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Magnard: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 / Bollon, Freiburg Philharmonic
Naxos

Magnard: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4 / Bollon, Freiburg Philharmonic

$19.99

Details

Composer
MAGNARD, ALBERIC
Artist
Bollon
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Sep 13, 2019
Catalog #
8574082
UPC
747313408276

About

Alberic Magnard became a French national hero when he died defending his home at the outbreak of the First World War and, although he wrote relatively little, his catalogue is full of expansive and beautifully crafted music. Magnard was a symphonist at heart, and with its evocations of landscape and expressive lyricism his Third Symphony was admired by Paul Dukas for its ‘perfect clarity’ and as an ‘all too rare creation.’ The luminous Fourth Symphony is one of Magnard’s last surviving works- a masterpiece that successfully synthesizes Wagnerian high drama with Classical transparency.

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REVIEW:

There’s little to quibble about concerning this well-filled new disc containing Albéric Magnard’s two best (and best-known) symphonies. Fabrice Bollon delivers confident, flowing performances that fully encompass the music’s wide-ranging expressive vocabulary, from the haunting modal opening of the Third Symphony, to an amazing clean and clear fugal development in the finale of the Fourth. He and the Freiburg orchestral clearly enjoy the rustic charm of the two scherzos, while the profound lyricism of the slow movements emerges naturally and songfully, without dragging.

If there are any negatives, they have to do with the Freiburg Philharmonic which, despite committed playing, sounds a bit undernourished in the string section. In the richly scored Fourth Symphony the added clarity this offers the woodwinds compensates to some degree, but I found myself wishing that these symphonies would get picked up by one of our truly great orchestras. The music deserves the attention, and it would be wonderful to hear it done at the very highest level. As it stands, this does not displace Thomas Sanderling’s reference versions on BIS, but it’s a heck of a lot less expensive and well worth hearing all the same.

– ClassicsToday (David Hurwitz)

Tracklist 8 tracks

  1. 1 I. Introduction et ouverture: Modéré - Vif 12:04
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Introduction et ouverture: Modéré - Vif
    Duration
    12:04
    Composer
    Albéric Magnard
    Ensemble
    Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg
    Conductor
    Fabrice Bollon
  2. 2 II. Danses: Très vif 06:06
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Danses: Très vif
    Duration
    06:06
    Composer
    Albéric Magnard
    Ensemble
    Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg
    Conductor
    Fabrice Bollon
  3. 3 III. Pastorale: Modéré 10:17
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Pastorale: Modéré
    Duration
    10:17
    Composer
    Albéric Magnard
    Ensemble
    Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg
    Conductor
    Fabrice Bollon
  4. 4 IV. Finale: Vif 08:47
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. Finale: Vif
    Duration
    08:47
    Composer
    Albéric Magnard
    Ensemble
    Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg
    Conductor
    Fabrice Bollon
  5. 5 I. Modéré - Allegro 11:25
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Modéré - Allegro
    Duration
    11:25
    Composer
    Albéric Magnard
    Ensemble
    Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg
    Conductor
    Fabrice Bollon
  6. 6 II. Vif 05:09
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Vif
    Duration
    05:09
    Composer
    Albéric Magnard
    Ensemble
    Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg
    Conductor
    Fabrice Bollon
  7. 7 III. Sans lenteur et nuancé 12:05
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Sans lenteur et nuancé
    Duration
    12:05
    Composer
    Albéric Magnard
    Ensemble
    Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg
    Conductor
    Fabrice Bollon
  8. 8 IV. Animé 08:04
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Animé
    Duration
    08:04
    Composer
    Albéric Magnard
    Ensemble
    Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg
    Conductor
    Fabrice Bollon