June 17, 2014

  • The Suisse Romande Makes an Impressive Dance Disc for Pentatone!

     Music of Richard Strauss, Franz Liszt, Erich Korngold, Ferrucio Bussoni, Franz Shreker
    Suisse Romande Orchestra/Kazuki Yamada
    Pentatone 5186 518
    Total Time:  65:34
    Recording:   ****/****
    Performance: ****/****

    Under legendary conductor Ernst Ansermet, the Suisse Romande Orchestra set the standard for recorded performances of much French and even Russian music, especially that of the 20th Century.  The unique repertoire recorded by the orchestra for Decca/London came at precisely the time of the label’s new recording techniques which put the orchestra in further great light.  Pentatone has a reputation for fabulous state-of-the-art sound with multi-channel recording on their hybrid CDs one of the many amazing sonic wonders of their releases.  So it is a good match to bring the SRO to this label.  The unfortunate thing is that the art design is tremendously lacking and without even a catchy title to grab one’s attention it may very well be overlooked.  (One could argue that it is unnecessary in an age of on-line browsing where composer and works are searched more than a classical CD title!)  The present release finds the orchestra led by Kazuki Yamada, the orchestra’s principal guest conductor.  He may be more familiar to listeners of choral music as he has made several recordings with the Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus.

    The theme of the present release appears to be one of the dance and specifically the waltz, though in some of its more stretched and unique incarnations that are closer to modern expressions than those of Johann Strauss, Jr.   The orchestra’s penchant for incorporating the “familiar” alongside the less well known is on brilliant display in this very unique program.  Not sure Ravel’s La valse would have fit on this already ample program (and as good as that might have been, there are already plenty good versions), but the sense of decadent dissolution of the dance forms are an interesting thread that runs through these pieces.

    The program opens and closes with two familiar works by Richard Strauss.  We are treated to the seductive “Dance of the Seven Veils” from Salome and the first sequence of waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier.  The Salome work opens with a flurry of exciting energy and activity giving way to a very seductive performance.  The shifts between lush moments and those with more exposed solos allows for perfect sonic contrasts captured here.  The performance here is nothing short of exhilarating and very well shaped with a conclusion that makes you want to jump to your feet.  When the Rosenkavalier waltzes appear it feels like a bit of a wistful reflection to the bygone era of dance.  The music is equally well shaped here and makes for a wonderful conclusion to the disc.  The Strauss works bookend four widely different compositions.

    It is interesting to hear Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz  in its early chromatic writing that would go on to influence Strauss and others.  Again it is the orchestral detail that really shines here.  The opening pizzicato set against wind writing is superb.  The energy and overall shape of the performance makes it easily jump to the top of performances on disc.  The result is a performance that takes one back to the early days when one first heard this great piece of music.  Half of the program is devoted to more unique pieces.  The first of these is the rarely heard Straussiana (1953) by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.  Originally commissioned to be playable by a student orchestra, it would turn out to be one of the composer’s last orchestral pieces.  He quotes lesser known Strauss melodies, adjusting the style to be more to American taste and not without some flashes of Hollywood brilliance.  To say this is a delight would be an understatement.  The opening magical pizzicato section is just wonderful and it simply gets more delightful.  Why is this not on pops programs more often?  Also included is Busoni’s Tanzwalzer, an attempt by the composer to try his hand at less serious subject matter in this homage of sorts to Johann Strauss, Jr.  Portions of the piece would find their way later into his opera Doktor Faustus.  It too is a delightful orchestral essay.  Finally, music by Franz Shreker (1878-1934) provides a window into this lesser known composer’s work.  Ein Tanzenspiel was originally a work for piano composed in 1908.  In 1920, Shreker orchestrated the four movements which are based on ancient dances (a popular trend of the time aligned a bit with Neo-Classicism).  Here he uses the sarabande, menuett, and a gavotte as well as a more song-like madrigal for this interesting work.

    Pentatone’s recording truly captures this orchestra in all its sonic glory.  The clarity of detail is set with just the right amount of ambient presence and well equalized throughout.  The recording is reminiscent of another set of Exotic Dances on the Reference label with the Minnesota Orchestra from a few years ago.  This one too manages to provide great contrast in what turns out to be a very well-chosen and interesting program in keeping with the Suisse Romande’s history.  If this is a new chapter, it is one that will be a welcome addition to audiophiles!  Yamada’s interpretation of Richard Strauss is very interesting and one can hope that perhaps we will see him record a bit with the SRO in the future.  At its heart though, this is an excellent disc with wonderfully engaging pieces.