Francesco La Vecchia - Notte Di Maggio for Voice & Orch / Cello Cto - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Following acclaimed performances on tour in Japan and South Korea, Robin Ticciati and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin have recorded one of Rachmaninov's best-known works. In contrast with the disastrous reception of the First Symphony and the ensuing three-year compositional hiatus, the Second Symphony was a resounding success when it was premiered by the composer in 1908. It's thematic unity, archlike melodic lines, rich orchestral colours and expansive structure still inspire awe, particularly when performed by musicians of the DSO's calibre. The score is presented in it's original unabridged version which reveals Rachmaninov's regained confidence in his power to compose and his true symphonic achievement. This exhilarating performance marks Ticciati's sixth album with the DSO.

This fifth volume in the Naxos cycle of the complete orchestral works of William Alwyn features the popular Elizabethan Dances, which contrast ancient and modern dance rhythms from the courts of Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II. Album Tracks 1. Moderato E Ritmico 2. Waltz Tempo-Languidamente 3. Allegro Scherzando (Ma Non Troppo Allegro) 4. Moderato 5. Poco Allegretto E Semplice 6. Allegro Giocoso 7. The Inumerable Dance- An English Overture 8. Andante E Rubato 9. Vivace 10. Aphrodite in Aulis- An Eclogue for Small Orchestra After George Moore 11. Symphonic Prelude 'The Magic Island' 12. Festival March

Completed during World War II, Honegger's Symphony No. 2 gives voice to the composer's horror of mankind's barbarity and inhumanity perpetrated during the conflict. It's power derives from the seamlessness of it's construction and the intensity of it's expression. The work's dark, brooding mood comes to a profoundly moving climax in the finale's elegiac chorale tune, played on first violins accompanied by trumpet, thus ending the symphony on a more optimistic note than might be expected. Henri Lazarof's Concerto for Orchestra No. 2, 'Icarus' is a volatile, richly coloured score, and Poema, composed as a wedding gift for Gerard Schwarz and his wife, is both romantic and brilliant. Album Tracks 1. Molto Moderato - Allegro 2. Adagio Mesto 3. Vivace Non Troppo 4. Part I 5. Part II 6. Part III 7. Poema