ZÁDOR, E. Celebration Music / Chamber Concerto / Suite for Horn, Strings, and Percussion
Budapest Symphony Orchestra
ZÁDOR, E. Celebration Music / Chamber Concerto / Suite for Horn, Strings, and Percussion
NAXOS International, March 2023
The performances are uniformly superb
The performances are uniformly superb. Zádor writes demanding horn parts, with plenty of rapid solo work, quiet low notes, and coloristic effects, and all three horn players project a sense of absolute comfort and ease – not to mention thoroughgoing sensitivity. The orchestral sound is rich and warm, and conductor Mariusz Smolij is expressive with his rubato and generous in his dynamic shading.
Myron Silberstein, Fanfare, November 2023 The performances are uniformly superb. Zádor writes demanding horn parts, with plenty of rapid solo work, quiet low notes, and coloristic effects, and all three horn players project a sense of absolute comfort and ease – not to mention thoroughgoing sensitivity. The orchestral sound is rich and warm, and conductor Mariusz Smolij is expressive with his rubato and generous in his dynamic shading.
Jam-packed with colour and surprises
‘Celebration Music’ (1968) is jam-packed with colour and surprises; the score calls for antiphonal brass and percussion instruments placed at a distance from the stage. I imagine it would make an even greater impression when heard in concert. The Chamber Concerto (1931) for two horns, piano, and strings is another hit. Composed in his earlier years in Europe, it is a genial, playful piece that responds to the continent’s neoclassical trends with enthusiasm.
Nathan Faro, American Record Guide, September 2023 ‘Celebration Music’ (1968) is jam-packed with colour and surprises; the score calls for antiphonal brass and percussion instruments placed at a distance from the stage. I imagine it would make an even greater impression when heard in concert. The Chamber Concerto (1931) for two horns, piano, and strings is another hit. Composed in his earlier years in Europe, it is a genial, playful piece that responds to the continent’s neoclassical trends with enthusiasm.
Very worthwhile world premiere recordings.
[In Suite for Horn Strings and Percussion] the solo part is played by the current principal horn of the Budapest Festival Orchestra Zoltán Szőke. He plays splendidly and the vivid recording captures his sound very well. Collectors who have been enjoying this series of discs to date can buy with confidence knowing that the qualities of music and performance are maintained in this seventh volume. …Very worthwhile world premiere recordings.
Nick Barnard, MusicWeb International, April 2023 [In Suite for Horn Strings and Percussion] the solo part is played by the current principal horn of the Budapest Festival Orchestra Zoltán Szőke. He plays splendidly and the vivid recording captures his sound very well. Collectors who have been enjoying this series of discs to date can buy with confidence knowing that the qualities of music and performance are maintained in this seventh volume. …Very worthwhile world premiere recordings.