{"title":"BBC Symphony Orchestra","description":"\u003cp\u003eb. 1930. British orchestra.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMajor British broadcasting orchestra founded 1930; strong association with British repertoire including Vaughan Williams, also championing contemporary and lesser-known works. Catalog skews toward archival and historical recordings on SOMM and ICA Classics.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"benjamin-a-mind-of-winter-etc-benjamin-94664","title":"Benjamin: A Mind Of Winter, Etc \/ Benjamin, Elder, Et Al","description":"\u003cp\u003eGeorge Benjamin is a contemporary composer known best among small circles, but with a loyal international following. This recording contains five of his pieces, and they share a common style. Benjamin treats a composition as a landscape: a kind of blank, rolling panorama onto which he affixes musical ideas. His sound is very textured and evocative. 'Ringed by the Flat Horizon,' for example, portrays a storm that overtakes a vast open space. The music begins ominously and contains a variety of created sound effects along with rapid fire crescendos into huge orchestral crashes. 'A Mind In Winter' is contrarily a setting of \"The Snowman\" (a poem by Wallace Stevens), and yet is built upon the same sort of abstract picture-building and sweeping evocative gestures for the voice. Benjamin's vocabulary is developed from the modern schools of atonality, and his teacher Messiaen is a clear and strong influence on his work. 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Backhaus never failed to win a succès d'estime among professional musicians. They always knew his qualities, always marveled at his instrumental perfection, his titanic mastery that scorned every complexity, his unsurpassed freedom and endurance. There was never a time when Backhaus could not toss off any or all of the Chopin études or the Brahms-Paganini variations with an imperturbable calm, an implacable security that left one open-mouthed. Not everyone, for only the pianists really knew what was happening before their eyes and ears, knew how to measure such achievement. There they all sat, in breathless astonishment and envy and despair. Backhaus was a shy, unaffected, recessive personality whose sensational capacities were so unsensationally projected that lay audiences remained totally unconscious of his fabulous accomplishments. 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As Simon Heffer comments in his authoritative booklet notes, this major new release is notable for containing historical performances (from 1957, 1958 and 1964), for Spahr’s meticulous restorations, and for offering “a clear indication of the genius of” Sargent. From the 1957 BBC Proms, The Wasps Overture blends Ravelian influences with English folk songs to produce a vivaciously genial impression of RVW at his most distinctively infectious. Recorded in 1964 and again for the BBC Proms, the Sixth Symphony – a ‘war symphony’ in all but name – is, as Heffer notes, “rich in orchestral experiment, more innovative than perhaps any other work in the composer’s canon, and whose enigmas and mysteries still remain to be deciphered”. RVW’s final, Ninth Symphony, “a work of beauty and grandeur, and a magisterial signing off”, says Heffer, is heard here in splendidly remastered audio in its very first performance in April 1958, four months before the composer’s death, by Sargent and the RPO. SOMM’s previous Vaughan Williams recordings include Symphony No.5 and Dona Nobis Pacem with the BBCSO (SOMMCD 071), “a mandatory purchase for all lovers of Vaughan Williams’s music and, frankly, a priceless document” (MusicWeb International). And the “compelling” (International Piano) The Piano Music of Ralph Vaughan Williams by Mark Bebbington and Rebecca Omordia (SOMMCD 0164). Lani Spahr’s previous, universally acclaimed SOMM restorations include Elgar Rediscovered (SOMMCD 0167) and the four-album set Elgar Remastered (SOMMCD 261-4) hailed by Audiophilia as “a fascinating achievement which will have you wishing for more”.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012535177450,"sku":"748871501621","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4105804-2847973.jpg?v=1778229529"},{"product_id":"vaughan-williams-live-vol-3-london-so-2-cds-748871501928","title":"Vaughan Williams Live, Vol. 3 \/ London SO [2 CDs]","description":"\u003cp\u003eSomm Recordings celebrates the 150th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ birth with Vaughan Williams Live, Volume 3, featuring signature works conducted by the composer including the 1943 world premiere of his Fifth Symphony with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. 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The \u003cem\u003ePassacaglia\u003c\/em\u003e, written between the sonata and World War I, was only completed in short-score, and may have been intended to form part of a larger work. Both pieces are recorded here in skillful orchestrations by Sir Andrew Davis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eThree Orchestral Pieces\u003c\/em\u003e were composed alongside his first great masterpiece, \u003cem\u003eWozzeck\u003c\/em\u003e, and could be seen as a tribute to his musical hero, Mahler. The Violin Concerto, from 1935, was commissioned by the American violinist Louis Krasner, but was inspired by the premature death (from polio) of Manon Gropius, the daughter of Alma Mahler and the architect and Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, hence the subtitle ‘to the memory of an angel’. It proved to be one of the composer’s final works as Berg died later that year as the result of an abscess from an insect sting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first track on this disc brings us Andrew Davis’s orchestration of Berg’s Piano Sonata. Berg wrote this accomplished piece when he was studying composition with Arnold Schoenberg. Originally meant to have had a slow movement and a finale, it ended up stand-alone. It is conceived in standard sonata-allegro form. The liner notes mention the structurally conventional fact of the repeated exposition. Harmonically, the work is very chromatic. It presents unstable key centres, whole-tone scales, with sometimes dense, often polyphonic, music. In its original incarnation, it demands a highly technical pianism. Andrew Davis explains that “its emotional and dramatic range is enormous”, and that this new orchestration needed to relate to “the sonorities of the era” – those of Mahler, Schoenberg, Zemlinsky and Schrecker. The result is a wonderful tapestry of sound. The mood varies from gentle to fervent, with a satisfyingly gentle conclusion. The organic nature of the sonata form seems to unfold continually, leading us on a magical, if sometimes disconcerting, journey. For my review, I listened several times to this hauntingly lovely re-creation of Berg’s early masterwork: it has suddenly become one of my favourite Berg pieces.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Berg wrote the \u003cem\u003eThree Pieces\u003c\/em\u003e for orchestra during the opening stages of the First World War. They present a frightening musical image of the unfolding horrors. It has been pointed out that they have Schoenberg’s \u003cem\u003eFive Pieces\u003c\/em\u003e for orchestra as an inspiration. Yet, they sound nothing like the elder man’s work. In fact, Mahler is the stylistic arbiter. One commentator has suggested that it is Mahler’s Eleventh Symphony, in the same way that Brahms One is Beethoven’s 10\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e (or is it 11\u003csup\u003eth\u003c\/sup\u003e?).\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The movingly beautiful Violin Concerto was the last major work that Berg composed, and one of his greatest. It was dedicated “to the memory of an angel”, the daughter of Gustav Mahler’s widow Alma and the architect Walter Gropius. Sadly, Manon died of polio at only eighteen. The work is a perfect balance of lyricism and drama. James Ehnes’s performance is magical. He tends towards optimism, which seems to bolster Berg’s contention that serial music could also be romantic. I was taken by his interpretation of this concerto and the integration of the various stylistic innovations such as the Bach chorale, the waltz-like theme and the Carinthian folk tune. The balance between the structural serialism and the more tonal moments is well managed here. There is a tenderness of tone that sings of affection but sometimes echoes despair, a tempestuous protest against life’s tragedy, and a sad, requiem-like epilogue.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gavin Plumley’s booklet notes in English, German and French give a detailed introduction to all four works. “A note by the conductor” is a valuable extra: an essay-length appreciation of Berg’s music and an explanation of his approach to the two orchestrations. There are several photographs of the composer, the recording session, the violin soloist and the orchestra and conductor.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e This is a remarkable disc. I enjoyed the two transcribed works, which genuinely add to our appreciation and understanding of Alban Berg’s earlier achievement. The performance of the two works of genius – the Three Pieces for orchestra and the Violin Concerto – are revelatory in their sympathy and understanding. It is an album that all enthusiasts of the composer must own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- MusicWeb International (John France)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46012552773866,"sku":"095115527023","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4129363-2918275.jpg?v=1778248449"},{"product_id":"andrian-boult-conducts-berg-stravinsky-vaughan-williams","title":"Adrian Boult conducts Berg, Stravinsky, \u0026 Vaughan Williams","description":"\u003cp\u003eSOMM RECORDINGS announces the first appearance on disc of three historic live recordings by Sir Adrian Boult to mark the 40th anniversary of the pre-eminent British conductor’s death, including his complete 1949 account of Alban Berg’s Wozzeck, Stravinsky’s Capriccio (1948), and Vaughan Williams’ Fourth Symphony (1965).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoult had led the UK premiere of Berg’s excoriating opera in 1934, although only Act II of that performance survives. 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Having taken her music education into her own hands, she set off to enrich and broaden her intellectual horizons, travelling to cultural centres in Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. During these travels, she came to know the leading artists, poets, and intellectuals of the day. The Piano Concerto was her first orchestral composition, and the first piano concerto by any Croatian composer. She composed the Symphony in F sharp minor during the first world war, whilst also working as a volunteer nurse. For its first complete performance, in 1920, she revised the work, which is here recorded in this final version.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"[The Piano Concerto] boasts attractive melodies, warmly lush orchestration and technically demanding piano writing. 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He formed close relationships with both composers; particularly with Vaughan Williams; giving premieres of three of his symphonies.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012568830186,"sku":"5060244551732","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4237926-3141961.jpg?v=1778232463"},{"product_id":"bacewicz-orchestral-works-vol-1-oramo-bbc-symphony-orchestra","title":"Bacewicz: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 \/ Oramo, BBC Symphony","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe three works on this album were all composed between 1943 and 1953. Despite the extreme experiences and difficulties she faced during this undoubtedly most tragic time in Poland’s history, Grazyna Bacewicz managed to compose outstanding works which constitute splendid testimony to the vibrant creative potency for which she was renowned. Until 1939 her career as a virtuoso violinist and an emerging composer evolved naturally. Trained by the best Polish pedagogues at the Warsaw Conservatory, she went on to acquire an international education thanks to an Ignacy Paderewski Scholarship, which allowed her to pursue her studies in Paris: composition with Nadia Boulanger, violin with André Touret (1932 – 33) and Carl Flesch (1934 – 35). In spite of her soloistic successes she decided to join the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra as its leader, in order that an improved knowledge and understanding of an orchestra should inform her composition. Poland then suffered terribly at the hands of Hitler and Stalin, before coming under the control of the Soviet Union. This album was recorded and released in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, a state cultural institution promoting Polish culture around the world and actively participating in international cultural exchange.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"dcr-ch7w1w\" data-gu-name=\"body\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"dcr-v4ay52\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"dcr-lw02qf\" id=\"maincontent\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector  dcr-1g5o3j6\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dcr-hm5hhe\"\u003eThe Polish-born Bacewicz had trained as a violinist, but also studied composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger...the \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eelegant neoclassicism that Bacewicz imbibed in her lessons with Boulanger is evident in both these symphonies, though not so obviously in the extrovert Overture from 1943 also included on the disc. It’s possible to construe her style as a bridge in Polish music between Karol Szymanowski, or at least his later neoclassical works, and the Bartók-influenced modernism of Witold Lutosławski...\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003ethose influences, as well as perhaps a debt to Shostakovich, too, are welded into a distinctive style that never seems derivative. Her handling of the large-scale four-movement forms is wonderfully assured, while the moments of high dissonance suggest that even in the early 1950s she was not prepared to conform to the precepts of Soviet populism as meekly as the authorities might have liked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dcr-hm5hhe\"\u003eCertainly the drive and conviction behind these performances suggest that Oramo believes passionately in the music’s worth, and the BBCSO revels in its expert orchestration. It all promises well for subsequent instalments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dcr-hm5hhe\"\u003e-- The Guardian\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dcr-hm5hhe\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e[The] third symphony\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/theclassicreview.com\/tag\/symphony\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e’s anxiety-ridden introduction (marked Drammatico) surely reflects the mood of its times, as does the relentless drive and restlessness of the Molto allegro energico that follows, in clear sonata\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e form. The stalking bass line that begins the following Andante brings in an incessant coloristic  development where melodic figures struggle to have a fully lyrical moment, only to be interrupted by a thwacking bass drum. The basis of both scherzos is mercurial shifts of mood and color, ceaselessly restless, though sometimes playful. And how acutely the BBC players inhabit those many moods – one senses the orchestra’s conviction and enthusiasm for this music in playing that is energetic, fulsome, and highly refined.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dcr-hm5hhe\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-- The Classic Review\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dcr-hm5hhe\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs recordings of Grażyna Bacewicz’s music have surfaced over the past 10 years or so, it has become obvious how unfairly neglected she was previously...Through first the suffering of the war years in Poland, then the cultural diktats of life under a Soviet Union-aligned government, Bacewicz managed to continue composing and retain her own voice. The two symphonies share a powerful, headlong drive. Given its premiere in 1952, the Symphony No 3 is the more tightly argued of the two, compressing its ideas with an internal logic that generates a fierce electric charge, with pounding energy rarely far away. The Symphony No 4, following a year later, takes up where its predecessor left off, though the scope of its musical ideas ranges somewhat more widely and the tension is less insistent. The breezy Overture, written in occupied Warsaw in 1943, is not obviously wartime music, unless its joyous energy hides some coded meaning, as in Shostakovich’s symphonies. This is music very much of its time, rolling together the intense concentration of Shostakovich with a dash of Bartók’s exploratory sound-worlds and William Walton’s show-off orchestration into a very cogent whole. The performances by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sakari Oramo, do not stint the vigorous spark of Bacewicz’s imagination.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"dcr-hm5hhe\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-- The Financial Times\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOramo and the BBCSO offer an exhilarating account of this extrovert music[, the Overture].\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe music [of the Symphony no. 3] is taut and full of interest; Oramo leads a powerful, athletic performance. The slow movement, an\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAndante\u003c\/em\u003e, is most attractive and expressive; it features a good deal of very appealing writing for the woodwinds. The vivacious Scherzo requires – and receives – very precise articulation from the orchestra. The music is fast, lively, and often witty. In this movement, Bacewicz displays a jazzy brilliance in her writing; so much so that I was put a little in mind of Walton. The finale opens with a quiet, ominous introduction in which the low brass and tam-tam make important contributions. The main body of the movement (\u003cem\u003eAllegro con passione\u003c\/em\u003e) is often dramatic and, as I hear it, has an element of darkness. The movement is eventful and often powerful. Graźyna Bacewicz’s Third Symphony is a most interesting composition, which I’m keen to explore further. Oramo and the BBCSO do it very convincingly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e...Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra have presented the works with such skill and commitment. I hope they’ll record more of this composer’s orchestral music for Chandos. When my colleagues and I sampled this SACD...we were impressed by the big, immediate sound. Further listening on my own equipment has reinforced that view. The sound has a good dynamic range and plenty of presence. Chandos has presented both the music and the performances in an ideally vivid fashion. The booklet includes an extended essay by Katarzyna Naliwajek.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- MusicWeb International\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46012570075370,"sku":"0095115531624","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4257610-3206439.jpg?v=1778237000"},{"product_id":"ica-beethoven-brahms-5242024","title":"Andrian Boult Conducts Beethoven, Schubert, \u0026 Brahms","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn addition to Sir Adrian Boult’s (1889–1983) masterly conducting of Beethoven’s and Schubert’s symphonies, these live stereo performances include several new additions to the conductor’s illustrious discography: Rossini’s La scala di seta and Beethoven’s Die Weihe des Hauses Overtures, as well as Weber’s Euryanthe Overture which he last recorded in 1937.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012573647082,"sku":"5060244551794","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4327409-3147364.jpg?v=1778233861"},{"product_id":"alberga-orchestral-works","title":"Alberga: Orchestral Works","description":"British composer Eleanor Alberga is renowned for her mastery of orchestral colour and form. 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The BBC Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Thomas Kemp, are joined by the Castalian String Quartet for Tower with it's cascading melodies and rhythmic intensity, embodying both strength   and intimate intricacies.","brand":"Resonus Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012622307562,"sku":"5060262793763","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4344212-3187719.jpg?v=1778214166"},{"product_id":"brahms-by-arrangement-vol-2-orchestrations-by-robin-holloway-5060113444509","title":"Brahms by Arrangement, Vol. 2 - Orchestrations by Robin Holloway","description":"\u003cp\u003eComposers who orchestrate the music of earlier colleagues often serve them best when they add something of themselves to the work in hand. 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Sibelius’ ever-popular ‘Lemminkäinen Suite’ is coupled here with ‘Spring Song’, and the lesser-known Suite from ‘Belshazzar’s Feast’. Sibelius composed the ‘Lemminkäinen Suite’ (also called the Four Legends, or Four Legends from the Kalevala), Op. 22, in the 1890s. Originally conceived as a mythological opera, Veneen luominen (The Building of the Boat), the suite is based on the character Lemminkäinen from the Finnish epic, the Kalevala. Sibelius’ music for ‘Belshazzar’s Feast’ was originally composed as incidental music for a play (by Hjalmar Procopé), in 1906. First performed in the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki in November of that year, conducted by the composer. The following year, Sibelius extracted four of the eight movements to form the more widely known orchestral suite we hear in this recording.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e REVIEWS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe BBC Symphony's chief conductor brings deep insights to bear here. It is thrilling to hear the rarity Spring Song played with full acknowledgement that this is rather more than a seasonal ditty. We once again come close to the heart of Sibelius in an unlikely place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e– Gramophone\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Lemminkäinen Suite has tended to be viewed as an important staging post on Sibelius’s path to the symphony. What Sakari Oramo shows is that it’s a marvellous achievement in its own right, and as such not quite like anything else. Superbly recorded, this is a Lemminkäinen Suite to treasure.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e– BBC Music Magazine","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012906209514,"sku":"095115213629","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3919226.jpg?v=1778245022"},{"product_id":"gennadi-rozhdestvensky-at-the-bbc-proms-252391","title":"Gennadi Rozhdestvensky At The BBC Proms","description":"As the 2011 Proms seasons rapidly approaches, this DVD whisks us back thirty seasons to two fine Proms given by Gennadi Rozhdestvensky and the BBC Symphony Orchestra which, by coincidence, also hail from a season exactly twenty seasons before my first teenage Promenade. That first taste of the Proms magic also featured the BBC Symphony in Russian classics and was to be conducted by another great Russian maestro, Yevgeny Svetlanov; alas, he was ill and died the following year and I never got to see him. Rozhdestzensky is still with us but, for some reason, only a very occasional visitor to the UK and more's the pity; in his excellent booklet notes, David Nice asks 'Is Gennadi Rozhdestvensky the greatest ever conductor of ballet scores?', and, on the evidence of this Nutcracker, which is ideally paced at every turn, it's hard to disagree. \u003cbr\u003e    \u003cbr\u003e  Although proportioned something like a conventional concert programme, this selection of performances actually derives from two 1981 Proms, during Rozhdestvensky's relatively brief tenure as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony. The 2nd Act of the  \u003ci\u003eNutcracker\u003c\/i\u003e was filmed at the end of July and was preceded by a choral version of Mussorgsky's  \u003ci\u003eNight on Bare Mountain\u003c\/i\u003e (the choir can be seen seated behind the orchestra during the Tchaikovsky), Prokofiev's  \u003ci\u003eUgly Ducking\u003c\/i\u003e and Scriabin's  \u003ci\u003ePrometheus\u003c\/i\u003e. The Glinka items are extracted from a daring programme, mixing Viennese waltzes with double piano concertos, including Bartók's Concerto for two pianos and percussion. A punchy and swift performance of Glinka's Overture to  \u003ci\u003eRuslan and Lyudmila\u003c\/i\u003e opens the programme, followed by three wonderful dances from his opera  \u003ci\u003eA Life for the Tsar\u003c\/i\u003e, the second of which has an energetically skipping rhythmic quality and which I recall fondly from its use in the climactic ball sequence from Alexander Sokurov's film  \u003ci\u003eRussian Ark\u003c\/i\u003e, a remarkable single-take trawl through Russian history. \u003cbr\u003e    \u003cbr\u003e  One of the advantages of seeing rather than merely hearing a performance such as this is the chance it affords to study the conductor's technique, and Rozhdestvensky's manner throughout the programme is minimal but precisely calibrated. The camera frequently cuts to an inert Rozhdestvensky, apparently doing nothing at all, but he is the master of conveying a world of meaning with a raised eyebrow and his hands can suggest a sculptor at work when he wishes. As already noted, tempos are perfectly judged in the Tchaikovsky, treading a fine line between grandeur and excitement and the BBC Symphony Orchestra's playing is every bit as plush and lively as one would expect from a Russian orchestra. Rozhdestvensky's speeds are adjusted for the concert hall: some of them would be tricky to dance to, such as a sweeping but forward driving  \u003ci\u003ePas de deux (The Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy)\u003c\/i\u003e. It's only a shame that we couldn't have the complete ballet; Rozhdestvensky in the full score does appear on a pricey Melodiya set (MELCD1000665), but it's terrific to have at least half and it's a performance I can imagine returning to often. \u003cbr\u003e    \u003cbr\u003e  -- Andrew Morris, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Gennadi Rozhdestvensky at the BBC Proms\u003cbr\u003e  Mikhail GLINKA (1804-1857)\u003cbr\u003e  Ruslan and Lyudmila – Overture [5:53]\u003cbr\u003e  Three Dances from A Life for the Tsar [16:27]\u003cbr\u003e  Pytor Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)\u003cbr\u003e  The Nutcracker – Act 2 [42:40]\u003cbr\u003e  BBC Symphony Orchestra\/Gennadi Rozhdestvensky\u003cbr\u003e  rec. 27 July 1981 (Tchaikovsky), 14 August 1981 (Glinka), Royal Albert Hall, London\u003cbr\u003e  Producer (original broadcast): Rodney Greenburg\u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: 4:3\/NTSC\u003cbr\u003e  Sound: Ambient Mastering\/LPCM Stereo\u003cbr\u003e  Region: 0 (worldwide)\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46012908962026,"sku":"5060244550278","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1855830.jpg?v=1778225211"},{"product_id":"lutoslawski-vocal-works-095115168820","title":"Lutoslawski: Vocal works","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012975120618,"sku":"095115168820","price":10.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1890425.jpg?v=1778289047"},{"product_id":"susan-gritton-sings-finzi-britten-and-delius-095115159026","title":"Susan Gritton sings Finzi, Britten and Delius","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013005529322,"sku":"095115159026","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1639404.jpg?v=1778321755"},{"product_id":"brahms-piano-concerto-no-1","title":"Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1","description":"Classical Music","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013007495402,"sku":"5060244550483","price":7.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1908178.jpg?v=1778324943"},{"product_id":"british-classics-davis-atherton-bbc-symphony-bbc-195923","title":"British Classics \/ Davis, Atherton, BBC Symphony, BBC Wales National Orchestra","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis release combines two much loved British classics: Elgar's seminal 'Enigma Variations' and Holst's orchestral masterpiece 'The Planets'. In an acclaimed BBC drama-documentary filmed in the rolling Malvern Hills, Sir Andrew Davis unravels the mystery of the famous musical puzzle contained in Elgar's work followed by a landmark performance of the complete score by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis given in the cathedral in Elgar's home town of Worcester. The lavish visualization of Gustav Holst's orchestral masterpiece 'The Planets' and Colin Matthews' additional movement 'Pluto', the Renewer features spectacular images which enhance the symbolic meaning attributed to each planet by the composer. Directed by Rhodri Huw, this memorable audiovisual experience blends images filmed in many locations around the world, computer graphics, animatronics and a splendidly atmospheric performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. \"Sir Andrew Davis's fine performance of the Enigma Variations, with Nimrod hushed, slow and steady, was recorded in the atmospheric surroundings of Worcester Cathedral, where Elgar said everyone should hear his music. Davis introduces a highly enjoyable documentary about the work and 'the friends pictured within'. In the documentary he suggests that each variation, as well as reflecting the character of a particular friend, reveals much about Elgar himself, 'like an actor playing many roles'.\" (The Penguin Guide - Elgar) \"As for the performance, this is not a run-of-the-mill Planets. Atherton recreates the score with both subtlety and aplomb, and with the necessary bravura when called for. 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Since these youthful concerts Garrick Ohlsson has also recorded the complete works of Chopin to global acclaim and is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading exponents of Chopin.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Sound format: LCPM mono\u003cbr\u003e  Picture format: 4:3\u003cbr\u003e  Running time: 78’\u003cbr\u003e  Subtitles: n\/a\u003cbr\u003e  Menu languages: English\u003cbr\u003e  Booklet languages: E\/F\/G\u003cbr\u003e  Region code: All Regions - 0\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  When I last saw Garrick Ohlsson live in concert in 2007, I was mightily impressed by the delicacy and contrast the ursine pianist brought to his performance of Rachmaninov’s third piano concerto. This DVD unearths performances given by a much younger Ohlsson some thirty years earlier, when he was less a bear and more a lion of the keyboard, complete with 1970s mane. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The main feature on this DVD is a BBC Proms performance of the Brahms Second Piano Concerto under the baton of that great Scottish Brahmsian, James Loughran, whose famous Halle recordings of the symphonies, last seen on Classics for Pleasure, have sadly been deleted from the catalogue. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Ohlsson, wearing a white coat like the leader of the orchestra and no one else on stage, strides out with Loughran to warm Proms applause. We are quickly underway. The first movement is nicely paced, flowing and big. Indeed “big” is the right word for this performance. Loughran knows what he is doing with this music. He draws a well blended, robust sound from the orchestra, right from the opening horn call. Ohlsson shares his dramatic conception of the concerto, moving from gentle rhapsodic playing to roaring climaxes with the ebb and flow of the musical narrative. The uncredited principal cellist brings grace and charm to the andante, which Ohlsson matches and exceeds, and the finale is smile-coaxingly playful, but never lightweight. The highlight of this performance is the second movement. Ohlsson is at his rhapsodic best here. There are occasional wrong notes and horn wobbles, but they matter little when the performance is as exciting as this one. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The 1974 recital is fabulously 70s, from the font that flashes onto the screen to announce the recital in time to the opening chords of the Scherzo to the wavy beige studio backdrop. Ohlsson’s Chopin is superb. The Scherzo sparks with nervous energy and, under Ohlsson’s fingers, rings more with tragedy than mere melancholy. The Polonaise that follows is big and appealingly playful, like Hans Sachs merrily mending shoes with a large hammer.  \u003ci\u003eFunérailles\u003c\/i\u003e is dark and menacing, seemingly powered by Ohlsson’s relentless left hand. The size of Ohlsson’s mitts is astonishing. If ever hands were built for the piano, his were. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The booklet note by Jeremy Siepmann lionises Ohlsson and says little of the music or the circumstances of its performance. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The mono sound, clear but constricted, prevents a general recommendation when so much of Ohlsson’s fine playing is available on disc in stereo. However Ohlsson’s fans and those who would see the young lion in his pomp need not hesitate. \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  -- Tim Perry, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013070606570,"sku":"5060244550131","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1806881.jpg?v=1778333183"},{"product_id":"tchaikovsky-symphony-no-5-op-64-janacek-taras-bulba","title":"Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, Op. 64  - Janácek: Taras Bulba,","description":"Rozhdestvensky is considered to be one of the greatest Tchaikovsky conductors today. Given his Russian background and his outstanding leadership of the Bolshoi in the past, it is not surprising that his performances of the composer's works are entirely idiomatic. This live performance of Tchaikovsky's popular Symphony No.5 comes from the 1978 Flanders Festival in Belgium and has been recorded in excellent stereo. It is both exciting and poetic, and it confirmed Rozhdestvensky's new appointment as music director of the BBC Symphony the same year. The fill-up consists of Jan+�cek's rhapsody Taras Bulba recorded at the 1981 Proms. This work is a new addition to Rozhdestvensky's discography. Taras Bulba is arguably Janacek's most powerful and dramatic work. Here, it is given a searing performance in superb stereo, which fully captures the large orchestra used, complete with organ, brass and percussion.","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013082239210,"sku":"5060244551169","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2368899.jpg?v=1778295792"},{"product_id":"clyne-mythologies-bbc-symphony-orchestra-396793","title":"Clyne: Mythologies \/ BBC Symphony Orchestra","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnna Clynne’s enormous palette of colors and special effects coalesce into an aural three-dimensional experience of striking originality. Equally there’s a comforting familiarity to her music, as she draws inspiration from historic styles that she transforms into a new musical dialect. Anna’s background in electro-acoustic music and her fascination for a variety of multi-media – including poetry, visual art and videography – combine to create rich and exhilarating textures of popular appeal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe five works on Anna Clyne: Mythologies were written over a 10-year period between 2005 and 2015. The performances on the album feature the BBC Symphony Orchestra and four internationally-acclaimed conductors. Masquerade, commissioned by BBC Radio 3 to open the Last Night of the Proms 2013 and conducted by Marin Alsop, captures the spirit of that quintessentially English tradition. The title evokes an 18th-century outdoor festivity featuring fireworks, acrobats and street entertainers. This Midnight Hour, conducted by the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Chief Conductor Sakari Oramo, encapsulates the modernity and decadence of two European poets, Nobel Prize-winning Spaniard Juan Ramón Jiménez and Frenchman Charles Baudelaire. Oramo also conducts The Seamstress, a single-movement violin concerto in all but name, featuring soloist Jennifer Koh as well as the whispered voice of Irene Buckley reciting the work’s inspiration, a poem by William Butler Yeats.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMore poetry by a Nobel laureate, the Irishman Seamus Heaney, inspired Night Ferry; conducted by Andrew Litton, the work conjures crashing waves and weathered seafaring. The album concludes with rewind, conducted by André de Ridder. It’s a wild romp imagining the backwards scroll of a video tape complete with glitches, skips and freezes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMythologies became an instant media and popular success when it was released in October 2020 – “hands-down one of the half-dozen best classical albums of 2020”, according to New York Music Daily. The album is now presented in both a CD version and as a magnificent 2-LP set. The splendor of the glossy gatefold and 180-gram vinyl in particular is an appropriate match for Anna’s enormous palette of colors and special effects.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI found her music colourful, full of energy and overflowing with ideas which grip you from first to last. The present release of her compositions spanning the decade from 2005 up to 2015 thus offers a fine survey of her recent orchestral music and there is no better place to begin with than the first work recorded here, the short \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMasquerade,\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e a brilliant concert-opener if ever there was one. The music skips along with high spirits until it concludes with a quotation from John Playford's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe English Dancing Master\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e which comes as a surprise - although I for one would not be surprised to learn that that very tune had already been there since the very beginning but cleverly and subtly disguised. Anyway, this short and brilliant work presents Anna Clyne's music-making in a nutshell, as it were.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese superb works receive committed readings from all concerned and, besides singling out the BBC Symphony Orchestra playing at its customary best, I would like to draw attention to Jennifer Koh's impressive take on the violin part in \u003cem\u003eThe Seamstress\u003c\/em\u003e, one of the gems in this collection. I hope that many will derive as much musical pleasure from this very fine release as I have, and that it will not take too long before more of Clyne's orchestral music is committed to disc.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-- MusicWeb International\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eMythologies\u003c\/em\u003e is an apt title choice for this striking collection by London-born composer Anna Clyne (b. 1980). However ancient mythological tales might appear at the surface level, their archetypal themes resonate across the ages, as relevant today as when they were born, and they're fantastical in nature too, populated as they are with gods and mythical beasts. In similar manner, Clyne's music exudes an era-transcending quality in these phantasmagoric pieces, some of which stretch out for twenty minutes at a time. The Grammy-nominated composer is a tale-spinner whose creations transport the listener to dazzling realms.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCertainly a key part of the recording's appeal has to do with unpredictability: in not conforming to long-established scripts, the pieces are able to unfold in any number of stylistic directions, even if ultimately each develops in accordance with her sensibility.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-- Textura\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Avie Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013100654826,"sku":"822252243420","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3856699-2628777.jpg?v=1778253033"},{"product_id":"chopin-piano-concertos-shura-cherkassky-220307","title":"Chopin: Piano Concertos \/ Shura Cherkassky","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eCHOPIN \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003ePiano Concertos: Nos. 1;\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003e 2\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Shura Cherkassky (pn); \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eChristopher Adey, cond; \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eRichard Hickox, cond; \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eBBC Scottish SO. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eBBC SO \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e ICA CLASSICS 5085 (75:22) Live: Glasgow \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e12\/3\/1981; \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eLondon 8\/30\/1983 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eShura Cherkassky, according to the liner notes, was sometimes a difficult man to accompany, as he would often change his mind on phrasing or tempos between the final rehearsal and the concert; thus, annotator Robert Orledge says, “some conductors were reluctant to appear with him,” citing as an example the sudden rush with which he plays the final section of the Second Concerto. I can see where this would be a problem. I recall a live performance I attended by a famous American pianist where, suddenly, the keyboardist rushed forward and left the orchestra behind, and I learned later that he did not rehearse the work that way. The difference, if I may say so, is that Cherkassky usually had good taste while the American pianist I heard usually played with poor style regardless of his tempo choices. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eWell, as Cherkassky once said to me, “Some people like my playing and some don’t, but at least no one can say that I’m boring.” True enough. Yet I was beginning to doubt that this would be that fine a disc as the First Concerto started up. Conductor Adey plays it very slowly, with lots of romantic gush and goo, and moreover the first minute or so suffers from what is probably a crumply original tape. I was not expecting much. But then Cherkassky entered, and his bracing interpretation of the opening phrases acted like a wake-up call for the orchestra. (Having heard Cherkassky three times in person, twice with an orchestra and once in recital, and also being familiar with many of his recordings, I just don’t see that he would have wanted this concerto played so slowly to begin with. It just wasn’t in his nature, thus I believe that he bristled at Adey’s tempos in \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eboth\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e the rehearsal and performance.) From this point on—thankfully—it is the pianist who leads the orchestra, forcing Adey to pick up his tempo or be left behind. One is immediately caught up in the excitement, which despite a sensitively shaped second movement continues on through to the end. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eWith the Second Concerto, we enter an entirely different world. Richard Hickox was one of the great, underrated conductors of his generation, a man who viewed music as dramatic expression and molded his performances that way. From the very first note, Hickox is on edge, and I mean that almost literally…he makes Chopin’s orchestration sound almost like Beethoven or Schumann, full of drama and bringing out all sorts of inner voices with tremendous clarity. The switch from Adey to Hickox is almost as dramatic as if one suddenly shifted from John Barbirolli to Igor Markevitch, but Cherkassky is entirely in his element. There’s a particularly delicious passage in the second movement when the piano’s descending chromatics clash on one note with the orchestra’s chord—exactly as written, but a detail that normally escapes one’s attention in most performances of the concerto. And Cherkassky’s last-movement cadenza is incendiary, as advertised. It’s a heck of a performance that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Cherkassky’s changes to the text of the score are certainly evident but, like Glenn Gould, they generally enliven and enhance the music. Of course, that would probably keep this disc from being your first choice for recordings of the two concertos, but as a second recording it is definitely recommended. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Lynn René Bayley \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013106159850,"sku":"5060244550858","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2067755.jpg?v=1778320673"},{"product_id":"alwyn-miss-julie-sakari-oramo-bbc-symphony-orchestra","title":"Alwyn: Miss Julie \/ Oramo, BBC Symphony","description":"\u003cp\u003e‘Why has this intense, brilliantly orchestrated, claustrophobically gripping masterpiece been so neglected since its 1977 premiere?’ asked Richard Morrison in The Times of the concert performance in the Barbican that preceded this recording.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMiss Julie\u003c\/em\u003e is Alwyn’s last large-scale work, written in 1973-76. Alwyn set his own libretto, based on Strindberg’s 1888 play of the same title. The naturalistic drama and lifelike characters of that play appealed to Alwyn from an early age – in fact, he previously attempted to compose an opera on \u003cem\u003eMiss Julie\u003c\/em\u003e in the 1950s. That attempt failed because of differences with his then-librettist, Christopher Hassall. Alwyn believed that in opera, the action should be self-explanatory, arias should serve a dramatic purpose (as opposed to sheer vocal display), characters should sing to each other and not to the audience, ensembles should be minimized and the text should be set to vocal lines that reflect natural speech patterns. These views were distilled over his extensive career as a film composer, which taught him that music could do more than establish characterization, suggest mood, and heighten atmosphere: in some cases it could also communicate the unspoken thoughts of an onscreen character even when these were at odds with what he or she was presenting visually.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra support an outstanding cast featuring Anna Patalong in the title role in this acclaimed revival of Alwyn’s neglected masterpiece.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Alwyn’s orchestral writing is always characterful, his vocal lines are unfailingly singable. Though his richly coloured writing reveals a whole range of 20th-century influences – Strauss, Janácek, and Ravel especially – it’s the world of Puccini that’s most strongly evoked at the work’s dramatic flashpoints. Anna Patalong as Julie nailed her character’s dangerously unhinged brittleness from the start. Benedict Nelson as Jean, the valet with whom she is so desperate to run away, sings the role with tremendous verve.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e – The Guardian (UK)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46013110812906,"sku":"095115525326","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3826216-2575688.jpg?v=1778245103"},{"product_id":"holst-the-planets-britten-the-young-persons-guide-to-th","title":"Holst: The Planets - Britten: The Young Person's Guide to th","description":"Gennadi Rozhdestvensky (b.1931) is the last living survivor of a great Russian quartet of conductors consisting of Mravinsky, Kondrashin and Svetlanov. He was the highly distinguished principal conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1978 to 1981, an exciting period in the orchestra’s history faithfully captured here. These recordings of Holst’s Planets and Britten’s Variations \u0026amp; Fugue on a Theme of Purcell have never been issued before on CD.","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013135421674,"sku":"5060244550537","price":7.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1948665.jpg?v=1778325870"},{"product_id":"rudolf-kempe-conducts-dvorak-strauss-188058","title":"Rudolf Kempe Conducts Dvorak \u0026 Strauss","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis new DVD preserves some superb performances directed by a conductor of the highest calibre, performing live and at the peak of his abilities.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003ctitle\u003e3465422.az_STRAUSS_Ein_Heldenleben_1.html\u003c\/title\u003e  \u003cmeta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eSTRAUSS \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eEin Heldenleben\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1. \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDVO?ÁK \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eSymphony No. 9, \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e“From the New World\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2” \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Rudolf Kempe, cond; \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eRoyal PO; \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eBBC SO \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e ICA 5009, mono (DVD: 89:22) Live: Royal Albert Hall, London \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e1\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e8\/28\/1974; \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"SUPER12\"\u003e2\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e8\/29\/1975 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eHow absolutely wonderful it is to see Rudolf Kempe, looking hale and fit, ascend the podium and direct an absolutely magical performance of \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eEin Heldenleben\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e with his usual minimum of podium fuss, his face mirroring both the music’s changes and his obvious pleasure at hearing it emerge the way he wants, the Royal Philharmonic members playing their little hearts out for him. This is exactly the way I always imagined Kempe in performance, as close to Toscanini’s podium style as any conductor who outlived him, eliciting that magical, transparent sound, ignoring nothing in rhythmic acuity and liveliness, and now we have the pleasure of seeing how he did it. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eThe sound is still mono but the images are in color. The members of the orchestra look completely rapt in concentration; everything in this performance is focused on the music, nothing on how they look to the audience. A bit dull to watch? Perhaps. But, like watching such similar conductors as Toscanini, Doráti, and Böhm, it amazes one that such exuberance of spirit and a rich palette of colors can emanate from such outward calm and control. For make no mistake, Kempe was a master of coloration. He knew how to make an orchestra “speak.” He knew the secret, now lost to a modern generation of conductors, of how to play music like this so that it sounded not only beautiful but \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003enoble,\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e eschewing bombast in favor of the long line, the gradual ebb and flow of suspense, and—I reiterate—that unbelievable palette of colors he had at his disposal. Kempe’s strings had the sound of a choir singing. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eIn my experience there was only one performance of \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eEin Heldenleben\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e I really loved prior to hearing this performance, and that was Willem Mengelberg’s 1941 broadcast with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The Concertgebouw of that time was by no means the technically precise instrument that the New York Philharmonic of 1928 was, in his Victor recording, but there is so much more detail and drama in the later performance that I forgave the roughly played passages. Kempe’s \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eHeldenleben\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e is an entirely different animal. The contrasts are all musical, not as dramatic, but with a flow and coloristic quality that make the score sound more akin to the upward spiral of ascending angels than to Mengelberg’s explosive reading (though they join hands in “The Hero’s Deeds of War”). There is nothing like it in my experience, not even Kempe’s studio recording for EMI, because the studio recording adds the goop of mid 1960s reverb to a performance that doesn’t need it. Here we have, if you will, Kempe \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eurtext,\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e and the result is simply mind-boggling. Listen, for instance, to the way he makes the low bass passage resound with great depth without sounding heavy or ponderous. His legato flow is seamless, the accuracy and crispness of his attacks and releases flawless. It was exactly moments like these that took your breath away when listening to a Kempe performance. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eYet he resented EMI’s pushing him as a Wagner and Strauss specialist. Kempe conducted a great deal more than that, Schubert, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Dvo?ák, Shostakovich, and Bruckner among them, and all of them well (he’s one of the few conductors besides Furtwängler who, to me, made some sense of Bruckner’s succession of endings in his symphonies), and here he follows \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eHeldenleben\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e with the “New World” Symphony of Dvo?ák. Unexpectedly, his performance of this symphony is startlingly dramatic, having almost the punch and drama of Toscanini’s excellent 1953 recording, only with Kempe’s patented transparency. The orchestra swells and ebbs flawlessly and naturally under his guiding hands; an unexpected \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003erubato\u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan\u003e after the brief flute solo is picked up with tremendous force when the brass and high strings erupt again. Dozens of little details—clipped rhythmic accents here, buoyant legato bridges there—mark this interpretation as unique. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan\u003eKempe uses a fairly small baton, even a little smaller than Toscanini’s but not as tiny as the toothpicks that Strauss and Reiner used. His arms are a little further apart than Toscanini’s, but he is only slightly more animated on the podium, his arms moving in graceful arcs. Only a few months after the Dvo?ák performance came the shocking announcement that Kempe had died. I can remember that moment as if it were yesterday; it grieved me more than you can imagine. He had a very special gift, sought by many but bestowed on few, and we are all the poorer for his untimely passing. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: Lynn René Bayley \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  --------\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  In a letter to his friend, the distinguished French man of letters Romain Rolland, Richard Strauss categorically denied that he was the model for  \u003ci\u003eEin Heldenleben\u003c\/i\u003e: “I am not a hero. I have not got the necessary strength; I am not cut out for battle; I prefer to withdraw, to be quiet, to have peace.” \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Some commentators may have refused to take Strauss at his word, but the uncredited director of this BBC transmission of a 1974 Proms concert is clearly not among them.  \u003ci\u003eHis \u003c\/i\u003eview of things is crystal clear for, throughout the whole of the work’s first section, a musical depiction of  \u003ci\u003eDer Held \u003c\/i\u003e(The Hero), he resolutely directs his cameras at the conductor. There is, in fact, not a single second of that opening 4:59 of music when Rudolf Kempe is not pictured on-screen, whether in close-up, middle distance or in long-shot. The corollary of that fact is that as soon as we begin the work’s second section,  \u003ci\u003eDes Helden Widersacher \u003c\/i\u003e(The Hero’s Adversaries), we start to see the orchestra members on their own – but maybe I am now stretching my theory of the supposed relationship between the visual images and the “text” just a little too far. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Even though Kempe’s widow Cordula records in the DVD booklet notes that her husband “thoroughly resented” being pigeonholed as a Strauss (and Wagner) specialist, his affinity with Strauss’s music was well recognised at the time. His record company EMI persuaded him to set down the complete orchestral works on disc. No less a personage than the Queen Mother reportedly gushed “Oh, Mr Kempe, when will you do the  \u003ci\u003eAlpine Symphony \u003c\/i\u003eagain?” (rather a surprise, given recent revelations of the sort of music she listened to at home). And, as evidenced in this performance taken from the conductor’s very last concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the 1974 Promenaders were quite over the moon with this  \u003ci\u003eEin Heldenleben\u003c\/i\u003e;  \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ecritic Joan Chissell reported that this performance elicited “a hero’s ovation and rightly”. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Having never seen Kempe conduct live or on film before, the first thing that struck me was just how physically charismatic and animated he was on the podium. By fastidious, very precise gestures with both his baton and the fingers of his left hand, he coaxes some exquisite sonorities that we can fully appreciate thanks to his scrupulous care for orchestral balance - and to the installation of fibre-glass acoustic diffusing discs on the Royal Albert Hall’s ceiling just five years earlier, successfully reducing its notorious echo. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The outstanding characteristic of Kempe’s interpretation is that, by the application of both sensitivity and sensibility, he gives Strauss’s score the opportunity to breathe. This is, indeed, anything but a brash, bombastic account: the orchestra plays with notable and carefully controlled intensity and Erich Gruenberg’s substantial violin solos are especially affecting - he justifiably gets a special roar of approval from the Promenaders as he takes his bow. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  If the Strauss is very fine indeed, the Dvorák is, however, outstanding. Edward Greenfield’s booklet notes suggest that its distinguishing feature is the wide range of dynamics that Kempe applies. What struck me most, however, was the interpretation itself. In contrast to performances that emphasise the score’s elements of cheery Bohemian bonhomie, Kempe’s is a deeply serious account. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  The opening movement is characterised by fierce attack and precision - wonderful playing from the BBC orchestra - and Kempe minimises the elements of lyricism in favour high drama. In a similar vein, the second movement’s sentimentality is entirely played down. Its well-known “big tune” (  \u003ci\u003eGoin’ home, Goin’ home, I’m a goin’ home \/ Quiet like, still some day, I’m just goin’ home\u003c\/i\u003e) is moved purposefully along and the fervent manner in which its central section is played communicates, to this listener at least, a distinctly uneasy feeling of agitation and unrest. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  Kempe’s interpretation is nothing if not consistently of a piece for the  \u003ci\u003escherzo \u003c\/i\u003eand the  \u003ci\u003eallegro con fuoco \u003c\/i\u003efinale are similarly driven powerfully forward. The formers elements of bucolic rusticism are given short shrift and the latter, right from its opening bars, emerges as a real daredevil ride and is terribly exciting - while still very skilfully controlled and crafted. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  This  \u003ci\u003eNew World \u003c\/i\u003eis one that emerges as a real eye-opener and a very different work from the one that we’re usually presented with. It justifiably receives a huge ovation from the audience. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  This new DVD, then, preserves some superb performances. The direction – originally for BBC TV - is expert and thus almost entirely unobtrusive, the visual image - in colour throughout - is sharp and pleasing and the sound is more than acceptable. It offers an opportunity to acquaint or reacquaint oneself with a conductor of the highest calibre, performing live and at the peak of his abilities. \u003cbr\u003e   \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  -- Rob Maynard, MusicWeb International\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"DVD","offer_id":46013136863466,"sku":"5060244550094","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1806877.jpg?v=1778316811"},{"product_id":"tchaikovsky-symphony-no-4-mussorgsky-a-night-219844","title":"Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4; Mussorgsky: A Night On The Bare Mountain; Prokofiev: The Love For Three Oranges Suite","description":"The redoubtable Rozhdestvensky, chief conductor of the BBC                     Symphony Orchestra from 1978 to 1981, is at his very best in                     Russian repertoire. Indeed, his Shostakovich has a raw energy                     that never fails to excite, so I had high hopes for this recording                     of Tchaikovsky’s febrile Fourth. The other items on this disc                     – all recorded live by the BBC – make for a sensible and interesting                     programme, the rarely heard \u003ci\u003eSorochinsky\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eFair \u003c\/i\u003eversion                     of \u003ci\u003eNight on a Bald Mountain\u003c\/i\u003e especially welcome. Also                     worthy of note is the growing catalogue of archive material                     from the recently launched ICA label, some of it previously                     unreleased and much of it – the Tennstedt Mahler 3, for instance                     – very desirable indeed. \u003cbr\u003e                    \u003cbr\u003e                    The upfront blare of horns and bassoons at the start of the                     Tchaikovsky gives a clear indication of the character of Rozhdestvensky’s                     approach to this score; it’s vital and vigorous, yet the rhythms                     of ‘In movimento di Valse’ have grace and charm. The big climaxes                     pack a terrific punch – what thrilling timps – the transported                     brass scything through the mix like one of those brazen, Soviet-era                     performances. That’s not to say it’s over-driven – well, not                     yet, anyway – merely that it’s not the carefully sculpted sound-world                     of, say, Claudio Abbado (DG) or Lorin Maazel (Telarc). This                     uncompromising earthiness is reinforced by a forthright, yet                     detailed, recording. \u003cbr\u003e                    \u003cbr\u003e                    The oboe playing at the start of the \u003ci\u003eAndantino\u003c\/i\u003e is lovely,                     Rozhdestvensky alive to the emotional undertow of this music.                     The strings and woodwind are wonderfully alert and ardent, testament                     perhaps to Noddy’s rigorous rehearsals, and there’s real nobility                     in those big, swelling tunes. Anyone who knows Rozhdestvensky’s                     Royal Festival Hall \u003ci\u003eSleeping Beauty\u003c\/i\u003e (BBC Legends BBCL                     4091-2) will recognise that seemingly intuitive feel for phrasing;                     it all sounds so spontaneous. As for the animated \u003ci\u003epizzicati\u003c\/i\u003e                     of the Scherzo, they have a fleeting, will-o’-the-wisp quality                     that’s most engaging. \u003cbr\u003e                      \u003cbr\u003e                    All that evaporates in the sudden heat of the \u003ci\u003eAllegro con                     fuoco\u003c\/i\u003e. In his autobiography producer John Culshaw tells                     the story of how Georg Szell was tricked into taping an ill-tempered                     – yet fiery – rendition of this finale, but even he can’t match                     the incandescence of Rozhdestvensky’s reading. The BBC brass                     and percussion are truly heroic, the orchestra hard-driven yet                     coherent to the very end. I listened to this track several times,                     scarcely able to believe this music could be taken at such a                     lick and not descend into chaos. The instant roar from the otherwise                     very quiet audience says it all. A thumping performance, and                     a pretty good recording too. \u003cbr\u003e                    \u003cbr\u003e                    \u003ci\u003eA Night on the Bare Mountain\u003c\/i\u003e, most often played in Rimsky’s                     orchestration, is given here in Anatoly Liadov’s hotch-potch                     culled from Mussorgsky’s unfinished opera\u003ci\u003e Sorochinsky Fair.                     \u003c\/i\u003eThe change of venue – London’s Royal Albert Hall – and the                     very immediate recording add an edge to the choral singing that                     brings plenty of piquancy and passion to this strange hybrid.                     Remarkably, Rozhdestvensky gets his British forces to play and                     sing with all the abandon of their Russian counterparts. What                     a team they would have made in \u003ci\u003eAlexander Nevsky\u003c\/i\u003e. Musically                     this is fascinating, with unusual colours and a melting coda.                     I’d urge you to give this a try if you don’t already know it.                     \u003cbr\u003e                      \u003cbr\u003e                    If not \u003ci\u003eNevsky\u003c\/i\u003e, then Prokofiev’s suite from \u003ci\u003eThe Love                     for Three Oranges\u003c\/i\u003e will do very nicely, thank you. And so                     it proves; ‘The Clowns’ is played with manic energy and ‘The                     Magician’ is magnificently malevolent. Prokofiev’s audacious                     rhythms and acid colours are superbly caught, ditto the ever-present                     percussion and demented brass. As for the March and Scherzo,                     they’re imbued with rather more menace than usual, ‘The Prince                     and Princess’ as inward and ardent as ever. The scurrying strings                     and lancing brass of ‘The Flight’ have seldom emerged with such                     ferocity\u003ci\u003e,\u003c\/i\u003e or the cymbals sizzled so. An ear-blasting                     end to a most entertaining collection. \u003cbr\u003e                    \u003cbr\u003e                    Noddy fans will want this disc, and those who have yet to experienced                     his unique blend of eloquence and excitement would do well to                     start here. The Tchaikovsky is a stunner, and while the Mussorgsky                     is something of a curiosity it’s well worth having. The Prokofiev-on-steroids                     is a wild but welcome bonus. \u003cbr\u003e                      \u003cbr\u003e                    Another fine issue from ICA. \u003cbr\u003e                    \u003cbr\u003e                   -- Dan Morgan, MusicWeb International","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013188473066,"sku":"5060244550353","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1890412.jpg?v=1778324961"},{"product_id":"mahler-symphony-no-4-wagner-prelude-from-parsifal-men","title":"Mahler: Symphony No. 4 - Wagner: Prelude from Parsifal - Men","description":"The highly distinguished conductor Rudolf Kempe (1910-1976) started as an oboist with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. During the Second World War, he was chief conductor of the Chemnitz Opera until 1946. He then worked at Weimar for the 1948-9 season, before joining the Dresden Opera and becoming chief conductor. From 1952 to 1954, he was chief conductor of the Bavarian State Opera, which he conducted at Covent Garden in 1953 to great acclaim. Mahler's Symphony No.4 is a new addition to the Kempe discography. The recording, which was discovered in the Music Preserved archive in York, is a real rarity. Similarly, Mendelssohn's Ruy Blas Overture is a new addition to the conductor's discography. It is heard here in a fiery performance captured live from the Royal Festival Hall in 1967 with the LSO. Kempe's account of the Prelude to Act I of Wagner's Parsifal, recorded in 1965, confirms his status as one of the greatest Wagnerian conductors of the 20th century. His Covent Garden performances of Parsifal in 1959 were landmarks for the company.","brand":"ICA Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013203775722,"sku":"5060244551176","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2368921_52596df1-17b2-4c23-b1fd-4554b0de12dd.jpg?v=1778298543"},{"product_id":"britten-mathias-finzi-cooke-british-clarinet-concertos-095115189122","title":"Britten, Mathias, Finzi \u0026 Cooke: British Clarinet Concertos,","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe precursor to this album made a Critic’s Choice of the Year in Gramophone (2013). The program presented includes works by Benjamin Britten, William Mathias, Arnold Cooke, and Gerald Finzi. Michael Collins brilliantly walks the line between being a soloist and conductor, as he serves as both in this recording. The accompanying ensemble here is the BBC Symphony Orchestra.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013211443434,"sku":"095115189122","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3310712.jpg?v=1778261209"},{"product_id":"howells-hymnus-paradisi-a-kent-yeomans-wooing-song-095115172728","title":"Howells: Hymnus Paradisi \u0026 A Kent Yeoman's Wooing Song","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis re-release of Herbert Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi and A Kent Yeoman’s Wooing Song forms part of the new Hickox Legacy series commemorating the life and career of that great conductor. Mestro Richard Hickox’s lifelong commitment to British music in general is well-known, as is his work with the challenging, intricate music of Howells. This disc displays extremes of Howells’ emotional language - from the intense and powerful Hymnus to the sprightly and rather flirtatious Wooing Song – communicated masterfully by Hickox and his associates.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013211967722,"sku":"095115172728","price":6.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2017542.jpg?v=1778254326"},{"product_id":"verklarte-nacht-schoenberg-fried-lehar-korngold-gardner-397459","title":"Verklarte Nacht - Schoenberg, Fried, Lehar \u0026 Korngold \/ Gardner, BBC Symphony","description":"\u003cp\u003eHot on the heels of their acclaimed recording of Britten’s Peter Grimes, Stuart Skelton and Edward Gardner join forces with Christine Rice and the BBC Symphony Orchestra for this fascinating programme of early twentieth-century works. Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht needs no introduction, but far rarer is Oscar Fried’s contemporaneous setting of the same poem. Composed in 1901 for soloists and orchestra, Fried’s version is a true setting of (as opposed to Schoenberg’s reflection on) the text by Richard Dehmel. Lehár wrote Fieber in 1915 as the closing part of his song cycle Aus eiserner Zeit – he then made the orchestral setting a year later. Korngold’s Lieder des Abschieds (Songs of Farewell) date from the early 1920s, whilst he was still in Vienna, and shortly after he had completed the opera Die tote Stadt. Setting poetry by Christina Rossetti, Edith Ronsperger, and Ernst Lothar, the cycle is a poignant reflection on the Great War.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46013212721386,"sku":"095115524329","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3886801-2650660.jpg?v=1778250770"},{"product_id":"pierre-boulez-conducts-berlioz-4-cds","title":"Pierre Boulez conducts Berlioz","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSome of Boulez's finest Berlioz performances are gathered together in this very welcome compendium. Symphonie fantastique is given a terrifyingly formidable performance.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Pierre Boulez first mounted the concert podium in the late 1950s in order to do justice do his own challenging works, but before long he had garnered the reputation of a peerless interpreter of 20th-century music tout court. Then in 1967 the modernist Boulez took the musical by surprise by turning to that arch-Romantic Hector Berlioz, conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in the Symphonie fantastique and Lélio, the little-known work he intended as its sequel. The result was every bit as stimulating as one might have expected from this great musical provocateur. “For Boulez,” opined Gramophone’s original reviewer, “the [Fantastique] is a sinister mental experience, not merely the drug-crazed torment of the program but something colder and still more frightening.” More recently, a New York Times critic wrote: “This is a performance true to the composer’s Gothic imagination in its sumptuousness and menace but also icily precise in negotiating tricky rhythmic maneuvers, and oddly modern … Besides having a ferocity all its own, [it] comes in a whole treasure box of other incisive Berlioz recordings by Mr. Boulez in his early maturity. Yvonne Minton is splendid in La Mort de Cléopâtre, flinging out regal defiance, and Jean-Louis Barrault is the perfect restless narrator for the work Berlioz wrote to continue the dream of the Fantastique, the concert autobiography Lélio.” The new 4-album reissue also includes Yvonne Minton’s “dramatically incisive … passionate response [to Les Nuits d’été] showing her at her most movingly eloquent and [Stuart] Burrows also at his finest … Strongly recommended … highly stimulating” (Penguin Guide).\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Some of Boulez's finest Berlioz performances are gathered together in this very welcome compendium. Not the least of the pleasures is the association of the Symphonic Fantastique with its pendant Lelio: they are not a required coupling, of course, but there is a special pleasure in hearing the unforgettable tones of Jean-Louis Barrault (he who once memorably played Berlioz on film) as he revives after the drug-induced nightmare. Barrault speaks so beautifully that the ramshackle concoction of some very mixed inspirations becomes a rich Berliozian experience. The symphony is given a formidable performance, terrifyingly formidable in the measured tread of the \"March to the Scaffold\", somewhat too much so where the waltz should charm, even if ironically, and making a morose landscape of the \"Scene aux champs\". But it is a sustained and valid performance which does not seek to make the work into a vehicle for personal virtuosity (as in different ways so many conductors have done), and conjures up Berlioz's dark romantic vision.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e As can be seen, the Nuits d'ete songs are shared. Berlioz first wrote them for mezzo-soprano or tenor and piano, then rewriting them to some extent and transposing the first three for the orchestral vision, probably because he then had particular singers in mind or each song. Boulez keeps to the orchestral version of the key sequence (which not all do) and divides them equally between male and female voices. So Stuart Burrows sings a fresh. lively \"Villanelle\", and this is followed by Yvonne Minton's richly phrased \"Spectre de la rose\" and \"Sur les lagunes\" (in which she takes, successfully, the option of a low F). Burrows returns for \"Absence\", which he sings admirably, though without stifling regrets that this of all songs might have suited Minton and the mezzo-soprano timbre (many will remember Janet Baker here). He also sings \"Au cimetiere\", leaving Minton to finish the cycle off with her warm performance of \"L'ile inconnue\". There can be no question or an authentic version when Berlioz left so many options open; this is a compromise, and even if one may have other preferences, it works well. Yvonne Minton goes on to show not only a fine voice but fine musicianship as she sustains Boulez in holding La mort de Cleopatre together so well. Berliozians will recognize one or two familiar ideas in this remarkable piece. notably one that was to serve again in Benvenuto Cellini, whose overture is given a sharp, vigorous performance here.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e -- Gramophone [3\/1995]\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sony Masterworks","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013221568746,"sku":"190759327722","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3782452-2549798.jpg?v=1778243671"},{"product_id":"szymanowski-symphonies-no-1-3-gardner-bbc-210507","title":"Szymanowski: Symphonies No 1 \u0026 3 \/ Gardner, BBC SO","description":"Edward Gardner and the BBC Symphony return to the intoxicating orchestral music of Karol Szymanowski in their third disc devoted to the composer. Ben Johnson, a tenor whose star is rapidly rising, joins Gardner and the BBC SO here as a soloist in two works. Symphony no 1 (1907) belongs to his early period, heavily influenced by German late-Romanticism. The exquisite Love Songs of Hafiz (1911), marked by fascination with oriental themes, and the ‘Song of the Night’, scored for huge orchestra with choir and tenor soloist, both feature Persian poetry set to sensuous and emotionally-charged music.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  Reviews:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  The performances are particularly cosmopolitan. And why not? The works here reflect influences from many nationalities. Johnson, whose relatively lean voice (in contrast with the Eastern European sopranos sometimes heard in this piece) is very much responsive to the text's meaning.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  – Gramophone\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  “The BBC Symphony Chorus sings with languid exaltation, yet it is the orchestral detail that impresses most here, right from the still, mystery-laden opening. Gardner conducts with such conviction that it is impossible not to find beauty in [Love Songs'] potentially dense Reger-meets-Scriabin soundworld.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  – BBC Music Magazine","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"SACD","offer_id":46013224222954,"sku":"095115514320","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2804670.jpg?v=1778288980"},{"product_id":"piano-concerto","title":"PIANO CONCERTO","description":"Classical Music","brand":"SOMM Recordings","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46013272162538,"sku":"748871351523","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1731493.jpg?v=1778332333"},{"product_id":"maxim-rysanov-plays-martinu-107628","title":"Maxim Rysanov Plays Martinu","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter a move to the U.S.A., Bohuslav Martinů was to compose four works which all belong to the central 20th century repertoire for the viola. 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