Erich Korngold

[Orlando_Gibbons]

I know, I know....  Korn-who?
Erich Korngold , said to be the greatest prodigy since
saint-seans, and before him mozart, wrote some piano music,
I'm told. Most of his best work he wrote in his pre-teens!
Does anyone know or have any opinions about this guy?

P.S - Clementi's piano sonatas are better than Mozart's.

[Hector_the_Crow]

I can't comment on Korngold, sorry (as I know nothing about him)...

But I agree with you about Clementi - I'm currently learning his Sonata in C major, Op. 36, No. 3.

[robert_henry]

I heard a Korngold Sonata this summer played by Martin Jones.  Great playing, somewhat interesting piece.  He may have been a genius, but that doesn't automatically qualify him as a good composer.  I would be interested to hear some later, more mature works, assuming they exist.

Robert Henry
https://www.roberthenry.org

P.S. I disagree with the Clementi thought.  Underappreciated? Yes.  Better? No.    

[Orlando_Gibbons]

If I may reply:
On Korngold, I wouldn't look foward to his later works. His output, like that of that (arguably) of many child prodigy composers, declined with age. Also, if that sonata pleased you, I suggest looking into some of his miniatures. When the structural pressure was off, his work is particularly delightful.

On Mozart vs. Clementi, I beg you to take a closer look.
Clementi's sonatas are simply more adventurous and thoughtful. While Mozart's are always accompanied by the usual inhuman perfection and superb melodic invention; after a time that constant Alberti bass is like
a mallot hitting my brain. (In tempo, of course.)

Clementi underappreciated? Obviously. Better? I'm afraid so.

P.S. Despite the words of war, I am indeed appreciative of
your generosity with the Horowitz transcription.

Orlando Gibbons

[Pianorak]

Geoffrey Tozer has recorded the three Korngold piano sonatas for Chandos (CHAN 9389).
Artur Schnabel gave the first performance of the second sonata in E Major op. 2 in 1911. Richard Strauss apparently commented favourably on the first sonata in D minor, and the third sonata op. 25 was premiered by Paul Weingarten in 1932.

[Osqar]

I don´t know much at all about Korngolds music, so I´ll leave that to others. I have however during my 24 years met a few people seriously addicted to Korngold, so he´s probably worth listening to.

And one should remeber.....Most of Mozart´s music is better than his pianosonatas, although they actually a r e very nice. Regarding Clementi I will take a wild guess(?) and claim that most of his music is much worse than his pianosonatas. I´ve never heard Clementi´s Symphony no 40 anyway....

[Chris]

I have already heard only few compositions of Korngold,but what I heard, maked a good impression on me. Especially the Piano Concerto for the left hand I liked. As you know,it's written for only one hand,but sounds like it would be written for three!!!There's also a Suite for Piano(left hand) and String Quartet Op. 23,who is very recommendable(especially the Scherzo mouvement). Of the Concerto exists a breathtaking recording of superchampion Marc-André Hamelin, but also an older recording of Steven de Groote.

[Regulus Medtner]

Korngold is a very noteworthy composer. He was a child prodigy, with his style fixed from the very beginning. Mahler,Richard Strauss and Puccini considerd him a genius, not just a wunderkind.

His major works are his operas, especially "Die Tote Stadt", which is staged at this year's Salzburg Festival, and orchestral works. He was one brilliant orchestrator and came up with exceptional melodies for his works. His violin concerto is widely popular and deservedly so. His cello concerto, though small and in one movement, is in my opinion another masterpiece.
The piano concerto and the suite mentioned above are also exceptional pieces (Paul Wittgenstein commissioned the concerto and he liked it so much that he commissioned the suite afterwards. Ravel also wrote his left hand piano concerto for him). Korngold's writing makes you feel that 2 or more hands are actually playing!

When he fled Vienna because of the nazis went to America and worked as a film composer...his orchestral style became synonymous with film music (he won 2 oscars, one for Robin Hood).