ORF Vienna Radio Symphony - Nachtstucke Und Arien - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Despite their different musical languages, all works by the Polish composers Karol Szymanowski and Krzysztof Penderecki presented on this album have in common the inherent character of a lament Szymanowski's Stabat mater, which was completed in 1926 and is based on a Polish translation of the Latin medieval poem, is considered as one of the most important compositions of the 20th century. Penderecki's three-part oratorio Dies Irae was commissioned for a commemoration day in remembrance of the murder victims at the former concentration camp in Auschwitz, and hence carries the epithet InchAuschwitz OratoriumInch. The album closes with a Threnos for 52 string instruments dedicated to the Victims of Hiroshima. The final haunting bars of this composition present a tutti cluster, starting in a triple forte and fading out to quadruple piano. Album Tracks 1. Stabat Mater, Op. 53~I. Stala matka bolejaca / Stabat mater dolorosa 2. Stabat Mater, Op. 53~II. I któz widzial tak cierpiaca / Quis est homo qui non fleret 3. Stabat Mater, Op. 53~III. O Matko, zródlo wszechmilosci / O, eia mater, fons amoris 4. Stabat Mater, Op. 53~IV. Spraw, niech placze z Toba razem / Fac me tecum pie flere 5. Stabat Mater, Op. 53~V. Panno slodka, racz mozolem / Virgo virginum praeclara 6. Stabat Mater, Op. 53~VI. Chrystus niech mi bedzie grodem / Christe, cum sit hinc exire 7. Dies irae~I. Lamentatio 8. Dies irae~II. Apocalypsis 9. Dies irae~III. Apotheosis 10. Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima

Gunter Raphael's Symphony No. 1, composed in 1940, is characterised by it's melodic richness and expressive depth, which is strongly influenced by the late Romantic tradition. The masterful orchestration and the dramatic, almost poignant character of the music, which is wonderfully expressed in the interpretation by the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Fabian Enders, is particularly noteworthy. Although it was composed during the National Socialist era, it does not reflect any ideological instrumentalisation, but rather shows an artistic expression that is characterised by human feeling and inner reflection. It's harmonies are rich and complex without drifting into the radical modernism of the time, making the symphony a unique work in the context of 20th century music.

Miloslav Kabelac ranks among the most significant Czech composers of the 20th century. Alongside Antonin Dvorak and Bohuslav Martinu, he is recognized as one of the greatest Czech symphonists, and his work represents a cornerstone of Czech musical heritage. His work encompasses nearly all musical genres except opera, but at it's core are eight symphonies, each with a unique orchestration. With the czech conductor Jakub Hrusa the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra had a welcome expert for this recording, as he examines carefullythese rich orchestrated scores of this still underrated music and composer. Album Tracks 1. Ouvertüre Nr. 1 für Orchester, Op. 6, N6 2. Sinfonie Nr. 2 C-Dur, Op. 15, N15~Molto maestoso. Risoluto 3. Sinfonie Nr. 2 C-Dur, Op. 15, N15~Lento. Appassionato 4. Sinfonie Nr. 2 C-Dur, Op. 15, N15~Allegro non troppo. Marciale 5. Ouvertüre Nr. 2 für großes Orchester, Op. 17, N17