Notes and Editorial Reviews
Hermann was born in Bern, studied medicine in Geneva and after
encouragement from Grieg turned exclusively to music. He was
a pupil of Humperdinck (1893-94) and settled in Marienhöhe,
Leipzig-Stötteritz.
Hermann's sunny pastoral muse is instantly in evidence in
these two captivating symphonies. This is in the cheery mode
of the pastoral Bruckner or Beethoven. There's even a passing
resemblance to Mendelssohn's Hebrides. The music
is light of wing and has something of the nationalist flavour
I associate with Swedish symphonies of
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that era. The First
Symphony's sauntering eloquence and summery ease contrasts
with shivering tensions, lovingly controlled murmurs, delicate
bird song, cuckoo calls and rustic dignity. The central Grave
is warm and dignified with its decorative harp in second episode
of movement and a placid hiking lovely gait. Only the repeated
cymbal clashes at 14:00 onwards are a miscalculation. It matters
not at all that heaven-storming drama is completely absent.
The Second Symphony is in four movements. It swings along
with a surging brass urgency and with fanfares echoing deliciously.
The music here is rather like Grieg in summery pastoral mood.
Hermann is quite a striking talent who evidently could keep
spinning gold from an idea without the idea or the listener
tiring. The performances and recordings are wondrously intense
and full of melodic reward. One must make a very light allowance
for a certain deficiency of affluent gold in the violin tone
but Christopher Fifield - now a Sterling stalwart - discovers
fresh life in these hymns to the verdant outdoors.
This disc is the latest arrival in Sterling's Swiss Romantics
line and has enjoyed funding from the Kanton of Bern and the
Foundation that bears the name of a Swiss composer of a later
generation Czesław Marek. Koch
International issued an admirable series of recordings of
Marek's music in the 1990s (see
review).
This is very catchy innocent music. I have been fortunate recently
in romantic symphonies having also discovered the different
but equally memorable Symphony by Ignaz Brüll on Cameo
Classics.
-- Rob Barnett, MusicWeb International Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Symphony no 1 in C major, Op. 7 by Robert Hermann
Conductor:
Christopher Fifield
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Württemberg Philharmonie Reutlingen
Period: Romantic
Written: 1895
2.
Symphony no 2 in B minor, Op. 11 by Robert Hermann
Conductor:
Christopher Fifield
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Württemberg Philharmonie Reutlingen
Period: Romantic
Written: 1905
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