Alexander Zemlinsky - Lyric Symphony; Florentine Tragedy; 3 Psalms (Riccardo Chailly)

Information

Composer: Alexander Zemlinsky

CD1:

1. Lyrische Symphonie, Op. 18: 1. Ich bin friedlos, ich bin durstig nach fernen Dingen
2. Lyrische Symphonie, Op. 18: 2. O Mutter, der junge Prinz
3. Lyrische Symphonie, Op. 18: 3. Du bist die Abendwolke
4. Lyrische Symphonie, Op. 18: 4. Sprich zu mir Geliebter
5. Lyrische Symphonie, Op. 18: 5. Befrei mich von den Banden deiner Süße, Lieb
6. Lyrische Symphonie, Op. 18: 6. Vollende denn das letzte Lied
7. Lyrische Symphonie, Op. 18: 7. Friede, mein Herz
8. Sinfonische Gesänge, Op. 20: 1. Lied aus Dixieland
9. Sinfonische Gesänge, Op. 20: 2. Lied der Baumwollpacker
10. Sinfonische Gesänge, Op. 20: 3. Totes braunes Mädel
11. Sinfonische Gesänge, Op. 20: 4. Übler Bursche
12. Sinfonische Gesänge, Op. 20: 5. Erkenntnis
13. Sinfonische Gesänge, Op. 20: 6. Afrikanischer Tanz
14. Sinfonische Gesänge, Op. 20: 7. Arabeske
15. Psalm 83

Håkan Hagegård, baritone (1-7)
Alessandra Marc, soprano (1-7)
Willard White, bass-baritone (8-14)
Slovak Philharmonic Choir (15)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (1-14)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (15)

CD2:

1. Eine florentinische Tragödie, opera, Op. 16: 1. Vorspiel
2. Eine florentinische Tragödie, opera, Op. 16: 2. So langsam, Weib?
3. Eine florentinische Tragödie, opera, Op. 16: 3. Spinn ein Kleid, getaucht in Purpur
4. Eine florentinische Tragödie, opera, Op. 16: 4. Was gibt es Neues, mein Prinz?
5. Eine florentinische Tragödie, opera, Op. 16: 5. Wie er gleich schalen Krämer spricht!
6. Eine florentinische Tragödie, opera, Op. 16: 6. Was ist das?
7. Eine florentinische Tragödie, opera, Op. 16: 7. Holdsel'ge Bianca
8. Eine florentinische Tragödie, opera, Op. 16: 8. Simone, jetzt muss ich nach Hause gehen
9. Psalm 13, Op. 24
10. Psalm 23, Op. 14

Heinz Kruse, tenor (1-8)

Iris Vermillion, mezzo-soprano (1-8)

Albert Dohmen, bass-baritone (1-8)

Ernst-Senff-Chor (9, 10)

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (1-8)

Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (9, 10)

Riccardo Chailly, conductor
Date: 1977-1996
Label: Decca
http://www.deccaclassics.com/us/cat/4737342

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[This] is one of those recordings where pretty well everything seems to have gone right. With the Concertgebouw one has no fear that the sheer beauty of Zemlinsky's orchestral textures will be understated, but the urgency and strength beneath the surfaces are evident too, and it's quite an achievement for such an orchestra of Mahler specialists to get Zemlinsky's sound, so like Mahler and yet so very unlike, unerringly right. The soloists are simply superb: Marc is voluptuously caressing... Hagegard has nobility and strength as well as tenderness... Throughout the orchestral playing is immaculately balanced as well as sheerly beautiful; I don't know that I've ever heard a better performance of the symphony... A distinguished issue, most warmly recommended.

-- Michael Oliver, Gramophone [12/1994]
reviewing the original release of the Lyric Symphony and Sinfonische Gesänge, Decca 443569

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Zemlinsky’s Florentine Tragedy is a disturbing, shocking piece, but to make its fullest impact it also needs to sound ravishingly beautiful... [It] urgently needs, in short, an orchestra of the Royal Concertgebouw’s stature, and in this reading they sound quite magnificent... Chailly is the real star of the performance, pacing the opera so well that it seems over in no time, drawing richly complex but never muddy textures from his remarkable orchestra.

-- Michael Oliver, Gramophone [12/1997]
reviewing the original release of Eine florentinische Tragödie, Decca 455112

More reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Zemlinsky-Lyrische-Symphonie-Florentinische-Tragodie/dp/B00008MLU3
http://www.amazon.com/Lyriche-Symphonie-Sinfonische-Gesange-Alessandra/dp/B00000424B
http://www.amazon.com/Zemlinsky-florentinische-Trag%C3%B6die-Florentine-Vermillion/dp/B0000042GB

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Alexander Zemlinsky (October 14, 1871, Vienna – March 15, 1942, Larchmont, New York) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and teacher. Zemlinsky's best-known work is the Lyric Symphony, which Zemlinsky compared in a letter to his publisher to Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde. As a conductor, Zemlinsky was admired by, among others, Kurt Weill and Stravinsky. As a teacher, his pupils included Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Hans Krása and Karl Weigl.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_von_Zemlinsky

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Riccardo Chailly (born 20 February 1953 in Milan) is an Italian conductor. He started his career as an opera conductor and gradually extended his repertoire to encompass symphonic music. Chailly was chief conductor of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (1982-1988) and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (1988-2004). He is currently chief conductor of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (since 2005). He recorded exclusively for Decca.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riccardo_Chailly

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/riccardo-chailly-mn0000046209/biography

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