Marek Janowski

In 2008 PentaTone started the recording of a complete Bruckner Symphonies cycle with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande conducted by Marek Janowski. All of them have now been recorded and most of them have been releases (with the exception of Symphonies Nrs. 2 and 4 which will be released later this year).

The cycle received a lot of critical acclaim. Gramophone reviewer Edward Seckerson mentioned “There’s more than a touch of the great Euchen Jochum in Janowski’s approach”. The current release is complementary to the Symphonies cycle and features the renowned Rundfunkchor Berlin and an excellent cast of soloists. Recorded in superior surround sound in the fine acoustics of Victoria Hall Geneva, makes this recording a must buy for Bruckner aficionados. There is currently no version on SA-CD available in the market.

France’s symphonic tradition may not compare to the immensity of Germany’s, but it has produced a number of impressive works. This release is dedicated to those by Albert Roussel, one of classical music’s most distinguished late-starters.

The compilation begins with the delightful Poème de la forêt – Roussel’s first great work of importance and one whose strong Impressionist flavour is revealed through the use of picturesque movement titles. From the Second Symphony’s powerful proportions to No.3’s cyclic nature, we encounter a composer whose music was beginning to harbour a fierce and concentrated energy. His final work in the genre, written three years before his death in 1937, represents for many the apex of his achievements.

Roussel may never have gained the popularity of Debussy and Ravel, but he was an important and compelling composer whose symphonies combined both 20th-century style and colour with Classical structures. Tracing the entire development of his style, this assured recording by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France brings Roussel’s distinctive voice to life.

All the pieces included here are by French composers who lived during the impressionist period. D’Indy’s Symphonie sur un chant montagnard français is a sort of hybrid work, a mixture of a symphony and a piano concerto.

This work enables the highly regarded Martin Helmchen to demonstrate his musical and technical skills once again.

In his essay ‘Über Instrumentalkomposition’ of 1963 Hans Werner Henze states: "Everything moves toward the theatre and comes back from there.”

Henze's Symphonies 3, 4 and 5 move within this combination of theatre and symphonic music. The first approach is noticeable in Symphony No. 3: “I composed this piece (…) in an attempt to keep the notion of 'symphonic music' and the idea of classical and Romantic forms separate. Consequently, the listener is not supposed to look for those elements which were characteristic of 19th-century symphonies.”

Symphony No. 4 is concretely linked with Henze's own music-theatre works: originally, it constituted the finale of Act II of his opera König Hirsch/King Stag.

Symphony No. 5 is also connected to the theatre: A 'leitmotif' appearing in all three movements goes back to Henze's song 'My own, my own' from his opera Elegie für junge Liebende/Elegy for Young Lovers. As in Symphony No. 4, the music returns from the stage back to symphonic music.

Hans Werner Henze is the recipient of the German Music Authors' 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award.

According to the jurors: “Hans Werner Henze is a prominent figure in music who was and still is very active and influential outside German and European borders. A model for generations to come. He has composed music for all genres, taught pupils who have become very famous – everything has been marked by his unmistakable quality and identity.” Henze accepted the award personally during a formal presentation at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Berlin on 14 April 2011.

We offer Hans Werner Henze our hearty congratulations as he celebrates his 85th birthday on 1 July.

The same choir, Rundfunkchor Berlin, recently recorded this work for Deutsche Grammophon but was not satisfied with the result. This is probably the best choir for this repertoire in the world and it was keen on re-recording this work for PentaTone. Janowski proves how well he understands the repertoire.

On the occasion of its 25th anniversary in 2010, Ondine releases a series of five twofers, containing best-selling titles from the back catalogue.

The focus is on five of Ondine’s star artists: sopranos Soile Isokoski and Karita Mattila, baritone Jorman Hynninen, violinist Pella Kuusisto and clarinettist Kari Kriikku.

These releases are specially priced (2 CDs for the price of 1) and are limited edition, running through 2010 only.

Each release includes a booklet with a three-language synopsis (English/French/German), full cast list and detailed track list.

Recorded in 1980

Many of the recordings by this world famous orchestra have won prizes. Janowski has been the orchestra’s artistic and music director since 2005. Here this successful partnership continues thei Bruckner series on Pentatone.