Royal Scottish National Orchestra & Marin Alsop - Barber: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 (2014) [Hi-Res]

Samuel Barber is among the most famous of American composers. Success was to prove elusive after Barber’s auspicious début in 1933 with the vivacious and bubbling overture, The School for Scandal. It was a meeting with Arturo Toscanini that encouraged the great Italian conductor to première the Essay for Orchestra No. 1and Adagio for Strings with his NBC Symphony Orchestra in New York, and this provided Barber with the international recognition he required to launch a major career. His modest catalogue of works includes three operas, two ballets, two symphonies and three concertos. Though he did experiment with 20th century compositional techniques, his style remains firmly anchored in a romantic vein.

„The two symphonies are played on Naxos with passionate commitment and deep lyrical feeling by the Scottish orchestra. The account of the complete Second Symphony will surely confirm the reputation of a wartime work which the composer partly withdrew in despondency after its neglect. The First Essay for Orchestra also generates a powerful atmosphere when played with such depth of feeling. With spectacular recording, this exciting collection is very strongly recommended.“ (Pengiun Guide)

„…this is the best new recording of Barber’s music to come my way in a long time.“ (Raymond Tuttle, Fanfare)

Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor

Recorded at Henry Wood Hall, Glasgow, Scotland, from 8th-9th December 1998
Produced by Andrew Walton, K&A Productions
Engineered by Tony Faulkner
2xHD Mastering by René Laflamme and Anne-Marie Sylvestre
2xHD Executive Producer: André Perry

Digitally remastered