# SS 08.05.21 - Czerny #1



## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening!

For your listening pleasure this weekend:

*Carl Czerny (1791 - 1857)*

Symphony No. 1 in C minor, op. 780 "Grand Symphony"

1. Allegro 
2. Andante sostenuto
3. Scherzo
4. Finale
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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

This week we'll give Carl Czerny's Symphony no. 1 a go. More known as a teacher and for his piano works and his pupils, Czerny was an extremely prolific composer and wrote six symphonies. The first is extremely dramatic as he throws every Romantic phrase into the book -- and quite cleverly as he modifies each theme. Although never well-known (or praised) for his compositions this quote from Stravinsky may sum up much of his works: "As to Czerny, I have been appreciating the full-blooded musician in him more than the remarkable pedagogue." The Ulster Symphony under Jurjen Hempel give this YouTube rendition.


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

I'll give the version with Brandenburgisches a listen which is even more dramatic than Ulster.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

I will go with the same version via Spotify


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

View attachment 154933

And I follow Haydn man


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

Haydn man said:


> View attachment 154932
> 
> I will go with the same version via Spotify


My choice also............


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

The same here, from CD. It's been a while, I remember not being very impressed, but maybe time has changed my opinion.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Haydn man said:


> View attachment 154932
> 
> I will go with the same version via Spotify


Ditto. I dont mind Czerny's symphonies. He had some decent ideas.


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## Kiki (Aug 15, 2018)

I have the Jurjen Hempel / Ulster Orchestra CD. The Grand Symphony certainly sounds grand, but I also find it a bit genial. To be honest, and pardon me for being blunt, a rather sardonic image popped up in my head while listening to it, with a young, carefree, art-loving aristocrat, who grew up in a "greenhouse" environment, is enjoying a good time appreciating a _genial_ and _elegant_ "Grand Symphony"...

Out of curiosity, I turned to the Nikos Athinäos / Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt on youtube. Have to agree with cougarjuno. It does sound more dramatic. It certainly sounds more convincing to me, although it doesn't really change the nature of the music.


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## Malx (Jun 18, 2017)

Like others I've listened to this one, on Qobuz.










A better than average symphony without a clearly distinctive style - loads of influences at play to my ear, Beethoven, Schubert & Mendelssohn to mention a few. It seems to me that Czerny is a good craftsman without moving the development of the Symphony forward in any meaningful way - but then again not too many composers do.
A symphony I'd be happy to hear again.


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