Bohuslav Martinů - Symphonies (Bryden Thomson)

Information

Composer: Bohuslav Martinů

CD1:

• (01) Symphony No. 1, H. 289
• (05) Symphony No. 5, H. 310

CD2:

• (01) Symphony No. 2, H. 295
• (05) Symphony No. 6 "Fantaisies Symphoniques", H. 343

CD3:

• (01) Symphony No. 3, H. 299
• (04) Symphony No. 4, H. 305

Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Bryden Thomson, conductor

Date: 1989, 1990
Compilation: 2005
Label: Chandos
https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%2010316

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10

At one point Chandos had two, count 'em, two Martinu cycles going on at once: Belohlávek's with the Czech Philharmonic, and this one. It seemed symptomatic of a certain lack of direction that has turned out to be prophetic, as the label has gone from one of the most exciting and interesting imprints in classical music to a bloated, drifting mess. Be that as it may, the winner in the Martinu duel was not the team that you might have expected, as Bryden Thomson left us the finest complete symphony cycle currently available, and Belohlávek's, while good, hasn't the same drive and dynamism, and in any case was never completed. That makes this reissue extremely welcome. Aside from a missing cymbal crash in the last bar of the First Symphony, and Thomson's controversially swift tempo in the slow movement of the Third, these performances sweep the field in terms of fine engineering, textural transparency, luminous color, rhythmic élan, and that singular balance between Romantic opulence and classical restraint that is so much a characteristic of Martinu's mature style. You simply can't do better, at any price. [10/13/2005]

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

More reviews:

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/martinu-complete-symphonies

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Oct05/Martinu_Thomson_CHAN10316x.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Martinu-Symphonies-1-6-Bohuslav/dp/B0009F66PY

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Bohuslav Martinů (December 8, 1890 – August 28, 1959) was a Czech composer of modern classical music. Martinů began as a violinist of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. In the early 1930s he found his main font for compositional style, the neo-classical as developed by Stravinsky. With this, he expanded to become a prolific composer, who wrote almost 400 pieces, included 6 symphonies, 15 operas, 14 ballet scores and a large body of orchestral, chamber, vocal and instrumental works. He is compared with Prokofiev and Bartók in his innovative incorporation of Central European ethnomusicology into his music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohuslav_Martin%C5%AF

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Bryden Thomson (16 July 1928 – 14 November 1991) was a Scottish conductor. He study conducting, first with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt and then with Igor Markevitch. Thomson was remembered especially for his championship of British and Scandinavian composers. His recordings include influential surveys of the orchestral music of Hamilton Harty and Arnold Bax. Thomson held posts as principal conductor of several British orchestras, including the BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra (1968–1973), the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra (1978–1982) and the Ulster Orchestra (1977–1985).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryden_Thomson

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