Search - Onslow, Leger :: Symphony 2 & 4

Música plena de emotividad, fuerza y melodía

stefano@reacciun.ve | Caracas, Venezuela | 03/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"George Onslow (1784-1853) French composer (mother French, father British); lived for a while in London but settled in France and died there. Wrote 35 string quartets and other chamber music which won fashionable sucess in England and France. (Dictionary of Music. Arthur Jacobs. The Penguin). Onslow was pupil of Dussek, Cramer and Reicha. In 1830 was named second Honorary Member of the London Philharmonic Society (Mendelssohn was the firts in 1829). The composer immediately dedicated his second symphoniy, op. 42 to the society. The fourth symphony was considered by the author like its masterpiece of his musical life (year 1846). The musical critics say that the symphonic music of Onslow is an extension of its camera music, however to listen these two works allows us to know a composer of the romantic period that possesses its own value in the context of its time. This music is warm, melodic, with beautiful passages and it didn't defraud who hopes to find music characteristic of half of the XIX century. I can recommend the audition of this disk. Jean-Francois Leger, the orchestra's director, has a brilliant artistic career. In 1983 it won the prize of the "Fondation of France" like young conductor, he studied in the Conservatory of Vienna, also, he has worked and studied with Claudio Abbado and Sergiu Celibidache, respectively."