COMPOSERS: Borodin/Rimsky-Korsakov
LABELS: DG Masters
WORKS: Symphony No. 2; Notturno, (orch. Tcherepnin); Symphony No. 2 (Antar)
PERFORMER: Gothenburg SO/Neeme Järvi
CATALOGUE NO: 445 568-2 DDD
An almost ideal coupling of two of the finest orchestral works of the 19th-century Russian nationalist school. The Borodin is particularly compelling in the outer movements, with Järvi securing powerfully rugged playing from the Gothenburg orchestra. Iless convinced by the Scherzo which sounds a trifle sedate for a Prestissimo. Yet the clarity and delicacy of execution here are never in doubt and, in the ensuing Andante, Järvi is not ashamed of wearing his heart on his sleeve. Predictably, the performance of Antar, given in the 1897 version, is colourful and impulsive, making the very most of gorgeous orchestral sonorities, as well as forcibly reminding us of the work’s seminal influence upon the musical language of the young Debussy. Erik Levi
Borodin/Rimsky-Korsakov
An almost ideal coupling of two of the finest orchestral works of the 19th-century Russian nationalist school. The Borodin is particularly compelling in the outer movements, with Järvi securing powerfully rugged playing from the Gothenburg orchestra. Iless convinced by the Scherzo which sounds a trifle sedate for a Prestissimo. Yet the clarity and delicacy of execution here are never in doubt and, in the ensuing Andante, Järvi is not ashamed of wearing his heart on his sleeve.
Our rating
5
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:08 pm
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