METAMORPHOSEN: KORNGOLD: SYMPHONISCHE SERENADE, OP. 39, SCHREKER: INTERMEZZO, OP. 8, R. STRAUSS: METAMORPHOSEN, Sinfonia of London, John Wilson/Chandos SACD  John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London continue to surprise us with their eclectic programmes designed to exemplify both the conductor’s wide musical interests as well as the fine musicianship and virtuosity of his players. This latest release is the second to focus solely on the strings of the orchestra. The title of this SACD refers to Richard Strauss’s valedictory ‘Metamorphosen for 23 Solo Strings’, arguably the greatest of the instrumental works that he composed in his final years, but one that took some time to establish itself in the aftermath of the 2nd World War. This masterpiece is the 85 year old composer’s response to the destruction of Germany’s artistic heritage laid waste by the madness of war – something that surely resonates with all of us at the present time. The contrapuntal complexities of this astonishing piece are lucidly and spaciously expounded by Wilson and his players with notable expressive power. Thanks to the superbly warm and transparent Chandos multi-channel recording textures remain clear even in the densest passages, and while there are a couple of other fine versions available on SACD this glowing account played with considerable emotional fervour ticks all the right boxes. Following the profound intensity of the Strauss, we have works by composers whose lives were sadly and irreparably blighted by political climate in 1930s Europe. The first is Franz Schreker, whose operas were once as highly regarded as those of Strauss until the rise of the National Socialists. He is represented here by a brief lyrical ‘Intermezzo, Op. 8 for String Orchestra’, an early work written in 1900 and later incorporated as the fourth movement of his ‘Romantische Suite’. With its melodic charm it shows little evidence of the composer’s later expressionistic style and is performed here with much eloquence and sensitivity. The second is Erich Wolfgang Korngold who escaped from Europe to Hollywood in 1938 where he composed his many celebrated film scores. After the war Korngold had hoped to rebuild his reputation in mainstream composition – an ambition that unfortunately was not to be realised. The ‘Symphonic Serenade Op.39 for String Orchestra’ of 1947- 48 was one of a number of late works written to that end. As the name suggests it is a piece more ambitious in scale than the well-known serenades by Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Elgar to name but three. For this work the composer specifies a very large complement of 64 strings that he uses, often in divided groups, with considerable skill and imagination. Korngold wrote the Serenade for the strings of the Vienna Philharmonic who premiered it under Wilhelm Furtwängler in 1950 while it fell to William Steinberg to give the American premiere in Pittsburgh in 1955. The virtuosity and finesse of the Sinfonia Of London’s players is evident throughout Wilson’s account of this marvellous score; not least in the technically challenging ‘Intermezzo’, played almost entirely pizzicato, and few could fail to be moved by the intensity of the Mahlerian ‘Lento religioso’ in Wilson’s hands. Though there have been a number of recordings on CD of this unaccountably neglected masterpiece this is the first to be available as a multi-channel hybrid SACD and is therefore especially welcome. In the hands of the Chandos recording engineers the acoustic of the recording venue, the Church of St. Augustine, Kilburn, furnishes a wonderfully coherent sound stage; full of detail and with a rounded ambience that enhances all these compelling performances. Highly recommended.

STRAVINSKY BALLETS: THE FIREBIRD, PETRUSHKA, THE RITE OF SPRING, London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle/LSO Live SACD  Stravinsky’s three early and most popular ballets have long been staples of the Concert Hall, their popularity matched by the vast number of recordings of each of them available on disc. For Sir Simon Rattle all three have been central to his long and distinguished conducting career when as a 22 year old he first recorded the ‘Rite of Spring’ with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Rattle then went on to record these ballets for EMI during his tenure with the CBSO and continued to programme them in his position as chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. This LSO Live release was recorded on 21st and 24th of September 2017 at the Barbican as part of the 2017-2018 season, one that marked the conductor’s start as Music Director of the LSO. The excitement of this live concert is palpable throughout in the playing, with this orchestra’s apparently limitless virtuosity always displayed in the service of the music.The first of this two-disc set contains a simply stunning account of ‘The Firebird’ in which Rattle brings the story to life with a sure sense of characterisation in each episode that is backed up with astonishingly assured playing throughout. The mysterious opening perfectly evokes Kastchei’s enchanted garden while the ‘Dance of the Firebird’ is played with delicacy and lucidity.
Rattle luxuriates in the lush romantic sections of the work, coaxing wonderfully sensitive solos from his players yet never showing a trace of self indulgence. The confrontation with Kastchei and his followers bristles with rhythmic energy and culminate in one of the most thrilling performances of the ‘Danse Infernale’ I can recall – delivered by the LSO with a white-hot intensity and breathtaking precision that will lift you out of your seat. Unmissable! ‘Petrushka’ opens the second SACD and once again Rattle shows his skill at vividly bringing the ballet’s story to life. He opts for the revised 1947 revision of the score, rather than the more exotically scored original of 1910-11 that I personally prefer, but with a performance as gripping as this few will be disappointed with Rattle’s choice. Pacing is dramatic and taut in a manner that perfectly illustrates both his admiration for Stravinsky’s music and his supreme skills in the interpretation of it. Once again the LSO rise to the occasion with playing of tremendous alertness and though it would seem unfair to single out individual solos from this fabulous ensemble, Gareth Davies (flute), Philip Moore (piano) and Philip Cobb (trumpet) do deserve special mention. Rattle’s excitingly incisive account of ‘The Rite of Spring’ completes this compelling set in a most satisfying manner. Surprisingly, the LSO show no sign of tiredness at the end of what must have been a taxing evening, and the playing is as dazzling as in the earlier works. Naturally, Rattle’s firm grip on the structure of the piece and his players exuberant energy ensure that there are no disappointments from start to finish.The recording quality on this release is one of the finest I have heard from this acoustically problematic venue. The dynamic range is wide and details of the scoring emerge with considerable clarity while the many climaxes have considerable impact. This is especially interesting as the Classic Sound team have recorded this album in 24 bit/96kHz PCM rather than their usual DSD. Even with multitudinous versions of these three masterpieces available on disc, including those conducted by the composer, Sir Simon Rattle’s high voltage performances with the LSO stand out, and can be confidently recommended.