von Suppe: Overtures and Marches

Francesco Ezechiele Ermenegildo, Cavaliere Suppé-Demelli, or as he is more commonly known today, Franz von Suppé, was born in Spalato (Split), then part of the Austrian Empire, to parents of Italian / Belgian and Austrian descent. Although discouraged from a musical career from an early age, Suppé received encouragement from a distant yet illustrious relative, the great Italian opera composer Donizetti. By the 1840s Suppé had carved for himself a successful niche as a composer for the stage, and over the four decades that followed there was rarely a year without a new stage work from him.

Although the bulk of his operas and operettas have sunk into relative obscurity, his bright and colourful overtures have survived. Suppé was often referred to as ‘the Viennese Offenbach’, and in fact he was responsible for introducing many of Offenbach’s operettas to the Austrian capital. The Beautiful Galatea was among his first efforts in the style of Offenbach, Suppé here taking on the French composer’s La Belle Hélène.

Also on this album are the overtures to Poet and Peasant, perhaps Suppé’s most familiar, and Boccaccio which is widely regarded as Suppé’s finest work for the stage, based very loosely on the life of Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 – 1375), the Florentine author of the Decameron.

It would seem that wars and musical comedy often go hand in hand, perhaps partly for the purpose of deflating military pomposity. Several of Suppé’s operettas are in this vein, including Light Cavalry, The Jolly Robbers, Isabella, and, a major success, Fatinitza, all of which feature military plots in some form.

Last, but not least, this album features Suppé’s overtures to A Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna, The Queen of Spades, Donna Juanita, and The Model, several operatic marches, the concert march Up Hill and Down Dale, and the Humorous Variations on the beloved Student Song ‘Who comes from afar?’.

The works are performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Neeme Järvi, who in 2012 celebrated his thirty-year recording career with Chandos Records.

**** Very Good

Rémy Franck – Pizzicato magazine – May 2013

“...Järvi indeed seems born to direct this music and the effect of crisp playing is accentuated by effective use of rubato and exhilaratingly breakneck conclusions to Boccaccio, Pique Dame and Isabella in particular. With martial vigour also in the marches and typically fine Chandos sound quality, this is a clear winner. Highly recommended!”

Andrew Lamb – Gramophone magazine – May 2013

""...I have much enjoyed this disc despite the opening caveats and I’m sure that you will too. The orchestra responds enthusiastically but precisely to the music. The booklet essay by Calum MacDonald tells you all you need to know. There are a few black and white photos and the Super-Audio recording is superb, immediate and detailed."

Gary Higginson - MusicWeb-nternational.com - April 2013

“...these spirited performances in brilliant recorded sound make the spine tingle. Three other overtures and a couple of marches make for a brilliant disc ...”

Peter Spaull - Liverpool Daily Post – February 2013

“...this release is an enjoyable listen – the music is always a pleasure ... Production and presentation are exemplary ... the mix of the well known and the rare, and the audiophile distinction, makes this an issue to certainly consider.”

Colin Anderson – International Record Review – February 2013

“...He [von Suppé] had a knack for a good tune and was no slouch with catchy melodies either... Järvi always seems up for refreshing neglected or unfashionable corners of the repertory... He is back with the orchestra with which he won so many laurels in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. He brings both zip and sentiment to these orchestral delights... This disc could hardly be more generously assembled and the quality of the audio and the music-making is similarly high.”

Rob Barnett – MusicWeb-International.com – 13 January 2013

“These stylish, extrovert, often deeply touching set pieces – overtures, marches, a potpourri and a set of variations come off predictably brilliantly in Jarvi’s spirited hands. His judging of the quiet, strange, catchy 9and unforgettable) incipit of the Pique Dame Overture is perfect, and the other small masterpieces are exalting to the ear...”

Paul Driver – The Sunday Times – 13 January 2013

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von Suppe: Overtures and Marches

Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Neeme Jarvi

Aleksei Kiseliov

Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

Brian Pidgeon

Ralph Couzens

Jonathan Cooper

Orchestral & Concertos

FRANZ VON SUPPE

Overture to 'Leichte Kavallerie' (1866)

Overture to 'Boccaccio' (1879)

Boccaccio- Marsch (1879)

Overture to 'Pique Dame' (1864)

Humoristische Variationen (1848)

Overture to 'Dichter und Bauer' (1846)

Marziale nach Motiven aus der Operette 'Fatinitza' (1876)

Overture to 'Das Modell' (1895)

Uber Berg, uber Thal (date uncertain)

Overture to 'Isabella' (1869)

Overture to 'Die schone Galathee' (1865)

Juanita-Marsch (1880)

Overture to 'Ein Morgen, ein Mittag und ein Abend in Wien' (1844)

Banditenstreiche (1867)

March from 'Fatinitza' (1876)