Prokofiev Symphony No.5 THOMAS SANDERLING Audite SACD

Prokofiev Symphony No.5

Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet

Thomas Sanderling conducting the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra

Audite SACD 92.557

original Hybrid SACD edition from 2006

new, factory sealed

The Russian cultural scene, although largely unnoticed in the West, offers an almost inexhaustible potential in terms of first-class musicians and valuable interpretations. On the present SACD audite presents for the second time the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra (NASO), an orchestra more or less unknown in the West but nonetheless highly renowned: Could it be due to this region’s geographic remoteness and exoticness, or to the negative connotation of Siberia, that Russian musical culture ends with the Ural Mountains as far as the culturally interested West is concerned? Despite numerous concert tours and major successes in the West, this Siberian orchestra has remained largely unknown up until the present day. This is completely unjustified, for the NASO need not fear comparison with the best-known European orchestras. Founded as long ago as 1956 in Novosibirsk as the result of a government decision to enliven Siberian cultural life, the Orchestra is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Arnold Kats was then appointed Music Director and has occupied this position uninterruptedly ever since. At first, alongside Novosibirsk, its concert activities were limited to cities in the eastern provinces of the former Soviet Union. Later on, concert organisers in the western Russian provinces discovered the Orchestra as well. Following successful performances in Moscow and Leningrad, the Orchestra undertook its first concert tour in the allied country of Bulgaria. Already in 1978, the Orchestra was permitted to undertake its first concert tour in the West – in Italy. Since then, numerous tours have regularly taken the orchestra to the great concert halls of the West European capitals and to Japan. Since 2002 Thomas Sanderling is the Permanent Guest Conductor of the orchestra. Following the production of the Symphony No. 2 and the Caprice bohèmien by Sergei Rachmaninov with the NASO under Arnold Kats audite now releases a second SACD with this unique orchestra under Thomas Sanderling. Once again the orchestra is presented with a truly Russian repertoire: The beloved Fantasia-Ouverture “Romeo and Juliette” by Peter Tchaikovsky takes the listener to the world of the Shakespear-drama about love and hatred; the Symphony No. 5 by Sergei Prokofiev gives us an impression of the “new simplicity”, an idea promoted by the composer himself: rich melodic invention and rhythmic vitality with a colouration at once objectively hard and romantic are united to form a heroic monumental style. In honour of the Orchestra’s 50th anniversary, audite presents a second production which attains the highest standards in interpretative and sound quality, motivating listeners to make further discoveries in the Russian musical scene.

www.new-classics.co.uk | June 2006 | John Pitt | June 22, 2006

"Mily Balakirev, one of the ‘Mighty Five’ amateur Russian composers of the mid-eithteenth century, encouraged Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to write a piece based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, knowing that Tchaikovsky had recently emerged from his infatuation with a Belgian soprano named Désirée Artôt. Balakirev continued to make suggestions about the work throughout the ten years before the final version was published in 1880. Described as an ‘Overture-Fantasy’ by its composer, the overall design is a symphonic poem in sonata-form with an introduction and an epilogue. The work has become one of the most popular in the classical repertoire and its passionate love theme has been used in many movies, including Wayne's World. Sergei Prokofiev’s monumental Fifth Symphony was premiered in 1945 in the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer himself. The Red Army had announced its victory in the war a few minutes before the premiere, so the heroic spirit of the work fitted perfectly. The music was a great success at its premiere and remains one of Prokofiev’s most popular works. This rewarding SACD release features fine performances of both these fine Russian works by the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra, directed by its permanent guest conductor, Thomas Sanderling. Founded by the government in 1956 to enliven Siberian cultural life, this orchestra has subsequently aquired an increasingly international reputation, giving concert tours throughout Western Europe and Japan. Mily Balakirev, one of the ‘Mighty Five’ amateur Russian composers of the mid-eithteenth century, encouraged Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to write a piece based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, knowing that Tchaikovsky had recently emerged from his infatuation with a Belgian soprano named Désirée Artôt. Balakirev continued to make suggestions about the work throughout the ten years before the final version was published in 1880. Described as an ‘Overture-Fantasy’ by its composer, the overall design is a symphonic poem in sonata-form with an introduction and an epilogue. The work has become one of the most popular in the classical repertoire and its passionate love theme has been used in many movies, including Wayne's World. Sergei Prokofiev’s monumental Fifth Symphony was premiered in 1945 in the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer himself. The Red Army had announced its victory in the war a few minutes before the premiere, so the heroic spirit of the work fitted perfectly. The music was a great success at its premiere and remains one of Prokofiev’s most popular works. This rewarding SACD release features fine performances of both these fine Russian works by the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra, directed by its permanent guest conductor, Thomas Sanderling. Founded by the government in 1956 to enliven Siberian cultural life, this orchestra has subsequently aquired an increasingly international reputation, giving concert tours throughout Western Europe and Japan."