Reading the comprehensive
notes for this release, a co-production
between Naxos and Saarlandischer Rundfunk,
I was lead to expect a real ear-opener.
Surely this would be a superb modern
American symphony, good enough to withstand
comparison with the greatest of American
symphonies - many of them available
on the Company’s enterprising American
Music Series.
I then played the disc
and was bitterly disappointed. Instead
of melodies, structure and a modicum
of development of thematic material,
there was only unmitigated gloom, despondency
and downright violence. I know this
work was written when the composer was
influenced by WW2 but for heaven’s sake!
I then went back to
the notes and realised that they were
written by the conductor – need I say
more. Perhaps, since I was completely
out of sympathy with the music, I may
be excused from not giving it the warm
welcome that its participants may have
been wanting. It is described as the
first American twelve-tone symphony;
based upon the aural evidence it seems
to me to be far more twelve-tone than
symphony.
I must say however
that great care has been lavished upon
this production with the excellent playing
of the orchestra being caught superbly
by the engineers, and processed into
this handsomely produced CD.
I must accept that
the symphony won prizes when it was
first performed. However describing
the composer as the most pre-eminent
of all American symphonic composers
is exaggeration. Wouldn’t such sterling
composers as William Schuman, Walter
Piston and Aaron Copland come out ahead
in any such ratings competition. I think
so. I realise that I am sounding negative
about Rochberg’s work, but this is partly
a reaction to the over-the-top claims
made in the documentation and in part
springs from hearing the music itself.
I have subsequently listened to the
Fifth Symphony by this composer, also
on Naxos, with the same artists. I found
this to have all the elements present
so clearly missing from the Second.
It appears that my negativity is due
to the works themselves, rather than
the composer.
Imago Mundi is
the second work on the disc, and was
said to be inspired by Japanese Gagaku
music. Four symphonic works were written
by the composer in this style, after
a three week visit to Japan in 1973.
Imago Mundi (‘Image of the World’)
is the fourth in the series. All I can
say is that I am grateful to Naxos for
restricting the fill-up to one of these
pieces. If they had all been much the
same, and had been included - there
is still 25 minutes of space on the
disc - I would be now heading for the
hills.
John Phillips
see also review
by Rob Barnett
Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra/Christopher
Lyndon-Gee 
