Julius BITTNER: Orchestral Music, Volume One
The name of the Austrian composer Julius Bittner (1874–1939) has been almost entirely lost from view, and yet he was one of the most successful composers of opera and operetta of his day, a mainstay of musical Vienna. Unusually, Bittner was also a practising lawyer; more unusually still, he was a double amputee, the result of the ravages of diabetes. None of his orchestral music has been recorded before – astonishingly, given the quality of the two works presented here. Vaterland is an expansive, Lisztian symphonic poem written on a patriotic impulse early in the First World War; and Bittner’s ambitious First Symphony, which has its starting point in Brahms and Bruckner, is a major piece of late- Romantic musical architecture, both tuneful and grandiose.
Siberian Symphony Orchestra
Dmitry Vasiliev, conductor
Listen To This Recording:
- Vaterland: Symphonic Poem (1915)
- I Allegro
- II Sehr langsam
- III Sehr rasch – etwas langsamer
- IV Sehr rasch
Symphony No.1 in F minor (1923)
FIRST RECORDINGS
MusicWeb International :
‘In the Symphony No.1 […] is well-structured and eminently accessible. […] The music’s elevated spirit must surely reflect Bittner’s own clearly elevated human qualities. […]
However, Bittner is a figure worth knowing and this is just the first in a survey of his orchestral music. I can imagine more polished performances, but they are vigorous and attentive and certainly seem to bring out the music’s vitalising core.’
—Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
Classical Music Sentinel :
‘Conductor Dmitry Vasiliev and the Siberian Symphony Orchestra, one of the largest orchstras in Russia, execute these works as if they were old favorites. If you want to hear something unheard up until now, from one of the most fertile periods of musical history, now’s your chance.’
—Jean-Yves Duperron, Classical Music Sentinel
WTJU :
‘That Wagnerian streak and Bittner’s gift for rich orchestration is readily apparent in the two works presented here. The 1911 symphonic poem Vaterland is a musical valentine for Austria. This short work is full of beautifully crafted melodies that flow seamlessly together. […]
Dmitry Vasiliev and the Siberian Symphony Orchestra do Bittner’s music credit. The ensemble is well-recorded, letting us hear the subtle details of Bittner’s orchestrations. And while not Viennese, they seem to capture the essence of the style in these performances. […]
Toccata Classics is doing the music world a real service by launching this series of orchestral recordings.’
—Ralph Graves, WTJU
BBC Music Magazine :
‘Think Wagner-meets-Atterberg with touches of Sibelius. Both works, played solidly by this Russian orchestra, reward repeated listening.’
—BBC Music Magazine
Klassisk Musik :
‘Fremførelsene av Siberian Symphony Orchestra er helt adekvat (men jeg skulle likt å høre hva et Wien-orkester kunne fått ut av disse verkene), nydelig formet av Dmitrij Vasilijev, og med noe virkelig fin treblåsklang. Toccata Classics’ lyd er fremragende og fantastisk klar når den får Bittners mesterlige og til tider overdådige orkestrering til å skinne.’
English translation:
‘The Siberian Symphony Orchestra’s performances are perfectly adequate (though I’d like to hear what a Vienna orchestra could have gotten out of these works), beautifully crafted by Dmitry Vasiliyev, and with some really nice woodwinds. Toccata Classics’ sound is outstanding and wonderfully clear when it lets Bittner’s masterful and at times lavish orchestration shine.’
—Guy Rickards, Klassisk Musik
Stretto :
‘[…] en zijn ambitieuze Eerste Symfonie, beïnvloed door Brahms en Bruckner, is grandioze, laatromantische, muzikale architectuur. Een immense (her)ontdekking! […]
Beluister en ontdek meteen de langzame beweging, “Sehr Langsam”, uit de eerste Symfonie. Er wacht u een verheven, muzikale ervaring!’
English translation:
‘[…] and his ambitious First Symphony, influenced by Brahms and Bruckner, is grandiose, late-Romantic musical architecture. An immense (re)discovery! […]
Listen and discover the slow movement, “Sehr Langsam,” from the First Symphony. A sublime musical experience awaits you!’
—Michel Dutrieue, Stretto