For those not acquainted with Măcelaru, he's been Principal Conductor with the excellent WDR Orchestra in Cologne, Germany since 2019. A number of his live performances can be enjoyed on the WDR RUclips channel.
I haven’t heard his recordings but Macelaru was a guest conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra a few years ago and he made regular appearances that were quite good. I also heard him conduct the Eroica with the Concertgebouw and it was like Dave says, he forms the music well and conducts with a lot of skill. Hopefully he will be better served on CD in future recordings.
Macelaru was assistant conductor in Philly at the end of Dutoit and he continued to take concerts regularly for the first five seasons or so of Yannick. Very interesting because the sound he produced was remarkably different from the music director’s or anyone else’s: very dark and heavy. He’s a good conductor with his own vision. I’m happy to see his career is moving forward.
Thanks so much for this review! The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra recently announced Macelaru was appointed as Music Director starting in 2025. I’m looking forward to seeing him conduct live.
I’m not really familiar with the Enescu symphonic works, but I’ve played his Dectet for winds and I recognize the problems you’re talking about from that work. It was impossible to get it cleaned up and we always felt like it was going to come apart at any second, but I loved the music.
Decades ago, there was an Enescu festival based at Central College in Pella, Iowa. No orchestral works featured---God knows no college orchestra could have taken the symphonies on. Chamber music, small-scale stuff. I wonder if there has been an Enescu celebration anywhere else outside Romania.
It would be interesting to get your thoughts on DG, or what I think of as 'the downfall of DG' - they used to be synonymous with quality and now I see a lot of star-driven and lacking recordings. Maybe it's as simple as there being a lot more competition, as well as being a victim of success and chasing audience
i was excited to see this come up at Amazon and i preordered it. My assessment pretty much lines up with yours. i like the conducting and the solo parts, but anything intricate/tutti, it shouldn't be so much work to pick everything out to try to absorb it. The lack of clarity in the production takes the music frustratingly just out of the listener's grasp.
Indeed, I feel a bit ashamed when I read your review since I was the one who pointed you to this DG box. Now, after heaving heard your review and having listened to the Lintu recordings, I deeply understand. The cineastic sound of the DG box I liked so much in the beginning is only dumb and dully pasting over nearly everything; I was not aware of so much delightful percussion and I did not know that there is so much in these Symphonies - especially in the finale of the 2nd. These two recordings sound like different works. - While the Lintu recordings are so much better, I still like Macelarus way of conducting - especially the slower movements; there I miss some consequence in Lintu's interpretation. - So, thank you very much for this review which made me do a new discovery! Now Enescu's piano quintet and his 2nd piano quartet are waiting for your recognition - these late works are so different to his early pieces... 🙂 Keep on posting! Thank you!
I wonder if this set, like Luisi’s Nielsen cycle, was a recording, made by the artists themselves, which was ‘leased’ to DG for issue on CD - in other words, not a product of DG’s in-house engineering team? Which poses the question, do DG bother to check the technical quality of recordings they buy in, and have a minimum quality threshold?
The engineering on this set (Enescu) was made by the French radio team, as per the CD booklet. This is entirely a French radio product marketed by DG (with Romanian public funding on top of it!). So yeah, French radio standards appear to be low and DG doesn't bother.
There is another complete cycle on Arte Nova (now Sony?) by "George Enescu" Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Cristian Mandeal. I have this cycle saved somewhere but I've never listened to it in its entirety, it's too much for me, I can only last barely half an hour of this... Oh my God, I don't want your job... Greetings.
Ooops... #3's choir is mixed, SATB. But THANKS for your cautionary review, or I would have snapped it up. Confession: I'm a sap for the lush Chandos engineering in Rozhdestvensky's III:3.
I first heard about Macelaru when he was appointed as an Artistic Director of “George Enescu Festival”, here in Bucharest. Then, I saw him in festival conducting Orchestre National de France in a program consisting of Boulez (Notations I-IV & VII), Dutilleux (L’Arbre des songes, violin concerto) and Stravinski (Le Sacre du printemps). Boulez was made clear and explicit, which is what that music requires. Dutilleux’s violin concerto with Augustin Hadelich as soloist - I was left with no words, just great! Difficult but fabulous composition, great interpretation from all involved: soloist, conductor and orchestra. Le Sacre du printemps - not bad, not great. I think Dutilleux’s violin concerto was too good for me, so no space left for anything else after it. I like Le Sacre du printemps and I have my preferences when it comes to interpretation. I care very much for tempo and I like the interpretation to be more on the wild side. Macelaru and Orchestre National de France were on point on tempo and rhythm, but a bit too polished and polite, not too much character. Anyway, after the concert, I was left with a very good impression about Macelaru’s way of conducting. This guy has a clear conception and direction in what he does and he knows how to get what he wants from the orchestra. Anyway, these days, when I saw at some music store the Enescu’s CD you’re talking about, I said to myself this would be a good occasion to get into Enescu’s symphonies, which I just don’t get it. You don’t give me too much hope here, but I’ll try at least a stream first. Thank you for your review!
For those not acquainted with Măcelaru, he's been Principal Conductor with the excellent WDR Orchestra in Cologne, Germany since 2019. A number of his live performances can be enjoyed on the WDR RUclips channel.
It is time to create the Threadbare Scarf of Engineering Defilement.
You said it!
I haven’t heard his recordings but Macelaru was a guest conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra a few years ago and he made regular appearances that were quite good. I also heard him conduct the Eroica with the Concertgebouw and it was like Dave says, he forms the music well and conducts with a lot of skill. Hopefully he will be better served on CD in future recordings.
Macelaru was assistant conductor in Philly at the end of Dutoit and he continued to take concerts regularly for the first five seasons or so of Yannick. Very interesting because the sound he produced was remarkably different from the music director’s or anyone else’s: very dark and heavy. He’s a good conductor with his own vision. I’m happy to see his career is moving forward.
I wish Naxos would box up all their Enescu chamber music and piano works!
Thanks so much for this review! The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra recently announced Macelaru was appointed as Music Director starting in 2025. I’m looking forward to seeing him conduct live.
I’m not really familiar with the Enescu symphonic works, but I’ve played his Dectet for winds and I recognize the problems you’re talking about from that work. It was impossible to get it cleaned up and we always felt like it was going to come apart at any second, but I loved the music.
Decades ago, there was an Enescu festival based at Central College in Pella, Iowa. No orchestral works featured---God knows no college orchestra could have taken the symphonies on. Chamber music, small-scale stuff. I wonder if there has been an Enescu celebration anywhere else outside Romania.
He doesn't have that kind of popularity to get a festival dedicated to him outside of Romania.
It would be interesting to get your thoughts on DG, or what I think of as 'the downfall of DG' - they used to be synonymous with quality and now I see a lot of star-driven and lacking recordings. Maybe it's as simple as there being a lot more competition, as well as being a victim of success and chasing audience
Fabulous Concert Programs candidate in the future after the Lloyd symphonies perhaps?👀
Possibly!
i was excited to see this come up at Amazon and i preordered it. My assessment pretty much lines up with yours. i like the conducting and the solo parts, but anything intricate/tutti, it shouldn't be so much work to pick everything out to try to absorb it. The lack of clarity in the production takes the music frustratingly just out of the listener's grasp.
Indeed, I feel a bit ashamed when I read your review since I was the one who pointed you to this DG box. Now, after heaving heard your review and having listened to the Lintu recordings, I deeply understand. The cineastic sound of the DG box I liked so much in the beginning is only dumb and dully pasting over nearly everything; I was not aware of so much delightful percussion and I did not know that there is so much in these Symphonies - especially in the finale of the 2nd. These two recordings sound like different works. - While the Lintu recordings are so much better, I still like Macelarus way of conducting - especially the slower movements; there I miss some consequence in Lintu's interpretation. - So, thank you very much for this review which made me do a new discovery!
Now Enescu's piano quintet and his 2nd piano quartet are waiting for your recognition - these late works are so different to his early pieces... 🙂
Keep on posting! Thank you!
Thank you for listening and making the comparisons. I also liked Macelaru's conducting, as I mentioned in the video.
I wonder if this set, like Luisi’s Nielsen cycle, was a recording, made by the artists themselves, which was ‘leased’ to DG for issue on CD - in other words, not a product of DG’s in-house engineering team? Which poses the question, do DG bother to check the technical quality of recordings they buy in, and have a minimum quality threshold?
The engineering on this set (Enescu) was made by the French radio team, as per the CD booklet. This is entirely a French radio product marketed by DG (with Romanian public funding on top of it!). So yeah, French radio standards appear to be low and DG doesn't bother.
Will there be a review article for this record on the website?
I don't know yet.
There is another complete cycle on Arte Nova (now Sony?) by "George Enescu" Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Cristian Mandeal. I have this cycle saved somewhere but I've never listened to it in its entirety, it's too much for me, I can only last barely half an hour of this... Oh my God, I don't want your job... Greetings.
I had Mandeal's Bruckner 7th Electrecord CD in the early 90s, poor me🤪
Yes, but it was so spottily available.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Dear Mr Hurwitz, what do you think of Mandeal's interpretation?
Ooops... #3's choir is mixed, SATB. But THANKS for your cautionary review, or I would have snapped it up. Confession: I'm a sap for the lush Chandos engineering in Rozhdestvensky's III:3.
Yep, it is, but I seem to keep forgetting that. I think maybe because I was just talking about Debussy's Nocturnes.
Thanks!
Thanks very much!
on cpo, there are recordings of a fourth and a fifth symphony - what do you think about them?
See reviews at classicstoday.com.
@@DavesClassicalGuide thank you!
I first heard about Macelaru when he was appointed as an Artistic Director of “George Enescu Festival”, here in Bucharest.
Then, I saw him in festival conducting Orchestre National de France in a program consisting of Boulez (Notations I-IV & VII), Dutilleux (L’Arbre des songes, violin concerto) and Stravinski (Le Sacre du printemps).
Boulez was made clear and explicit, which is what that music requires.
Dutilleux’s violin concerto with Augustin Hadelich as soloist - I was left with no words, just great! Difficult but fabulous composition, great interpretation from all involved: soloist, conductor and orchestra.
Le Sacre du printemps - not bad, not great. I think Dutilleux’s violin concerto was too good for me, so no space left for anything else after it.
I like Le Sacre du printemps and I have my preferences when it comes to interpretation. I care very much for tempo and I like the interpretation to be more on the wild side. Macelaru and Orchestre National de France were on point on tempo and rhythm, but a bit too polished and polite, not too much character.
Anyway, after the concert, I was left with a very good impression about Macelaru’s way of conducting. This guy has a clear conception and direction in what he does and he knows how to get what he wants from the orchestra.
Anyway, these days, when I saw at some music store the Enescu’s CD you’re talking about, I said to myself this would be a good occasion to get into Enescu’s symphonies, which I just don’t get it. You don’t give me too much hope here, but I’ll try at least a stream first.
Thank you for your review!
Oh well...at least he can balance a baton on his middle finger.
He should be giving his middle finger to DG's engineers (or whoever did it).
@@DavesClassicalGuide Not having heard this, I will happily take your word for it. Thanks for listening, so I don't have to. LOL.