Enescu on record

[mathias broucek]

How did I miss this man's music until after my 50th birthday?????

The Chandos sale had the Noddy recordings of some symphonies but the reviews were bad and I found the Foster/EMI recordings of symphonies 1 and 2 very cheaply on Amazon Market Place which was the start of some serious shopping

Now I'm a big fan of beautifully textured French-ish music (Debussy, Ravel, Schmitt, D'Indy) and it's SO exciting to have a new composer to follow!

The 2nd symphony is utterly stunning as is the completion of the 5th

Any other suggestions for his work?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enescu-Oedipus-George/dp/B000005GJC

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... oh; and I know you didn't quite mean "his work" in this respect, but still:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bach-Violin-Concertos-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00002DDV6

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

... oh; and Happy Birthday!

[Stanfordian]

How did I miss this man's music until after my 50th birthday?????

The Chandos sale had the Noddy recordings of some symphonies but the reviews were bad and I found the Foster/EMI recordings of symphonies 1 and 2 very cheaply on Amazon Market Place which was the start of some serious shopping

Now I'm a big fan of beautifully textured French-ish music (Debussy, Ravel, Schmitt, D'Indy) and it's SO exciting to have a new composer to follow!

The 2nd symphony is utterly stunning as is the completion of the 5th

Any other suggestions for his work?

I too enjoy Enescu. Maybe not so much the completions of the symphonies. In addition to the first three symphonies I particularly enjoy his 2 Romanian Rhapsodies, 3 orchestral suites and his chamber music including the most impressive 2 string quartets, the piano quartet No. 2, piano quintet, the 3 violin sonatas especially the great sonata No. 3 'dans le caractère populaire roumain', wind dixtuor and wonderful string sextet; which I have heard played in live performance.

These recordings aren't bad:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enescu-Rhapsodies-Symphonie-concertante-Orchestra/dp/B0007TF11C/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1523900978&sr=8-4&keywords=enescu%2C+symphonies

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enescu-Octet-Decet-George/dp/B000023ZLX/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1523901057&sr=1-2&keywords=enescu%2C+decet

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enescu-String-Quartets-1-2/dp/B00004VROD/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1523901124&sr=1-1&keywords=enescu%2C+naxos

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enescu-Piano-Quintet-Quartet-No-2/dp/B00008IHW4/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1523901267&sr=1-9&keywords=enescu%2C+quartets

Enesco's opera 'Oedipus' is an exceptional work but it wouldn't be my first port of call.

Of the lesser know French composer's Magnard is one of my favourites in particular his 4 symphonies and chamber music. Probably more of an acquired taste I love the atmospheric sound world of Koechlin.

[Parry1912]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enescu-Oedi.../dp/B000005GJC

[Pulcinella]

I have the Dixtuor in this Naxos version (coupled with Janacek and Dvorak), which I can thoroughly recommend:

https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/7952152--dvorak-serenade-for-wind

[jayne lee wilson]

An Enescu obsessive, I'll try to say more when less enervated by life-events, but those last two symphonies (i.e 4 & 5) are remarkable musicological discoveries/recoveries....

As with Mahler's 10th, George Enescu left his 4th and 5th Symphonies complete in sketch form but only partly orchestrated, with many indications of dynamics, phrasing and articulation. We might never have heard them, or even heard of them, if it weren't for composer and dedicated Enescu-scholar Pascal Bentoiu's orchestration and fleshing-out of those sketches. Enescu's 2nd and 3rd (1915/18), beautiful as they are, can seem almost too over-elaborated: a symphonic cul-de-sac. The 4th and 5th (1934/1941) show Enescu in his late mode, familiar from the chamber music and the 3rd Suite, much more elliptical, pared-back, enigmatic yet still intensely expressive. The late symphonies are among the finest expressions of this very original late style and wonderfully rewarding works of art in themselves. No-one interested in the 20th Century Symphony, or who loves Enescu (let alone an obsessive like me) can afford NOT to know them. Available on CPO. https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/search?q...cpo&i=boutique

With the Symphonies or Suites 1-3, try to find your way to Andreescu's Romanian Electrecord (or Olympia) versions.....the sound isn't top-notch, but very acceptable.... but again, the feel for the idiom, the passionate conviction of the performances are self-recommending.
Olympia have by far the most idiomatic recordings of his chamber music ....Andreescu's suites and Symphonies are the same as on Electrecord, equally recommendable...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s//www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=a9_sc_1?rh=i%3Apopular%2Ck%3Aenescu+olympia&keywords=enescu+olympia&ie=UTF8&qid=1523905280&ajr=2

The Foster/EMI set was pioneering and still a good way in, but the newest, Rolls-Royce audiophile versions of Symphonies 1-3, are by Hannu Lintu on Ondine - remarkable to find them done recently at all, let alone this well....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=enescu+ondine&rh=n%3A229816%2Ck%3Aenescu+ondine

As you'd expect now, there's a generous selection to stream or download on Qobuz too... very fond of this CPO release of the Piano Quartets...
https://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/en.../0761203750627

[Serial_Apologist]

Enescu seems to be neglected by Radio 3, and as a consequence I hardly know anything of his music, though what I have heard is tantalising. Time to right this one big omission in my overall music appreciation.

[kea]

For me the key works are Impressions d'enfance, for violin and piano; the Chamber Symphony; the second Piano Quartet and most of all the third Piano Sonata, whose slow movement is one of my favourite things in music in general.

Recs not mentioned yet:
https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/cl...-sonatas-nos-3 (or any other release of your choice; also on EMI/Warner Classics)

https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/7963256--enescu-ravel-violin-sonatas

https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8077523--enescu-symphony-no-4-chamber-symphony-nuages-dautomne-sur-les-forets

https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/cl...works-volume-2 - both volumes in this series are worthwhile

[Hornspieler]

I have several recordings of Silvestri conducting the BSO in works by Enescu.

For a wider approach, look for commercial recordings of Enescu works conducted by Sergio Celibidache

Good hunting!
HS

[Lordgeous]

As I recorded it I have to put in a plug for Nicola Meecham's recording of the third Piano Sonata. http://nicolameecham.co.uk/discography.html

[Stanfordian]

I have several recordings of Silvestri conducting the BSO in works by Enescu.

For a wider approach, look for commercial recordings of Enescu works conducted by Sergio Celibidache

Good hunting!
HS

Hello Hs,

Sergiu Celibidache conducting Enescu - fellow Romanians - that sounds an interesting prospect! Thanks for the tip.

[jayne lee wilson]

I just recalled this was my first Enescu on disc, an impulse buy in HMV years ago....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000025WZ6/ref=ox_sc_mini_detail?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AZGQF2ZHVL4Y2

Like the Andreescu/OLympia/Electrecord issues, the Arte Nova/Mandeal performances are Romanian sourced, impassioned and idiomatic, especially good in the Orchestral Suites and Vox Maris. Recorded sound could be more expansive, but again, very enjoyable on its own terms. Alas, like the Andreescu discs the Mandeal ones are often only available at extravagant 2ndhand prices, but you can still seek out a few separate-issue bargains, and any of them are musically very worthwhile. As I've said before, the white-fronted Arte Nova originals tend to sound better than their later colourful-header reissues.

Some great bargains here, especially the white Arte Novas with the Suites 2 & 3, the Vox Maris and the extraordinary, 40-minute Op.7 String Octet...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=enescu+arte+nova

[Bergonzi]

The ECM recording of Enescu & Ravel: Violin Sonatas with Leonidas Kavakos (violin), Péter Nagy (piano) are excellent although I only downloaded the Enescu A minor sonata and the posthumous Ravel one movement sonata. The playing is very fine and the works really worthwhile. I might be inspired to play them myself.