Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks & Sir Colin Davis – Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 59:00 minutes | 549 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © BR-Klassik
The BR-KLASSIK label is now taking the 75th anniversary of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) in 2024 as an opportunity to make previously unreleased recordings of concerts that are worth listening to available on CD and as a stream for the first time. Hector Berlioz’s passionate “Symphonie fantastique”, the almost revolutionary symphonic masterpiece by the great French composer, was performed by Colin Davis with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra at Munich’s Philharmonie im Gasteig on January 15 and 16, 1987. In his “Symphonie fantastique”, subtitled “Episodes from the Life of an Artist”, Berlioz combines the structures of the musical symphony with the form of a five-part classical drama. With the help of a leitmotif (an “idée fixe”), he tells the listener about the beloved woman of his dreams. The “Symphonie fantastique” thus paved the way for the symphonic poems of the Romantic period as well as the leitmotif method in Wagner’s music dramas. “I am still unknown,” wrote Berlioz in June 1829 at the age of 25 – but he was certain that he could achieve resounding success with the idea of a major instrumental work. With his “Symphonie fantastique”, he created a new kind of programme music. Berlioz was inspired by the works of Goethe and by Beethoven’s symphonic music – and also the fascination he felt for the Irish actress Harriet Smithson, whom he saw play Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the Odéon Theatre in Paris on September 11, 1827. The “Idée fixe”, the main theme, refers to the artist going through his life story in various inner states of mind. The starting point of the first movement is an unhappy love affair. The music presses ahead passionately and captivatingly towards its finale.
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Riccardo Pisani & La smisuranza – Harpa Romana. Arias & Cantatas by the 17th-Century Virtuosos (2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:07:33 minutes | 1,15 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Arcana
“What I have that is most precious I will preserve in my own name”. This is most likely the belief that guided a series of harpists – ranging from Leonardo Mollica, the most renowned virtuoso of the late Renaissance, to Orazio Michi, Marco Marazzoli and Giovan Carlo Rossi (brother of the better-known Luigi) – to change their names to Leonardo, Orazio, Marco, and Carlo “dall’Arpa” respectively. Although none of the above were actually born in Rome, this was the place where their careers played out. Restoring an identity to these musicians is the express aim of this recording project. And the resulting portraits of these virtuosos of the “queen of instruments” are the outcome of lengthy research, study, transcription and arrangement carried out by Riccardo Pisani and Chiara Granata.
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Nationaltheater-Orchester Mannheim & Alexander Soddy – Edward Elgar – Symphony No. 1 & Cockaigne Overture (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:02:51 minutes | 1,12 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Oehms Classics
Edward Elgar’s Cockaigne Overture portrays London at the turn of the 20th century as a pulsating world metropolis. Cheerful and colourful, it takes the listener on a stroll through the hustle and bustle of the city. Premiered in Manchester in 1908, Elgar’s Symphony No. 1 quickly found its way into the concert repertoire. His second and final symphony followed three years later. This is the second album from Alexander Soddy and the Mannheim National Theatre Orchestra, produced in cooperation with the Musikalische Akademie Mannheim.
Read moreKreutzer Quartet – Edward Cowie: The Kreutzer Effect (2024) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]
Kreutzer Quartet – Edward Cowie: The Kreutzer Effect (2024)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/192 kHz | Time – 01:23:25 minutes | 2,77 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Métier
Considered one of the most influential composers inspired by the natural world, Edward Cowie’s collaboration with the exceptional Kreutzer String Quartet spans nearly a decade. This partnership has resulted in the recording of Cowie’s first six quartets, as well as remarkable solo and duo works showcasing the quartet’s unparalleled skill. Now, Cowie presents his seventh string quartet, “Western Australia,” specially crafted for the Kreutzer Quartet, accompanied by four solo portrait pieces dedicated to each member. From the ethereal heights of Clifton Harrison’s viola to the intricate melodies inspired by the habits of owls for Neil Heyde’s cello, Cowie’s compositions reflect a profound reverence for both the human animal and the natural world.
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