Brainwave Symphony CD 4

Listeners should not come to these symphonies expecting works worthy of Brahms, Mendelssohn and Schumann. They lack the melodic inspiration of these composers and the ingenuity of development and form of Schumann and Brahms. Having noted this, they are still fine symphonies, worth an occasional listen. The orchestration is very similar in places to Brahms, so that if you're not listening very closely, you might think actually think you're hearing an obscure Brahms orchestral piece, perhaps a discarded movement from the First Serenade.

No doubt, this is one of the pinnacles of Abbado and the LSO recording collaboration; these symphonies are presented with a keener sense of joy, bite and forward momentum, perfectly executed throughout by the orchestra. As supplement, the set brings the Scherzo that Mendelssohn orchestrated to become a new 3rd movement of the Symphony no.1, as well excellent performances of 3 overtures, including the famous Hebrides. Note that this is the first edition of the set; there's a recent one that comes with more overtures, that were originally released in a separate cd.

Solti's interpretations held more than surface excitement. In conducting Beethoven, for example, he long held that the symphonies should be played with all their repeats to maintain their structural integrity, and he carefully rethought his approach to tempo, rhythm, and balance in those works toward the end of his life. Solti began as a pianist, commencing his studies at age six and making his first public appearance at 12. When he was 13 he enrolled at Budapest's Franz Liszt Academy of Music, studying piano mainly with Dohnányi and, for a very short time, Bartók. He also took composition courses with Kodály.

This CD accompanied BBC Music Magazine Vol. 25 No. 9. In our June issue, we enjoy an exclusive interview with Sir Mark Elder as the Hallé’s conductor turns 70 and present a free cover CD of the orchestra performing Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4, ‘The Inextinguishable’.

Franz Schmidt - Symphony No. 4 / Intermezzo from "Notre Dame"
Beethoven Orchester Bonn - Stefan Blunier
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 173 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: MDG "Live" # 937 1631-6 | Country/Year: Germany 2010
Genre: Classical | Style: Late Romantic

…MDG’s 5.1/stereo/2+2+2 recording, apparently the first in a new series of live recordings by these artists, is superb. It is spacious with a wide dynamic range. The sound reaches the listener from a midway position in the Beethovenhalle, Bonn, that in no way limits the impact of the massive tam-tam strokes and cymbals at the climaxes, yet allows the strings to exhibit a pleasing smoothness and bloom. There is no trace to be heard of an audience or applause at the end of a work that demands reflective silence following its conclusion.Those contemplating purchasing a recording of this supremely beautiful masterpiece should definitely add Blunier’s eloquent reading to their shortlist.

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 4 & Symphony No. 7
The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen · Paavo Järvi
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 287 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: RCA Red Seal # 88697129332 | Country/Year: Europe 2007 | Genre: Classical

…Once again, Järvi and his band have captured Beethoven's wilful and often irascible character, rhetoric, polemics and sheer genius in fully-charged performances which also reveal his deep humanity. They certainly should number among the elite.

These London Symphony Orchestra recordings were made at the Barbican in London in 2003 and 2004. The set includes not only the four Brahms symphonies but also the Tragic Overture, Op. 81, the Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 102, and the Serenade No. 2 in A major, Op. 16. It adds up to more than four hours of music, but one can make a strong case for this as the Brahms set to own for those who want just one, especially for those who aren't concerned with audio quality. There is much to sink one's teeth into here – over a lifetime.

Over the past 100 years, there have been recordings of the complete Brahms' symphonies that rank with the greatest recordings of anything ever made. There are wonderful Weingartners, the fabulous Furtwänglers, the monumental Klemperers, the amazing Abbados…the list goes on and on. Of course, over the past 100 years, there have been recordings of Brahms symphonies that rank among the worst recordings of anything ever made. There are the obdurate Davalos, the superficial Karajans, and the uncomprehending Jarvis…again, the list goes on and on.

In Bulgaria, both folk and art music evince an ancient tradition that strikes awe even in some of the great music nations today. The way Pancho Vladigerov incorporated these folk-music themes into his concert pieces shows not only his affinity for them but also suggests that he felt something of a calling to promulgate and champion the folk-traditions of his central European homeland. The most-performed work of Pancho Vladigerov’s is undoubtedly his Bulgarian Rhapsody op.16 “Vardar” from 1922. The most outstanding must be his Seven Symphonic Bulgarian Dances op.23 (1931), with which he might have wanted to create a counterpart to Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, Dvorák’s Slavonic Dances, or Grieg’s Norwegian Dances or similar such popular aural nationalistic postcards.