CLASSICAL: NEW RELEASES
Gerhard: Symphony No 4 BBC SO, Bamert (Chandos)
Roberto Gerhard's last symphony was written for the New York Philharmonic in 1967, and makes big demands on the orchestra. It's a serial work with a tragic vein, but, like all Gerhard's pieces, it's one that mixes bold tone clusters with splashes of colour from the exiled composer's Spanish homeland. Coupled with a suite drawn from his 1942 ballet Pandora, this marks a suitable peak in Matthias Bamert's superb cycle for Chandos. HHHH
Beethoven: String Quartets Opp 4 & 104 Suk Quartet, Spekina (Supraphon)
Both of the rarities on this famous recording are arrangements of works for different forces. Scored for string quartet with added viola, the Quintet in E flat major of 1796 is derived from the wind Octet and shows the composer making rapid strides towards the complexities of later works. The other Quintet, a reworking of his Piano Trio Op 1 No 3, adheres more strongly to the original work. HHH
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies