Description
Johannes Brahms: Serenade no. 1 in D major, opus 11
Arnold Schönberg: Verklärte Nacht
LIVE RECORDINGS
Release date- June 30, 2014
Orchestra of the Swan, Kenneth Woods- Conductor (Brahms)
Ensemble Epomeo and Friends(Schönberg)
Caroline Chin* violin 1
Diane Pascal violin 2
David Yang* viola 1
Tom Hankey viola 2
Kenneth Woods* cello 1
Matthew Sharp cello 2
*Members Ensemble Epomeo
” Few, though, will have heard this nonet version of the Serenade, reconstructed by Alan Boustead in the 1980s, for strings, flute, two clarinets, bassoon and horn. In this live recording a slightly chubby ugly duckling in its orchestral format suddenly achieves lightness and clarity. Thanks to this aptly named Stratford-based ensemble, it has turned into a swan.”
“the sextet version, whilst obviously pared down in texture, actually has a greater intensity… they capture the build of intensity in the music, and one can sense that this must have been a captivating performance to experience live. Despite the relative containment of the sextet version…. this is an exciting performance. “
“Whether performed by sextet or string orchestra, Verklärte Nacht is usually interpreted to emphasise the dense textures, and half-lit effects of its richly voiced scoring; scene setting is usually the order of the day. But this group, the string trio Ensemble Epomeo with three extra players, instead strives for, and achieves, clarity of line and texture. The textures are appropriately bass heavy, and the two cellos dominate, but every line comes through with exceptional clarity. This gives the piece a new profile, with the complex but now clear counterpoint driving the music and leading the ear through the harmonic web. There is atmosphere here too, and much warmth in the ensemble’s sound, but that is never at the expense of the individual lines… Generally, though, this is an impressive recording, and one that exposes many details of the score that usually remain obscure.”
“…Unlike the chamber version of the Brahms Serenade, Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht in its original string sextet version—my preferred way of hearing the piece, though the string orchestra version is magnificent—is no rarity on recordings. Happily, this is a competitive performance with no technical weaknesses, a taut interpretation, and all the more impressive for being recorded live. The three members of the string trio Ensemble Epomeo, one of whom is the conductor Kenneth Woods, playing cello, are joined by three “friends.”
- Paul Orgel, Fanfare
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