He was born a few years after Webern, Berg and Stravinsky, and did not create many works before his untimely death because he worked in a very slow and deliberate, painstaking manner on his compositions. His Violin Concerto of 1911 is diatonic in nature and sounds almost like a Mahler violin concerto. But there is also a strong quality of Richard Strauss, as in most of his works - even the more slightly atonal ones.
The concerto is a powerful one-movement work which deserves a place in the concert repertory. This is the premiere recording of the first of Stephan's pieces titled simply Music for Orchestra; the composer eschewed any programmatic or descriptive terms in this compositions' titles. Its "nocturne" section creates a dreamlike setting of the same folk tune used by Mahler in his First Symphony - Freres Jacques.
The later Music for Orchestra has a lush opening section, some heroic Richard Strauss music, and the final section is distinguished by a massive fugal exposition. There is another composer's influence which I heard strongly in this music, and that is the ecstatic Scriabin. Fascinating stuff, more than worthwhile hearing and appreciating!
to a friend.
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