CD REVIEW: "Orchestra's 'Debussy' dazzles"
The Cincinnati Enquirer Janelle Gelfand took Paavo's new Debussy CD for a spin and really found it pleasing!
Orchestra's 'Debussy' dazzles
By Janelle Gelfand
March 22, 2005
Debussy
Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Telarc; CD: $14.99;
Super Audio CD: $19.99
It opens with one of the most gorgeous flute solos in music: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.
Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's all-Debussy album, in stores today, is all about fleeting images, light and dark, warmth and atmosphere. Järvi sets just the right tone in these impressionistic gems recorded last year in Music Hall, that include "Nocturnes," "La mer" and a rarely recorded "Berceuse heroique."
This album is a dazzler.
The conductor's seventh recording for Telarc is building an important legacy and establishing the Cincinnati Symphony as one of the best in the country right now.
The three movements of Nocturnes benefit from the conductor's gift for pacing and his ear for voluptuous sound. Nuages (Clouds) paints a picture of the imperceptible movement of clouds.
Fetes is an irresistible vision in vivid colors, with stunning contributions from the brass. And Sirenes, with the Women of the May Festival Chorus, has an ethereal beauty, as Järvi builds this song of the sea, wave upon wave, against the haunting, wordless chorus.
The Frenchman is perhaps most famous for his seascape, La mer. Here, Järvi and his players evoke the sea in a glowing, spontaneous performance. The momentum of Games of the Waves is breathtaking, with its atmospheric, brass-filled climaxes and sparkling color.
In contrast, Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea speaks to the sea's power. Järvi brings out ominous colors from depths of the orchestra, and Philip Collins' trumpet solo slices through as the storm builds. Other orchestral soloists shine, including Randolph Bowman in the languid, sensuous Faun, and harpist Gillian Benet Sella throughout the album.
The Telarc sound is lush, though the string sound may be a bit too glamorous for some tastes
Orchestra's 'Debussy' dazzles
By Janelle Gelfand
March 22, 2005
Debussy
Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Telarc; CD: $14.99;
Super Audio CD: $19.99
It opens with one of the most gorgeous flute solos in music: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.
Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's all-Debussy album, in stores today, is all about fleeting images, light and dark, warmth and atmosphere. Järvi sets just the right tone in these impressionistic gems recorded last year in Music Hall, that include "Nocturnes," "La mer" and a rarely recorded "Berceuse heroique."
This album is a dazzler.
The conductor's seventh recording for Telarc is building an important legacy and establishing the Cincinnati Symphony as one of the best in the country right now.
The three movements of Nocturnes benefit from the conductor's gift for pacing and his ear for voluptuous sound. Nuages (Clouds) paints a picture of the imperceptible movement of clouds.
Fetes is an irresistible vision in vivid colors, with stunning contributions from the brass. And Sirenes, with the Women of the May Festival Chorus, has an ethereal beauty, as Järvi builds this song of the sea, wave upon wave, against the haunting, wordless chorus.
The Frenchman is perhaps most famous for his seascape, La mer. Here, Järvi and his players evoke the sea in a glowing, spontaneous performance. The momentum of Games of the Waves is breathtaking, with its atmospheric, brass-filled climaxes and sparkling color.
In contrast, Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea speaks to the sea's power. Järvi brings out ominous colors from depths of the orchestra, and Philip Collins' trumpet solo slices through as the storm builds. Other orchestral soloists shine, including Randolph Bowman in the languid, sensuous Faun, and harpist Gillian Benet Sella throughout the album.
The Telarc sound is lush, though the string sound may be a bit too glamorous for some tastes
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