Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

The romance is a typical Romantic genre that was cultivated by almost all 19th c. composers. It is characterized by lyricism and a musical simplicity that favors songful melody, does not demand great virtuosity and possesses definite form. Katsuya Watanabe (b. 1966, Japan) studied at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. At present he is solo oboist in the Luxembourg-based Solistes Européens and increasingly devotes himself to solo activities, giving frequent recitals and concert performances.

Classical Music

The four symphonies of Johannes Brahms give emphasis to his significance as a composer more than any other works he wrote. He struggled for a long time before producing his first symphonic work – with Beethoven’s larger-than-life example before his eyes, the “giant”, whom he could hear marching behind him, as he once quipped. It took Brahms twenty years to complete his first symphony in 1876 – at the age of 43 – and another eight for the three further symphonies. All four of these historic works are presented on this release from Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the WDR Sinfonieorchester. In the more than sixty years of its existence, the WDR Symphony Orchestra of Cologna has established itself as one of the most important European radio orchestras. Stylistic versatility is the special trademark of the WDR Symphony Orchestra. Jukka-Pekka Saraste became principal conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of the 2010/2011 season. The orchestra and conductor can already look back at many years of working successfully together.

Georges Schmitt - a German-French "frontier runner" The German-French composer Georg (Georges) Schmitt was born in Trier, then a Prussian city on the banks of the Moselle, in 1821. At 14 years of age, he took over the office of cathedral organist from his deceased father. In 1844, though, he moved to Paris, the hub of European music, where he remained until his death in 1900. It was there that he assumed a prestigious post in 1849, taking over at the Great Organ in the Church of Saint-Sulpice. He became very active as a composer and writer, published organ works and papers on the organ and the reform of church music and also co-founded a congress that aimed to re-establish "true" church music. Schmitt was gradually forgotten after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71. The performance of a comic opera and operettas at minor theatres and his participation in national composition competitions with cantatas and great choral symphonies did not give the composer the breakthrough he hoped for. Nonetheless, he published numerous piano pieces and songs as well as theoretical and educational works. This album features just about half of Schmitt's surviving French songs. They were individually published in Paris between 1855 and 1890 and some have survived in handwritten form. All the main genres of French song from this period are represented: m�lodie, romance and chanson.

The dominance of Ferenc Erkel and Franz Liszt in the nineteenth century, B�la Bart�k, Zolt�n Kod�ly and Ern� Dohn�nyi in the first half of the twentieth century, and the striking exponents of modern composing Gy�rgy Ligeti and Gy�rgy Kurt�g causes several significant Hungarian composers to be overlooked. Many of them were important and esteemed at home but for various reasons failed to gain fame outside of Hungary; at most, only individual works have established themselves in the international repertoire. The works for bassoon on this recording impressively demonstrate the versatility of those composers. Bence Bong�nyi comes from a Hungarian family of musicians. He had his first bassoon lesson with Gyorgy Bokor in Hungary at the age of nine. In Helsinki he continued his studies with Laszlo Hara and then with Jussi Sarkka at the Sibelius Academy. As a 'Nordplus' scholar he studied in Malmo with Asger Svendsen, then spent a year studying with Helman Jung at the Hochschule fur Musik in Detmold. Bence Boganyi completed his studies in 2004 with Prof. Klaus Thunemann at the Hanns Eisler Hochschule fur Musik in Berlin, passing his concert exam with distinction. He joined the Helsinki Philharmonic in 2002, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra in 2005, and the Munich Philharmonic in 2007.

The programme of chamber music presented on this album essentially comprises a set of rarities, that is to say, compositions that are barely known in such arrangements or have rarely been recorded, brilliantly performed here by musicians who are experts in this field. These are works by composers who in some cases were renowned and popular throughout Europe in their day but later forgotten -a release that calls for a closer look at relatively unknown but valuable music. Katsuya Watanabe was born in Japan in 1966. He began learning the piano at the age of three and the oboe at thirteen. From 1985 to 1989 he studied at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he won first prize and the grand prix in the Oboe Competition in 1991. In 1988, while still studying, he became deputy solo oboist in the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra under Seiji Ozawa and remained in that post until 1992. He held the position of solo oboist first in the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra from 1992 to 1996, then in Karlsruhe for a year and from 1997 to 2008 in the Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. Katsuya Watanabe is visiting professor at the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Tokyo.

Two of Beethoven's most magnificent symphonies are featured on this new release from Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the WDR Sinfonieorchester. Jukka -Pekka Saraste writes of this new album: "I endeavor to disclose Beethoven's emotions. That is the key to understanding his music. One has to constantly keep those currents of optimism and pessimism in balance. For that, you need to have access to an orchestra's full sound spectrum in a highly flexible, dynamic manner. I believe that Beethoven's impact is paramount because his message can be felt everywhere. Not just in Europe. A message of strength, of humanity - and one that places human culture in the forefront. There is so much destruction in the world; we need to hold on to things that enrich the spirit." Jukka-Pekka Saraste has established himself as one of the outstanding conductors of his generation, demonstrating remarkable musical depth and integrity. Born in Heinola, Finland, he began his career as a violinist before training as a conductor with Jorma Panula at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. He has held positions with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

This newest installation in the Karl Richter Edition from Profil features Flute Concertos by W.A. Mozart, Joseph Haydn, and Christoph Willibald Gluck. German conductor, choirmaster, organist, and harpsichordist Karl Richter studied first in Dresden, where he was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor and later in Leipzig, where he received his degree in 1949. That same year, he became organist at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig, where Johann Sebastian Bach was the musical director for 27 years. In 1951 he moved to Munich, where he taught at the conservatory and was cantor and organist at St. Mark's Church. He also conducted the Munchener Bach-Chor starting in 1954 and the Munchener Bach-Orchester, which is featured on this release. The soloist on this release is Swiss flautist Aurele Nicolet, who is considered as one of the world's best flute players of the late 20th century. His recordings of J.S. Bach and W.A. Mozart have received considerable critical acclaim. A remarkable stylist, he was praised for meticulously nuanced and elegant playing. Having established himself as a pre-eminent performer of traditional scores, he dedicated himself to contemporary music, playing works that prominent composers had dedicated to him.

The recordings featured in this 10-album collection audibly illustrate this exceptional conductor’s life and career. Beginning with the first recording for gramophone of Gustav Mahler’s “Kindertotenlieder”, which he directed in Berlin in 1928, they continue with the interesting Paris recordings of Hindemith’s “Mathis” Symphony, the Ravel concertos with pianist Vlado Perlemuter through to his collaboration with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, a mutually appreciative relationship to which he brought his accumulated experience. The spotlight shines throughout on the studio recordings made in Vienna and Baden-Baden. Under Horenstein’s baton, the South West German Radio Symphony Orchestra, first nurtured by Ernest Bour and then elevated to the highest European standard by Hans Rosbaud, plays at its very best. In Vienna, where musicians mainly from the Vienna Symphony had come together under the name Pro Musica, he recorded the great European concert repertoire – often including exceptional soloists such as Alfred Brendel and Ivry Gitlis. At the same time, he made important, early recordings of the Mahler and Bruckner symphonies. The programme is rounded off by the recordings with the London Symphony Orchestra from the early 1960s, the live recording of Mahler’s Third under the direction of Jascha Horenstein, recorded for the first time ever, representing a special highlight.

 

REVIEW:

 

From the opening blaze of the horns of this 1961 Mahler’s Third where Summer triumphantly marches in, Horenstein sustains tense drama. The Scherzo is given with an appropriately equal share of humour and bitterness and the expansive Finale has great depth of feeling. Horenstein gives a truly great performance of Mahler’s First Symphony and the sound of this 1953 recording is clear and well-detailed. Mahler is also represented by his Kindertotenlieder; not the expected Horenstein Vox version with Norman Foster but the historic 1928 recording with Heinrich Rehkemper. Although the orchestra has a very dated sound, Rehkemper’s voice reproduces clearly and is suitably balanced. This is a sensitive interpretation of poignant music; Rehkemper’s gentility in the final song is very touching.

 

This Vox Bruckner Eighth recording from 1954 presents an eloquent reading, not quite so clearly recorded as the Mahler but with much weight and power; in particular the performance unifies the many different aspects of the Finale. Hindemith’s Mathis der Maler has a richness of string tone within a rather plain radio recording but the performance shows the conductor’s grasp of music that sounded very modern in its day. A disappointing Strauss Don Juan follows. Things are a little better in Death and Transfiguration where the orchestra plays with appropriate feeling.

 

Apart from displaying Horenstein’s interpretational skills in symphonic music, there are examples of his abilities as accompanist.  A real delight is the excellently recorded 1962 performance of Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. Odessa-born David Oistrakh and Kiev-born Horenstein join the London Symphony Orchestra to give as ‘Scottish’ a performance of this delightful work as I can remember.

 

Of the many recordings violinist Ivry Gitlis made in Europe those for Vox were in Vienna and here the bright elegant tone of his violin is ideal as he plays Bartók’s Concerto No.2 with flair and precision; he uses a more acerbic tone than usual – entirely suitable for the music. Pianist Vlado Perlemuter  interprets the G-major Piano Concerto with ease and flair. The Colonne Orchestra provides an often-angry accompaniment; the transformation of their themes to whirling piano sequences has a steadying influence in the fierce outer movements. The Concerto for the Left-Hand has a similar pattern but there is relaxation in the slow-fast-slow structure where to their credit pianist and orchestra effectively manage the complex moments where Ravel combines slow and fast music.

 

Accompanied by the French National Radio Orchestra and recorded with more weight than clarity. Claudio Arrau gives an expressive performance of Brahms’s First Piano Concerto.  His relaxed shaping of the melodies is not always echoed by the orchestra.  Horenstein has a more direct approach to Brahms and does not compromise.  In all, a slightly wayward reading involving much freedom of tempo from the soloist.    

 

One of the discs is shared by Stravinsky and Schoenberg; although in the early twentieth-century regarded as ‘modern’ composers both show their romantic side in these well-engineered Sudwestfunk recordings from 1956.  The gentle opening movements of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite are captured atmospherically and the ‘Infernal Dance’ is full of violent detail with clear woodwind and a particularly forceful bass drum.  

 

Horenstein has the Sudwestfunk strings play Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht with ideal warmth.  The music is full of emotion but comforting rather than anxious – it would have been interesting to know how Schoenberg might have developed this rich Richard Strauss-like style had he not moved to the backwater of twelve-tone music.  Next comes Schoenberg’s uncompromising Chamber Symphony No.1; the recording clarifies everything well.  

 

Janáček’s Sinfonietta and Taras Bulba are given majestic performances but the recording of the Sinfonietta lacks impact. 

 

The sprawling Faust Symphony shows Liszt’s predilection for drama rather than form. The 1956 recording allows the Sudwestfunk Orchestra to sound colourful; tenor soloist Ferdinand Koch and the sparingly used men’s choir are well balanced. Horenstein’s interpretations of the Prelude to Lohengrin and the Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde sound well – the Bamberg Symphony being given decent sound.

On the final disc is an important reissue of Horenstein’s earlier Vox Beethoven Eroica. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra is given immensely powerful sound, ideally suited to Horenstein’s extremely measured speeds. This is Horenstein at his most dynamic.

 

– ClassicslSource.com (Anthony Hodgson)

Anton Bruckner’s First Symphony and the question of the right version: a conversation with conductor and Bruckner specialist Gerd Schaller. “Above all, I am fascinated by this perfect blend of intellect and emotion. It is something that I cannot find in this form in the work of any other composer. And then these incredible walls of sound, when the music climbs from a passage almost of chamber intimacy to an overwhelming fortissimo, it simply takes possession of me! Then there is the ground-breaking harmony and profundity of his late work in particular. And then the spiritual dimension of his music, the soaring wind passages, the wild string figures, all the brilliant instrumentation, his amazing feel for the different voices... — So, to sum up, there is actually nothing that I do not like!” This release belongs to the project Bruckner 2024: all Bruckner´s symphonies in their most important versions will be performed and recorded to the composer’s bicentenary in 2024

This release presents Giuseppe sinopoli in a selection of his Classical-Romantic concert repertoire with the Sächsische Staatskapelle of Dresden while also profiling him in those of is compositions that were performed in the Semperoper and recorded by MDR Kultur. The most fundamental concern of this project was to remember him in a mood of gladness and gratitude, on the fifteenth anniversary of his death.