Felix Draeseke is best known for his monumentally long (and dull) oratorio Christus, a six hour choral trilogy on the life of Christ that features many of Wagner’s worst mannerisms and little or none of his genius. These two orchestral works might be said to do the same. Draeseke was a composer who certainly knew his craft, but he also apparently took himself very, very seriously, and his dogged earnestness casts a suffocating pall over the Symphony in particular. Actually, the work might make a much better impression if played with more conviction and, for want of a better term, sheer balls. For example, the first movement begins with an Adagio introduction that leads directly to “Allegro con brio ma non troppo presto.” Conductor George Hanson takes the “not too fast” injunction a bit too literally; there’s insufficient contrast between the introduction and the main body of the movement, and very little sense of excitement in consequence. Similarly, the slow movement, though marked Adagio molto, is surely too slow; it overbalances the entire work, and makes the finale sound especially inadequate. The Piano Concerto has everything a Romantic concerto should have, except memorable tunes, and again might have benefited from more persuasive advocacy by the performers. Yes, the music is rather tame, but it doesn’t have to sound that way all the time. In short, it’s really not possible to get a firm impression of the music from these tepid performances. Draeseke may not be great, but only a great performance will settle the matter, and neither of these pieces gets that.
