He has now been composing for nearly half a century, Wolfgang Rihm, born in Karlsruhe in 1952, where he was already learning composition from Eugen Werner Velte while still a high school student, later also from Klaus Huber in Freiburg and Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne, belonged to the so-called "young savages" at the famous Donaueschingen Festival for contemporary music back in the 1970s. Two Other Movements is a composition commissioned by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra that premiered under the baton of Lorin Maazel in New York in March 2005. The title is intended to signify that every new work is, as it were, a commentary on the one preceding it; the "two other movements" therefore make up the continuation of those completed beforehand. Abkehr, whose premiere was performed by the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie conducted by Gary Bertini in Zurich on April 4, 1986, was written as a supplement to a rendition of the Ninth Symphony by Gustav Mahler.

The Bamberger Symphoniker and Jonathan Nott present Mahler's Symphony No. 7. Mahler's seventh was described as "very problematic" by Otto Klemperer following it's premiere, and as "a weak piece" by Theodor W. Adorno. Mahler himself considered this work to be mainly cheerful and humoristic in content. Here, we encounter a masterpiece of formal construction, instrumentation and, above all, content.

This recording received a 1998 "Critic's Choice" award from Gramophone
magazine.

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 - The Year 1941

WALDTEUFEL: The Best of Emile Waldteufel, Vol. 11

Classical Music

Symphony No. 63 in D major is more elaborately scored, calling on pairs of oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets and timpani, as well as the inevitable strings. The first movement starts with a slow introduction, in it's emphatic unison once more characteristic of Mannheim. This leads to an Allegro in broadly classical form. Here another Mannheim effect, the disciplined crescendo for which the orchestra was famous, is marked in the surviving parts. The A major slow movement, marked Andante moderato, starts with a gently lilting oboe melody, taken up by the first violin. The strings provide a second element, in a related key, before the clarinet brings back the original theme, accompanied by the violins only. There is a shift to A minor, as the secondary material returns, but it is the first melody and key that finally prevails. The Presto is in classical tripartite form, with two contrasted subjects, a rather more extended development, and a final recapitulation, with the two subjects now both in D major. There is no slow introduction to start the first movement of Symphony No. 64 in F major, scored now for pairs of oboes, bassoons and horns, with the necessary strings, now in five parts, with first and second violas. The first subject of the opening Allegro makes use, as Mannheim composers often did, of the device of sequence, with the first phrase answered by a parallel phrase of the same outline. Again there are wide leaps in the first violin part, a related second subject in C major, with a use of woodwind and single strings, and an exciting, gradual crescendo. The central development is duly followed by the expected recapitulation, with a crescendo leading to the final coda. The slow movement, marked Andante and in B flat major, omits the French horns and offers contrasts of subject and key in it's first section, which later returns in recapitulation in the key of the movement. The symphony ends with a Presto that opens emphatically, in Mannheim style. As in the first movement, the oboes are entrusted with the presentation of the second subject. The development of this sonata-form movement finds room for a crescendo, a feature that precedes the final coda in the third section. Symphony No. 67 in G major makes use of a single flute, with pairs of oboes and horns, in addition to a four-part string section. The flute adds color to a repetition of the first subject and features prominently in the second. There are crescendi in both the development and the recapitulation. The following Andante con moto is in C major and the principal theme is entrusted to the strings alone, with the full entry of the wind instruments delayed until the A minor second half of the movement. The principal theme returns, followed now by an excursion into C minor, before it's definitive restatement in conclusion. Sequence is a feature of the first subject of the final Presto, with it's exploration of remoter keys and use of varied techniques and textures, which include the use of pizzicato strings and strong dynamic contrasts.

Classical Music

MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 2, 'Hymn of Praise'

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

Classical Music

Venzago typically employs brisk tempos, transparent textures, distinctive brass and woodwind sonorities, and strings played with minimal vibrato. This is a fresh take on Bruckner's music, and Venzago avoids the excessive heaviness and reverence that many 20th century conductors imposed on his works. These streamlined readings may not persuade traditionalists, but the startling performances in this CPO box set may well change the way we think of these symphonies in the future. This ten-CD collection also includes a bonus DVD of Laurent Jaquet's film Venzago's Bruckner.

– All Music Guide

This release continues a series of recordings of Erikki-Sven Tuur's works. Tuur has written symphonies, concertos as well as commissions by various well-known orchestras. This album contains two concertos featuring the rising Finnish clarinetist Christoffer Sundqvist and star violinist Pekka Kuusisto together with Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hannu Lintu. Clarinet Concerto Peregrinus Ecstaticus was written to a commission by the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and premiered together with the soloist Sundqvist and Lintu in 2013. The Latin title of this concerto suggest a pilgrimage. Tuur gave the following description of the work "Imagine a pilgrim's quest, full of obstacles and hazards, towards his desired goal - his perseverance and vigor alternating with exhaustion and fatigue - conquering actual physical obstacles combined with spiritual struggles...However, this composition is not an attempt to describe such a journey. On the most abstract level, this is the very hourney. I came up with this story and the title of the piece after I had already finished the score. Thus, this is not a program music. I would be delighted if this piece inspired listeners to create their own 'stories', in the hope that the music touches the creative core of the audience."

Zemlinsky’s Die Seejungfrau has been recorded at least seven times, but this newcomer has some special qualities. It is without question the most gorgeously played and opulently engineered, which is saying a lot. After all, Chailly and the Concertgebouw (Decca) aren’t exactly slouches, and neither for that matter is Zemlinsky authority Antony Beaumont with the Czech Philharmonic (Chandos). It was Beaumont, in fact, who produced this new critical edition, restoring some five minutes of music to the central movement, including perhaps the work’s most convincing climax and interesting harmonies. So for that reason alone this performance, conducted by Storgards with 100% conviction and confidence, is worth having.

The work itself remains problematic. Thematically it owes quite a bit to Tchaikovsky–Francesca da Rimini in its “motto” theme, and the slow movement of the Fifth Symphony elsewhere. Its three movements can very easily come off as relatively undifferentiated sonic blobs due to Zemlinsky’s habit of immediately resorting to lyrical noodling just as things start to get moving. Each part seems to end five or six times before it actually stops, with the loud closing bars of Part Two sounding especially gratuitous. But the music is so beautiful from moment to moment, and so brilliantly scored, that in a performance like this one the defects hardly matter. If you’re a fan of Seejungfrau, this is now the version to own, and if you aren’t a fan, this one might make you one.

As to the coupling, well, here’s a story. At least two other very good recordings of Seejungfrau come in tandem with the Sinfonietta–Dausgaard’s and Conlon’s. This version, though, is the premiere recording of a recent rescoring for chamber orchestra by one Roland Freisitzer. I am not going to accuse Freisitzer of parasitically attaching himself to the coattails of the great (like Anthony Paine, for example, with his abominable Elgar Third Symphony), because no one is making a living creating alternate versions of works by Zemlinsky. On the other hand, the justification offered for disfiguring a late masterpiece by claiming to make it more playable by chamber orchestras just won’t wash, for several reasons.

First of all, there’s plenty of great music already written for chamber orchestra. No one needs Zemlinsky’s Sinfonietta any more than we need the recent silly, pint-sized arrangement of Mahler’s Second Symphony and other such curiosities–especially on recordings. Second, Zemlinsky’s Sinfonietta is scored for a fairly modest ensemble as it is–basically only double winds and standard brass, with no tuba. Freisitzer eliminates the three percussion parts, but adds a piano, pointlessly. His choices beg the question of just what constitutes a “chamber orchestra.” After all, if the Tapiola Sinfonietta under Mario Venzago can play Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony, then Zemlinsky’s Sinfonietta certainly stands squarely within the realm of possibility. Finally, it seems singularly strange, not to say conceptually confused, to couple a carefully prepared critical edition of Seejungfrau with a mongrel deconstruction of the Sinfonietta. Do Zemlinsky’s own ideas matter or not? The scoring of the Sinfonietta, even more than with Seejungrau, constitutes one of the most telling and original aspects of the work. This was a bad idea, despite the fact that the arrangement is excellently played by Storgards and members of the Helsinki Phil.

So because the recording of Seejungrau is so terrific, and perfectly fine recordings of the Sinfonietta are not that hard to find (including Beaumont’s, differently coupled), I am going to base the rating for this release mostly on the former, and largely ignore the latter. Seejungfrau really is that good.

-- ClassicsToday.com

Ondine proudly presents the first CD with works by German composer Jörg Widmann (born 1973) only. This release features his Violin Concerto (2007), Insel der Sirenen for Violin and 19 Strings (1997) and Antiphon for Orchestral Groups (2007-08).

RAMEAU: PLATÉE & DARDANUS SUIT

The celebrated Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk is known as a tireless champion of the best contemporary music. On this release, he portrays the Icelandic composer Haflioi Hallgrímsson—himself a professional cellist—with his two works for cello and orchestra, and is joined by the forces of the remarkable Scottish Chamber Orchestra under the direction of John Storgårds. This CD includes the first commercial recording of the Cello Concerto, which Hallgrímsson dedicated to Mørk in 2003. He has championed the work in a number of performances across Europe to great acclaim. The Times calls it, “a remarkable new addition to the cello repertoire… one of his [Hallgrímsson’s] finest work to date.”

Malcolm Arnold has been a central figure in British musical life for fifty years, believing that ‘to be asked by a performer whose accomplishment one admires is the greatest incentive to write music’. His Symphony No. 2, for Charles Groves and his Bournemouth Orchestra, and Concerto for Two Pianos, for Phyllis Sellick and Cyril Smith, both reflect this, and in Handley’s performances they are certainly colourful...
Performance: **** Sound: *****

-- Terry Barfoot, BBC Music Magazine

Classical Music

[Anton] Wit generates excitement without letting things get out of hand. The performance of the Czech Suite is warm and relaxed, nicely rustic in feeling... - PENGUIN GUIDE

MARAIS: Viol Music for the Sun King

This DVD features a hand drawn pictographic score consisting of 12 panels (totaling 70 feet in length), 2 hanging mobiles, and absolutely no verbal or written instructions. It was commissioned by the Cantor Arts Center Museum at Stanford University.

A performance for the ages, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the charismatic yet calculated baton of Andris Nelsons give everything they've got to Shostakovich's might 8th Symphony. 2011 winner of the prestigious ECHO Klassik Award, Andris Nelsons is one of the most sought-after young conductors on the international scene today. Over the next few seasons he will continue collaborations with Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Boston Symphony and the New York Philharmonic. Andris Nelsons is a regular guest at Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera New York.

When considering the reception and public perception of the music of Mikis Theodorakis, a strange contrast becomes evident: Those interested in music know many of the Greek composer’s songs, sometimes without even knowing that a certain melody was written by him, since a considerable number of his songs have been disseminated in many different variations and arrangements. Singers from many countries have often made Theodorakis’s songs their own using new texts, some of which bear no relationship to the content of the original but contributed to their fame nonetheless. The situation looks quite different, however, with Theodorakis’s symphonic works. Even those who are active in the world of music often do not know a single symphonic work by Theodorakis; some are not even aware that he has produced a considerable symphonic oeuvre. The two rhapsodies on the present CD are easy to understand, making them good examples of the musical facture that derives from Theodorakis’s basic aesthetic stance. The rhapsodies have many things in common, including that they emerged from earlier works with the same melodic material. This procedure is characteristic of Theodorakis as well as the continuation of a procedure that can be found throughout the history of music. Recall the common multiple uses of their own musical material in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach or Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61, which the composer himself reworked into an alternative or second version for piano and orchestra as Op. 61a. The Rhapsody for Violoncello and Orchestra AST was written during the last six weeks of 1996 and was premiered in Munich in October 1998. The melodies are already found in the song cycle Ta lirikotera of 1994/95, which was released as a CD in 1996 under the title Poetica, and Ta prosopa tu iliu (The faces of the sun) of 1986. The nine movements bear the names of the nine muses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, whom Hesiod called the tutelary goddesses of the arts and assigned them to particular spheres of the arts. Their more widely known Latin names and attributes are, in the order of the movements of the rhapsody: 1 Clio (history) 2 Erato (love poetry) 3 Thalia (comedy) 4 Calliope (epic poetry, philosophy and science) 5 Euterpe (flute playing and singing) 6 Urania (astronomy and didactic writing) 7 Terpsichore (dance and light entertainment) 8 Melpomene (tragedy and elegy) 9 Polyhymnia (sacred poetry, pantomime, and serious song) The Rhapsody for Guitar and Orchestra AST also has a precursor. In Athens in March 1967 Theodorakis wrote seven songs on texts from Federico Garcia Lorca’s Romencero gitano, published in 1928. These eighteen gypsy romances helped Garcia Lorca achieve his fame in Spain. His decidedly anti-Franco, leftist stance, in which Theodorakis no doubt saw parallels to his own positions, and his homosexuality caused him to be so hated by the reactionary forces that he was shot by the Falangists on August 18 or 19, 1938, just a few days before the civil war began. Theodorakis’s seven songs after Lorca were premiered in Rome in 1970 by Maria Farantouri under the direction of the composer. A version for alto and guitar was recorded by Maria Farantouri and John Williams in 1971 and only recently by the baritone Peter Goedhart and the guitarist Wim Spruijt with Garcia Lorca’s original Spanish text. Theodorakis’s second version with six songs is entitled Concert for Guitar (Lorcaand was commissioned by the Komische Oper of East Berlin. The premiere, with Maria Farantouri (alto), Kostas Kotsiolis (guitar), and members of the Rundfunkchor Berlin and the Orchester der Komischen Oper under Rolf Reuter was in September 1983. Finally, the composer arranged the work for guitar and symphony orchestra in the mid-1990s and premiered this version in Munich in October 1998. Theodorakis wanted to offer the guitarist an instrumental work well suited to the instrument and with the guitar dominating from start to finish. The melodic material is primarily assigned to the orchestra.

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.