8.572708 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphonies Nos. 2 & 15
‘If anyone can make sense of these quirky works, it is Petrenko. His performances, the latest in a superb Shostakovich cycle with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, have all the bite, wit and finesse you could hop for’. -Andrew Clark, Financial Times, April 28/29th 2012
‘The final symphony is taut, tense, dry and electrifyingly dramatic in Petrenko’s hands, while its apparent flippancies (the William Tell bits) have a dry rattle to their humour…the real revelation on this latest disc in the series concerns the stature of Shostakovich’s little-known Second Symphony, titled ‘To October’, a rarely performed neglected piece…Petrenko’s blistering, penetrating reading takes you way beyond the music’s apparent propagandist surface, scorchingly played by the RLPO, with a sensational finale and a thunderous choral shout form the RLPO Choir that will bring you out of your seat.’ -Michael Tumelty, Sunday Herald, April 22nd 2012
‘It’s hard to say which is the more striking as atmospherically performed here…As so often, Petrenko shows the deepest sensitivity in going straight to the heart of the matter.’ -David Nice, BBC Music Magazine, June 2012
8.572823 CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2
‘Tuneful, lushly scored, unpretentious and superbly crafted, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s two piano concertos deserve their stylish resuscitation by the young Italian pianist Alessandro Marangoni…played charmingly by the Malmö Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Mogrelia.’ -Richard Morrison, The Times, Saturday Review, May 5th 2012
8.572486 BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta
‘Two classical Bartók works are performed with pungency and bite here. Marin Alsop transmits persuasive ideas about pacing, rhythmic emphasis and instrumental colouring, conjuring up also the spectral atmosphere that is so much a part of the Elegia in the Concerto for Orchestra. The orchestra’s definition and intensity are equal assets in a vibrant interpretation of the Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta.’ -Geoffrey Norris, The Daily Telegraph, Review, May 5th 2012
‘Two quintessential Bartók works in fine performances, and at an irresistible price. The Concerto for Orchestra, in particular, is a piece that suits Marin Alsop down to the ground, and one that allows her to put her Baltimore players through their paces…Alsop responds to all these facets of the piece with both intelligence and vitality, producing a vivid performance.’ -Misha Donat, BBC Music Magazine, June 2012
8.572600 BRITTEN Songs and Proverbs of William Blake
‘There may be a thrilling live performance tucked away in an archive but, as a recorded recital, Williams - and Burnside, who is similarly colourful but keeps an interpretative distance from pumping up the text - have created an outstanding achievement’ – GRAMOPHONE CHOICE -Mike Ashman, Gramophone, June 2012
All Naxos Historical, Naxos Classical Archives, Naxos Jazz, Folk and Rock Legends
and Naxos Nostalgia titles are not available in the United States and some titles
may not be available in Australia and Singapore because these countries have copyright
laws that provide or may provide for terms of protection for sound recordings that
differ from the rest of the world.
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