Hans GÁL (1890-1987) Symphony no.4 (Sinfonia Concertante),
for flute, clarinet, violin, cello & orchestra, op.105 (1974)
[36:37]
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856) Symphony no.2 in C
(1845-46) [36:11]
Orchestra of the Swan/Kenneth Woods
rec. Civic Hall, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 5-6 December
2011. DDD
AVIE AV2231 [73:09]
Hans Gál's 'old-fashioned' music was effectively
done down for decades by the post-war illuminati who favoured
a strict modernism. The almost ironic boom in modern recordings
has given him and the countless other composers who carried
on regardless writing 'anachronistic' music a
very welcome voice. With this premiere recording of the Fourth,
Kenneth Woods and the Stratford-Upon-Avon-based Orchestra of
the Swan (OS) continue their four-disc cycle of Austrian Gál's
complete Symphonies, interestingly coupled each time with one
of Schumann's. Volume one paired Gál's and Schumann's
Thirds (AV2230).
Gál's orchestral music is superbly melodious, refined
and lightsome. It is also unashamedly retrospective - in places
the Fourth Symphony, written in 1974 when the composer was well
into his eighties, sounds as if it might have originated a good
century earlier, if not still longer ago. As in the Third, there
are echoes of Mahler and Brahms and Strauss, but overall it
is significantly less Germanic, due in part to its very well-ventilated
orchestration, but also to its concertante nature. The latter
contributes strongly to the wistful-pastoral, broadly optimistic
character of a supremely lyrical work.
In Gál's own words: "This work is akin to a concerto
grosso, combining a symphonic structure with the brilliant display
and competitive spirit of four soloists who act both as a group
and as individuals, emulating each other. In the first movement
(Improvvisazione) the main emphasis is on the confrontation
of soli and tutti; the following Scherzo Leggiero is a burlesque
masquerade of Harlequin and Columbina; the third movement (Duetto)
puts the limelight upon the violin and cello as the protagonists,
singing a duet, and the Finale (Buffoneria), a rondo with various
episodes, is opened, punctuated, and in the end concluded by
a kind of wayward harmonic motto."
The four semi-spotlit soloists turn in terrific performances
in this least symphonic of Gál's four Symphonies, but
then again so do their fellow OS-members under Woods'
immaculate direction. He and the OS are even better in Schumann's
Second Symphony, which finds the composer in Beethovenian vein
at his most luxurious and radiant, despite his ongoing battle
with depression. Though there is an astonishing focus on C major
throughout all four movements, the Second is anything but monotone,
even the slow movement emanating a joie-de-vivre and elegance
that underline the healing power of passionate music. The smaller
ensemble of the OS works perfectly for Schumann, and Woods'
attention to the details of this intellectual but emotionally
gripping score and phrasing is second to none - this is the
Second Symphony as Schumann wrote it to sound, and as the early-Romantic
masterpiece it truly is!
Sound quality is an improvement on the first volume, which suffered
from a certain lack of definition, lending the recordings a
slightly lossy effect. On the other hand, this disc has been
recorded at an even lower level than the first - it really will
require a good twist of the volume knob to compensate! The English-French-German
booklet notes are by Woods himself, and once again provide a
detailed background and description of the music in personable
language.
Somewhat surprisingly, Avie released only last year premiere
recordings of Gál's First and then Second Symphonies
- conducted not by Woods, but by Thomas Zehetmair, leading the
Northern Sinfonia, pairing Gál this time with Schubert. The
Hans Gál Society are unsurprisingly
pleased; the composer's grandson, Simon Fox-Gál, must
also be pleased, having produced and engineered both the Woods
and Zehetmair recordings.
Meanwhile, for those left wondering where to get more Gál -
or Kenneth Woods, for that matter - the Violin Concerto, Violin
Concertino and Triptych for Orchestra are already available
on Avie (AV2146, review).
Moreover, Gál's Cello Concerto, paired with Elgar's,
was released by Avie at almost the same time as the CD under
review (AV2237, review)
- Woods pops up there in the booklet notes!
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at reviews.gramma.co.uk
see also review
by Christopher Howell
See also Hans
GÁL (1890-1987) Symphony no.3 in A major/minor,
op.62 (1951-2) [34:39] Robert SCHUMANN
(1810-1856) Symphony no.3 in E flat, op.97 (1850) [31:37]
Orchestra of the Swan/Kenneth Woods rec. 2010. DDD
AVIE AV2230 [66:16]
