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Cover: George Enescu – Symphonie Concertante for Cello and Orchestra · Symphony No. 1

George Enescu

Symphonie Concertante for Cello and Orchestra

Symphony No. 1

Truls Mørk, cello
Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra
Hannu Lintu, conductor

ODE 1198-2 · CD · February 2015

Buy / listen

Track listing

6 tracks · 53:48

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

George Enescu

  1. Symphonie Concertante for Cello and Orchestra in B flat minor, Op. 8 23:54
  2. 1 Assez lent ? 10:35
  3. 2 Assez lent ? 4:49
  4. 3 Majestueux 8:28
  5. Symphony No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 13 30:00
  6. 4 Assez vif et rythmé 10:58
  7. 5 Lent 10:50
  8. 6 Vif et vigoureux 8:08

About this recording

The final release of the George Enescu (1881-1955) symphony cycle includes two neglected masterpieces: the 1st Symphony filled with youthful energy and the poetic and lyric Symphonie concertante for Cello and Orchestra. The soloist of the Symphony concertante is the award-winning cellist Truls Mørk.

Enescu wrote both of the works at a relatively young age: the Symphonie concertante was written at the age of 20 and the 1st Symphony was premiered when the composer was 25 years of age. Even so, Enescu had already created himself an impressive career as a composer with several large-scale works.

The Ondine recordings with Hannu Lintu and the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra have proved to be extremely successful. The first release of the Enescu cycle received Gramophone Awards Nomination 2013. Hannu Lintu and the orchestra also received GRAMMY nomination for their recording of Rautavaara's Kaivos Opera.

Features

Sleeve notes in English and Finnish

Press

Truls Mørk is top dollar in all key respects, his phrase-shaping sensitively inflected (just try his first entry), and his tone production as warm as anyone could wish for (...). No need to sing the praises of Hannu Lintu and the Tampere Philharmonic in this repertoire (...). A definite thumbs-up for Mørk and Lintu.

Rob Cowan, Gramophone, May 2015

Truls Mørk is an impassioned advocate delivering an intense and committed account of the cello part (...). Some of the most imaginative writing comes in the central slow movement where Lintu and his Finnish orchestra are in their element, encapsulating to perfection both the mysterious brooding harmonies of the introduction and the more ardent melodic ideas that follow suit.

Performance: ****

Recording: *****

Erik Levi, BBC Music Magazine, July 2015

The artists

Truls Mørk

Truls Mørk's reputation as a cellist of fierce intensity and grace has been built on performances throughout the world. He is a celebrated artist who performs with the most distinguished orchestras, including the Berlin and Munich Philharmonics, Royal Concertgebouw, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Staatskapelle Dresden, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, and Wiener Symphoniker. In North America he has worked with the orchestras of Boston, Los Angeles, New York Philharmonic, Chicago, and Cleveland, among others.

Full biography

Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra

The Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, comprising 97 musicians, is one of Scandinavia's leading symphony orchestras. In autumn 2013, young Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali succeeded Hannu Lintu as new Chief Conductor and continued in his post until 2023.

Full biography

Hannu Lintu

Hannu Lintu is one of Finland's most sought-after conductors and is rapidly creating a major international career. He has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra 2009-2013, and also Principal Guest Conductor of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin. Before assuming the new role of Chief Conductor of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra from 2013 to 2021, he was the orchestra's Chief Guest Conductor in 2012. Hannu Lintu was previously Chief Conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. He is a regular guest conductor with the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra in Finland and was Artistic Director of the orchestra's Summer Sounds festival in 2005. In November 2022, the Gulbenkian Orchestra announced the appointment of Lintu as its next chief conductor.

Full biography

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