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Naxos

Lajtha: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 / Pasquet, Pecs Symphony

$19.99

Details

Composer
LAJTHA, LASZLO
Artist
Pasquet
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Sep 09, 2016
Catalog #
8573643
UPC
747313364374

About

Here’s a welcome reissue from Marco Polo, now on the less expensive Naxos line. László Lajtha (1892-1963) was the major 20th century Hungarian symphonist. He had the good fortune to be picked up by an important publisher early on (Leduc), but suffered from being largely out of favor with the Communist regime for most of his career. He wrote major works in all the traditional forms, in a style recognizably personal and immediately appealing, but without pandering. Aesthetically (as Leduc recognized) his voice was audibly French in orientation, and if I had to categorize him I might say that he was a sort of Hungarian Martinu. The melos of Hungarian folk music underlies much of his thematic substance, but the translucent textures and colorful orchestration have an impressionistic tinge.

All of this is quite evident in the First Symphony, a pithy work in three movements that consistently captivates the ear. In memoriam is a big, powerful funeral march that takes a few minutes to get going, but once it does, proceeds memorably. Its central climaxes are aptly harrowing. The early Suite for Orchestra has four movements, including a parodistic Marche burlesque and an equally ironic Can-Can conclusion. Its Valse lente third movement is lovely, as are these performances. The Pécs Symphony Orchestral plays well for conductor Nicolás Parquet, and they are also naturally recorded in a warm, open acoustic. If you missed this series the first time around, grab these reissues as they come.

– ClassicsToday (David Hurwitz)

Tracklist 8 tracks

  1. 1 I. Prélude et Hymne 09:07
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Prélude et Hymne
    Duration
    09:07
    Composer
    László Lajtha
    Ensemble
    Pécs Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Nicolás Pasquet
  2. 2 II. Marche burlesque 02:47
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Marche burlesque
    Duration
    02:47
    Composer
    László Lajtha
    Ensemble
    Pécs Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Nicolás Pasquet
  3. 3 III. Valse lent 07:03
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Valse lent
    Duration
    07:03
    Composer
    László Lajtha
    Ensemble
    Pécs Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Nicolás Pasquet
  4. 4 IV. Can-Can 02:41
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Can-Can
    Duration
    02:41
    Composer
    László Lajtha
    Ensemble
    Pécs Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Nicolás Pasquet
  5. 5 In memoriam, Op. 35 20:32
    Track
    5
    Title
    In memoriam, Op. 35
    Duration
    20:32
    Composer
    László Lajtha
    Ensemble
    Pécs Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Nicolás Pasquet
  6. 6 I. Allegro 07:05
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    07:05
    Composer
    László Lajtha
    Ensemble
    Pécs Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Nicolás Pasquet
  7. 7 II. Andante 06:12
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Andante
    Duration
    06:12
    Composer
    László Lajtha
    Ensemble
    Pécs Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Nicolás Pasquet
  8. 8 III. Allegro molto 06:36
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. Allegro molto
    Duration
    06:36
    Composer
    László Lajtha
    Ensemble
    Pécs Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Nicolás Pasquet