Search - D'Albert, Kasyan, Osnabruckner So :: Symphony Op 4 / Seejungfraelein Op 15

Shimmering performances of two glorious orchestral works by

Leonard Bogat | Philadelphia, PA USA | 03/09/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let me begin by saying that any recordings of the music of this fabulous and neglected composer are a welcome treasure. d'Albert was a phenomenal pianist, a prized student of Franz Liszt, and as such is generally viewed as a pianist who wrote some pretty good piano music.



True, his works for solo piano, those I have heard, though indeed very good, and with touches of genius, are not in the same league of those of Liszt and the other great 19th Century composers for the piano. However, much of his Orchestral writing and many of his Operas (he wrote at least 20) are reported to be of the first rank, lush late romantic music, worthy of the great post-Wagnerian tradition. I have heard only two of the operas and would love to hear more.



There is a sweetness to his orchestration, a seductive delicacy in his handling of vocal lines and a touching lyricism to his melodic flow that at once make his music ever so gorgeous and somewhat dated. That this impeded his success while some of his contemporaries were forging ahead with music for the future is undeniable. But from where we stand now, beyond the context of the contemporary, d'Albert's music merits another serious listen.



The two works on this CD are early d'Albert. The F Major Symphony, a lovely pastoral piece on a grand scale, looks to Brahms for guidance. Not yet representative of the fully mature d'Albert, it is nonetheless very beautiful. The Op. 15 "Seejungfräulein" (Mermaid) for soprano and orchestra makes use of the composer's full blown orchestral pallet, and the marvelous vocal writing one has come to expect in his later work. This piece alone is worth the price of admission. And soprano Anna Kasyan has a lovely voice, perfectly matched with the timbres of the orchestra.



The performances by Hermann Bäumer and the Osnabrük Symphony Orchestra are certainly more than adequate, and while perhaps not of the caliber of the Berlin Philharmonic, not many orchestras are.



I heartily recommend this CD to anyone who loves the music of the late Romanic era and wishes there were more to hear."