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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful music for a fiver,
By
This review is from: Martinu-Symphonies Nos 3 and 5 (Audio CD)
This disc is definitely worth its modest cost. The Symphonies of Martinu are a world unto themselves and well worth exploring - not quite like anything else. There are odd echoes of Stravinsky, Janacek + even Copland? and no doubt lots of others, but, in the end, these are quirky and individual pieces. They are also very rewarding and approachable, not at all of the plink, plonk, crash, wah school. Nos 3 and 5 are probably two of the best of the 6 for the newcomer to Martinu's idiom, and No 3 is particularly well played in this Naxos version. No doubt both symphonies have been and will be played in a more award-winning style than here, but this performance of No 3 is worth the price alone and this disc should certainly win over some new converts to this composer.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Best,
By Mr. A. R. Boyes "Alan Boyes" (Newcastle, England) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Martinu-Symphonies Nos 3 and 5 (Audio CD)
Martinu's symphonies, perhaps unlike the rest of his output, are generously served by available recordings. Some of them are very good. I would recommend first of all the complete set by Bryden Thompson with the Scottish National Orchestra. The full set is on Chandos with bright sound and these are the most colourful and urgent versions to be had. Alternatively, also on Chandos, there ar esome excellent recoridngs with Jiri Belohlavek and the Czech Philharmonic. If you're looking for individual symphonies and at a budget price then this Naxos recording beats the competition. The sound isn't as good as Chandos, particularly on higher register instruments but it is okay overall. The performances are very good and Arthur Fagen is clearly an expert Martinu interpreter.
What about the symphonies? The third is a war symphony through and through but with Martinu's typical mature mix of neo baroque discipline and radiant lyrical expression. The "Slow" middle movement is particularly impressive, blending some menacing neo baroque fugal writing, war drum beats, and anguished lyricism. Thompson's performance on Chandos probably takes this section a bit too fast but Fagen is spot on. The dramatic outer movements are equally impressive, especially the finale that melts into the most meltingly delicious pastoral lyricism with still just that hint of menace in the background. For such a short symphony this work has quite a clout. If I have any reservation it is tha the picks through the urgen topening movement a little carefully. The fifth is rather more enigmatic - perhaps Martinu was reflecting, after the war was won, on what happens next. The symphony combines nervous rhythmic thrust with some radiant and luminous lyrical outbursts that sound like a cry from the heart - particularly in the central movement. The first movement and finale end with loud bombast but a far from obvious sense of optimism. I like the symphony very much but don't accept many critics view that it is a sunny and optimistic work. It is full of shadows, nervousness and uncertainty with the threat of violence lurking below the surface. Again this symphony packs a punch for a work of less than 30 minutes. At the risk of sounding mean I would suggest that there was room for a stocking filler but, for all that this is definitely a recommended disc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Introduction to Martinu,
By Joshua Grasso - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Martinu-Symphonies Nos 3 and 5 (Audio CD)
Sad to say, I really didn't know Martinu's music until a concert at the Cincinnati SO last month, where they took his marvelous Frescoes for an outing. I was riveted from the first movement to the last, and immediately set out to discover more of his work. I started here, with this marvelous collection of symphonies, each one unique, masterfully orchestrated, and impossible to forget even after a first listening. Kuchar and the Ukraine Orchestra have performed much neglected repertoire on Naxos over the years, from Prokofiev's symphonies to Ippolitov-Ivanov's colorful suites. Martinu's music is a much more formidible challenge, since there's so much going on here, and a second-rate orchestra cannot make this music work. It would simply dissolve into a formless mush of music and color. Kuchar has a keen eye on the development of each symphony, allowing even the novice listener to trace the journey through a succession of moods and landscapes. The two symphonies form a nice contrast, since the Third is more tempesutous, with a rhythmic piano providing Stravinsky-ish percussion throughout. The Fifth, though volatile at times, is more lyrical and calm, with an expansive, glorious finale. But most of all, I'm surprised how "first rate" Martinu's voice is. There's no filler here, no tedious passages of bombast or hackenyed melodies; to me, it all works, and works so well I can't understand why his music isn't played as much as Prokofiev or Shostakovich. He's certainly less dour than the latter gentleman (if a touch less profound). Once again, it pays to buy Naxos. It's a great way to dip your toe into uncharted waters, though I rarely find the Naxos recordings a mere introduction--they typically remain my first or second choice. I imagine this will be the case with Martinu's Third and Fifth symphonies. Highly recommended if you enjoy Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Stravisky, Respighi, Dvorak, Bax, Walton, or Vaughan-Williams. |
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