# Georg Schumann



## bwv543 (May 25, 2021)

As a fan of Bruckner who has repeatedly explored most of his major works by now, I've often wondered where to go to find more music like his. If only he had written more! (If only Chopin had written just a few more nocturnes... if only Bach had written some more preludes and fugues... anyway, I digress.)

Today, while browsing for recordings of Robert Schumann's symphonies, I stumbled across this recording of Georg Schumann's 2nd symphony. Out of curiosity, I gave it a whirl - and was immediately hooked! I have not yet found a symphony as Brucknerian in its ethos - from the unison passages, to the gorgeous melodies, string harmonies, and crescendos, to the broad sweep of the symphony as a whole. I don't see from his bio that he had much connection to Bruckner, but I'm starting to wonder if I am missing out on a hidden body of Bruckner-like symphonies from this generation, composers who continued composing in the late Romantic aesthetic instead of jumping on the Schoenberg or Hindemith bandwagons.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Richard Wetz (3 symphonies) is the poster child for Bruckner-like symphonies. I played Georg Schumann's 2nd a few weeks ago, a good work, but it did not trigger Bruckner vibes with me.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I have never heard of G. Schumann but the Rott Symphony that is usually promoted as Proto-Mahler is overall mostly Brucknerian (the most or only rather Mahlerian movement of the Rott is the Scherzo).

And you have probably heard it before, but an obvious 20th century Brucknerian symphonist was Furtwängler.


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## bwv543 (May 25, 2021)

Never heard of Wetz... now I'm curious!

For the G. Schumann, I think the Bruckner vibes are strongest in the first 2 movements... try the 2nd movement again and see if you don't notice it there - even right down to the sextuplet string accompaniment toward the end.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I just listened again to the second movement (for those who want to try, the version I have on CD is also available on YouTube here). I see where you get the resemblance from, it is stronger related to Bruckner than I remembered (particularly around the 27 min mark in the whole symphony). Then again, it was composed in 1905, so one would not expect a really more modern sound (Hindemith was 10). I'll try to listen to the whole symphony again one of these days.


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## bwv543 (May 25, 2021)

Art Rock said:


> I just listened again to the second movement (for those who want to try, the version I have on CD is also available on YouTube here). I see where you get the resemblance from, it is stronger related to Bruckner than I remembered (particularly around the 27 min mark in the whole symphony). Then again, it was composed in 1905, so one would not expect a really more modern sound (Hindemith was 10). I'll try to listen to the whole symphony again one of these days.


I'm glad we could swap listens - I got through all but the last 10 minutes of Wetz's 2nd symphony. You're right, now THAT is a Brucknerian symphony, though my initial impression is that the Schumann is a very original work cut from similar cloth while Wetz is deliberately trying to mimic Bruckner (something confirmed by the reading about him I did this afternoon - what an interesting fellow!). All that said, I really enjoyed it; too bad the scores aren't availble on IMSLP.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

In addition to the Bruckner-influenced composers mentioned above, three others can be said to be partly-influenced, their music having some significant differences from Bruckner's: Paul Büttner, Franz Schmidt (No. 1 and No. 2), and Egon Wellesz (in his earliest symphonies, though they are more dissonant). Schmidt's #2 acknowledges Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 ("Romantic," a favorite of mine): it is in the same key of E-Flat Major, its second movement begins with the same horn call as the opening of Bruckner's No. 4, and there are other similarities.

Then there is the unique example of composer Martin Scherber (1907-1974) who arranged Bruckner symphonies for piano, gaining the approval of conductor Wilhelm Fürtwängler. Scherber's own three symphonies have been recorded but may be hard to find. In the following excerpts from No. 3 one can hear the Bruckner influence but extended into much longer sections, in a work that Scherber called a "metamorphosis symphony."


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

The CPO label released some wonderful recording from Georg Schumann the Symphony Op. 42 is stunning, One another label they released Jerusalem, du hochgebaute Stadt. very worth hearing. Enjoy


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

Rogerx said:


> The CPO label released some wonderful recording from Georg Schumann the Symphony Op. 42 is stunning, One another label they released Jerusalem, du hochgebaute Stadt. very worth hearing. Enjoy


That disc got a rave review in Fanfare


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## bwv543 (May 25, 2021)

Roger Knox said:


> In addition to the Bruckner-influenced composers mentioned above, three others can be said to be partly-influenced, their music having some significant differences from Bruckner's: Paul Büttner, Franz Schmidt (No. 1 and No. 2), and Egon Wellesz (in his earliest symphonies, though they are more dissonant). Schmidt's #2 acknowledges Bruckner's Symphony No. 4 ("Romantic," a favorite of mine): it is in the same key of E-Flat Major, its second movement begins with the same horn call as the opening of Bruckner's No. 4, and there are other similarities.
> 
> Then there is the unique example of composer Martin Scherber (1907-1974) who arranged Bruckner symphonies for piano, gaining the approval of conductor Wilhelm Fürtwängler. Scherber's own three symphonies have been recorded but may be hard to find. In the following excerpts from No. 3 one can hear the Bruckner influence but extended into much longer sections, in a work that Scherber called a "metamorphosis symphony."


I've dabbled in Schmidt thanks to this forum - aside from the solid counterpoint I don't hear as much of Bruckner in his music. Büttner and Wellesz are unknown to me, so I shall have to investigate!


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

bwv543 said:


> I've dabbled in Schmidt thanks to this forum - aside from the solid counterpoint I don't hear as much of Bruckner in his music. Büttner and Wellesz are unknown to me, so I shall have to investigate!


The one that sounds most like Bruckner is Scherber - I guess he did a minimalist version of Bruckner, stretched out over time.


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