Don Satz:

>Dan Schmidt wants some feedback on the best place to start with the works
>of Ernst Toch.  I'll just restrict myself mainly to his string quartets.
>There are two recordings that I know of on the market.  One, on the Talent
>Dom label, has early Toch; the music is thoroughly derivative and often
>sounds like Mozart.  Since it's nowhere as good as Mozart, I'd pass on this
>one

A few months ago I heard a fine Toch String Quartet on, I believe, WHRB.
The announcer made some introductory remarks, to the effect that Toch was
largely self taught, and that he has written that he learned to compose by
copying out Mozart String Quartets, then trying his hand at variations on
these, still in the Mozart style.  As I recall he testified that this was
a humbling experience.  I am hazy on the details, but Don's remarks jogged
my memory.  No doubt the many memebers of the Toch Inner Circle will gently
correct my mistakes.  In any case it is good to see a discussion of his
work.  Until recently all I had heard was the Pinnochio Overture.

Bernard Chasan