Ernst Krenek - Symphony No. 4, Concerto grosso No. 2 (North German Radio Philharmonic, A. Francis)

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Ernst Krenek - Symphony No. 4, Concerto grosso No. 2 (North German Radio Philharmonic, A. Francis)

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In many ways the Fourth Symphony illustrates Krenek's independence from any one musical style – and ultimately from his teacher(s) and those who influenced him, like Busoni, too. It has a thread of mid-century anguish and uncertainty. But it could never be described as avant-garde or experimental. Yet it's of a pleasing unity, has direction and thrust which make it more than merely stimulating listening. Like all but those of the first and second symphonies, this one on cpo is the only recording. It's full of purpose, clarity and of transparent, open, yet very dedicated playing. What's more, the elements of beauty, persuasion and gentle originality are all blended into a very convincing whole. In other words, any "curiosity value" that Krenek may be in danger of attracting is dismissed by Francis and his forces in favor of first rate, sound, interpretative rigor.

The Symphony is a work with discernible and developing themes. Instrumentation is important, if conventional; as is variety. Conductor and players have blended the various components and developments in this performance in ways that would need to be done in a large scale orchestral work like those of Strauss, from which Krenek's work both draws influences and emphatically departs. Awareness of the Symphony's unities was as important in the account of the North German Radio Philharmonic as was bringing the unfamiliar to our attention as "raw material".

The same goes for the Concerto Grosso, which has the potential for being taken as a lighter piece with its conscious references to the eighteenth century prototypes. Schnittke's name might suggest itself for the same appeal to a parallel model. Yet Krenek's work in the genre (which dates from 1925) is more concerned with conveying contemporary emotions and distresses, almost, through what is otherwise a novel genre outside vocal works. The longest movement of the piece [tr.7] which begins andante and slows to an almost morose pace, then disintegrates into silence, for example, is given all the room to make just the impact which it needs on this recording – yet without losing impetus or becoming maudlin.

There are concertino parts for violin, viola and cello which Volker Worlitzsch, Dimitar Penkov and Nikolai Schneide execute with great verve and attention to the intricacies of a varied score. This is Krenek's second exploration of the form (the Concerto Grosso #1 was written in 1921). This suggests that the texture, the feel, almost, and the sensibilities of the Baroque interested Krenek. For all he wasn't concerned chiefly with exposing the technicalities of music in the ways that Schnittke was, Krenek was attracted to the appeal which the Baroque makes to the genteel and the formal. Yet he wanted to acknowledge a sophistication that doesn't conceal tensions; tensions not least between the various expressive qualities of instruments and instrument groups, indeed of the ways in which instruments make sounds. The status of these three soloists as contributors as much as virtuosi is clear and emerges clearly on this recording.

The acoustic on the CD from cpo is excellent, the background and description in the booklet well-written and to the point, though in a font size that will be too small for some to read easily. If you're new to Krenek or already collecting the composer's symphonies in this series, don't miss this. But the works stand in their own right as precise yet colorful statements of compositional excellence in the middle of the last century.

Mark Sealey @ classical.net