Search - Cesar Franck, Kurt Masur, New York Philharmonic :: Franck: Symphony in D minor; Les Eolides

A good interpretation of Franck's masterpiece

Mitchell Crawford | New York, NY | 06/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra deliver here a compelling and convincing performance of Franck's great Symphony in D Minor. Many will no doubt be familiar with the classic interpretation of this symphony as performed by Pierre Monteux and Chicago. Masur generally exploits more modest tempos than Monteux; the result is a performance that has a great deal of propulsion and natural direction - essential if the work's cyclic structure is to be grasped. I also found that in his rendition, Masur brings a welcome clarity to the inner voices, which can often be muddled in other recordings. The New York Philharmonic play with conviction and emotion. The strings are warm and deep, the brass round and clear, and the winds crisp and light. It is a pity that the harp is not more prominant in the second movement. The other piece on the disc, Franck's symphonic poem `Les Eolides,' makes an ideal partner to the symphony. Recorded sound is perhaps the greatest flaw here. The symphony was recorded live, and for some reason, possibly due to micing or editing, the thrilling climaxes in the symphony are rather mezzo forte. I felt as though the brass never really exploded - there was no 'loud' to be found in the symphony.



It is all too easy, I believe, for conductors to turn late French Romantic masterpieces like the symphonies of Franck, D'Indy, and Saint-Saens into sappy, vulgar perversions of the true works. Such works will always benefit from refined, sympathetic performances by musicians, like Masur, who grasp the depth and spirit that pervade this music.



Although the quintessential recording of the Franck Symphony must remain, for me, the Monteux version, I recommend this interesting disc as a supplement - if for no other reason than the clarity and trasparency of the playing."