Press release: Baarn, The Netherlands, February, 2017
In March the charismatic Colombian Maestro Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts Dvorak’s best loved symphony to complete the series of Dvorak’s final symphonies with Houston Symphony Orchestra. The second highlight this month is the first release of a series with NDR and Andrew Manze: Mendelssohn Symphonies Nos. 1& 3.
Antonín Dvořák : Symphony No.9 “New World” / Slavonic Dances
Houston Symphony
Andrés Orozco-Estrada
Dvorak’s New World Symphony is counted among the most successful and distinctive symphonies ever written and it loses none of its drama or appeal on repeated playing. Inspired by American spirituals and Henry Longfellow’s epic poem The Song of Hiawatha, this infectiously tuneful work with its brilliantly colourful orchestration and rhythmic verve has its creative wellspring in Dvorak’s own homesickness. It was condescendingly described by his critics as a “Czech composer’s impression of the country” but its qualities were never in doubt and its inventiveness and warmth radiate from every page. From beautiful, wistful melodies, to unfettered exuberance and glorious, sustained climaxes, this extraordinary symphony has it all.
Dvorak’s evergreen Slavonic Dances Op. 46 (of which two are heard in this recording) are equally popular with audiences. Responsible for establishing Dvorak’s international reputation, these utterly charming pieces overflow with appealing melodies and catchy rhythms, their freshness and simplicity concealing their artful construction.
Andrés Orozco-Estrada is one of the most sought after conductors of his generation. Music Director of the Houston Symphony and Chief Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra, he is also Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been widely praised for his style and command, Die Presse remarking “The orchestra was on top form, displaying precision and clarity in equal measure … packed with drama and finely balanced under Andrés Orozco-Estrada’s direction.” (August 2016)
His earlier discs of Dvořák symphonies with PENTATONE were described as “Vivid and colourful, overall well balanced” (Pizzicato) “an interpretation full of theatricality, with a sure sense of the monumental” Gramophone).
This album will be released as 1 Super Audio -CD and in digital formats for streaming and high resolution downloads. (Article number: PTC 5186574)
FELIX MENDELSSOHN: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3
NDR Philharmonie
Andrew Manze
Mendelssohn’s warmly lyrical and evocative Scottish symphony is paired with his confident and precocious first symphony for the first in a series of recordings in multi-channel surround sound for PENTATONE by the conductor Andrew Manze and the NDR Radiophilharmonie. It’s no wonder that Robert Schumann dubbed Mendelssohn the “Mozart of the nineteenth century”; with his felicitous gift for melody and meticulous craftsmanship, his music positively brims with youthful spontaneity and with moments of affecting tenderness and serenity.
Inspired by his visits to Scotland and the Hebrides and the romantic novels of Sir Walter Scott, his outstanding Symphony No. 3 in A minor (“Scottish”) is a colourful reminiscence of its rugged landscapes steeped in history, and an affectionate homage to the proud Highlanders he met there. It was an instant success on its first performance and rivals the popularity of the overture The Hebrides, also inspired by the splendour of Scotland. No less impressive is his masterly Symphony No. 1 in C minor, composed when he was just 15 years old. From its noisy and impetuous opening to its triumphant conclusion, this confident and adventurous work shows the influence of Mozart, Haydn and Weber but the effect is unmistakeably Mendelssohnian with fugal passages, unforgettable melodies and busy, inventive scoring.
“Whatever the exceptional Andrew Manze asked for,” wrote the Leipziger Volkszeitung, “was delivered in real time: wonderfully delicate strings, spotless, yet warm-sounding woodwind … the result was detailed and rich in contrast.” Renowned for his boundless energy and scholarly knowledge and with many critically acclaimed recordings in a broad repertoire, Manze is celebrated as one of the most stimulating and inspirational conductors of his generation. “Manze’s take is wholly individual,” wrote the Guardian. “ [Brahms’ symphonies] burst with life, by turns wistful, yearning, sharp-edged and blisteringly incisive … this is the composer reinvented for the 21st century.” In September 2014 Andrew Manze became the Principal Conductor of the NDR Radiophilharmonie in Hannover and immediately made headlines. “If it continues like this,” wrote the Neue Presse in November 2014, “the NDR Radiophilharmonie will soon be looked at with envy by the rest of the musical world, as what new Principal Conductor Andrew Manze is brewing up … can be deemed sensational.”
This album will be released as 1 Super Audio -CD and in digital formats for streaming and high resolution downloads. (Article number: PTC 5186595)
