Enescu: Symphony 1

 

If you have only heard the two Romanian Rhapsodies from Romanian composer George Enescu, you may be driven to the thought he was a Nationalist-style composer. If this recording will do anything for the listener, it will spell out Enescu's love of late-Romanticism and a move towards his own brand of 20th Century modernism.

Symphony no. 1 in E-flat Major is Olympian in nature, preferring big, grand gestures, especially in the outer movements. Brassy climaxes and big tunes are evident throughout, although I enjoy when Enescu throws in a subtle dance texture to break up the endlessness of the late-Romantic style. If the first movement is more muscular, the last movement is cheekier, even if both are keen to ramp up the electricity for the listener.

The central movement is more atmospheric, favoring orchestral colors over any other element. The main thematic device, which reminds me of Three Blind Mice with its three descending notes, sort-of ties the movement together, although I lose track of it here and there.

What is striking, or maddening, regarding Enescu's writing for orchestra, is the denseness of his orchestrations, where there is simply so much going on in the music, whether or not the listener can detect it or not. The composer features unusual instruments here and there, such as the contrabassoon, as well as unique combinations of instruments as well. There are so often cross-rhythms between sections, compositionally leaving the listener exhausted.

As regular readers will know, I am no lover of late-Romanticism, so the jury is still out for this listener on Enescu's First Symphony. I will say, however, that I think Enescu escapes most of the doldrums of late-Romanticism in this work, at least for me, keeping the music moving and ever-changing, never dragging the listener along endlessly.

Again, those expecting a folksy, Nationalistic style in Enescu's Orchestral Suite no. 3 'Villageoise' will be surprised by the music here, I think. Listeners wouldn't be to blame, for with movement titles such as Rural Springtime, Rustic Dances, and Children Playing Outdoors, they would certainly suggest as much.

Instead, we are treated to a singular brand of modernism from Enescu. There is certainly a Gallicness to the music, but also echoes of Scriabin and Schmidt, or maybe even Bartók or Kodály for a lack of better comparisons. Pigeonholing Enescu gives this listener quite a bit of trouble, for categorizing only diminishes what he actually serves up musically. And yet, despite my surprise at Enescu's musical style, he completely portrays his movement titles, just simply in his own harmonic, rhythmic, and colorful portrayals, equally bright-eyed or in a calm demeanor as the program demands.

Akin to Symphony no. 1, it is the central movement which Enescu makes the centerpiece of the movement, done so in a similarly atmospheric manner. Such orchestral textures are carried over into the shorter fourth movement as well, the former depicting a rural sunset while the latter evokes a nighttime setting.

While I don't have anything bad to say about these performances from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra led by Gennady Rozhdestvensky, I could imagine more inner-orchestral clarity in these works, where Rozhdestvensky's grand expansiveness could be more sharply cut elsewhere. Indeed, compared to other recordings, Rozhdestvensky is consistently slower than others. While this doesn't effect the impact of the music making here, the overly warm acoustic from Chandos doesn't inspire a crystal-clear view of the inner-workings of this music.

That said, as only the first volume in this works series, I am excited to explore more from Enescu.

 

 

Work Series
Vol. 1 from Enescu Symphonies on Chandos



Works
Symphony 1 in E-flat Major, op. 13 (35.09)
Suite no. 3 in D Major 'Villageoise, op. 27 (30.44)

Performers
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Gennady Rozhdestvensky, conductor

Label: Chandos
Year: 1996; 2017
Total Timing: 65.52

Find more Enescu recordings HERE!