and Mutter).

I believe the 'More Corn than Gold' epithet was first coined by a New York critic in a review of a concert of Korngold's music.

[Serial_Apologist]

And unlike Dr Service, those poor violinists can't even cross their fingers behind their backs while trying to convince audiences what a masterpiece-beyond-compare they're playing.

Aside from all those film scores involved in the wretched thing, I can't help but wonder how close Korngold was to getting sued by Samuel Barber, the "onlie begetter" of its shape, moods, style and structure.

Not only Barber, but Walton - ironically given his own plagiaristic inclinations - whose VC of 1939 gets hinted in one of the Korngold's few affecting moments.

[french frank]

I believe the 'More Corn than Gold' epithet was first coined by a New York critic in a review of a concert of Korngold's music.

The New York Sun's music critic, apparently. But one doesn't need to praise or disparage the work to say that Radio 3 doesn't need to play it as often as it does, given that other, more important, works are scarcely played at all - if ever..