Richard Hickox Haydn London Vol. 1

30 years after his death, DG commemorates the quintessential “Kapellmeister” with a 42-CD set of Complete Deutsche Grammophon Orchestral Recordings by Eugen Jochum (1902-1987), presented in original jackets.
In addition to the complete symphonic cycles of Bruckner (the first ever complete recorded cycle), Beethoven and Brahms, this set offers the entire Jochum orchestral recordings for DG for the first time. Several recordings appear on CD for the first time, including recordings of Weber, Mozart and Beethoven.

Released on our joint label Verbier Festival Gold, Portraits of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, Vol. 1 is the first of a series of upcoming albums that highlights the extraordinary chemistry between the ensemble and their beloved Music Director, Hungarian chamber music legend Gábor Takács-Nagy. This first album opens and closes with exciting interpretations of Haydn’s final 104th and Schumann’s 3rd “Rhenish” symphonies. It further features a sensational rendition of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with frequent VFCO collaborator and close friend of the festival Martha Argerich. And there is also room for a Scarlatti encore from the iconic pianist.

Released on our joint label Verbier Festival Gold, Portraits of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, Vol. 1 is the first of a series of upcoming albums that highlights the extraordinary chemistry between the ensemble and their beloved Music Director, Hungarian chamber music legend Gábor Takács-Nagy. This first album opens and closes with exciting interpretations of Haydn’s final 104th and Schumann’s 3rd “Rhenish” symphonies. It further features a sensational rendition of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with frequent VFCO collaborator and close friend of the festival Martha Argerich. And there is also room for a Scarlatti encore from the iconic pianist.

A rare example in the modern world of father and son composers of similar distinction, both Lennox and Michael Berkeley have in turn reached a position of prominence and influence in British musical life. They are represented on this disc by works showing their craftsmanship in tailoring works to particular performers and occasions, without compromising their individual language and vision. Lennox Berkeley’s two-piano concerto, written in one of the most fertile periods of his career, is a highly effective showpiece for its soloists, which nevertheless avoids the obvious in terms of form and treatment. Lennox Berkeley wrote his Concerto for Two Pianos in 1948 in response to a commission from …………

This is only the third commercial recording of AMass of Life. The previous two recordings were the 1952 Beecham (no longer available) and the 1971 Groves on EMI. You might imagine modern recording would best place this vast canvas between your loudspeakers. And yes, Hickox's dynamic peaks are marginally higher, his perspectives marginally wider and deeper. Actually, some of this has as much to do with Hickox's own pacing and shading as the engineering.