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Cover: Béla Bartók · Bohuslav Martinu · Gideon Klein – Concerto for Orchestra · Memorial to Lidice · Partita for Strings

Béla Bartók · Bohuslav Martinu · Gideon Klein

Concerto for Orchestra

Memorial to Lidice · Partita for Strings

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor

ODE 1072-5 · CD / SACD · November 2005

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... sometimes great things are worth waiting for...

Track listing

9 tracks · 68:48

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

Bohuslav Martinu

  1. 1 Memorial to Lidice, H. 296 12:00

Gideon Klein

  1. Partita for Strings (arr. Saudek) 17:16
  2. 2 I. Allegro spiccato 3:51
  3. 3 II. Lento (Variations on a Moravian Folksong) 10:01
  4. 4 III. Molto vivace 3:24

Béla Bartók

  1. Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116 39:33
  2. 5 I. Introduzione: Andante non troppo - Allegro vivace - Tempo I 10:28
  3. 6 II. Giuoco delle coppie: Allegretto scherzando 6:30
  4. 7 III. Elegia: Andante non troppo 8:41
  5. 8 IV. Intermezzo interrotto: Allegretto 4:30
  6. 9 V. Finale: Pesante - Presto 9:23

About this recording

Sometimes great things are worth waiting for... It has been nearly ten years since the renowned Philadelphia Orchestra made new recordings available on a regular and worldwide basis. This is Ondine's first release in its new groundbreaking partnership with The Philadelphia Orchestra, which calls for a minimum of three recordings to be released per year (for more information click here). The partnership agreement has attracted international media attention, including major articles throughout the international press (e.g. The Wall Street Journal, July 21, 2005; Gramophone, July 2005).

This release is also the first recording of conductor Christoph Eschenbach with The Philadelphia Orchestra, of which he became musical director in September 2003. Christoph Eschenbach holds a reputation as one of today's greatest champions of new and undiscovered repertoire. This CD combines a showpiece feature, Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, with two relatively unknown masterpieces, Klein's Partita for Strings and Martinu's Memorial to Lidice. The finest SACD recording technology highlights the unique spirit of a live-performance of this legendary orchestra, as well as its world-renowned 'Philadelphia Sound'. The live-captured concerts were highly acclaimed by The Philadelphia Inquirer (May 7, 2005).

This recording was released in 2005 in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. All three works presented on this disc were written by composers affected by the Nazi regime. Bartók wrote his Concerto for Orchestra (1943) during self-imposed US exile; Martinu composed Memorial to Lidice (1943) to honour the victims of the massacre of an entire village; the Partita for Strings, arranged in 1990 by the Czech composer Vojtech Saudek after the String Trio (1944), is Gideon Klein's last work which he completed shortly before he was transported to Auschwitz.

Features

1 Hybrid SACD (SACD Surround 5.0 / SACD Stereo / CD Stereo - playable on all SACD and CD players); booklet with liner notes in English, French and German; luxurious slipcase

Press

It reveals today's Philadelphia Orchestra to be a juggernaut, with a big, dark sound built from the bottom up. (...) This German maestro delivers pure noble angrish and regret.
Roger Hecht, American Record Guide, March/April 2006

The first SACD of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach on Ondine hits the bull's eye. (...) The sound is stunning (...). The repertoire choice and its coupling are thrilling, as well as the performances. (...) Absolutely recommended.
Thomas Vitzthum, klassik.com, March 9, 2006, Recommended*****

Powerfully introspective, (Martinu's Memorial) deserves greater familiarity, and this Eschenbach performance could make that happen.
Barrymore Laurence Scherer, The Wall Street Journal, February 25-26, 2006

The Philadelphia Orchestra's triumphant return to recording - Its insight, brilliance and musicality makes this Bartók Concerto for Orchestra the top choice.
Erik Levi, BBC Music Magazine, January 2006, Disc of the Month

This marks a new era for US orchestras' recorded futures.
James Jolly, Gramophone, January 2006, Editor's Choice

This release represents a most auspicious beginning to the relationship between Philadelphia and Ondine. I'm pleased (...) to be able to recommend it to you in the strongest possible terms.
David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com, November 2005, Artistic Quality 10 / Sound Quality 10

The artists

The Philadelphia Orchestra

Founded in 1900, The Philadelphia Orchestra has distinguished itself as one of the leading orchestras in the world through a century of acclaimed performances, historic international tours, and best-selling recordings. Six music directors have piloted the Orchestra through its first century, giving the ensemble an unparalleled cohesiveness and unity in artistic leadership. Fritz Scheel and Carl Pohlig served as its first music directors. In 1912 Leopold Stokowski was appointed conductor. Leading a series of major world and U.S. premieres and making widely acclaimed recordings, Stokowski firmly established Philadelphia's prominence in American classical music.

Full biography

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