Michael Schneider - Beck: Symphonies, Op. 3 Nos. 3-5 (2000)

A contemporary of Joseph Haydn, Franz Beck (1734-1809) has long been overshadowed by the Austrian master, but some similarities are remarkable. Both toiled for long periods away from the centers of musical activity. Both used wind instruments in highly original ways. Both employed striking harmonic progressions and increasingly independent part writing. Had Beck continued to compose symphonies past the 1760's, our opinion might be quite different today.

Growing up as the son of an oboist of the famed Mannheim orchestra, Beck became a student of the leader, Johann Stamitz. After further study with Baldassarre Galuppi in Italy, he moved first to Marseilles, and then on to Bordeaux where he lived for 30 years. All of these influences found their way into his music, which included at least 24 symphonies.

Half of the Op.3 set published in Paris in 1762, the three works on this disc follow the standard 4 movement format with a minuet as the third section. From the very beginning of the G Minor Symphony, No.3 of the series, paired horns propel the energetic 'Allegro con spirito'. Sharp dynamic contrasts, jagged melodic lines and the dramatic minor key reflect an early Sturm und Drang influence that later impacted Haydn and Mozart's works as well. Racing strings with wide interval jumps with sudden stops add to this robust opening movement.

Shifting into a major key, timid strings venture forth in the leisurely 'Andante poco adagio'. Distant horns and a discreet harpsichord offer subtly nuanced color as Beck gently pits the 1st and 2nd violins against each other. Odd rhythmic accents dot the appealing 'Minuetto' while in the contrasting trio, a gently swaying dance cadence takes hold. Cast in a sweeping triple meter, the closing 'Presto' often drops the lowers strings to highlight the vibrant horns and violins. Syncopated interplay heightens the immediacy of the contrast when the lower strings do re-enter with a marvelous counter melody.

Written in D Minor for strings only, the 5th symphony of the set begins the 'Allegro moderato' with hushed urgency. Adeptly juxtaposing the 2 sections of violins against the lower voices, Beck uses flashes of stillness to set off the furious flurries of notes. Also without horns, the major keyed 'Andantino' finds the harpsicord slightly more prominent amid the delicate strings. Continuing on in D Minor, a walking bass line drives the following 'Minuetto' as abrupt stops and stutter steps lends this fine 3rd movement unexpected punch. Quick halts also characterize the contrasting trio, a graceful interlude that slips into major. Spiky chords punctuate the finale, a rousing 'Presto' that presents frantic fiddling with a rhythmic snap that is immensely engaging.

Horns herald the bright 'Allegro con brio' of the symphony in E Flat, No.4. Scurrying strings alternate with jarring moments of silence as a striking horn duet anticipates the increased importance Beck gives to winds in his later Op.4 works. A minor keyed gem, the fervent 'Un poco adagio' shows an expressive depth rarely displayed in the other slow movements. Particularly stunning is that way the strings curI around the tranquil pauses. By turns regal and fragile, the 'Minuetto' features a horn dominated trio over softly plucked lower strings. Strings drive the final 'Presto resolutto', a triple metered romp that employs a favorite technique of his old teacher, Mannheim crescendos that find the splendid horns layered over the top of the violins.

Issued in 1996, the CPO recording is excellent, crisp and finely detailed. Under the adroit baton of Michael Schneider, La Stagione Franfurt delivers a first rate reading of these little known symphonies of Haydn's contemporary, brighter and a bit more lively than the Naxos recording of the same works. Had he kept writing symphonies beyond the mid 1760's, Beck might have been as well-known as Haydn.

Tracklist:

01. Symphony in G Minor, Op. 3 No. 3 (Callen 15): I. Allegro con spirito
02. Symphony in G Minor, Op. 3 No. 3 (Callen 15): II. Andante un poco adagio
03. Symphony in G Minor, Op. 3 No. 3 (Callen 15): III. Minuetto
04. Symphony in G Minor, Op. 3 No. 3 (Callen 15): IV. Presto
05. Symphony in D Minor, Op. 3 No. 5 (Callen 17): I. Allegro moderato
06. Symphony in D Minor, Op. 3 No. 5 (Callen 17): II. Andantino
07. Symphony in D Minor, Op. 3 No. 5 (Callen 17): III. Minuetts I & II
08. Symphony in D Minor, Op. 3 No. 5 (Callen 17): IV. Presto
09. Symphony in E-Flat Major, Op. 3 No. 4 (Callen 16): I. Allegro con brio
10. Symphony in E-Flat Major, Op. 3 No. 4 (Callen 16): II. Un poco adagio
11. Symphony in E-Flat Major, Op. 3 No. 4 (Callen 16): III. Minuettos I & II
12. Symphony in E-Flat Major, Op. 3 No. 4 (Callen 16): IV. Presto risoluto