Noseda, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - Smetana: Orchestral Works Vol 1 (2007)

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Noseda, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - Smetana: Orchestral Works Vol 1 (2007)

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This is a superb disc. There have been distinguished collections of Smetana’s symphonic poems (notably a vintage Kubelík disc) but none quite to compare with this in excitement, richness of detail and, in the case of Wallenstein’s Camp, sonic spectacle – how well Smetana writes for the brass! Indeed this, Richard III and especially Hakon Jarl emerge afresh as symphonic poems every bit the equal of those of Liszt. The early Jubel Overture (1848) with its thundering, frantic opening timpani and energetic folksy flavour is a real find. So, too, is the beautiful watery tableau The Fisherman, which has a Wagnerian evocation gently reminding one of the moonlight sequence in Vltava.

But the key works are the first three mentioned above, Wallenstein’s Camp full of vivid military invention, Richard III with its atmospheric, doom-laden portrait, including a memorable dominating theme, gently lurching to represent the king’s gait. The orchestration is highly evocative, as it is in the even more ambitiously dramatic Hakon Jarl. Here the central lyrical section with its falling scalic main theme, introduced by harp and bass clarinet, is all but Tchaikovskian and leads to a superb climax. The Shakespeare March closes the programme boisterously.

Gianandrea Noseda draws wonderfully characterful and spontaneous playing from the BBC Philharmonic, and the Chandos engineers surpass themselves with the realistic vividness of the sound and the naturalness of the balance. Not to be missed.

Composer: Bedrich Smetana
Conductor: Gianandrea Noseda
Orchestra/Ensemble: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Reviews: Based on the recorded evidence, if you want spirited and insightful performances of eastern European romantic orchestral repertoire, Gianandrea Noseda is the conductor of choice. In his previous discs of Liszt's tone poems and Dvorák's concertos for violin and for piano, the young Italian conductor had turned in effective and affecting performances of works that get little attention from most international conductors. And in what is described as Vol. 1 of the complete orchestral works of Smetana, Noseda proves himself adept at works that get little to no attention from almost all conductors. Yet Noseda proves there's more to Smetana than Má Vlast: there's also the thrilling Wallenstein's Camp, the exciting Richard III, and the bombastic Hakon Jarl. In these strong and colorful performances by the BBC Philharmonic, Noseda finds all the drama, lyricism, and ethnic beauty in the music and expresses it in waves of gorgeously glowing sound. One cannot say the same of the remainder of the works on this disc. Though there are often moments and occasional pages of fine music to be found here, these are at best minor works from the Czech master's workshop, and Noseda and the BBC Philharmonic's performances, fine as they are, cannot make good their deficiencies. Still, for a disc of Smetana's tone poems, this one rivals the best of previous releases: the glorious Rafael Kubelik disc with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra on Deutsche Grammophon. And though Chandos' digital sound is no clearer or more colorful than DG's stereo sound, it is bigger and louder.