CULTURE: Lovely last shake of the Rattle; CLASSICAL CD REVIEW Szymanowski: Harnasie, Orchestral Songs - Sobotka/KarnAus/Robinson/CBSC-horus/CBSO/Rattle (EMI 3 64435 2).Byline: Christopher Morley ***** During the latter years of his music directorship of the CBSO, Sir Simon Rattle and his colleagues made rewarding explorations of the music of the somewhat neglected Polish composer Karol Szymanowski. Live performances drew audiences into an enchanted soundworld, and an enthusiastically received sequence of CD recordings for EMI preserved these magical moments and did much to enhance the reputation of the orchestra worldwide. After the release of the wonderful opera King Roger, Rattle's final project before he left the CBSO in 1998, one final recording awaited completion, the final sessions taking place in March this year when Rattle was in Birmingham to take part in a memorial concert for former CBSO chairman George Jonas. There is a strong fairy-tale element to the three works on this fabulous record, with the ballet-pantomime Harnasie at its heart. Its two tableaux bring half an hour of music which is at times voluptuous, at other times viscerally exciting as they unfold a tale of bridal abduction. There are reminders here of Ravel's Daphnis and Chloe Daphnis and Chloe is the only known work of the 2nd century AD Greek novelist and romancer Longus.[1] Setting and style It is set on the isle of Lesbos during the 2nd century AD, which is also assumed to be the author's home. , as well as the subtle atmospherics of Debussy and the energetic angularity an·gu·lar·i·ty n. pl. an·gu·lar·i·ties 1. The quality or condition of being angular. 2. angularities Angular forms, outlines, or corners. Noun 1. of Stravinsky. Well-built climaxes are matched by Rattle's perfectly paced grasp, the CBSO Chorus sings with exciting confidence of both projection and diction (brilliant language coaching by Grazyna Pope), and Timothy Robinson's solo tenor interludes make a haunting impression. And behind everything lies the expert, colourful response of the CBSO itself, relishing the kaleidoscope of opportunity provided by this extraordinary score. Framing this tour-de-force are the Songs of a Fairy-tale Princess, glittering like the jewels on a casket, with soprano Iwona Sobotka reminding us of Roxana's ecstatic coloratura coloratura: see soprano. in King Roger, and the captivating Love Songs of Hafiz Hafiz (häfēz`) [Arab.,=one who has memorized the Qur'an], 1319–1389?, Persian lyric poet, b. Shiraz. His original name was Shams al-Din Muhammad. He acquired the surname from having memorized the Qur'an at an early age. . Mezzo-soprano Katerina KarnAus is rapt and communicative in these settings of 14th-century Persian poetry, with orchestral textures ranging from wonderfully silvery chamber-style colours to an almost Straussian sumptuousness. The latter perhaps derives subconsciously from the fact that these are composed to German translations: there is even a glorious quasi-Liebestod in the concluding song. Do not miss this amazing release. BBC Music Magazine BBC Music Magazine is a magazine published in the United Kingdom by the BBC, devoted primarily to classical music, though with sections on jazz and world music. It claims first place in terms of worldwide sales. Profits "are returned to the BBC". gives it five stars - something it has never given to any of Rattle's recordings with the Berlin P hilharmonic. |
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