Sejna's Dvorak: worth a listen?
Dirk A. Ronk
aged but well-preserved LPs that made me curious: a Dvorak 2nd
symphony (coupled with an Otello o'ture with Talich) and a Dvorak 3rd
symphony, both by Sejna and the Czech Symphony Orchestra. These were
on the Artia label (licensed from Supraphon). I've heard OF Sejna, but
don't recall hearing his recordings. Anyone want to clue me in, urge
me to plunk down my money (a whole buck each!) or warn me away?
Dirk the frugal
Paul Goldstein
says...
I can't vouch for the LPs, but these are superb performances as heard on
Supraphon CDs. I like them better than Talich's, though they are quite similar
in approach. The sound is quite good mono.
Paul Goldstein
Ray Hall
news:acbccd7a.03031...@posting.google.com...
On the evidence of much of what I have heard from Sejna, mostly Martinu, I
wouldn't hesitate, only if the LPs are in good condition. There is a very
good probability there is some good Dvorak on them, but don't quote me on
it. The overture conducted by Talich would be worth having alone.
# http://www.users.bigpond.com/hallraylily/index.html
See You Tamara (Ozzy Osbourne)
Ray, Taree, NSW
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David M. Cook
wrote:
I guess these are the old numbers for the 6th and 7th symphonies. Berkshire
has these on CD:
1.
Dvorak, Symphony #5; Slavonic Rhapsodies Op.45 #'s 1-3. (Czech Phil./
Sejna. Rec.1952-53)
Add to cart | Price: $ 5.99 | Country: CZECH | D/A code: M | Code: SU 1917 |
BRO Code: 102331 | Label: SUPRAPHON
Genre: Symphonies
3.
Dvorak, Symphonies 6 & 7. (Czech Phil./ Sejna. Rec.1951)
Add to cart | Price: $ 5.99 | Country: CZECH | D/A code: M | Code: SU 1918
| BRO Code: 26068 | Label: SUPRAPHON
Genre: Symphonies
The remaining item at Berkshire, a Fibich CD, is also very good.
Dave Cook
JRsnfld
> aged but well-preserved LPs that made me curious: a Dvorak 2nd
> symphony (coupled with an Otello o'ture with Talich) and a Dvorak 3rd
> symphony, both by Sejna and the Czech Symphony Orchestra. >>
I have the "2nd" on LP and upgraded to CD as well--the LP has good sound and
the CD is more convenient but not particularly better sounding. If you're in
the mood to experiment, get these records and see for yourself. What you'll
find is probably the best overall conducting (and playing) of Dvorak ever put
to disc. A few Ancerl recordings are in this category (and basically Talich,
too). As always, the CPO is the star, showing uncanny understanding of how each
part fits in the whole--you hear everything, always in the right proportions,
with instrumental choirs shifting in and out of the spotlight at just the right
moments. But best of all, under Sejna, the orchestra has a glowing warmth and
elegance that I don't always hear in Talich or Ancerl, who seem to be a bit
more brutal or slashing at times. Alot of this has to do with Sejna's excellent
judgement for tempi. This is a fine distinction, off course--Ancerl, Talich,
and Sejna were all great conductors. Keep an eye out for Sejna's outstanding
Beethoven 6, his Smetana tone poems, his Fibich and especially his Dvorak
American Suite, Legends, and Slavonic Dances.
Everything but the Beethoven is on CD now, I believe (don't know about Sejna's
Mahler). Anyone who's transferred his Mahler 4 to CD, let me know!
--Jeff
Heck51
"...by Sejna and the Czech Symphony Orchestra. These were
> on the Artia label (licensed from Supraphon). I've heard OF Sejna, but
> don't recall hearing his recordings. Anyone want to clue me in,"
Karel Sejna was was,IIRC, a bass player in the CzechPO who also did a
fair amount of conducting. I only know his conducting by a complete
set of Dvorak Slavonic Dances with CzPO which is very fine indeed. of
course, the CzPO could probably do these splendidly with no conductor,
but in any case - that disc is a deinite winner.
Ramon Khalona
I have not yet heard a disappointing recording with Sejna and collect
his recordings. If you don't already have them, you must get his
Slavonic Dances on Supraphon CD. I don't think they have been
surpassed by anyone, dead or alive.
RK
DelMarva LaPoule
Agreed. He achieves some incredible rubato effects, like the hesitation
before the second beat in the polkas. Among other magnificent Sejna
performances were a gorgeous Novak compilation (Slovak Suite and
Marysa), an ancient Mahler 4th with the CPO, and many of the Dvorak
symphonic poems.
DelMarva LaPoule
>
>
> Karel Sejna was was,IIRC, a bass player in the CzechPO who also did a
> fair amount of conducting.
That's like saying Toscanini was a cellist who etc.
Samir Golescu
Never heard this conductor -- you gentlemen convinced me I should!
regards,
SG
______________
"Oh yeah, so because I am a toaster that means I am tone-deaf?!"
"The Red Dwarf"
Andrew T. Kay
>Never heard this conductor -- you gentlemen convinced me I should!
Glad it's not just me. I've never heard anything by him either, and every time
I see a new post with the thread title (even though I've seen it several times
now and should know better), I think it's something about Anja Silja, who was
on Klemperer's _Dutchman_ among other things.
--Todd K
Ray Hall
news:20030311160417...@mb-mm.aol.com...
One particular Karel Sejna recording you might want to try to obtain (on
Supraphon), with the Czech PO, is Martinu's Concerto for Two String
Orchestras, Piano and Timpani. One of Martinu's most powerful works, and the
soloists are Jan Panenka (piano) and Josef Hejduk (timpani).
Regards,
Tony Movshon
Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net are forged)
letters to be typed in news:3E6EC5E0...@nyu.edu:
Jim Svejda on KUSC just played a few of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances conducted
by Sejna; they were delightful.
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
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To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Mark Coy tossed off eBay? http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2B734C02
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Heck51
> Heck51 wrote:
"That's like saying Toscanini was a cellist who etc."
not quite - AT gave up orchestral cello playing once he went to the
podium, I believe that Sejna remained an active member of the CzPO as
a bassist. [I'm not positive however...]
Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net are forged)
letters to be typed in
Not quite - AT continued to play cello (most famously in La Scala's
orchestra at the premiere of _Otello_) until he had firmly established his
conducting career.
Dirk A. Ronk
LPs are still there...IIRC, the Martinu piece that was mentioned is
also there (though on the Artia reissue label, not original
Supraphon). BTW, as I'm sure most of you must have realized, I did
mean to say Czech PHILHARMONIC Orchestra--not SYMPHONIC as I typed in
error on my post. Sounds to me as though I have a real treat in store
for me.
It also occurs to me that Sejna would be a wonderful subject for one
of those EMI Great Conductors of the 20th Century releases. Should we
start a grass-roots movement to petition the powers at EMI (and
perhaps suggest a list of performances, as well)?
Just a thought.
Dirk
Paul Goldstein
It's a good point. Did anyone mention Sejna's perfs of the 3 Fibich symphonies?
Those make the best possible case for the music (which I find pretty thin in
most others' hands).
Paul Goldstein
Brendan R. Wehrung
To my amazement nobody has mentioned Sejna's Ma Vlast, which I like at
least as much as the (final) Kubelik.
Brendan
REG
book published just after the turn of the century, which I once had access
to, and which dealt with famous cellists in history, as the prominent
first-cellist of the La Scala orchestra. It's just a brief reference but
impressive none the less. There are stories of his having heavily marked the
solo part in the Dvorak (???) with his own fingerings as late as the 30s.
"Heck51" <dgall...@mediaone.net> wrote in message
news:e87e1a2e.03031...@posting.google.com...
Ramon Khalona
> To my amazement nobody has mentioned Sejna's Ma Vlast, which I like at
> least as much as the (final) Kubelik.
It's indeed an exciting performance (rec. 1950), although the sound is
a little dim and it's most likely transferred from vinyl (I hear quite
a bit of swish at the very beginning and in a couple of other spots).
Definitely worth seeking (Supraphon CD SU 1913-2 001).
Ramon Khalona
Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net are forged)
letters to be typed in news:3E6EC5E0...@nyu.edu:
Jim Svejda on KUSC just played a few of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances conducted
by Sejna; they were delightful.
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
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Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net are forged)
letters to be typed in
Not quite - AT continued to play cello (most famously in La Scala's
orchestra at the premiere of _Otello_) until he had firmly established his
conducting career.
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Mark Coy tossed off eBay? http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2B734C02
RMCR's most pointless, dumb and laughable chowderhead: Mark Coy.
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Ramon Khalona
symphonies, so the LPs you saw probably just use the old numbering of
the symphonies.
All of these have been issued on Supraphon CD.
One more Sejna piece of trivia: in most photos of him I've seem, he
could well pass for Rafael Kubelik's brother.
RK
Paul Goldstein
rkha...@hotmail.com says...
>
>BTW, I think Sejna only recorded the Dvorak 5th, 6th, and 7th
>symphonies, so the LPs you saw probably just use the old numbering of
>the symphonies.
That's what I assuming, too.
>All of these have been issued on Supraphon CD.
And they are still listed at Berkshire, $5.99 apiece. Well worth it.
Paul Goldstein
Alan Watkins
that he is "worth a listen", perhaps also for the Slavonic Dances and
Scherzo Capriccioso of Dvorak. He was also quite good at Fibich and
Smetana and Martinu and many other Czech composers. He was also
extremely good at Beethoven (in my opinion)
When I was timpanist for the Prague Symphony Orchestra we recorded the
complete cycle of Dvorak symphonies with the conductor twice, once for
radio and once for television. He certainly did the complete cycle
also with the Czech Philharmonic as well but I am not sure if it was
recorded.
Also there was a good Czech conductor who has been forgotten...Mr
Zdenek (Dennis) Chalabala. His performances of Dvorak Overtures and
the late Symphonic Poems (Water Goblin, Noon Day Witch, Othello etc)
were, in my opinion, quite exceptional and also the Dvorak operas and
"colourful" works like Scheherazade.
There was also a chap called Ancerl.
For choral music we also had Miroslav Venhoda, an exceptional
musician. In Mahler, I also liked Vaclav Neumann.
Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins
Dirk A. Ronk
> symphonies, so the LPs you saw probably just use the old numbering of
> the symphonies.
Correct. I went by and bought them yesterday. Symphony 2 carries opus
#70 ("new" symphony 7) and symphony 3 carries opus #76 ("new" symphony
5). Hope I've got that straight. I got the opus numbers just now from
a reference book, but I'm remembering the symphony/opus pairings from
the album covers.
Thanks,
Dirk
Paul Goldstein
alanwa...@aol.com says...
>Also there was a good Czech conductor who has been forgotten...Mr
>Zdenek (Dennis) Chalabala. His performances of Dvorak Overtures and
>the late Symphonic Poems (Water Goblin, Noon Day Witch, Othello etc)
>were, in my opinion, quite exceptional and also the Dvorak operas and
>"colourful" works like Scheherazade.
Chalabala's great performances of the Dvorak late symphonic poems were issued on
a superbly remastered Urania disc (Tom Null's Urania, not the current one), and
I think they are now available on Supraphon. The Urania disc should be snapped
up if you see it in the used bin.
Paul Goldstein
Rick Cavalla
> BTW, I think Sejna only recorded the Dvorak 5th, 6th, and 7th
> symphonies, so the LPs you saw probably just use the old numbering of
> the symphonies.
> All of these have been issued on Supraphon CD.
The Supraphon CD of the 5th symphony also comes with the 3 Slavonic
Rhapsodies. The g minor Rhapsody (No. 2) is one of the best Dvorak
recordings, ever! And the symphony is no slouch either, definitely one of
the best 5ths around. Sound is perfectly acceptable 50s mono.
--
Rick Cavalla
ra...@NO.erols.SPAM.com
==========================
Ramon Khalona
You got the old numbers right. No. 5 (Op. 76) is one of the rarest
works in the music literature, having been assigned three numbers (No.
3, as published by Simrock [Dvorak's publisher]; No. 4, as assigned by
Dvorak who went to his grave convinced this was his fourth symphony;
and No. 5, which is the proper order if you count, as we now do, "The
Bells of Zlonice" as his first symphony).
I listened to Sejna's 6th and 7th symphonies today to refresh my
memory.
I found No. 7 especially good.
Ramon Khalona
Ramon Khalona
> As a musician who played many times for this conductor, I also believe
> that he is "worth a listen", perhaps also for the Slavonic Dances and
> Scherzo Capriccioso of Dvorak. He was also quite good at Fibich and
> Smetana and Martinu and many other Czech composers. He was also
> extremely good at Beethoven (in my opinion)
Many thanks for your first hand reminiscences. The notes to one of
Sejna's CDs on Supraphon say that he recorded the Mahler 4th ("his
favorite" as the writer indicates) in the 1970s. Has anyone
seen/heard such a recording?
RK
Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net are forged)
letters to be typed in
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> DelMarva LaPoule <vze2...@verizon.net> wrote in message
Not quite - AT continued to play cello (most famously in La Scala's
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Matthew B. Tepper (posts from uswest.net are forged)
letters to be typed in news:3E6EC5E0...@nyu.edu:
Jim Svejda on KUSC just played a few of Dvorak's Slavonic Dances conducted
by Sejna; they were delightful.
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
Mark Coy tossed off eBay? http://makeashorterlink.com/?M2B734C02
RMCR's most pointless, dumb and laughable chowderhead: Mark Coy.
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Brendan R. Wehrung
You were too young you play for Frantisek Stupka, but did you hear talk of
him? He was supposed to be quite something.
Brendan
Delmarva LaPoule
>
>
> Many thanks for your first hand reminiscences. The notes to one of
> Sejna's CDs on Supraphon say that he recorded the Mahler 4th ("his
> favorite" as the writer indicates) in the 1970s. Has anyone
> seen/heard such a recording?
>
> RK
I have Sejna's Mahler 4th, but it is an early Supraphon recording, SUA
10157, in mono.
Alan Watkins
still missed them. When I first started playing in Czechoslovakia
they were the only people anyone talked about....there are at least
TWO players (one in percussion) in the Czech Phil (the elderly
gentleman who is one of the best cymbal players I have ever heard) who
played for Talich. Every generation has hero's I suppose but you must
remember that both of them taught a lot.
You can only compare people with those you know. I liked Mr Sejna and
Mr Ancerl and Mr Kosler and Mr Chalabala.
Unfortunately Mr Chalabala made some enemies when he went to the
Bolshoi for some time after the "invasion". We were invaded the other
way and found ourselves playing "The Sun Shines Over Our Motherland"
(which, fortunately, has a reasonable timpani part). We also had
quite a number of Russian conductors including Mr Svetlanov and Mrs
Dudarova who was very good at Tchaikovsky. However (speaking
personally) the best Russian conductor I played for was Kopilov who
was on the Bolshoi staff. A tremendous musician I think!!! We did a
run of Nutcracker with him and it was really something. He changed it
every night!
I am glad to have seen the Czech Republic liberated and it also has
REAL Budweiser at approximately 50p/50c a pint if anyone is interested
in visiting. A really good meal is still only £12 a head....yes it is
an advertisement but I love this country and I believe it has a good
musical tradition.
Alan Watkins
music of Dvorak? It is common to group Dvorak among the major
"romantics" such as Brahms and Schumann and Tchaikovksy but he was a
unique person, not to be so grouped.
His use of triplets (particularly on the timpani whether accented or
not) was unusual for the time and his sudden solo outburst for the
timpani in Symphony 4 Op 13 was perhaps learned from Smetana (of whose
orchestra he was a member) when they played the Bartered Bride dances?
I would also humbly submit there were not many triplets for the
triangle before the Dvorak operas and most cymbal players today treat
their part in Scherzo Capriccioso with great respect. When he wrote
the Carnival Overture he created a virtuoso part for the tambourine
player. People may laugh at the thought of a "virtuoso part" for this
instrument but Carnival is that (in my opinion) which is why it
features in most percussion auditions throughout the world whether in
England, Czech Republic, America, Russia or Brazil in 2003. If you
can give a good performance in Carnival you need fear nothing in the
tambourine repertoire and although he was a "romantic" he was a very
forward thinking romantic in the world of percussion and I believe
helped change both the understanding of it and the STATURE of it.
Just a Dvorak fan.
Brendan R. Wehrung
> Yes I missed Stupka and Talich regrettably.....not by MUCH....but I
> still missed them. When I first started playing in Czechoslovakia
> they were the only people anyone talked about....there are at least
> TWO players (one in percussion) in the Czech Phil (the elderly
> gentleman who is one of the best cymbal players I have ever heard) who
> played for Talich. Every generation has hero's I suppose but you must
> remember that both of them taught a lot.
>
Did you form an opinion of Frantisek Jilek, who is somewhat represented on
LP/CD? He's always gotten mixed press, except when he made the only
recording (obscure Janacek, his specialty).
Brendan
Paul Goldstein
Mr. Watkins, thanks so much for sharing your reminiscences with us. I would
like to ask you a question that I raised here some time ago. In the first
movement of Dvorak's 9th symphony, about one minute into the music, there is a
familiar percussion outburst that is played in two very different ways on
recordings I know: most recordings play it as a hit followed by a roll, but
some play it just as a roll. Our musician colleagues have stated that the score
is ambiguous. I must admit that the roll-only approach makes more musical sense
to me. What is your view of this? How did the great Czech conductors under
whom you played handle this question? Thanks again for sharing your insights
into these great figures.
Paul Goldstein
William Satterthwaite
>You were too young you play for Frantisek Stupka, but did you hear talk of
>him? He was supposed to be quite something.
He conducted my all-time favorite Dvorak Cello Concerto recording
(w/Navarra/Prague RSO).
Bill in Seattle
Alan Watkins
(Simrock) was notoriously inaccurate and as Dover (in 2003) follow
Simrock, it follows that they are also inaccurate. Dvorak's MSS
indicates an SF stroke followed by a dimuendo and that is how I have
always played it. It is clearly marked in the original MSS. I agree
that the published score is ambiguous but the original manuscript is
not.
Could I please make another point, particularly as people were
discussing Mr Sejna. In his recording of Slavonic Dances Op 46 do you
notice anything with the wonderful cymbal playing (the late Ladoslav
Burda), particularly in the first movement C major Presto? Hint: Go
back to Mr Dvorak's original manuscript, NOT the published editions. I
think the CD number is SU1916-2011. There is something VERY different
about it which is also what Dvorak wrote.
Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins
>
Alan Watkins
opinion). He spent most of his time in Brno with the Symphony/Opera
Orchestra. He was a fine interpreter of Janacek and Martinu in
particular but also Sibelius and Schumann. I did Sibelius 6 with him
in a memorable concert that also included Finlandia and the original
Karelia Overture (not the suite) and some movements from The Tempest.
Sibelius 6 we did in the second half....what a wonderful symphony.
Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins
PS for American readers: Mr Jilek was a motor cycle enthusiast and his
pride and joy was a Harley-Davidson.
> >
>
> Did you form an opinion of Frantisek Jilek, who is somewhat represented on
> LP/CD? He's always gotten mixed press, except when he made the only
> recording (obscure Janacek, his specialty).
>
> >>
> >>
Delmarva LaPoule
Is there any truth to the story that one of the horn players in the CPO
(Hrdina? Cir?) was given a job as percussionist after his teeth fell out?
I'm not trying to be funny. I heard this story from Otto Kopecky, a horn
player from Brno, but he was a little inebriated at the time (not just
he), and there was a language barrier.
Which leads to another question: How long did it take you to master the
language?
Alan Cooper
news:62c8649c.03031...@posting.google.com...
> Could I please make another point, particularly as people were
> discussing Mr Sejna. In his recording of Slavonic Dances Op 46 do you
> notice anything with the wonderful cymbal playing (the late Ladoslav
> Burda), particularly in the first movement C major Presto? Hint: Go
> back to Mr Dvorak's original manuscript, NOT the published editions. I
> think the CD number is SU1916-2011. There is something VERY different
> about it which is also what Dvorak wrote.
Mr. Watkins, I have never rarely seen a more interesting batch of newsgroup
postings than your wonderful insights about Czech musicians. Would you
please explain how a musically astute listener with no knowledge of
percussion technique might recognize "wonderful cymbal playing," and
distinguish it from the run-of-the-mill variety.
TIA, AC
Alan Watkins
That's a very funny story but I don't know if it is true or not.
Could it be that he had also studied percussion? It is quite common
for people to do two instruments (in England also as I am sure you all
know) and perhaps that is the answer. I rather doubt they would have
done it without the player having some qualification: they are a
pretty "smart" percussion department (particularly the current
players, in my opinion) and qualification on one instrument doesn't
help you in percussion (again, in my opinion).
A small point: Zdenek Macal was a professional percussionist as was
Neeme Jarvi.
The Czech language is a nightmare to learn. It took me well over a
year (although I realise I am not a natural linguist) and to my shame
I understand that Charles Mackerras learned it six months or less!
Which brings to me another small point away from the thread. Why
doesn't everyone laud this great musician (perhaps they do and I've
missed it but I think not).....his superb skills, his breadth of
repertoire (probably the greatest Janacek conductor in the world,
Beethoven, Mozart, Sullivan).
And he's a Czech speaking Australian! Actually, he's just a great
musician like Mr Haitink.
Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins
PS: My other experience in life is that's it's very difficult to
believe anything stated as fact by the brass section.....only
joking:):)
Paul Goldstein
>year (although I realise I am not a natural linguist) and to my shame
>I understand that Charles Mackerras learned it six months or less!
>
>Which brings to me another small point away from the thread. Why
>doesn't everyone laud this great musician (perhaps they do and I've
>missed it but I think not).....his superb skills, his breadth of
>repertoire (probably the greatest Janacek conductor in the world,
>Beethoven, Mozart, Sullivan).
>
>And he's a Czech speaking Australian! Actually, he's just a great
>musician like Mr Haitink.
Sir Charles Mackerras's recordings of a wide range of music, from Handel to
Janacek, are highly regarded by most here at RMCR. He has recorded
prolifically, of course, and it is difficult to think of a single recording by
him that is boring or otherwise a flop. Lately I have been re-acquainting
myself with his Telarc recordings of Haydn (Orch. of St. Luke's) and Mozart
(Prague Ch. Orch.), and enjoying them even more now than when I heard them
initially.
Paul Goldstein
Alan Watkins
explain it? I think in clarity of touch, of tone.....when you hear
Brendel strike an E flat in something and think "Wow" which passed you
by when someone else hit the same note....I think that is it.
I would say clear, ringing sound for the cymbals, not something
condensed or which sounds like two brass plates coming together. It
is a glancing blow not a "full on" hit. There are not two hands in
cymbal playing....one must take the lead and "glance" off the other.
If they come together at exactly the same time you will trap the
sound....it's exactly like a timpani roll....both hands cannot come
down together or you will ruin the sound.....one MUST create a flam
and let that flam vibrate fractionally or else you would be in a roll
you could never correct.
Dvorak Op 46 was originally written for two pianos and orchestrated
later as I am sure all know. In the Simrock edition and in the Dover
(American) edition he work opens (for percussion) in 3/4 time with a
roll for the timpani against the rest of the orchestra. The marking
is FF but in the ORIGINAL piano score and in the ORIGINAL manuscript
orchestral version, the fourth beat of subsequent bars are for the
cymbal marked SF to tie in with the brief timpani roll in the
orchestral version. That is what Mr Buda plays in the Sejna
recording.
Plate cymbals are at their most difficult when rapidly repeated (as in
Night on Bare Mountain). , in Sejna's recording of Slavonic Dances
that is GREAT cymbal playing. Listen to other perfomances and do they
intrude on your ear? With respect I would say that most do not.
The nightmare with Op 46 is that it gives the cymbal player little
opportunity to "kill" the sound but Mr Buda was a supreme player and
in Sejna's recording of Slavonic Dances you can hear a supreme player
at work.
I would have had given him a good go on the timpani but I will
willingly say I could not have matched him on cymbals.
It was HIS speciality and he was a great artist. Daft though it is,
anyone who knows the Dvorak Op 46 by Sejna is listening to a great
musician at work (yeah...okay only someone doing cymbals)
But this a seminal piece for percussion! It's the first and only
"kit" part for timpani, requiring a completely different technique
from the classical repertoire.....probably the first work to write a
classical "flam" for the timpani.
A funny point: Dvorak in most of Op 46 wrote for cymbals and bass drum
together (as was the style of the time) so why timpani and THREE
percussion? Cos in movement 7 (C Minor allegro assai), for a few
bars, cymbals and bass drum part company:):)
Anyway Mr Buda was a supreme cymbal player and anyone with the Sejna
Op 46 can hear that. For the technically minded he used 15 inch
Zildjan cymbals. It's not to say other people have not beaten or
matched it but just that this is supreme orchestral cymbal playing in
my opinion.
Kind regards,
Alan M. Watkins
>
Alan Cooper
> That's a very tough question.....percussionists know but how to
Another interesting and informative posting. I think I see what you're
getting at. Many thanks for taking the time to reply!
AC
Alan Watkins
I'm glad you found it interesting. Percussion is a special art form
for me (of course, I would say that) but immensely boring to those who
are not interested in it. Most symphony orchestras in the world have
one or more players who "specialise" on the cymbals in the same way
that they may have one or more who "specialise" on cymbals or
tambourine (sometimes both)and most good section leaders will take
that into account when allocating "parts". Some of these specialists
are quite famous (within the industry). I've had a life long love
affair with the triangle of which Richter is supposed to have said:
"You spent three years studying music to play the triangle. It's like
tying shoelaces."
Not in Danse Boheme by Bizet it isn't nor in the first act of Rusalka
(Dvorak) where it has an immensely important part. Likewise in
Smetana and Dvorak operas. Dvorak (naturally) was probably the first
chap to write triplets for it.
I prefer Mr Lizst's view (probably the first composer to write it for
it solo in the Piano Concerto?) who said it was capable of turning a
red hot furnace into "white heat" and so it is.
I regard it as the most wonderful "small percussion" instrument in the
world because it has such immense potential and such a lovely sound
and great parts.
Dirk A. Ronk
up the Sejna Dvorak LPs. During my listening session last night, I did
some comparing. I put on op.70 (old sym. 2/"new" sym. 7) by
Kosler/CzPO from the mid or late '60s and the old mono with Sejna.
Kosler sounded OK--a bit astringent, but I was basically enjoying the
music under him. Then I put on Sejna. No contest. Sejna walked away
with it. Sonically, well...OK, we're not talking fabulous. But the
forward momentum, the phrasing, the orchestral contrasts, the drama of
the music itself--all were far superior in his version. It's a keeper.
Many thanks,
Dirk