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American Composers Orchestra;Dennis Russell Davies
Symphonies of Roger Sessions
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
1. Allegro (Symp. No.6)
2. Adagio (Symp. No.6)
3. Allegro e tranguillo (Symp No.6)
4. Allegro con fuoco (Symp. No.7)
5. Lento e dolce (Symp. No.7)
6. Allego e tranguillo (Symp. No.7)
7. Allegro impetuoso (Symp. No.9)
8. Con movimento (Symp. No.9)
9. Allegro e tranguillo (Symp. No.9)

CD Details

All Artists: American Composers Orchestra;Dennis Russell Davies
Title: Symphonies of Roger Sessions
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Phoenix USA
Release Date: 4/1/2008
Genre: Classical
Style: Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 094629317229

Synopsis

Product Description

This disc includes the first recording of the Sixth and Ninth Symphonies by Roger Sessions, whom critic Leighton Kerner called the greatest symphonist since Mahler . Superstitious about writing more symphonies than Beethoven's nine, Mahler died during the composition of his Tenth. Sessions, like many other composers, also wrote nine symphonies. When commissioned to write another, the composer disclaimed superstition, but called it Concerto for Orchestra. His nine symphonies plus the Concerto, a Violin Concerto, a Piano Concerto, Double Concerto, Rhapsody, Concertino, Divertimento and Suite from The Black Maskers contribute mightily to the American orchestral canon.

CD Reviews

The reissue of a valuable Argo CD

Discophage | France | 12/20/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Good to see that Phoenix picked up this long-gone Argo CD, with Symphonies 6, 7 & 9. See my review of the original issue, Roger Sessions: Symphonies 6, 7 & 9. That said, as I write the Argo disc can be found for just a few cents more than the reissue.

I titled my original review "more Schoenberg symphonies by Roger Sessions". Since Sessions embraced Schoenberg's serialism with his Third Symphony, this is to me the most striking and abiding characteristic of his Symphonic music: work after work it sounds like the Symphonies Schoenberg did not write. There is the rythmic squareness, the melodic austerity, the intricacy of counterpoint, the wealth of orchestral events, and the drama. Not immediately pleasurable, not easy listening, but highly rewarding - that is, if you like Schoenberg's Variations opus 31. It you hate them, steer clear of Sessions.

The complete symphonies of Sessions are available on CD:

- Roger Sessions: Symphonies Nos. 1, 2, 3

- Sessions: Symphony No. 4; Symphony No. 5; Rhapsody

- Works by Copland, Sessions, Perle, Rands

- and an alternative version and modern recording of Symphony # 2: Harbison: Oboe Concerto, Symphony No. 2; Sessions: Symphony No. 2

- and the Concerto for orchestra may be added: Symphony 8 / Concerto for Orchestra or Andrzej Panufnik: Sinfonia Votiva (Symphony No. 8) / Roger Sessions: Concerto for Orchestra

This one is as good an introduction to the symphonic music of Roger Sessions as you will find."