Paul Graener – A Great Symphonist
»Pain is a smith; his hammer beats hard.« The poem »Schmied Schmerz« by Otto Julius Bierbaum begins with these words cited by Paul Graener in 1911 as the motto heading his Symphony in D minor. The symphony numbers among the works composed by Graener in memory of his first son, who had died in London at the age of eight. It is an impressive work, full of tragic vehemence and grandeur free of triumphalism. Our third Graener release once again demonstrates that his music more than merits rediscovery. It is anything but martial and nationalistic. Graener was one of the very last romanticists and strongly inclined to French impressionism. The latter trait manifests itself in Aus dem Reiche des Pan, a wonderful suite displaying a shimmering and shadowy atmospheric magic placing it in close association with Debussy’s L’après-midi d’un faune.