3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A magnificent disc, August 29, 2011
This review is from: Hartmann: Concerto Funebre; Symphony No. 4; Kammerkonzert (Audio CD)
Karl Amadeus Hartmann was without doubt one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, and his symphonies constitute a mandatory acquisition for anyone with a cursory interest in twentieth century music - the Kubelik cycle may be harder to get hold of, but Metzmacher's slightly more variable take will serve (at least if complemented with Fricsay's version of the sixth, the greatest work in the set, and perhaps the version of the fourth at hand). Hartmann's music is surprisingly varied in character - though the disc at hand is perhaps not the one that best reveals this - even if the compositional voice is consistently immediately recognizable. Most notably, few composers can rival Hartmann for the expression of power and passion in sound.
The release at hand opens with one of the composer's most often performed (or at least recorded) works, the Concerto funèbre for violin and orchestra. It dates from 1939 and is, as its title and date of composition suggests, deeply disturbing, intense and dark, but at times utterly beautiful. I have seen much praise for Zehetmair's version, though I have not heard it and have a hard time believing that even he can beat Isabelle Faust for smoldering, frantic intensity, gorgeous phrasing and structural coherence (or perhaps particularly for the brief glimmers of flittering hope in the bleakness of the musical landscape).
The fourth symphony (for strings) is equally impassioned and starkly expressive in Christoph Poppen's hands. The slow movements are stirring, deeply felt, coherently argued and focused, and the Allegro is driven and intense (the Munich Chamber Orchestra responds marvelously). The Chamber Concerto is scored for clarinet, string quartet and strings. It's more buoyant mood contrasts well with the darkness of the other two works, and it is a fantastically imaginative, inventive and delightful score, superbly played here. Given ECM's splendid recording this really becomes a disc to treasure; enthusiastically recommended.
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