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Naxos

Szymanowski: Symphonies No 2 And 3 / Wit, Et Al

$19.99

Details

Composer
SZYMANOWSKI., KAROL
Artist
Warsaw Po, Wit
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Mar 25, 2008
Catalog #
8570721
UPC
747313072170

About



The composer's love of exotic colours is exploited to the full by 'home' forces

As he reveals in an interview in this issue, Antoni Wit is one of the world’s best-selling conductors, and yet he is very far from the celebrity of an Abbado or a Haitink. Less charismatic than either of those, perhaps, but as he shows here once again he has a exceptional talent for inhabiting a composer’s sound world. These are performances of great affection and, typically for Wit, sound totally idiomatic.

-- Gramophone [5/2008]

Antoni Wit almost always can be relied on to deliver very thoughtful, beautifully musical, even inspired results, and there's no question that he conducts these works extremely well. The performances of both symphonies have a confidence and warmth about them that bespeaks a thorough understanding of Szymanowski's richly textured idiom. The Song of the Night (a.k.a. Symphony No. 3) has many of the same qualities that made Wit's Mahler Eighth so special: terrific choral singing, a bigness of conception that never precludes physical excitement, and very natural balances between vocal and instrumental forces.

The Straussian Second Symphony is a much tougher work conceptually, and here it seems to me that Wit could have asked for a sharper rhythmic edge to the string playing in the first movement, and perhaps a bit more contrast between the variations of the finale. The large acoustic that so benefits the Third Symphony also blunts the edge of this purely instrumental piece, but the fact is that a good deal of the problem lies with the work itself--its not quite resolved conflict between structure and musical idiom--and Wit's performance remains as fine as any currently available. Certainly this very enjoyable (and very inexpensive) disc should satisfy any fan of this splendid but still underrated composer.

--David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 12 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro moderato - Grazioso 12:59
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato - Grazioso
    Duration
    12:59
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  2. 2 II. Theme: Lento - 01:30
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Theme: Lento -
    Duration
    01:30
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  3. 3 II. Variation 1: L'istesso tempo - 01:20
    Track
    3
    Title
    II. Variation 1: L'istesso tempo -
    Duration
    01:20
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  4. 4 II. Variation 2: L'istesso tempo - 01:55
    Track
    4
    Title
    II. Variation 2: L'istesso tempo -
    Duration
    01:55
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  5. 5 II. Variation 3: Scherzando. Molto vivace - 02:40
    Track
    5
    Title
    II. Variation 3: Scherzando. Molto vivace -
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  6. 6 II. Variation 4: Tempo di gavotte - 02:46
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Variation 4: Tempo di gavotte -
    Duration
    02:46
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  7. 7 II. Variation 5: Tempo di minuetto - 02:46
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Variation 5: Tempo di minuetto -
    Duration
    02:46
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  8. 8 II. Variation 6: Vivace e capriccioso - 01:22
    Track
    8
    Title
    II. Variation 6: Vivace e capriccioso -
    Duration
    01:22
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  9. 9 II. Fuga 07:21
    Track
    9
    Title
    II. Fuga
    Duration
    07:21
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  10. 10 I. Moderato assai 08:48
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. Moderato assai
    Duration
    08:48
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Performer
    Ryszard Minkiewicz
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Choir, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  11. 11 II. Allegretto tranquillo 07:34
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. Allegretto tranquillo
    Duration
    07:34
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Choir, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit
  12. 12 III. Largo 09:47
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. Largo
    Duration
    09:47
    Composer
    Karol Szymanowski
    Performer
    Ryszard Minkiewicz
    Ensemble
    Warsaw Philharmonic Choir, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
    Conductor
    Antoni Wit