{"id":19713,"date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-03T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/?post_type=purple_issue&#038;p=19713"},"modified":"2022-10-06T11:45:17","modified_gmt":"2022-10-06T09:45:17","slug":"orchestral-reviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/2022\/10\/04\/orchestral-reviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Orchestral  reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2>Orchestral  <\/h2>\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-uagb-section uagb-section__wrap uagb-section__background-color uagb-block-b9b6603e-a531-4559-abc7-a0dc2681d70b\"><div class=\"uagb-section__overlay\"><\/div><div class=\"uagb-section__inner-wrap\">\n<h4 class=\"article-full-subhead has-ccp-primary-dark-background-color has-text-color has-background\" style=\"color:#ffffff\">ORCHESTRAL CHOICE<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h3>This one-of-a-kind Fourth is a triumph<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:22px\"><span>Simon Rattle\u2019s direct approach to Bruckner reaps rewards, <\/span><span>says <\/span><em><strong>Michael Tanner<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"no-tts wp-block-image alignwide size-large article-in-image photo\"><img src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/GettyImages1233798695_cmyk-1024x630.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-20158\"\/><figcaption><strong>Rethinks aplenty:<\/strong> Simon Rattle delves into Bruckner\u2019s many revisions <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" class=\"wp-image-20156\" style=\"width: 200px;\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/LSO0875_Bruckner_cmyk.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/LSO0875_Bruckner_cmyk.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/LSO0875_Bruckner_cmyk-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/LSO0875_Bruckner_cmyk-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/LSO0875_Bruckner_cmyk-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/LSO0875_Bruckner_cmyk-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/LSO0875_Bruckner_cmyk-1536x1536.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Bruckner <\/span><\/strong><br><strong>Symphony No. 4 (1878-81) \u2013 plus alternative Allegro moderato (1878); Andante quasi Allegretto (1878); Scherzo (1874, rev 1876); Finale (1881 unabridged) <br><\/strong>London Symphony Orchestra\/ Simon Rattle <br><em>LSO Live LSO 0875 126:37 mins (2 discs) <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">Bruckner has now become so popular that it is possible for the London Symphony Orchestra to publish two accounts of his Fourth Symphony, which can only be bought as a pair, with the consequent increase in price. I must say straightaway that the first disc\u2019s worth of music contains the finest account of the Fourth Symphony I have ever heard, thanks to the extreme simplicity of the approach. With Bruckner it is tempting, with his endless rallentandos and portentous moving towards even sub-climaxes, to accelerate or slam on the brakes. Rattle has none of that (unusual for him), but presents this symphony in a way that eliminates its dangerpoints. The result is a triumph. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large\"><p><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">The finest account of the Fourth Symphony I\u2019ve ever heard <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">And now the rub: everyone knows that Bruckner couldn\u2019t stop tinkering with his works, and with none more than the Fourth. The result is that there are several alternative movements, and parts of movements, with no clear indications of which to play. Rattle grasps the nettle, producing on the first disc a plausible coherent whole \u2013 though you won\u2019t find a score to match it \u2013 and on disc two an assortment of four movements from different stages of the work\u2019s evolution. So while the second disc is fascinating and played with just as much conviction as the first, it does not provide a musical so much as a musicological experience. None of the movements is without interest, even if there are clear failures of inspiration. So in all, particularly for the first disc, this is an imperative purchase for the Brucknerian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE <\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>RECORDING <\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<div class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><figure class=\"no-tts alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/b71b067b-3b1e-4ea2-8315-b10fbea82a1d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19702\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/b71b067b-3b1e-4ea2-8315-b10fbea82a1d.jpg 227w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/b71b067b-3b1e-4ea2-8315-b10fbea82a1d-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Beethoven <\/span><\/strong><br><strong>Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 3, \u2018Eroica\u2019 National <\/strong><br>Symphony Orchestra\/Gianandrea Noseda <br><em>NSO NSO 0008 (digital only) 72:51 mins <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>This is the first instalment of what will eventually be a complete set of Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies; each work is to be presented with a visual counterpart, a likeably colourful abstract artwork by Mo Willems (Artist-in-Residence at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, where the <span>National Symphony Orchestra performs). On this evidence it\u2019s too early to say whether the complete set will be indispensable listening for Beethovenians. Equally, it seems unlikely to disappoint.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">While the orchestra\u2019s beautifully rounded collective sound is a world away from today\u2019s period-style hegemony, it has such quality in its own right that nothing sounds anachronistic. And Gianandrea Noseda secures from the players an insistently singing sense of line that has this instrumentally-minded composer sounding like one of his more vocally inspired colleagues (for instance Schubert), while in no way short-changing the music\u2019s rhythmic firepower. Tempos are brisk in a way that on the whole convinces: Noseda\u2019s choice for the <span>\u2018Eroica\u2019 Symphony\u2019s <\/span><em>Allegro <\/em><em>con <\/em><em>brio <\/em><span>first movement feels satisfyingly right, as does the second movement\u2019s \u2018Marcia funebre: <\/span><em>Adagio <\/em><em>assai\u2019, <\/em><span>which comes across as it should \u2013 aslow march, not a comatose dirge. Noseda includes all the repeat sections indicated by Beethoven; the first movement of the \u2018Eroica\u2019 sounds all the more impressively spacious as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">The downside is an occasional reliance on too much surface class. To deliver the First Symphony\u2019s finale with such accuracy at this kind of headlong pace is a genuine feat, but the result sounds slick and self-regarding. <em>Malcolm Hayes <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE <\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>RECORDING <\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n<div class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><figure class=\"no-tts alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/043588bb-59cf-4136-8f0b-8c63febc3492.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19703\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/043588bb-59cf-4136-8f0b-8c63febc3492.jpg 227w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/043588bb-59cf-4136-8f0b-8c63febc3492-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Beethoven \u2022 Cherubini \u2022 M\u00e9hul <\/span><\/strong><br><strong>Beethoven:<\/strong> Symphonies Nos 4 &amp; 8; <strong>Cherubini: <\/strong>Lodo\u00efska Overture; <strong>M\u00e9hul: <\/strong>Symphony No. 1 <br>Akademie f\u00fcr Alte Musik Berlin\/ Bernhard Forck <br><em>Harmonia Mundi HMM902448.49 88:34 mins (2 discs) <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">The idea behind this programme is to interleave two symphonies by Beethoven with two other works by Paris-based composers, each work widely supposed to have been influenced by him, but in fact was not. Cherubini\u2019s overture to his opera <em>Lodo\u00efska <\/em>is a quite powerful <span>re-Romantic creation written in 1791 \u2013 the year that the young Beethoven settled in Vienna, having not yet found his true creative voice. The finale of \u00c9tienne M\u00e9hul\u2019s Symphony No. 1 in G minor opens with a phrase seemingly alluding to a similar one in the first movement of Beethoven\u2019s Fifth; yet both works were premiered at almost the same time in the composers\u2019 respective cities, so neither can have influenced the other. M\u00e9hul\u2019s intermittently attractive symphony in fact sounds like a more prolix response to Haydn\u2019s minor-key manner rather than relating to Beethoven, but there is a genuine turbulence to its opening and closing movements that impresses. All four works are given lithe and energetic accounts, excellently precise even at the generally speedy choice of tempos, and amount to a high-quality shop window for the current state of period-instrument performance. There are moments where an eyebrow can be raised, as in the main theme of the <\/span><em>Adagio <\/em><span>slow movement of Beethoven\u2019s Fourth: whether or not portamento would have been deployed in the composer\u2019s day, its use here feels contrived. And in an otherwise likeable performance of the Eighth, the first movement is whizzed through in a way that\u2019s close to perfunctory. <\/span><em>Malcolm Hayes<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE \u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><span style=\"\"><strong>RECORDING<\/strong> <span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n<div class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><figure class=\"no-tts alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/1110807a-81a0-4692-8c51-2bb9f0e136da.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19704\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/1110807a-81a0-4692-8c51-2bb9f0e136da.jpg 227w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/1110807a-81a0-4692-8c51-2bb9f0e136da-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Dvo\u0159\u00e1k<\/span><\/strong> <br><strong>Symphonies Nos 7-9 <br><\/strong>Los Angeles Philharmonic\/ Gustavo Dudamel <br><em>DG 486 3413 (digital only) 100:43 mins <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>Dvo\u0159\u00e1k\u2019s last three symphonies give perhaps the clearest picture of his astonishing range as a composer, from the powerful concentration of the Seventh, through the free-wheeling experiment of the Eighth, embodying exuberant high spirits as well as deep personal pathos, to the \u2018New World\u2019 inspired by a host of novel experiences and an astute understanding of his American audiences; a triumph at its premiere and an unchallenged orchestral favourite ever since. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">Gustavo Dudamel\u2019s performance of the Seventh\u2019s first movement has marvellous lucidity, and the playing of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, excellently recorded, reflects every nuance of the score. The <em>Poco <\/em><em>Adagio <\/em>is on the fast side, but Dudamel makes the most of the opening melody\u2019s unforced simplicity and moulds a superbly convincing climax. Unfortunately, the <em>Scherzo <\/em>is over insistent rhythmically and the finale seems rushed with little sense of exultation at the end. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">The Eighth is more successful projecting clear engagement with the varied moods of the first two movements and a thrilling reading of the finale. Sadly, notwithstanding lovely playing, the third movement lacks charm. The \u2018New World\u2019, however, is completely successful with a winningly dynamic first movement, and a reading of the famous <em>Largo <\/em>which, without any histrionics, speaks compellingly for itself. The <em>Scherzo <\/em>is both powerful and graceful, and in the finale Dudamel\u2019s occasional stretching of the tempo never subverts its strong sense of narrative: as a whole this is one of the finest performances available. <em>Jan Smaczny <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE <\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>RECORDING <\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n<div class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><figure class=\"no-tts alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/a74a5e6d-f1a4-4936-987c-8984b6597e39.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19705\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/a74a5e6d-f1a4-4936-987c-8984b6597e39.jpg 227w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/a74a5e6d-f1a4-4936-987c-8984b6597e39-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Mahler<\/span><\/strong> <br><strong>Symphony No. 4 <br><\/strong>Sabine Devieilhe (soprano); Les Si\u00e8cles, Fran\u00e7ois-Xavier Roth <br><em>Harmonia Mundi HMM 905357 54:05 mins <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>What is remarkable about hearing Mahler\u2019s most classically-orientated symphony performed on instruments of the period when it was written is that the music\u2019s strongly Expressionist subtext comes across so vividly. Not that Fran\u00e7ois-Xavier Roth and Les Si\u00e8cles are short on melodic warmth where it\u2019s needed, but Roth\u2019s meticulous attention to detail, particularly when it comes to Mahler\u2019s intricate dynamic markings with their sudden crescendos, brings out an element of unease that lies not so far beneath the surface of the apparently simple, and even at times simplistic, writing. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">Particularly unsettling is the scherzo-like second movement, with its insistently repeated out-of-tune solo fiddle effect \u2013 asort of deconstruction of Western culture, as Roth calls the piece in his booklet interview. All this is put to rest in the symphony\u2019s finale \u2013 a child\u2019s view of heavenly delights as described in a poem from the folk collection called <em>Des Knaben Wunderhorn. <\/em>Sabine Devieilhe doesn\u2019t perhaps quite have that elusive quality of breathless innocence and wonder that Mahler\u2019s setting calls for, but it\u2019s hard to fault her singing. Altogether, this very well recorded disc is fascinating in the way it sheds new light on a familiar masterpiece. <em>Misha Donat <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE <\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>RECORDING <\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n<div class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><figure class=\"no-tts alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/b2fb07b2-272f-48be-923d-6e4116bee548.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19706\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/b2fb07b2-272f-48be-923d-6e4116bee548.jpg 227w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/b2fb07b2-272f-48be-923d-6e4116bee548-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Steve Reich <\/span><\/strong><br><strong>Runner; Music for Ensemble and Orchestra <br><\/strong>Los Angeles Philharmonic\/ Susanna M\u00e4lkki <br><em>Nonesuch 7559791018 36:39 mins <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>The fluttering opening to <em>Runner, <\/em>Steve Reich\u2019s 2016 piece for 19-strong ensemble of winds, percussion, pianos and strings, recalls the first section of 1988\u2019s <em>Different Trains, <\/em>except that, rather than evocative rumbles and whistles, the music expands into a series of melodic echoes. Flute and violin phrases are layered in a round-like fashion atop a buzzing piano bassline. Separate notes become easier to identify in the subsequent movements as the focus moves from semi-quavers to quavers and crotchets \u2013 then following the same path in reverse. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">The bell pattern is inspired by Ghanaian music and is frequently explored by Reich, who explains his fascination with the ABCBA structure in his 2022 book <em>Conversations. <\/em>Conductor Susanna M\u00e4lkki adheres to a constant tempo throughout, allowing the changing rhythmic motifs to drive the music. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">The similarly propulsive <em>Music for Ensemble and Orchestra <\/em>(2018) is a natural partner to <em>Runner <\/em>\u2013 Reich even refers to it as <em>Runner 2 <\/em>in <em>Conversations <\/em>\u2013 and also follows the ABCBA format, similarly beginning with semi-quavers. The use of double vibraphones and double piano gives the music a distinctive Reichian quality; hearing the cell-division unfold across a broad range of timbres is reminiscent of the sound first heard in <em>Music for 18 Musicians. Claire Jackson <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE <\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>RECORDING <\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"no-tts wp-block-image alignwide size-large article-in-image photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/WDCH_credit_courtesyLAPhil_cmyk-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-20161\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/WDCH_credit_courtesyLAPhil_cmyk-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/WDCH_credit_courtesyLAPhil_cmyk-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/WDCH_credit_courtesyLAPhil_cmyk-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/WDCH_credit_courtesyLAPhil_cmyk-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/WDCH_credit_courtesyLAPhil_cmyk.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><strong>All the Reich moves:<\/strong> Susanna M\u00e4lkki and the LA Phil have drive <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n<div class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><figure class=\"no-tts alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/156f9644-c942-4944-8869-fab0f3ce1435.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19708\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/156f9644-c942-4944-8869-fab0f3ce1435.jpg 227w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/156f9644-c942-4944-8869-fab0f3ce1435-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Sibelius<\/span> <br>Symphonies Nos 5-7 <\/strong><br>Royal Philharmonic Orchestra\/ Owain Arwel Hughes <br><em>Rubicon RCD 1073 83:11 mins <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>This third and final disc in Owain Arwel Hughes\u2019s survey of all Sibelius\u2019s numbered symphonies with the RPO opens with an impressive account of the Fifth \u2013 lacking only perhaps a little in visceral excitement. With <span>his preference for steady tempos, Hughes paces the ongoing structure of the opening movement with a sure grasp, and a fine grading of the speed-up in its second half \u2013 even if he never quite reaches the dizzy momentum some versions attain in its final bars. He also finds weight and passion in the middle movement which many conductors tend to treat as a lighter intermezzo, and due majesty in the peroration of the finale. The RPO responds warmly in a St John\u2019s Smith Square recording that nicely balances clarity and resonance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">For some reason \u2013 different orchestral seating; different placing of microphones? \u2013 the recording of the Sixth sounds more recessed and reverberant, with a fuzzing of detail in more complex textures. But Hughes also plods a bit in the opening movement, almost grinding to a halt in its coda. And, while he understands the strange, transition-like second movement better than many conductors, his accounts of the scherzo and finale are average. Something of the work\u2019s radiant remoteness escapes him. Yet, against expectation, he gets a move-on in the opening pages of the Seventh \u2013 only to lapse into a rather humdrum scherzo after the work\u2019s central climax. Again, the recorded sound is different: full, immediate but a bit clotted \u2013 though it must be conceded that Sibelius\u2019s dense scoring here poses quite a few balance problems of its own. <em>Bayan Northcott <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE \u2605\u2605\u2605<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><span style=\"\"><strong>RECORDING<\/strong> \u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span><\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n<div class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><figure class=\"no-tts alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/f7207b96-f503-4ab6-ac3c-72bc37f97b68.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19709\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/f7207b96-f503-4ab6-ac3c-72bc37f97b68.jpg 227w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/f7207b96-f503-4ab6-ac3c-72bc37f97b68-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Bent S\u00f8rensen <\/span><br>Second Symphony; Triple Concerto \u2018The Island in the City\u2019 Trio con Brio Copenhagen; <\/strong><br>Danish National Symphony Orchestra\/ Jukka-Pekka Saraste <br><em>Dacapo 8.226086 58:21 mins <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>Both works on this enticing release close with movements in which lamenting farewell is central. Yet neither are overtly or exclusively sorrowful, each arising from an ever-changing tapestry in which memory is constantly present. It\u2019s a trait characteristic of Bent S\u00f8rensen (b1958), acclaimed for his ability to create exciting structures by rendering intangibles beautifully into sound \u2013 without compromising their intangibility, and at the <span>same time interweaving echoes of composers past.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">Unsurprisingly, it\u2019s Beethoven who most directly haunts S\u00f8rensen\u2019s 2018 Grawemeyer Award-winning triple concerto, <em>L\u2019Isola <\/em><em>della <\/em><em>Citt\u00e0 <\/em>(\u2018The Island in the City\u2019, 2014-15). Superbly performed by Trio con Brio Copenhagen and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra under Jukka-Pekka Saraste, the piece was inspired by S\u00f8rensen\u2019s experience of apartness, standing on his balcony above a nocturnal city. Through five, through-composed movements, the solo violin, cello and piano coalesce into a single entity or island, surrounded by an orchestra that\u2019s equally vivid and subject to sudden shifts in mood, texture and colour. A Beethovenian fugue and scherzo bring clarity and disjointed drive respectively, yet the trio\u2019s parting \u2018escape\u2019 from the mass is ultimately peaceful. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">The farewell of the enigmatically titled Second Symphony (2016- 19) is more poignantly personal: S\u00f8rensen\u2019s mother died during its composition and he quotes from his fourth string quartet <em>Schreie und Melancholie <\/em>and a medieval psalm in its final, fourth movement. Combining stillness, melodic tenderness and bright, flaring passion, the work\u2019s material is generated in the first movement alongside its opening \u2018scream\u2019, which echoes suggestively throughout. <em>Steph Power <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE <\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>RECORDING <\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"no-tts wp-block-image alignwide size-large article-in-image photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/TrioConBrio2020_NikolajLund_cmyk-1024x726.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-20163\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/TrioConBrio2020_NikolajLund_cmyk-1024x726.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/TrioConBrio2020_NikolajLund_cmyk-300x213.jpg 300w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/TrioConBrio2020_NikolajLund_cmyk-768x544.jpg 768w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/TrioConBrio2020_NikolajLund_cmyk-1536x1088.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/TrioConBrio2020_NikolajLund_cmyk.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><strong>Great Danes: <\/strong>Trio con Brio Copenhagen are superb in Bent S\u00f8rensen <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n<div class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><figure class=\"no-tts alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/f1099dfd-f30e-487e-a020-b0cbb7c6db25.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19711\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/f1099dfd-f30e-487e-a020-b0cbb7c6db25.jpg 227w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/f1099dfd-f30e-487e-a020-b0cbb7c6db25-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Vaughan Williams <br><\/span>Symphonies Nos 6 &amp; 8; England, my England* etc <\/strong><br>*Roderick Williams (baritone); BBC Symphony Chorus; BBC Symphony Orchestra\/Martyn Brabbins <br><em>Hyperion CDA68396 72:38 mins <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>Wonderful as it is to hear the Eighth treated with the respect it deserves, the main focus has to be on Symphony No. 6. Even against formidable competition, Martyn Brabbins impresses handsomely. Nothing is forced \u2013 the fury and the anguish, the grandeur and the desolation seem almost to speak for themselves. What\u2019s surprising on first hearing is how the Symphony\u2019s epic sweep is balanced with such focused clarity. Details catch the ear that tend to get lost in the general mel\u00e9e, while the rhythmic articulation is sharp and muscular. Of course the superb recording helps, but the microphone can\u2019t bring out things that aren\u2019t already there. It\u2019s all beautifully judged, right through to the near-ideal tempo (not hurried but always mobile) for that ghostly, awestruck finale. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">The Eighth is a gentler, more personable affair, but the quality of the invention is high, and again felicities of inner detail stand out without spoiling the lyrical flow. The ingeniously structured first movement makes the greatest effect, but there\u2019s much more than colourful fun and games to the winds-only <em>Scherzo, <\/em>and the strings\u2019s \u2018Cavatina\u2019, and even to the carnivalesque pitched-percussion-heavy \u2018Toccata\u2019. The fillers are slight, but <em>England, my England <\/em>is a reminder that, even when called on to provide a wartime morale booster, Vaughan Williams just didn\u2019t do crude jingoism. It isn\u2019t great music, but it is oddly touching, even if \u2013 or, perhaps, because \u2013 it\u2019s so very much of its time. <em>Stephen Johnson <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE <\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>RECORDING <\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605 <\/span><\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n<div class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><figure class=\"no-tts alignleft is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/231f0a4b-51d2-40b5-a2d3-4d367d0e4396.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19712\" width=\"170\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/231f0a4b-51d2-40b5-a2d3-4d367d0e4396.jpg 227w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/231f0a4b-51d2-40b5-a2d3-4d367d0e4396-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<p><strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-ccp-primary-dark-color\">Mozart <\/span><\/strong><br><strong>Gr\u00e9try 1773 <\/strong><br><strong>Gr\u00e9try: <\/strong>C\u00e9phale et Procris \u2013 suite; <strong>Mozart:<\/strong> Symphony No. 25; Thamos, K\u00f6nig in \u00c4gypten \u2013 suite <br>Orkester Nord\/Martin Wahlberg <br><em>Apart\u00e9 AP293 65:09 mins <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p><em>Allegro con brio <\/em>is what Mozart asks for in the first movement of the Symphony, and that\u2019s what you get, with the music speeding off the blocks like Usain Bolt. This has undoubted physical excitement, but detail in the upper strings is untidy and often obscured by the sheer weight and aggression of the brass. Tempo isn\u2019t so much of an issue in the <em>Andante, <\/em>but the twiddly interventions of the piano are a distraction from the flow of the melody, as they are in the Minuet, where the trio is unnecessarily at half-speed. The finale is also fast, but more disciplined, better balanced and accords with W\u00e5hlberg\u2019s desire to \u2018capture the vitality and emotion of this music.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">The dramatic style of playing is more suited to the incidental music to <em>Thamos, <\/em>and there\u2019s some well-ornamented if sometimes precarious wind playing in the <em>Andante. <\/em>Coupled with the theatrical flair in the other movements, this shows orchestra and conductor at their best: the sudden surges in horns and timpani, a distraction in the symphony, are apt and thrilling here. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">We know that Mozart studied scores by Gr\u00e9try in Paris, and the same feeling for the stage runs through the suite from <em>C\u00e9phale et Procris. <\/em>The melodic invention may not match Mozart\u2019s, but there\u2019s a variety of character: and the dances have elegance or, in the \u2018Danse infernale\u2019, a real sense of malice. <em>Martin Cotton <\/em><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>PERFORMANCE <\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\"><strong>RECORDING <\/strong>\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n<p><strong>You can access thousands of reviews from our extensive archive on the BBC Music Magazine website at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/\">www.classical-music.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"footer\">GETTY, NIKOLAJ LUND<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Orchestral Beethoven Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 3, \u2018Eroica\u2019 National Symphony Orchestra\/Gianandrea Noseda NSO NSO 0008 (digital only) 72:51 mins This is the first instalment of what will eventually be a complete set of Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies; each work is to be presented with a visual counterpart, a likeably colourful abstract artwork by Mo Willems (Artist-in-Residence [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":20158,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"86","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"86","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_86-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_86-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"November-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"November-2022","purple_external_id":"November-2022-86-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"November-2022-86-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000086188||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000086188||","purple_android_product":"com.im.bbcmusic.380","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.bbcmusic.380","purple_ios_product":"com.im.bbcmusic.380","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.bbcmusic.380","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"5b9287a1-9911-4f59-a9d7-30a805560f3d","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-10-06T09:45:26Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"8ef29dd1-e10f-41af-924c-94f8a63e7215","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-10-06T09:45:26Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AjvKd0eEPQa-STJT4pj5yFQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[19],"tags":[13],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/GettyImages1233798695_cmyk-e1664534558204.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"14","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/GettyImages1233798695_cmyk-e1664534558204.jpg",1310,880,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/GettyImages1233798695_cmyk-e1664534558204-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/GettyImages1233798695_cmyk-e1664534558204-300x202.jpg",300,202,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/GettyImages1233798695_cmyk-e1664534558204-768x516.jpg",768,516,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/GettyImages1233798695_cmyk-e1664534558204-1024x688.jpg",800,538,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/GettyImages1233798695_cmyk-1536x945.jpg",1536,945,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2022\/09\/GettyImages1233798695_cmyk-e1664534558204.jpg",1310,880,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Orchestral Beethoven Symphony No. 1; Symphony No. 3, \u2018Eroica\u2019 National Symphony Orchestra\/Gianandrea Noseda NSO NSO 0008 (digital only) 72:51 mins This is the first instalment of what will eventually be a complete set of Beethoven\u2019s Symphonies; each work is to be presented with a visual counterpart, a likeably colourful abstract artwork by Mo Willems (Artist-in-Residence&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19713"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19713"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21129,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19713\/revisions\/21129"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}