Customer Reviews

Samuel Barber: Symphony No. 2; Adagio for Strings; George Frederick Bristow: Symphony in F sharp minor

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While the second symphony of Samuel Barber is certainly a fitting addition to one's musical library, it is the symphony of George Frederick Bristow, which is the real selling point of this CD. The symphony is beautiful, lyrical, and expansive; it owes an obvious debt to Mendelssohn.

Bristow was a talented string player, and he was a member of the violin section of the New York Philharmonic as of its inception. Her fervent championing of American composers put him on the outs with the orchestra's leadership, and he took leave of the Philharmonic for a year in protest. Ironically, his works are now among those works by American composers, which are sadly and undeservedly neglected. But at least for those who acquire this CD, that neglect can be partially remedied.

While the second symphony of Samuel Barber is certainly a fitting addition to one's musical library, it is the symphony of George Frederick Bristow, which is the real selling point of this CD. The symphony is beautiful, lyrical, and expansive; it owes an obvious debt to Mendelssohn.

Bristow was a talented string player, and he was a memeber of the violin section of the New York Philharmonic as of its inception. His fervent championing of American composers put him on the outs with the orchestra's leadership, and he took leave of the Philharmonic for a year in protest. Ironically, his works are now among those works by American composers, which are sadly and undeservedly neglected. But at least for those who acquire this CD, that neglect can be partially remedied.

I purchased this CD for the Bristow symphony and found it well performed. The piece is a fine example of mid 19th century concert music- Bristow employs a large orchestra and creates some fine and sonorous colorings.(Notable is a prominent Harp part.) The slow movement is especialy moving and lyrical, and should be heard more often.

Barber's second symphony may not quite be at the level of the first, but it is still a splendid work, filled with good ideas and nicely executed. It is also well represented on disc, and I honestly do not think Järvi's version will be able to compete with the best (including Alsop's very fine Naxos version). The central movement is somewhat lacking in poetry and the fast movements, while containing many fine things, appear to lack something in coherence and momentum. The orchestral playing is generally good but comes across as a little uninspired. The general feeling is that Järvi's busy schedule (at the time, at least) didn't allow him to put as much care and commitment into the music as one would have hoped for. The Adagio is beset by the same problems - it is quite beautifully played, but the intense longing just isn't there.

Does it matter, however? I strongly suspect that very few will obtain this disc for the Barber, given the many fine versions in the catalogue. Rather, I suspect, most potential listeners will be drawn to the coupling, which is a real rarity. George Frederick Bristow (1825-1898) appears to be completely absent from the catalogue apart from this recording (and a single piano piece on a recital of American romantic piano music).

Bristow was a violinist in the New York Philharmonic and a champion of American music. The f sharp minor symphony, apparently the third of five, dates from 1858, and doesn't contain a trace of originality. The idiom is a mixture of Mendelssohn and Schumann and probably other composers of those schools, but it is definitely well put together and the ideas are good enough to sustain a consistently enjoyable listening experience. The scoring is perhaps a little dense, but there are also some pleasant orchestral effects (in particular the use of the harp), and the whole thing is absolutely well worth hearing. It also seems that Järvi and his Detroit players recognized that this would probably be the main offering of the disc, and turn in a spirited, zesty performance, muscular and colorful and committed. The engineering is splendid throughout, giving us the expected warm and clear Chandos sound. Recommended.