Alexandre Tansman - Symphonies Vol. 2 (Oleg Caetani)

Information

Composer: Alexandre Tansman

• Symphony No. 7 'Lyrique'
• Musique pour orchestre (Symphony No. 8)
• Symphony No. 9

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Oleg Caetani, conductor

Date: 2007

Label: Chandos

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Review

Neither as propulsive as Prokofiev nor as stringent as Stravinsky, the symphonies of Polish-American-French modernist Alexandre Tansman are tightly structured, brightly scored, robustly rhythmic, and sincerely expressive neo-classical works. In this second volume of the first complete survey of Tansman's nine symphonies, Chandos brought together his final three works in the genre, the "Lyrique" Seventh from 1944, the "Musique pour orchestre" Eighth from 1948, and the un-subtitled Ninth from 1958 in first-rate performances with Oleg Caetani leading the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Each work follows the same four-movement plan: a powerful opening Allegro followed by a probing Andante, a light Scherzo, and a closing Allegro marked either eciso or molto risoluto. Yet, at least in these persuasive performances, there is no trace of routine in Tansman's music, which bounces along on waves of unstoppable energy. Anyone interested in neo-classical modernist symphonies who already knows the best-known works in the genre will likely be interested in at least hearing this disc once. Chandos' digital sound is crisp, colorful, and very vivid.

— James Leonard

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Alexander Tansman (12 June 1897 – 15 November 1986) was a Polish-born French composer. Born in Łódź to Jewish parents, he studied piano, composition and conducting before earning a law degree from Warsaw University. After moving to Paris in 1919, he gained recognition as a pianist and composer, influenced particularly by Stravinsky and Ravel. His international career included performances and tours across Europe, Asia and America. During World War II, he fled to Los Angeles with his family. Although he continued composing prolifically after returning to Paris, his neo-Classical style gradually fell out of favor.

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Oleg Caetani (born 1956 in Lausanne) is an Italian conductor and son of Igor Markevitch. He studied under Nadia Boulanger, and trained in conducting and composition at the Santa Cecilia (with Franco Ferrara), Moscow (with Kirill Kondrashin), and St Petersburg (with Ilya Musin) conservatories. Caetani began his career in Berlin and held leadership roles in major German opera houses. He became chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2005 but departed in 2009 due to conflicts. His recordings include Shostakovich symphonies, as well as works by Tansman, Stephan, Tchaikovsky, Gounod and Donizetti.

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