{"id":43910,"date":"2025-03-24T13:49:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T17:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/?p=43910"},"modified":"2025-03-24T13:49:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T17:49:15","slug":"classical-music-by-christophe-huss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/en\/classical-music-by-christophe-huss\/","title":{"rendered":"Classical Music by Christophe Huss"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALBUM OF THE MOMENT<\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>ARNOLD SCHOENBERG<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/strong>Pell\u00e9as et M\u00e9lisande. Transfigured Night.<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Montreal Symphony Orchestra,
\nRafael Payare.<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Pentatone, PTC 5187 218
\nInterpretation<\/strong><\/span>: *****
\nTechnic<\/strong><\/span>: ****
\nThis is the third album by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra<\/strong> (OSM<\/strong>) and its new conductor Rafael Payare<\/strong>, following Mahler<\/strong>\u2019s Symphony No.\u00a05<\/em> and Richard Strauss<\/strong>\u2019 A Hero\u2019s Life<\/em>. All three are major points of pride, akin to what had not been felt since Charles Dutoit<\/strong>\u2019s Daphnis et Chlo\u00e9<\/em> nearly 45\u00a0years ago.
\nViennese composer Arnold Schoenberg<\/strong> is not widely appreciated by music lovers due to his invention of twelve-tone music, which is often considered difficult to grasp. However, before that, in the early 20th<\/sup>\u00a0century, he composed highly expressive works like Pell\u00e9as et M\u00e9lisande, Transfigured Night<\/em>, and Gurre-Lieder<\/em>, which extended the musical legacy of Wagner<\/strong> and the orchestral richness of Richard Strauss<\/strong>.
\nRafael Payare<\/strong> demonstrates a keen instinct for structure, dynamic shading, evocative colors, and the sensuality of this music. The OSM<\/strong> performs masterfully, and the live recording is admirable\u00a0\u2014 although one occasionally hears the conductor\u2019s breathing grunts.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

EXCELLENT SOUND RECORDING<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n


\n<\/strong>\"\"<\/a>LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/strong>Symphony\u00a0 No. 3 \u00ab\u00a0Eroica\u00a0\u00bb.
\nOuverture Coriolan.<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Budapest Festival Orchestra,
\nIvan Fischer.<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Channel, SACD, CCSSA 46524.
\nInterpretation<\/strong><\/span>: ****
\nTechnic<\/strong><\/span>: *****
\nThere is much to say about this album. First, no discography is ever fixed. In the past fifteen years, conductors like Osmo V\u00e4nsk\u00e4<\/strong>, Manfred Honeck<\/strong>, and now Iv\u00e1n Fischer<\/strong> have produced at least three Eroica<\/em> recordings that stand alongside the greatest interpretations.
\nSecond, this proves there is still a place for full symphony orchestras. Some conductors, like Yannick N\u00e9zet-S\u00e9guin<\/strong>, reduce ensemble sizes to make the winds more audible. However, Fischer<\/strong>\u2019s Eroica<\/em> remains both powerfully symphonic and clear.
\nThe technical and sonic aspects, managed by Jared Sacks<\/strong> (founder of Channel Classics<\/strong>), perfectly support this artistic vision. Instead of recording in Budapest\u2019s famous concert hall\u00a0\u2014 modeled after Montreal\u2019s Maison symphonique<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Fischer<\/strong> and Sacks<\/strong> opted for the stunning Rumbach Synagogue<\/em>. The venue\u2019s acoustics are masterfully handled, making this recording a gem.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

BOX SETS OF THE MOMENT<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n


\n\"\"<\/a>ANTON BRUCKNER<\/span><\/strong>
\nSymphonies Nos. 1-9. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, various conductors.<\/strong>
\nDeutsche Grammophon, 9 CD, 484\u00a05606.<\/strong>
\nInterpretations<\/strong><\/span>: **** to *****
\nTechnic<\/span><\/strong>: ****
\nSeveral Bruckner<\/strong> symphony box sets have been released in this commemorative year. For years, various orchestras\u00a0\u2014 Berlin Philharmonic<\/strong>, Bavarian Radio Symphony<\/strong>, and Amsterdam\u2019s Concertgebouw<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 have issued multi-conductor collections. However, these often serve as much to please conductors as to appeal to listeners.
\nA 2019 Vienna Bruckner<\/strong><\/em> set from Eloquence<\/strong> only included Decca<\/strong> recordings, whereas this new release draws from Universal<\/strong>\u2019s entire catalog, making it far superior.
\nKey highlights include B\u00f6hm<\/strong>\u2019s Symphony No.\u00a04<\/em>, Maazel\u2019s No.\u00a05<\/em>, and Horst<\/strong> Stein<\/strong>\u2019s No.\u00a0 6<\/em>, all excellent choices. For the first three symphonies, the selection is impeccable: Abbado<\/strong> (his second recording for DG<\/strong>), Muti<\/strong> (live in Salzburg), and Haitink<\/strong> (Philips<\/strong>). The later symphonies feature Karajan<\/strong>, Boulez<\/strong>, and Giulini<\/strong> (Nos.\u00a07, 8, and\u00a09<\/em>). The toughest choice was between Giulini<\/strong> and Bernstein<\/strong> for Symphony No.\u00a09<\/em>.
\nWhile Maazel<\/strong>\u2019s No.\u00a05<\/em> is solid, Abbado<\/strong> would have been preferable. However, the set aims to avoid repeating conductors, and Abbado<\/strong> was indispensable for Symphony No.\u00a01<\/em>. Ultimately, only the complete Bruckner<\/strong> sets by Wand<\/strong> and Jochum<\/strong> surpass this one.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>CHRISTOPH VON DOHNANYI<\/span>
\n<\/strong>Dohnanyi-Cleveland,
\nThe Complete Decca Recordings.<\/em><\/strong>
\n<\/em><\/strong>Decca, 40 CD, 485\u00a04683.
\nInterpretations<\/strong><\/span>: **** to *****
\nTechnic<\/strong><\/span>: **** to *****
\nRecord labels often create box sets around conductors, soloists, or orchestras to complement traditional composer-centered collections. Some are particularly valuable when they revive long-unavailable recordings.
\nIf you can find this box set at a reasonable price (currently high for a 40-CD collection, as these reissues once sold for $3\u00a0\u2013 $4 per CD), don\u2019t hesitate. These recordings, made between 1986 and 1999\u00a0\u2014 especially in the mid-1990s\u00a0\u2014 were briefly available due to the decline of CD sales from 1994 onward.
\nDohn\u00e1nyi<\/strong> was a cerebral yet highly efficient conductor, leading one of the world\u2019s finest orchestras. This set offers exquisite interpretations of Mozart<\/strong>, Schumann<\/strong>, Bart\u00f3k<\/strong>, Dvo\u0159\u00e1k<\/strong>, Jan\u00e1\u010dek<\/strong>, and operatic highlights from Das Rheingold<\/em> and Die Walk\u00fcre<\/em>. The Bruckner<\/strong> and Mahler<\/strong> recordings are less essential, but the orchestral brilliance remains undeniable.<\/p>\n

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RECENT DISCOVERIES
\n<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>JACQUES H\u00c9TU<\/span><\/strong>
\nSymphonie No. 5.<\/strong>
\nToronto Mendelssohn Choir,
\nNational Arts Centre Orchestra,
\nQuebec Symphonic Orchestra,
\nAlexander Shelley.<\/strong>
\nAnalekta, AN2 8890.
\nInterpretation<\/strong><\/span>: *****
\nTechnic<\/strong><\/span>: ****
\nQuebec\u2019s true musical patriarch\u00a0\u2014 akin to Sibelius<\/strong> in Finland or Nielsen<\/strong> in Denmark\u00a0\u2014 is Jacques H\u00e9tu<\/strong> (1938\u20132010). During his lifetime, he was often overlooked for not being \u201cmodern\u201d enough, composing music that sought to communicate with audiences, much like Shostakovich<\/strong>.
\nH\u00e9tu<\/strong> wrote concertos (including a magnificent Organ Concerto<\/em>) and accessible orchestral works (On the Banks of the Saint-Maurice<\/em> exemplifies his musical philosophy).
\nLate in his life, a miraculous commission came from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 not just a small contemporary piece, but a full-fledged symphony. H\u00e9tu<\/strong> then composed his own Beethoven<\/em><\/strong>\u2019s Ninth<\/em>: a four-movement, 45-minute work with a choral finale set to Paul \u00c9luard<\/strong>\u2019s poem Libert\u00e9<\/em>, depicting Paris before, during, and after World War\u00a0II.
\nShostakovich<\/strong>\u2019s influence is evident in the second movement, while Mahler<\/strong>\u2019s presence is felt in the third. In February 2024, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra<\/strong>, the National Arts Centre Orchestra<\/strong>, and a Toronto choir united to celebrate this masterpiece. This post-tour recording now stands as the definitive version.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>FREDERICK BLOCK<\/span>
\n<\/strong>Piano Trio No. 2. String Quartet Op. 23.
\nSuite Op. 73. Quintet Op. 19.<\/strong>
\nARC Ensemble.
\n<\/strong>Chandos, CHAN, 20358.
\nInterpretation<\/strong><\/span>:****
\nTechnic<\/strong><\/span>: ****
\nToronto\u2019s ARC Ensemble<\/strong> has launched a Music in Exile<\/em> collection on Chandos<\/strong>, highlighting composers displaced by historical events. The most exciting volume so far was dedicated to Walter Kaufmann<\/strong>, a Czech Jew who fled to Bombay before becoming the first conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra<\/strong>. Kaufmann<\/strong> uniquely infused Indian musical idioms into his compositions.
\nThis new release resurrects, for the first time, the works of Frederick Block<\/strong> (or Friedrich Bloch<\/strong>, 1899\u00a0\u2013 1945), an Austrian student of Czech composer Josef Foerster<\/strong> and Hans G\u00e1l<\/strong>. A staunch traditionalist, Block<\/strong> rejected Schoenberg<\/strong>\u2019s twelve-tone system, composing instead in the lush, late-Romantic style of Korngold<\/strong>.
\nThe pieces recorded here (from 1928\u00a0\u2013 1930, along with a clarinet and piano suite from 1944) reflect an alternative Viennese musical path, akin to that of Korngold<\/strong>, Zemlinsky<\/strong>, and Weigl<\/strong>. This is one of the most compelling releases in the Music in Exile<\/em> series, with the Piano Trio<\/em> and String Quartet<\/em> standing out as first-rate works in the Korngold-Zemlinsky tradition.<\/p>\n

more reviews will follow shortly …<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ALBUM OF THE MOMENT ARNOLD SCHOENBERG Pell\u00e9as et M\u00e9lisande. Transfigured Night. Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Rafael Payare. Pentatone, PTC 5187 218 Interpretation: ***** Technic: **** This is the third album by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM) and its new conductor Rafael Payare, following Mahler\u2019s Symphony No.\u00a05 and Richard Strauss\u2019 A Hero\u2019s Life. All three are major […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":43905,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2727,2725],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43910","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rhythm-and-music","category-whats-new","entry","has-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43910","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43910"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43929,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43910\/revisions\/43929"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tedpublications.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}