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Castle Classics CD of the Month
£5.99 8559024 S Barber: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2 - Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Marin Alsop, Conductor I was chatting to a regular customer the other day and, amongst other things, we were discussing the quality of CD recordings. So often, you will read comments within a review regarding the quality of a recording and, very often, I have to wonder what the reviewer has been listening to! A recent feature in The Gramophone regarding reviewers and their hi-fi systems provided the answer: the feature was based on the premise that the reviewers' systems were, to be kind, somewhat limited! Anyway, I digress... Keith (for that is his name) asked me about "demonstration-quality" recordings that he might like and I immediately recommended this recording (along with the rest of the RSNO / Marin Alsop's cycle of Barber orchestral works). The recording is, quite simply, magnificent and will convince any listener that some CDs sound better than others. Oh, and by the way, the music's pretty good, too! Actually, it's much, much better than that. Barber was, it seems to me, almost born out-of-time. His music is heavily influenced by the late Romantics, eschewing the "spiky" music that was so much more fashionable throughout his life. The Symphonies are vastly (scandalously?) under-rated and under-recorded, and the School for Scandal Overture that opens the disc is superb. Indeed, the rest of 5 CDs that make up the cycle are equally worthy of investigation, including a Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto and a sublime Cello Concerto. If you think Barber is all about the Adagio for Strings, think again! As always with Naxos, it is only £5.99. Click here or on the image to view more details or to purchase. If your order is for more than £35, why not make this superb recording your free Naxos CD?! Copyright (c) Castle Classics. All rights reserved |
