To celebrate the 25th anniversary
of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Sanctuary Classics – a
company which embraces ASV, Black Box and others – is reissuing
a number of distinguished COE recordings, under the orchestra’s
very own label. This particular disc was first issued on
ASV in the mid-1980s, and has always been an eminently attractive
coupling, bringing together Dvořák’s two serenades,
one for string orchestra, the other predominantly for wind,
with the addition of cello and double bass. It is a pity
that there is not more precise information on the disc or
case about the date and venue of the recording – all I could
find was the year 1984 given in my old ASV copy.
They are contrasted but highly characteristic
works, both originating from the 1870s when the composer
was approaching the summit of his career. Of the two, the
string piece has the more typically serenade feel to it,
with its five varied movements and relaxed atmosphere. The
wind piece with its dark minor tonality feels more like a
mini symphony, though the folk song and dance nature of much
of the material keeps the music light and entertaining.
Schneider and his young (at the time!)
COE players give idiomatic and beautifully prepared performances
of each work. The opening Moderato of the Serenade
for Strings is on the slow side, but this does allow Schneider
to move the music forward in the livelier middle section. The
expressive Larghetto is done very beautifully, again
a little slower than one is perhaps used to, but drawing
out the poignancy of the drooping melody, though without
any sentimentality. The quick movements – scherzo and finale – have
plenty of vigour, the finale in particular benefiting from
Schneider’s emphasis of light and shade. This is a work
where Dvořák, as he went on to do in the New World Symphony
and the Cello Concerto – as well as the other serenade
on this disc – interrupts his final movement to recall themes
from earlier movements (track 5 around 4:35). Without sacrificing
any of its charm, Schneider’s finely paced performance gives
the whole work a little more weight and substance than it
sometimes receives.
Much the same is true of the wind serenade,
though this work sits slightly closer to the realm of chamber
music than does the earlier serenade. It requires excellent
solo playing from first oboe and horn in particular, and
Douglas Boyd and Jonathan Williams are well able to provide
that. Indeed the whole ensemble performs majestically, and,
though the stringed instruments are subsidiary to the wind
for most of the time, there are a few lovely moments for
the cello (e.g. the coda of the beautiful Andante con
moto, track 8 at 6:17) which Christopher Marks brings
out expressively.
The most obvious competitor for this disc
is Neville Marriner’s version of the same coupling with Academy
of St. Martin-in-the-Field on Philips. There is little to
choose between them, though Marriner is broader and more
relaxed in the Moderato of op.22, and the recorded
perspective in op.44 is a shade less intimate, more orchestral. There
are also good versions by Andrew Davis and the Philharmonia,
though these are pretty ancient, being recorded in 1968 and
1975 respectively, and you have to purchase the whole RCA
box of the complete symphonies to get them.
Gwyn Parry-Jones
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Chamber Orchestra
of Europe/Alexander Schneider 
