Caspar Richter / Bruckner Orchester Linz - Fairytale Pictures
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Tracklisting:
1. ‘Violanta: Prelude and Carnival, Op.8 (1916)’
2. ‘Schauspiel Overture, Op.4 (1911)’
3. ‘Märchenbilder (Fairytale Pictures), Op.3 (1910) – 1. Die verzauberte Prinzessin (The Enchanted Princess)’
4. ‘Märchenbilder (Fairytale Pictures), Op.3 (1910) – 2. Rübezahl (The Ruler of the Spirits)’
5. ‘Märchenbilder (Fairytale Pictures), Op.3 (1910) – 3. Wichtelmännlein (The Goblins)’
6. ‘Märchenbilder (Fairytale Pictures), Op.3 (1910) – 4. Ball beim Märchenkönig (The Fairy King’s Ball)’
7. ‘Märchenbilder (Fairytale Pictures), Op.3 (1910) – 5. Das tapfere Schneiderlein (The Brave Little Tailor)’
8. ‘Märchenbilder (Fairytale Pictures), Op.3 (1910) – 6. Das Märchen spricht den Epilog (The Fairytale speaks an Epilogue)’
9. ‘Straussiana (1953) – 1. Polka’
10. ‘Straussiana (1953) – 2. Mazurka’
11. ‘Straussiana (1953) – 3. Waltz’
12. ‘Theme & Variations, Op.42 - Theme’
13. ‘Theme & Variations, Op.42 - Variation 1’
14. ‘Theme & Variations, Op.42 - Variation 2’
15. ‘Theme & Variations, Op.42 - Variation 3’
16. ‘Theme & Variations, Op.42 - Variation 4’
17. ‘Theme & Variations, Op.42 - Variation 5’
18. ‘Theme & Variations, Op.42 - Variation 6’
19. ‘Theme & Variations, Op.42 - Variation 7’
20. ‘Tales of Strauss, Op.21 (1927) (orch. Kopriva)’

ASV's Korngold series continues with a further concert of rarely-heard but glorious orchestral music, the second from Caspar Richter and the Bruckner Orchester Linz.

While Erich Korngold is best remembered as one of the greatest of all Hollywood film composers, his 'straight' classical scores are every bit as memorable, as five previous ASV issues of his chamber and orchestral music have already demonstrated: String Quartets Nos.1 & 2 on CD DCA 1035, Quartet No.3 & String Sextet on 1062, Suite & Piano Quintet on 1047 and Violin Music on 1080 - plus the superb debut disc from Caspar Richter and the Bruckner Orchester Linz (1074), a unique programme of richly romantic, yet rarely-heard, orchestral scores from 1908 (!) to 1928.
Richter's second volume of Korngold's orchestral works spans his entire career from his very first attempt at orchestration (Fairytale Pictures) to his last published work (Straussiana). The Fairytale Pictures are a delightful set of miniatures composed for piano in 1910 - when Korngold was just 13! His orchestral version was even performed until 1997. He scored a major success with his first original orchestral work, the Schauspiel Overture of a year later (it was played at the Proms when its creator was still only 15). Korngold was a born opera composer and his creative genius was shown to the full in his teenage opera Violanta, an astonishing renaissance tragedy, from which we hear the overture and whirling carnival music.
Korngold was an expert on the music of Johann Strauss and in 1927 wrote a piano fantasia Tales Of Strauss, subsequently orchestrated, and here receiving its world premiere recording. And for his final published score he crafted Straussiana from little-known Strauss originals. This was premiered in 1953 along with another of his most delightful works, the Theme and Variations, Op.42.

Reviews:
"..recording is full-bodied and projects these weighty scores with due clarity" (Gramophone)
"...buy it with confidence" (BBC Music Magazine ***** review) Released 2002.