François-Xavier Roth reviews
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 etc (Les Siècles/Roth)
Beethoven • Gossec: Symphony No. 5, etc
R Schumann - Symphonies Nos 1 and 4
Saint-Saëns - Le Timbre d'argent
Musorgsky • Ravel: La Valse, etc
Bartók: Violin Concertos Nos 1 and 2
Berlioz: Harold in Italy; Les Nuits d’été
Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, etc
Mahler's Symphony No. 5 conducted by François-Xavier Roth
Harmonia Mundi is determined to make capital from the fact that this is the same Cologne institution which gave the premiere of Mahler’s Fifth under the composer 113 years ago. It’s only fair to note that the Gürzenich Orchestra has already produced one of the great Mahler cycles of late under its previous principal conductor Markus Stenz, including a Fifth that sounded a good deal more radical than this one.
'Mirages' - Arias & songs sung by Sabine Devieilhe and friends
The concept of cultural appropriation was mercifully unknown to the composers of 19th-century France. We can therefore sit back and enjoy their daydreams in Mirages, compiled around visions of faraway or imaginary lands and people, dominated by Oriental exoticism. Sabine Devieilhe’s voice is shown off to stunning effect as she and her colleagues bring together the (sometimes) kitschier side of eastern longings and the lingering influence of such sounds on more intriguing music.