Lalo Symphony etc. from Neeme Järvi

[Alan Howe]

Just a quick reminder, if I may: it's always worth checking first before posting about a new release - otherwise we get an awful lot of repetition (and often confusion). Thanks.

[tuatara442442]

The Le Roi d'Ys Overture is a terrific piece - really Wagnerian in its swaggering drama. It was my introduction to Lalo and, fine composer though he is, I've never heard a piece by him which makes more impact.

Its coda is a bit too long and have too many repeated notes in the final tutti, bordering on comic, though.

[Elgar4Ever]

The Le Roi d'Ys Overture is a terrific piece - really Wagnerian in its swaggering drama. It was my introduction to Lalo and, fine composer though he is, I've never heard a piece by him which makes more impact.

Its coda is a bit too long and have too many repeated notes in the final tutti, bordering on comic, though.

I beg to differ. The repeated notes and the odd rhythms make the coda to the Overture very exciting. It is far from comic. It is and has been a favorite Overture in its overall impact on me for over 60 years.

[Alan Howe]

I'm sure this release will prove highly satisfactory, but wait: don't forget Beecham! If it's the Symphony you're after, I can't imagine a more highly charged and convincing performance than his classic recording made in Paris in December 1959. The sound is remarkably clear for its time and the sheer power that Beecham elicits from the orchestra is quite stunning. What a great conductor he was! He makes Lalo's compact work into a veritable pocket-battleship of a symphony. Try it out here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47w_plUKSZo&t=129s  (but it sounds even better over a decent hi-fi).

[Elgar4Ever]

Alan, thank you for bringing back delightful memories of the great Sir Thomas. I purchased the Lalo Symphony in a small record shop opposite Columbia University in New York City in 1969.
After listening to Jarvi in this Symphony, Beecham wins hand down.
Your thoughts on Beecham's disc mate for the Lalo, the Franck Symphony. I truly love what Beecham does with Franck's great work.

[Ilja]

It doesn't have to be a competition, of course. The comparison is interesting, however, because in some ways Beecham and Järvi are quite similar conductors, and Lalo's work suits their temperament. Both recordings are very good. Beecham is perhaps just a tad too quick in the opening movement, and Järvi in both middle movements. But in general approach they're quite similar, despite the 65-year gap between them. Remarkably, the older recording sounds quite a bit better than the (untypically) rather dry sonics in Järvi's Chandos version.

Having said all that, my favorite is still Jean-Pierre Haeck with the Liège Philharmonic on Cypres, a recording which seems a bit "sharper", and effectively bringing out the lightness and fleet-footedness of Lalo's music.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Ilja. I'll investigate Haeck. A timely reminder to consider lesser-known conductors who understand the idiom...

[Alan Howe]

Thanks to Ilja I have now acquired the recording of Lalo's Symphony conducted by Jean-Pierre Haeck on Cyprès - and I must agree that it is a superlative performance. The sound is more up-to-date than Beecham's, having been recorded in 2002, and the orchestra, the Liège Phiharmonic, prove themselves thoroughly up to the job.

This is indeed a timely reminder not to underestimate the capabilities of less well-known musicians and the labels that feature them.

[Alan Howe]

This review shares some of the reservations that have been expressed about Järvi's conducting:
https://musicwebinternational.com/2024/02/lalo-orchestral-works-chandos-2/