Williams / Halle / Elder - Symphonies 4 & 6 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Dimitri Smirnov - Il Barbiere Di Siviglia / L'elisir D'amore [COMPACT DISCS] date 01/01/1996

Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé present the completion of their Sibelius Symphonies Cycle with inspiring performances of two of his most personal and characteristic works, both regarded as indispensable to an understanding of the composer. Sibelius began his Symphony No.4 at a time of personal crisis and the resulting work, noted for it's depth of expression and intellectual originality, contains some of the darkest and most unsettling music he ever wrote. It is a piece of marked originality and striking imaginative power, captured to great effect in this recording. In contrast, the elusive Symphony No.6, has been described as being full of music that Inchseems to be almost constantly singingInch. The orchestration is particularly haunting; throughout, the string section in particular captivates the listener, in one of the most beautiful and original pieces of music Sibelius wrote.

Josefa Schmidt presents the very interesting piano programme InchDream ImagesInch, a musical combination with the composers Debussy, Scriabin, Crumb, Ravel and Schmidt. Josefa Schmidt (*1998 in Stuttgart, Germany) received her first piano lessons at the age of 7. Since 2018, she continues her studies with Prof. Roland Krüger at the University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover. Josefa is prize winner of several competitions such as the International Euregio Piano Award, the Lions Club Competition, the international SIMW Award, the International Chamber Music Campus Weikersheim (Prize oft the Rheingau Musikfestival), the Carl Bechstein Competition Berlin and was a finalist of the International Piano Competition Concours Merci, Maestro in Brussels. In 2019 Josefa received the TONALi Prize of Creativity at TONALi Piano Competition. She is a scholarship holder of the foundations Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, Yamaha Foundation, Foundation Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Hannover, Harald Genzmer Foundation and the Jeunesses Musicales. She performed at renowned festivals such as the Rheingau Musikfestival, the Klangbrückenfestival and the Festival Momentum Stolberg as well as in France (Paris), Austria, Italy and numerous cities in Germany. Concerts were broadcast on the radio.