Enescu

George Enescu (1881-1955) was known primarily as one of the great virtuoso violinists of his day, although he was also a celebrated conductor and influential teacher of his instrument – Yehudi Menuhin, Arthur Grumiaux, Ivri Gitlis, and Christian Ferras were just a few of the great violin soloists of the latter half of the 20th century who passed through his classes in Paris. Apart from the First Romanian Rhapsody, it is only recently that Enescu, the composer of a small but substantial catalogue of works, has come to the fore and this set, comprising his three completed symphonies and his best-known Violin Sonata, should further enhance his reputation.

DG present a new recording of fascinating repertoire completely new to the Universal Music catalogue: Symphonies No. 1–3 by George Enescu, plus his most well-known works, the Romanian Rhapsodies. GRAMMY® Award winning conductor Cristian Măcelaru, Artistic Director of the George Enescu Festival, and his Orchestre National de France are the perfect ambassadors for the symphonic works by Enescu (1881–1955). Enescu, composer and violin virtuoso was teacher of Yehudi Menuhin, lived in Romania, the US and France. Inspired by the musical heritage of his home country he created a completely unique oeuvre. Pablo Casals called him „The most amazing musician since Mozart“. And while the Romanian Rhapsodies (especially No.1) included here are much loved, the three symphonies are yet to be discovered as truly centre pieces of the symphonic repertoire.

George Enescu was an extraordinarily gifted and well-rounded musician: a virtuoso violinist, a world-class conductor, an outstanding pianist, cellist, and organist – even a fine baritone. He was hugely admired by many great musicians of his time, including the cellist and conductor Pablo Casals who described him as ‘the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart’.

The premiere of Enescu's Poème roumain, Op. 1, was the first of many triumphs for the 16-year-old composer, who had been studying in Paris with Massenet and Fauré since 1890. Edouard Colonne conducted the first performance at Théâtre du Chatelet, and the work's Romantic evocation of the Romanian national character caught the imagination of the sophisticated Parisian audience to the extent that Enescu would thereafter always be well received in that hard-to-please city…..

For this their fourth album of music for string orchestra, John Wilson and Sinfonia of London present a programme of works by three composers from the Franco-Belgian school of string pedagogy, who were all themselves virtuosic string players. George Enescu studied in Paris and Vienna, spent much of his life in France, and was internationally lauded as a concert violinist and conductor in both Europe and America.