Michael Alexander Willens - Carl Czerny: Symphonies Nos.1, 2 - Import CD

Credits:

Michael Alexander Willens

Description:

[Performances of the two “Grand Symphonies” published by Czerny during his lifetime, played on period instruments!] Carl Czerny, known today primarily for his piano etudes, was born in Vienna in 1791 to a family of Czech musicians. He received piano instruction from his father from an early age, and when he had the opportunity to perform in front of Beethoven at the age of 10, Beethoven recognized his talent and took him on as a student. After studying piano under Beethoven for three years, it is said that at the age of 14, Czerny skillfully performed the entire set of Beethoven’s piano sonatas—all of which had been completed by that time—from memory. Even after their teacher-student relationship ended, the two remained friends; for example, Czerny was entrusted with the solo part for the Vienna premiere of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor.” Beethoven taught this exceptionally talented student not only piano performance but also composition. It is said that Czerny composed over 1,000 works, with over 800 bearing opus numbers. While most of these are piano pieces—primarily educational works such as etudes—he also composed orchestral works, chamber music, and sacred music. It appears that Czerny composed more than 12 symphonies—more than Beethoven himself—though only six are believed to survive in their completed form. This recording features the First and Second Symphonies, which were published during Czerny’s lifetime under the title *Grande Symphonie* (Grand Symphony). The First Symphony, dedicated to the Vienna Musikverein, evokes Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony due to its key of C minor, yet it also conveys a stormy drama and a lyrical quality reminiscent of early Romantic works by Schubert and others. The ophicleide was chosen to handle the lower register, and it is believed that Berlioz’s use of this instrument in his “Symphonie fantastique” was influenced by Czerny. Symphony No. 2, in D major—a key contrasting with that of No. 1—is a work that evokes the motifs of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 and the sonority of his Symphony No. 2. The Cologne Academy, a leader in HIP (Historically Informed Performance) that performs music from the Renaissance through the Romantic period using period instruments and performance practices, has recorded not only famous works but also numerous pieces buried in history, revealing their true value. Even with these rarely recorded symphonies, the ensemble succeeds in highlighting the uniqueness of Czerny’s style—which was influenced by Beethoven—and in establishing an image of Czerny as a “symphonic composer” that is completely distinct from the “Czerny of the etudes” stereotype. The recording also effectively captures the timpani with great clarity, as heard in the thunderous repeated strikes in Symphony No. 1. Cover Art: Viktor Tischler (1890–1951): View of Vienna’s Old Town Naxos Japan