Arthur Honegger - Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3 (Herbert von Karajan)

Information

Composer: Arthur Honegger; Igor Stravinsky

1. Honegger - Symphony No. 2 for strings & trumpet ad lib in D major, H153: 1. Molto moderato - Allegro
2. Honegger - Symphony No. 2 for strings & trumpet ad lib in D major, H153: 2. Adagio mesto
3. Honegger - Symphony No. 2 for strings & trumpet ad lib in D major, H153: 3. Vivace non troppo
4. Honegger - Symphony No. 3 "Liturgique", H186: 1. Dies irae. Allegro marcato
5. Honegger - Symphony No. 3 "Liturgique", H186: 2. De profundis clamavi. Adagio
6. Honegger - Symphony No. 3 "Liturgique", H186: 3. Dona nobis pacem. Andante
7. Stravinsky - Concerto in D "Basle", for string orchestra: 1. Vivace
8. Stravinsky - Concerto in D "Basle", for string orchestra: 2. Arioso (Andantino)
9. Stravinsky - Concerto in D "Basle", for string orchestra: 3. Rondo (Allegro)

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Herbert von Karajan, conductor
Date: 1969
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
http://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4474352

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Review


ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 8

Although Herbert von Karajan probably would have wanted to be remembered as a great conductor in the central German repertoire, his best orchestral recordings often were in pieces that stood outside of his "Fach". This Honegger disc is certainly one of them. It seems like only yesterday that DG reissued it in its "Originals" series, but now thanks to Arkivmusic.com's on-demand program with Universal it hopefully will be available forever.

The Second Symphony, for strings and trumpet, features simply astounding playing from the Berlin Philharmonic, with an impact and sonority that the orchestra certainly can't equal today. The "Liturgique" also has an uncommon degree of bite and excitement; there's none of that excessive smoothness that made Karajan sometimes sound like the "snake oil salesman of music". Stravinsky's Concerto in D probably is his coldest, most sterile creation (leaving aside some of the very late pieces), and this gracefully immaculate performance suits its "pure" aesthetic to perfection. Very good sonics, again better than Karajan often got from the yellow label, complement one of his very finest efforts.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

More reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Honegger-Symphony-Orchestra-Liturgique-Stravinsky/dp/B000001GQN

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Arthur Honegger (10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les Six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which was inspired by the sound of a steam locomotive. His style is weightier and more solemn than that of his colleagues in Les Six.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Honegger

***

Herbert von Karajan (5 April 1908 – 16 July 1989) was an Austrian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 35 years. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century. He made a large number of recordings and was the top-selling classical music recording artist of all time, having sold an estimated 200 million records. He was admired and also criticized for his over polished sound of the orchestras he conducted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_von_Karajan

--------------------------------------------------------------

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!