Zádor: Dance Symphony

 

Volume 3 of Naxos' Eugene Zádor series provides the listener with some larger-scaled works, containing both a symphony and a set of orchestral variations coming in at thirty minutes each. This is most welcome, for so far, the composer's music has been comprised of orchestral ditties.

I love name dropping when it comes to little-known conductors, for it gives an historical perspective of how the composer was received among his contemporaries, despite falling out of current favor in the concert hall. Thus far, Eugene Ormandy has been the most prominent champion of Zádor in Naxos' liner notes. Now luminaries such as Hans Knappertsbusch and Zubin Mehta are mentioned as having performed the composer's music, as well as Carl Schuricht in the last volume.

Mehta's name comes up as having chosen Zádor's Festive Overture for the opening of the LA Philharmonic Concert Hall in the 1960s. I don't know if Zádor submitted this work for the occasion, or if it was written specifically for that concert event, but regardless, this was a high-profile affair. Most take umbrage in the sound of this overture, for it is less overtly festive, but instead splashier in a Biblical Epic manner. I actually rather enjoy this overture, for it doesn't move in expected ways. Plus, finding the composer late in life displays a different musical personality from the earlier years of the composer.

I guess I hadn't really considered Zádor's Children's Symphony from Vol. 1 a symphony proper. After all its particular audience was secured by the title and its movement descriptions, plus it came in at a mere 15 minutes. I suppose I should go back and approach that music from a different perspective now having heard his Symphony no. 3, subtitled 'Tanz' or Dance Symphony.

I don't think Zádor will go down in the pantheon of great symphonists for this listener. He is great with themes, but the development thereof are not particularly deep. On the other hand, Symphony no. 3 remains completely enjoyable, and the pervasive triple time and compound meters ensure the 'Dance' sobriquet is entirely appropriate.

Zádor's use of themes in the outer movements of the symphony almost become too much, both in their repetition and cloying nature. The plaintive second movement is a nice getaway from the rest of the jolly music making, but even here, the lushness and Richard Strauss-ian sheen is nothing but foie gras and truffle oil for this listener. The third movement Scherzo is also quite fine, perhaps due to its shorter runtime. And of course, the final moments of the symphony bring the house down with horn yelps and big percussive jabs, a common element shared with the conclusion of his Variations as well.

I was recently thinking of the orchestral variation style after hearing William Walton's Variations on a Theme by Hindemith. There seem to be two approaches to 19th - 20th Century symphonic variations; one which runs continuously without break, and another with each variation separated by a break from each other. I suppose there are all sorts of examples in between this description, but when listening, I expect one or the other.

Zádor chooses the latter type in his Variations on a Hungarian Folksong, creating separate musical portraits instead of a long-running cohesive work. There is nothing wrong with this aspect, just an observation on my part. However, the rather simple Theme receives no introduction, and this listener could have used a further fleshing out of the main idea before heading off into the ten following variations. 

In this way, his Hungarian Folksong Variations are akin to the Five Contrasts and Studies for Orchestra from previous volumes. Contrasting orchestral settings, almost in a Suite format, here with a musical theme running through his varied movements. Zádor delights in contrast, offering many (unnamed) violin and other orchestral solos, with percussion adding bits of color. In all three of these works, the composer adds piano to the texture, and I love its appearance in each! Harmonically and orchestrally speaking, it is interesting to me the composer bears a somewhat sappy cinematic voice, even before he moved to the US and joined Hollywood.

Again, a rather dry studio quality accompanies the playing of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. In the case of Volume 3, at times I sense a rather old-fashioned audio perspective, particularly in the Variations, which features many solo instruments, such as the trombone in the Bagatelle, the violin in the Burleske, and the bassoon opening the ending fugue. Otherwise, Mariusz Smolij leads with great energy and glitzy feeling for his fellow Hungarian's compositions.

 

 

 

Works
Symphony 3 'Dance' (30.35)
Variations on a Hungarian Folksong (30.04)
Festival Overture (10.10)


Ensemble
Budapest Symphony Orchestra MÁV

Mariusz Smolij, conductor 

Label: Naxos
Year: 2015
Total Timing: 71.03

 

I may have lambasted Eugene Zádor's abilities in the genres of the Symphony and Symphonic Variations, yet this is a most enjoyable recording start to finish.

Despite the longer works leaning in towards post-Romantic sentimentality, this is all attractive music.

There are more volumes to go too! Lap them all up.

 

 

 

 

Find more Zádor recordings HERE!