Great Maestros XVI–XVII: Beethoven – 250

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September 10, 2020
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June 4, 2021

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GREAT MAESTROS XVI–XVII
BEETHOVEN – 250

KALLE RANDALU − piano
ESTONIAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Conductor NEEME JÄRVI

Released December 16th, 2020.
Vol XVI
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No 27 in B-flat major, KV 595
1 Allegro 13:52
2 Larghetto 7:08
3 Rondo. Allegro 10:45
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Piano Concerto No 21 in C major, KV 467
4 Encore: Andante 7:56
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 5 in C minor, Op 67 “Fate Symphony”
5 Allegro con brio 7:52
6 Andante con moto 11:42
7 Scherzo. Allegro
(attacca) Allegro 15:48

Mozart. Piano Concerto No 21, Movement II, Andante, fragment, 2 min 20 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps

Beethoven. Symphony No 5, Movement III / IV, fragment, 1 min 54 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps

Vol XVII
Robert Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 54
1 Allegro affetuoso 16:24
2 Intermezzo. Andantino grazioso
(attacca) Allegro vivace 17:14
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 7 in A major, Op 92
4 Poco sostenuto − Vivace 11:33
5 Allegretto 7:37
6 Presto 8:11
7 Allegro con brio 8:16
8 Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No 8 in F major, Op 93
Encore: Tempo di menuetto 6:22

Beethoven. Symphony No 7, Mov III, fragment, 3 min 20 sec, mp3, 320 Kbps

       

Performed by: Kalle Randalu, piano (Vol XVI #1−4, Vol XVII #1−2)
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, concertmasters Arvo Leibur and Triin Ruubel
Neeme Järvi, conductor

Recorded 2015−2019 in Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn
Recorded by Tanel Klesment / Audio Maja and Aili Jõeleht / ERR
Edited and mastered by Tanel Klesment / Audio Maja
Liner notes by Maia Lilje
Booklet compiled and edited by Meeta Morozov, Maarja Kasema and Tiina Jokinen
Front cover artwork by Anna Litvinova
Back cover artworks by Heinz Valk
Design by Mart Kivisild
Artistic producer – Peeter Vähi

ERP 12020, ERP 12120
℗ ERSO, ERR
© 2020 ERSO, ERP

ERSO 920
Piano Concerto No 27
in B-flat major, KV 595 the genre that had made him absolutely successful in his Vienna period. His previous Concerto in D major (Krönungskonzert, KV 537) had been completed in 1788 which is also the year that the drafts of the B-flat major concerto originate from, despite the work itself being dated by the composer January 5th, 1791. Concerto in D major was premiered by Mozart himself in Frankfurt am Main in October 1790 at the coronation festivities of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. Concerto in B-flat major was premiered at a charity event dedicated to clarinetist Joseph Beer in a Viennese restaurant owned by Ignaz Jahn on March 4th and it remained Mozart’s last public performance as a pianist. Te Viennese public had lost interest in his concertos and symphonies which was further proved by the fact that the last symphonies – in E-flat major, G minor and C major – composed in summer 1788 were not particularly well received in the composer’s life time. /…/

The creation of the Fifth Symphony has often been associated with the composer’s own tragic fate and his deepening deafness. Beethoven’s private secretary and his first biographer has written among other things in his memoires: “The clue [… for the depth of the work …] was given by the composer himself while mentioning in a conversation with his publisher: “this is how fate knocks on the door,” referring to the beginning of the opening movement. Beethoven’s researchers disputing Schindler’s statements emphasize that the abstract generalization in the symphony is stronger than and above the composer’s personal tragedy. Te first drafts of the work date back to the period of composing Eroica in 1803. Symphony No 3 was completed in 1804 and No 5 in spring, 1808. It was not unusual for Beethoven to work on several large-scale works simultaneously which was also the case during this productive period encompassing Symphony No 4 (1806), Piano Concerto No 4 (1806), Violin Concerto (1806), overtures Leonore No 3 (1806) and Coriolan (1807), two early editions of opera Fidelio (1804 / 1806) and Mass in C major (1807). /…/

Schumann’s musical style is also well exhibited in his only Piano Concerto in A minor. The work, dating back to 1841, is one of the most popular romantic piano concertos to date. At the end of March, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra premiered Schumann’s First symphony in B-flat major (Frühlingssinfonie). The conductor was Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Already in May, a Fantasy in A minor for piano and orchestra was completed. After the first rehearsal, Clara Schumann wrote in her diary, “I find it exquisite. /… / The piano is wonderfully intertwined with the orchestra – it is impossible to imagine one without the other.” However, as an one-movement work, it was not of interest to publishers and four years later, while preparing a new piece, the composer wrote to Clara, “I spoke to you about a concerto, but it should be something of a combination of a symphony, a concerto, and a sonata. I do not think I can write a virtuoso concerto – I have to think of something else.” After editing the finished fantasy, he added two more movements – the Intermezzo and the Rondo – thus, a three-­movement concerto was born. /…/

Like the Fifth and the Sixth symphonies, the Seventh and the Eighth were also composed one after another in a short time span, again, following the classical tradition, untitled and with no programmatic references. Te composer dated the manuscript of the Seventh Symphony in A major May 13th, 1812. The composition process is well documented in the author’s 100-­page sketchbook which, being an invaluable source of information for the researchers, demonstrate the profoundness of preliminary work done before the final notation. This work has been widely discussed by many subsequent composers from Wagner to Tchaikovsky and it has most widely been labelled “dance apotheosis”. Te march-­like patterns, though, that also play a dominant role, can justify calling the work “march apotheosis”, especially if looking for connections with anti-­Napoleon moods and several military events like the Battles of Hanau and Leipzig or Battle of the Nations which resulted in the liberation of huge areas on the Rhein from Napoleon’s occupation. Symphony No 7 was premiered together with an overture Wellington’s Victory at the Assembly Hall of Vienna University on December 8th, 1813


The grand man of Estonian music, Maestro Neeme Järvi – a conductor “from God” – is probably the best known Estonian musician in the world beside Arvo Pärt. It is almost impossible to fully sum up the long and prolific career of one of the most sought after conductors of our time. /…/
Having served as chief conductor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra from 1963 to 1979, he took a difficult decision in 1980 and emigrated from the artistically oppressive USSR to the West where he made it his mission to introduce Estonian music to the world. He has conducted works by Rudolf Tobias, Artur Kapp, Arvo Pärt, Eino Tamberg, Veljo Tormis, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Peeter Vähi and other Estonian composers − but first and foremost by Eduard Tubin with whom he closely collaborated artistically.
The latest awards to Maestro Järvi have been for Life Achievement in Culture by the Republic of Estonia in 2017 and for Life Achievement by Gramophone in 2018.

KalleRandaluByHeinzValk400

Kalle Randalu is an internationally sought-after pianist from Estonia. He has studied under Prof Bruno Lukk in the Tallinn Conservatoire and in the Moscow Conservatoire under Prof Lev Vlassenko. He is a laureate of several international piano contests, among others prizes from the International Robert Schumann Contest in Zwickau (1981), the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (1982) and First Prize from the ARD International Music Competition in Munich (1985). /…/ Kalle Randalu has released numerous CDs. A sensational success were the seven volumes of the complete Hindemith sonatas with Ensemble Villa Musica, which have repeatedly received prizes, including the Classical Award in France and the Klassik-Echo Prize in Germany. Latest recordings feature Marginalia by Jaan Rääts (2014, ERP), various piano works by Brahms on a double-CD and three volumes of chamber music by Schumann.

The history of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (known in Estonian as Eesti Riiklik Sümfooniaorkester or ERSO) dates back to 1926 and is connected to the birth of the national broadcasting. Today, it is the longest continually operating professional orchestra of its kind in the country. There are more than 100 musicians playing in the orchestra.
Chief conductor and artistic director Neeme Järvi has led ERSO since 2010, while Paavo Järvi has been its artistic advisor since 2002, and Olari Elts its principal guest conductor since 2007. The orchestra’s previous principal conductors have been Olav Roots (1939−1944), Paul Karp (1944−1950), Roman Matsov (1950−1963), Neeme Järvi (1963−1979), Peeter Lilje (1980−1990), Leo Krämer (1991−1993), Arvo Volmer (1993−2001) and Nikolai Alexeev (2001−2010). /…/

More detailed info in Estonian and English in CD-booklets.


Available at: Muusikapood (Music Shop), Amazon, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (phone +372 6 147787, erso@erso.ee, www.erso.ee), Deezer, Easy-Living Music (reispuk@neti.ee), Apple Music, ERP (info@erpmusic.com, www.erpmusic.com), Spotify, Apollo Shop, Anghami, YouTube, and Lasering

See also other orchestral records produced by ERP: Paavo Järvi, Ad patrem meum, Resurrection of Mozart, Joy and Sorrow Unmasked, Pure Handel, A Chant of Bamboo, Artist Chagall, Bassoon Concertos, Musica Triste, Nordic Legends, Somnium boreale, The Hand of God, Tubin, Strings on the Move, Wagner. Strauss. Seeger

See also other recordings of the Great Maestros series

See other releases by ERP with Estonian National Symphony Orchesta, Kalle Randalu and / or Neeme Järvi