Hans Werner Henze - Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8 (Marek Janowski)

Information

Composer: Hans Werner Henze

1. Symphonie No. 7: I. Tanz
2. Symphonie No. 7: II. Ruhig Bewegt
3. Symphonie No. 7: III. Unablässig In Bewegung
4. Symphonie No. 7: IV. Ruhig, Verhalten
5. Symphonie No. 8: I. Allegro
6. Symphonie No. 8: II. Allegramente con comodo tenerezza e ballabilità
7. Symphonie No. 8: III. Adagio

Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin

Marek Janowski, conductor

Date: 2010

Label: Wergo

https://www.schott-music.com/en/sinfonien-7-8-no250666.html

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

Review

The symphony is not a genre that immediately comes to mind when thinking of Henze, but by 2009 he had composed 10, a not inconsiderable achievement. Here, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, led by Marek Janowski, plays two of his most substantial (and traditional) symphonies: No. 7 and No. 8. No. 7, written in 1984, was commissioned by the Berlin Philharmonic. The composer has said that the symphony was for him "the opening of a door to something other than what I had done thus far," and that change is apparent in the music, which has an expansiveness and expressive sweep that does indeed signal a new level of emotional transparency. The first movement has a kind of abstract Hindemithian rigor in its counterpoint, but the remaining three movements are unabashedly soulful and poignant, with an unfettered lyricism to which the composer had rarely given such free rein previously. The final movement, an orchestral setting of a Hölderlin poem, has a soaring Romantic eloquence that carries the listener along until the mood is shattered by a brashly powerful apocalyptic conclusion. The three movements of the Eighth Symphony are based on incidents and speeches from A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the music reflects the lightness and magic of the subject matter. This is not a frothy lightness, though; the music still has Henze's characteristic textural density and complexity, but without the pronounced angst. The second and third movements in particular are, respectively, humorously and tenderly expressive. The orchestral performances are polished and disciplined, but Janowski gives the music's lyricism plenty of room to blossom. Wergo's sound is clean and balanced, but doesn't have the clarity and spaciousness to let details of orchestration emerge with the necessary distinction.

-- Stephen Eddins, AllMusic

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2014/Jul14/Henze_sys_WER67212.htm

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/oct/24/classicalmusicandopera4

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Henze-Symphonies-7-Hans-Werner/dp/B001ERJV0I

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

Hans Werner Henze (1 July 1926 – 27 October 2012) was a German composer. His large oeuvre of works is extremely varied in style, having been influenced by serialism, atonality, Stravinsky, Italian music, Arabic music and jazz, as well as traditional schools of German composition. Henze was also known for his political convictions. He left Germany for Italy in 1953 because of a perceived intolerance towards his leftist politics and homosexuality. An avowed Marxist and member of the Italian Communist Party, Henze produced compositions honoring Ho Chi Minh and Che Guevara.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Werner_Henze

***

Marek Janowski (born 18 February 1939 in Warsaw) is a Polish-born German conductor. He has led the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (1983-87), Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne (1986-90), Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (1984-2000), Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra (2000-09), Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (2002-16), and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (2005-12). Janowski is currently chief conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic. He has made a number of operatic recordings, including the first digital recording of the complete Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle for RCA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marek_Janowski

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

FLAC, tracks

Links in comment

Enjoy!