CD REVIEW: Peer Gynt; Debussy
Edvard Grieg -- Peer Gynt. Peter Mattei, baritone; Camilla Tilling, soprano; Charlotte Hellekant, mezzo-soprano; Estonian National Symphony and choirs; Paavo Jarvi, conductor. (Virgin Classics) FOUR STARS out of four
Claude Debussy -- Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, La Mer, Nocturnes, Berceuse heroique. Cincinnati Symphony; Paavo Jarvi, conductor. TWO STARS out of four
By Mark Stryker
Detroit Free Press, July 31, 2005
Paavo Jarvi missed last month's big Detroit send-off for his father, Neeme Jarvi, because of surgery to repair nerve damage affecting his hand. But the new-release bins are still bulging with CDs led by the fast-rising star conductor.
Jarvi's hour-long version of Grieg's beloved incidental music from Peer Gynt occupies an alluring middle ground between overstuffed complete recordings of the score and the oft-recorded short suites familiar to concertgoers. Jarvi's reading with the Estonian National Symphony (and choirs and vocal soloists) is full of freshness, exuberance and beautifully individualistic touches. Even overly familiar episodes communicate the pulse of the Norwegian soul.
The latest CD featuring Jarvi's American orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony, surveys Debussy's most famous orchestral works. The conductor etches finely wrought details, but he makes curious choices in phrasing -- Afternoon of a Faun and La Mer have micromanaged passages that interrupt the music's natural circulation and atmosphere: an interesting if not ideal interpretation.
Claude Debussy -- Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, La Mer, Nocturnes, Berceuse heroique. Cincinnati Symphony; Paavo Jarvi, conductor. TWO STARS out of four
By Mark Stryker
Detroit Free Press, July 31, 2005
Paavo Jarvi missed last month's big Detroit send-off for his father, Neeme Jarvi, because of surgery to repair nerve damage affecting his hand. But the new-release bins are still bulging with CDs led by the fast-rising star conductor.
Jarvi's hour-long version of Grieg's beloved incidental music from Peer Gynt occupies an alluring middle ground between overstuffed complete recordings of the score and the oft-recorded short suites familiar to concertgoers. Jarvi's reading with the Estonian National Symphony (and choirs and vocal soloists) is full of freshness, exuberance and beautifully individualistic touches. Even overly familiar episodes communicate the pulse of the Norwegian soul.
The latest CD featuring Jarvi's American orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony, surveys Debussy's most famous orchestral works. The conductor etches finely wrought details, but he makes curious choices in phrasing -- Afternoon of a Faun and La Mer have micromanaged passages that interrupt the music's natural circulation and atmosphere: an interesting if not ideal interpretation.
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