February 21, 2013

  • Review: Eilenberg Waltzes & Polkas

     

    Eilenberg: Waltzes & Polkas
    WDR RundfunkorchesternKoln/Christian Simonis
    CPO 777 342-2
    Total Time:  68:52
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

     

    Every year people look forward to the New Year’s Concerts from Vienna.  The last vestige of the grand days of salon music and ballrooms filled with the music of the Strauss family.  One particular work may be familiar to fans of this style of music, the St Petersburg Sleigh Ride (oft performed by Andre Rieu).  This is but one of two salon pieces by Richard Eilenberg (1848-1927) a German composer who was quite active from the beginnings of this type of musical entertainment.  His music was quite popular in its day and the sleigh ride and a later idyll aside, continued to be performed into the 20th century even if overshadowed by their Austrian contemporaries.  Some 350 works still survive including operettas and a ballet.  CPO continues its releases of rediscovering these lighter classic pieces with the present release.

    If you are looking for a rather delightful album that Is reminiscent of Strauss family compilations this will certainly hold its appeal while introducing you to a host of equally wonderful music.  These are all brilliantly-orchestrated pieces of Viennese dance music with charm and humor to boot.  Galops, waltzes, polkas, marches, and even an overture are all thrown in to this overview of Eilenberg’s music.  There are sleigh bells, fun woodwind parts, brass interjections, lyrical string writing, energetic rhythms and always an infectious melody that will have many tapping their toes, and perhaps standing to dance as well.  Eilenberg’s melodic gifts are quite remarkable and his incorporation of unique effects (like the bird whistles in his famous Die Muhle in Schwarzwald, Op. 52).  He was also fond of quotations and careful listeners will hear some of these surprises along the way here.  What is remarkable is that with each piece, one feels as if the melody is one they already know and this is a rather amazing gift.  The larger overture, Life is a Dream, demonstrates Eilenberg’s range as a composer equal to Strauss and Suppe.  And the pizzicato writing in the Mandolin Serenade, Op. 117 no doubt was quite impressive when premiered as it is striking now.

    The Cologne orchestra sounds like they are enjoying this change of pace from run of the mill more familiar works of the type and Simonis’ direction keeps tempos crisp and slight adjustments for emphasis are well handled when they occur.  The disc follows a pattern that alternates faster works with more lyrical slow pieces in a truly delightful program.  This will likely be one of your guilty pleasure discs of the year that you may just hit the repeat button on a few times.  Highly recommended!