Gianandrea Noseda does a good job with the Dante Symphony's first movement (the only part anyone cares about). He whips up the opening storm excitingly, plays the "Francesca" episode tenderly, evokes the hellish laughter in the strings and clarinets with obvious relish (kudos to the players here), and blasts through the closing pages with fiendish abandon. He's let down a bit by an orchestra with insufficient weight in the trombones and basses, and whose loud playing tends to turn into noise rather than impressive fullness of tone, but then that's always the case with this group, and this venue. The concluding Purgatorio has plenty of delicacy and nuance, and the Birmingham women sing well, but it's still an anti-climax (as usual). The Two Legends are just plain boring, but then that's Liszt's fault. Good sound has characterized this series (this is volume five), and it still does. Recommended if you like the repertoire.
Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, S109/R426, "Dante Symphony" I. Inferno: Lento - Un poco piu accelerando - Allegro frenetico: Quasi doppio movimento (alla breve) - Piu mosso - Presto molto - Lento -
Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, S109/R426, "Dante Symphony" I. Inferno: Quasi andante, ma sempre un poco mosso
Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, S109/R426, "Dante Symphony" I. Inferno: Andante amoroso: Tempo rubato - Piu ritenuto -
Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, S109/R426, "Dante Symphony" I. Inferno: Tempo primo: Allegro (alla breve) - Piu mosso - Piu mosso - Piu moderato (alla breve) - Adagio
Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, S109/R426, "Dante Symphony" II. Purgatorio: Andante con moto quasi allegretto: Tranquillo assai - Piu lento - Un poco meno mosso -
Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, S109/R426, "Dante Symphony" II. Purgatorio: Lamentoso -
Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, S109/R426, "Dante Symphony" II. Purgatorio: (L'istesso tempo) - Poco a poco piu di moto -
Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia, S109/R426, "Dante Symphony" II. Purgatorio: Magnificat: L'istesso tempo - Poco a poco accelerando e crescrendo sin al Piu mosso - Piu mosso ma non troppo - Un poco piu lento - L'istesso tempo, ma quieto assai
2 Legendes, S354/R440 No. 1. St. Francois de Paule marchant sur les flots: Andante maestoso - Poco a poco animando il tempo - Stringendo il tempo - Charitas! (Lento) - (Tempo I)
2 Legendes, S354/R440 No. 2. St. Francois d'Assise: la predication aux oiseaux: Andante - Recitative - Adagio - Tempo I - Recitative - Ritenuto
