 |
CD of the Month
 |
TCHAIKOVSKY: Manfred Symphony / Voyevoda
Conductor: Vasily Petrenko
Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Naxos 8.570568
|
- Written between the fourth and fifth symphonies, Tchaikovsky’s programmatic Manfred Symphony, inspired by Byron’s dramatic poem of the same name, contains some of the composer’s most thrillingly orchestrated music and best tunes. For Tchaikovsky, as for Byron, Manfred represented the figure of the outsider, an outcast from society.
- Petrenko’s Liverpool debut with the Phil in November 2004, and subsequent appearances in October and December 2005, created huge excitement: “...memorable for the sheer electricity emanating from the podium. Instantly there was a sense of dialogue between conductor and musicians, between one orchestral family and another, between one phrase and the next, to release natural-seeming eloquence from his players.” The Daily Telegraph
- “[Vasily Petrenko] seems to have everything going for him: dynamism, taste, confident command and clarity of communication….What an exciting conductor he is to watch, and, even more so, to hear in action.” The Daily Telegraph
|
|
Featured CDs
|
|
|
- This second Naxos disc of Copland Symphonies (No. 3 is available on 8.559106) opens with Symphony No. 1, an arrangement of the 1924 Symphony for Organ and Orchestra. Copland was especially fond of his Short Symphony (Symphony No. 2) on account of its complex, irregular rhythms and clear textures.
- “It’s good to have a new Naxos recording with Marin Alsop conducting the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in sensitive, exciting, and impressively lucid performances of three Bernstein works… …The Bournemouth Symphony, in technically adept, bracing performances, plays like a top-notch orchestra.” The New York Times on 8.559177
- “[Marin Alsop's] typecasting as an interpreter of the American symphonists is warranted.” Philadelphia Inquirer
|
|
- This final volume of the Naxos cycle of the complete Stanford Symphonies features the substantial First Symphony, whose first movement, with its spacious introduction and exposition repeat, is a remarkably broad structure. The use of stopped horns is most unusual for a symphony written in the late 1870s.
- Stanford’s tuneful late romantic Clarinet Concerto has become the most frequently heard and recorded of the composer’s orchestral works.
- David Lloyd-Jones proves an undisruptive, clear-headed guide, while the playing of the Bournemouth SO has an extra finish, buoyancy and lustre that tip the scales in his favour.” Gramophone on Naxos 8.570289
- A highly accomplished, indeed commanding performance of Finzi's gorgeous Clarinet Concerto....another remarkable British music bargain from Naxos” Gramophone on 8.553566
|
|
|
|
- Michael Tippett, who was ‘invincibly drawn to the quartet medium’ when he heard performances by the Busch and Léner Quartets during his student years in London, wrote five string quartets spanning his entire compositional life.
- On this first disc of the complete Quartets, the tuneful String Quartet No. 1 is followed by the String Quartet No. 2, notable for its abundant lyricism and lithe, dancing rhythms.
- In sharp contrast to both these works stands the more dissonant String Quartet No. 4, an unbroken sequence of numbered movements, which reflect the String Quartet Op. 131 of Tippett’s compositional hero, Beethoven.
- The Tippett Quartet is one of Britain’s most exciting young string quartets, founded in 1998. They are committed to combining mainstream repertoire with contemporary works and have been described as “bold and innovative”by The Times.
- “The Tippett Quartet plays with a seasoned cohesion and rapport, but also with the tang of youthful spirit….The Tippett’s response embraced an arresting spectrum of colouring between extremes of astringency and refined delicacy. Huge enjoyable and provocative, the concert identified a quartet of such exciting ideas and vital interpretative insight that it promises to make a significant contribution to the realms of chamber music.” The Daily Telegraph
|
|
- “How about composing a new Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra?” suggested Ian Maclay, the General Manager of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I’ve always loved composing for full symphony orchestra, so this was a challenge that simply had to be met! I conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the first live performance at London’s Cadogan Hall with Hayley Westenra adding her special touch to the song and Stephen Fry narrating in his own inimitable fashion. The result of that live performance is this CD. It was a truly memorable and exciting experience, and I hope you enjoy listening to Different Voices as much as I enjoyed composing the piece.’ – Debbie Wiseman
- “Westenra has an absolutely stunning voice, the sort that really can send goosebumps up and down your spine….Westenra has a truly special voice - one that could be listened to all day in fact.” Music OMH
- “Both thoroughly enjoyable stories are read beautifully and precisely by [Redgrave and Fry], but the enthralling part is the expressive and passionate music composed by Debbie Wiseman…. These two wonderful, swirling compositions are full of wonderful phrases and passages that take over from the narrative for extended periods and are never far from centre stage.” Music from the Movies on Oscar Wilde: Fairy Tales
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
