Carl Reinecke (1824-1910)
Symphonie n° 1 en la majeur, op. 79
Symphonie n° 3 en sol mineur, op. 227
Extraits de "Le Roi Manfred", op. 93
Marche Triomphale, op. 110

Münchner Rundfunkorchester
Henry Raudales, direction

La longévité et la fécondité de Reinecke (près de trois cents numéros d’opus) ont joué contre ce musicien, professeur réputé qui enseigna à Leipzig la musique à toute une génération de compositeurs. Son écriture d’un romantisme tempéré a toujours manqué de la personnalité et de la flamme qui lui auraient permis de signer des œuvres marquantes ; hormis ses pages pour flûte, dont la célèbre sonate « Ondine », il demeure donc dans l’ombre de ses contemporains (il est né la même année que Bruckner, cruel rapprochement). Les deux symphonies gravées sur ce CD témoignent de sa maîtrise de l’orchestre et du style, sans jamais trouver l’inspiration qui se grave dans la mémoire de l’auditeur ni atteindre une dimension marquante. Le complément d’une suite orchestrale de son opéra « Roi Manfred » est plus séduisant que la ronflante et banale « marche triomphale » qui conclut ce CD d’une durée exceptionnelle (plus de quatre-vingt minutes). Interprétation irréprochable dirigée avec fougue et d’une grande qualité technique mais qui ne suffit pas à faire de Reinecke un grand compositeur. (Richard Wander)

Following the release of Carl Reinecke’s complete string quartets, we are now launching a new recording of his most important symphonic works. His Symphony No. 3 formed the rousing finale of his era as a conductor at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. Reinecke never defended himself verbally against charges by his contemporaries that he was a »conventional composer«; instead, he shared the opinion of his critics, stating that he had »never had the audacity to regard himself as a trailblazing genius.« Musically, however, he puts an immediate end to all clichés. Without holding things up with a slow introduction, he has the first movement of his op. 227 storm ahead on its path, full of élan, with defiant chordal beats, driven by syncopated rhythms, and for a time offering space for lyrical secondary ideas. And he offers an extremely rich arsenal of powerful orchestral parts. His Symphony No. 1 in A major was performed six times between 1858 and 1892, which means more than any other symphony by him at the Gewandhaus. It has a slow introduction leading seamlessly into the first allegro, an andante greeting Mendelssohn and Schumann, and a robust scherzo framed by a melancholy and delicate trio and in its coda announcing the clarinet solo introducing the finale, and it was in revised form that Reinecke again included it on the Gewandhaus program on 22 October 1863. With his radiant and splendid Triumphal March op. 110 this master of large-scale symphonies and operas, virtuosic instrumental concertos, sophisticated piano and chamber music, and warm-hearted and playful compositions for children shows that he can also serve up pomp and showy brilliance in keeping with the genre and the occasion and ignite a four-minute firework of sumptuous brass orchestral opulence with "fiery passion and festive spirit".