Sessions: Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 5; Rhapsody

Roger Sessions (Composer), Christian Badea (Conductor), Columbus Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Columbus Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Christian Badea
• Composer: Roger Sessions
• Audio CD (December 8, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New World Records
• ASIN: B0000030DM
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,413 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Schoenberg Symphonies by Roger Sessions, November 8, 2007

By 

Discophage (France) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sessions: Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 5; Rhapsody (Audio CD)

In my review of Sessions' Third Symphony from 1957 (Roger Sessions: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 3) I commented that Sessions had composed the Symphony Schoenberg Never Wrote - and this wasn't a sneer. Sessions' embrace of Schoenberg's serialism resulted in works that sounded strikingly, all the way to the twists and turns of orchestration, like Schoenberg's orchestral music, from the Five Pieces opus 16 to the Variations Opus 31 and the orchestral part of his opera Moses and Aaron. The music of Schoenberg may not be immediately accessible and appealing on the surface, but through study and increasing familiarity I have grown a great love for it, and I can now recognize, and enjoy, the intense if atonal and stern lyricism they contain, as well as the drama, the rhythmic muscularity (verging sometimes on squareness), the marvels of orchestral color and counterpoint - and the same is true with Sessions' Symphonies. So if you don't know these works and Sessions' mature Symphonies in general, be prepared: if you find no appeal in Schoenberg, you are not likely to enjoy this - and the other way around.

The Fourth from 1958 and Fifth from 1964 pursue the lines established with the Third Symphony, and so does the Rhapsody, a late work from 1970. You can feel that Sessions' compositional approach is imbued with a profound knowledge of the history of music, from Bach to Schoenberg via Beethoven and Brahms, and an admirable, even intimidating seriousness of intent. In the Fourth Symphony there are elements of playfulness (as in the 1st movement, "Burlesque", and at 5:36 in the "Pastorale") - but it is, well, the kind of playfulness you might expect of Schoenberg: very serious, like someone trying to go through the motions of cheerfulness, but you can feel that it is a posture rather than a natural thing. Otherwise all the hallmarks of Sessions' mature style are present: the busy counterpoint, the intricate and often chamber-like orchestration, the apparently free construction and wealth of musical events, the angular lines, the intense atonal lyricism, the drama. As I wrote in my review of the CRI disc, what makes Sessions Symphonies works of enduring interest is not only their wealth of ideas, but also that (unlike so many other American symphonies written in those years - and still today), they never resort to the most immediately easily graspable and immediately appealing solutions. Not easy listening, but highly rewarding.

I haven't compared the readings by Christian Badea with others - as there are none, at least of the Symphonies (the Rhapsody was recorded in the LP era on Argo by Frederick Prausnitz, sadly not reissued). It is disheartening to think that such important works, by such a major American composer, had to wait twenty to thirty years for a recording. But let's be grateful to New World for providing this one. This is an indispensable acquisition for the Sessions admirer, and an entry as good as any for those wanting a first introduction to the composer.

Excellent notes by Martin Brody.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Sessions Symphonies Idiomatically Played!, April 26, 1999

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[e-mail] (Richfield, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sessions: Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 5; Rhapsody (Audio CD)

The Columbus Symphony has not put out records of recent. Shame! For this recording is authoritative. Badea keeps these works on a tight rein and tension is always sustained. The sound quality sounds rather synthetic, however. The orchestra plays with great virtuosity and power, which is much impressive for a unknown orchestra. I have always enjoyed the 4th symphony, with its humourous Burlesque, the 2nd movement Elegy (with stormy middle section) and 3rd movement Pastorale. The 5th is a much more concentrated work, more on the angle of the Harris 3rd symphony. The rhapsody is a further pruning of his style as the composer was striving for more compactness of form (eg the Concerto for Orchestra, a late masterpiece).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent performances of superb music, May 22, 2011

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G.D. (Norway) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sessions: Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 5; Rhapsody (Audio CD)

The music of Roger Sessions (1896-1985) has failed to gain a prominent place in concert programs, yet he remains one of the absolutely most important American composers of his generation. The disparity between these two points is of course due to the fact that Sessions's music is serial; and no, there are no tunes in the traditional sense, and yes, the music does put certain demands on the listener. Still, those who skip Sessions have certainly missed out on some striking, masterly crafted and in the end utterly compelling music.

Sessions was never to strict about the rules of serialism, however, and the music is - for a serialist composer - surprisingly conservative. He employs traditional forms, and the music seems consistently rooted in a wry, dark-hued, almost Stravinskian neo-classicism. The music is, however, always imaginative and inventive; it is resourcefully crafted, with ideas rarely taking you quite in the direction you had suspected, the melodic lines are long, but the musical arguments are taut and the music is deeply serious and profound, expressive and dramatic and carrying often tremendous momentum.

The fourth symphony is probably the more immediately approachable of the two symphonies here. It contains a very energetic, powerful first movement and a beautifully, graciously heroic slow movement. The final Pastorale starts out gracefully and lyrically, but has some strikingly dark elements and patterns woven into it. The fifth symphony begins lyrically, but the work as a whole is very variegated in terms of mood and pacing - the recurring opening idea binding it together to provide an extremely satisfying formal architecture. Two masterly works, and as a filler we get a very compelling, strident and belligerent orchestral Rhapsody which takes some formal liberties and contains some abrupt juxtapositions of elements but end up sounding structurally very convincing nonetheless.

I have not heard any alternative performances of this music, but the playing here by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra is acute, incisive, sensitive, clear and energetic - and clarity and sharpness are virtues about all others in this music. Not only does the conductor and players have to be aware of the rapidly changing moods and patterns, but also the ever-changing textures, and these performances live up to all expectations (and the recorded sound is fine; close and dry, but clear); a splendid release, recommended with enthusiasm.