Search - Frederic Devreese :: STERNEFELD: Symphony No. 1 / Rossiniazata

Worthwhile music in decent performances

G.D. | Norway | 05/25/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Daniel Sternefeld (1905-1981) was one of several rather interesting Flemish composers belonging roughly to the transition between late romanticism and more modern styles whose music never really managed to travel. His music is darkly expressive and dramatic and to a certain extent harmonically exploratory, although it never relinquishes its basis in tonality. Perhaps "post-Mahlerian" or "post-Zemlinskian" would be the most appropriate characterizations - the idiom is not frighteningly modern, but is still sufficiently individual to give his music a distinctively personal profile. The first symphony is the probably the most interesting work here, darkly compelling, dramatic and colorful if falling some distance short of being a genuine masterpiece. The Interludes and Finale from his opera Mater Dolorosa are highly expressive and perhaps even more distinctive than the symphony, but given that the whole opera is available from the same label they are somewhat superfluous (and I give the opera release a firmer recommendation than the disc here). Rossiniazata, a collection of orchestral arrangements of a selection of late Rossini pieces, is unfortunately something of a dud - the orchestration is grey and heavy-handed, and the somewhat rough and heavy-handed performances by the Moscow SO don't help. Indeed, the performances are a tad grey and heavy overall, but the lack of lightness of touch is much less of a problem in the other, more darkly hued works. Sound quality is decent but unexceptional, and overall this is a worthwhile but hardly mandatory release."