George Szell, The Cleveland Orchestra Mozart* – Symphonies Nos. 39 & 40 Exsultate, Jubilate

This C Major Entertainment release of Gustav Mahler's Ninth Symphony and the Adagio from the unfinished 10th Symphony concludes the issuance of the complete, acclaimed Mahler cycle with Paavo Järvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, which since the 1980s and the release of Eliahu Inbal's FRSO Mahler cycle has come to be known as a "powerful Mahler orchestra" (Frankfurter Rundschau). As on previous releases, conductor Paavo Järvi's learned and probing introductions to the symphonies heard on the accompanying release are a worthy and self-recommending bonus feature. "Paavo Järvi interprets the 9th symphony with self-assurance and stylistic certainty, as one expects from only the great Mahler conductors." (Frankfurter Neue Presse on the 9th) "Järvi's understanding of the slow movement of the 10th Symphony brought a unique clarity. (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)

Johannes Brahms - Symphonies Nos. 3 & 4
Scottish Chamber Orchestra - Sir Charles Mackerras
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 288 MB | Full Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Telarc # CD-80465 | Country/Year: Europe 1997
Genre: Classical | Style: Romantic

This disc was nominated for the 1998 Grammy Awards for "Best Classical Album," "Best Engineered Album, Classical," and "Best Orchestral Performance."
This is not your father's Brahms, though it may be your great-grandfather's. The concept behind this cycle-with-a-difference is to emulate the kind of orchestra Brahms liked to use, specifically the Meiningen Court Orchestra, with which he worked extensively after 1880 and entrusted with several important premieres…

Bruckner‘s Seventh – The master‘s homage to Richard Wagner With the mighty build-ups and monumental fortissimi of Bruckner’s Seventh, Welser-Möst and his Clevelanders have their work cut out for them. And they do not disappoint. The most popular, and perhaps most easily accessible, of Bruckner‘s symphonies, the Seventh casts its spell on the audience with its clear-cut architecture and the wealth and fullness of its melodies. From the sweeping opening theme of the first movement to the victorious chords of the finale, the Cleveland Orchestra and its conductor deliver a magisterial reading of Bruckner‘s masterpiece. Cleveland‘s Severance Hall is the venue for this performance. This hall, an eclectic yet elegant mix of Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Classicism, Egyptian Revival and Modernism was inaugurated in 1931 and is still hailed today as one of the world‘s most beautiful concert halls. The Cleveland Orchestra, founded in 1918, began its ascent to the upper ranks of the world‘s ensembles after it moved to Severance Hall in 1931.

The newest addition to Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra's award-winning survey of Shostakovich's orchestral works takes on symphonies from the opposite ends of the composer's life. Shostakovich's first symphony, composed when he was only 19, announced his presence to the world, while his 15th seemingly grapples with his impending mortality. The Symphony No. 1 in F minor, Op. 10, was written as a graduation piece for his composition class at the Leningrad Conservatory. The composer's youth and the influences of Stravinsky and Prokofiev are evident in the work, but there are plenty of allusions to his later style. Slightly on the slower side overall, the emotion and forward motion of the music is not lost. The Symphony No. 15 in A major, Op. 141, written a few years before the composer's death, though not programmatic, seems to present a look at the cycle of life.

This Blu Ray C Major Entertainment release of Gustav Mahler's Fifth and Sixth Symphonies continues the issuance of the complete, acclaimed Mahler cycle with Paavo Järvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, which since the 1980s and the release of Eliahu Inbal's FRSO Mahler cycle has come to be known as a "powerful Mahler orchestra" (Frankfurter Rundschau). As on previous releases, conductor Paavo Järvi's learned and probing introductions to the symphonies heard on the accompanying release are a worthy and self-recommending bonus feature.

This Blu-ray C Major Entertainment release of Gustav Mahler's Seventh and Eighth Symphonies continues the issuance of the complete, acclaimed Mahler cycle with Paavo Järvi and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, which since the 1980s and the release of Eliahu Inbal's FRSO Mahler cycle has come to be known as a "powerful Mahler orchestra" (Frankfurter Rundschau). As on previous releases, conductor Paavo Järvi's learned and probing introductions to the symphonies heard on the accompanying release are a worthy and self-recommending bonus feature. "The Estonian chief conductor is completing the Mahler Cycle at the highest level." FAZ (Sym No. 7) " The selection of soloists is cause for celebration." Frankfurter Rundschau (Sym No. 8)