Don Satz:

>So, I have three questions.  First, which recordings would you recommend
>for the Goldmark symphonies.  Second, are Goldmark's compositions very
>syrupy? Third, any thoughts on why Goldmark is relatively obscure like me?

The Rustic Wedding symphony is more a symphonic poem in five sections.
It's pleasant enough but it's one of those works which wears out its
welcome very quickly.  I've never been desperate to buy it.  I did buy the
second symphony which is OK but its third movement has an amazingly trite
trumpet theme which even a tolerant person like me - or so I delude myself
- found way beyond the pale.  I have a CD of his overtures on Hungaroton
which are better than the symphonies.  I think he's obscure because he
didn't write as well as Dohnanyi who's less obscure, but Lajtha's still
obscure despite Marco Polo's best efforts and he wrote better music than
either of them.  On the whole, Don, I suspect Goldmark is not for you.

Richard Pennycuick
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