New symphonic Bruckner, the continuation of an acclaimed Weinberg string quartet cycle, and uncommon song settings of poetry by Thomas Hardy highlight this week’s new recordings of note.
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7; Bates: “Resurrexit”
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Reference Recordings
Manfred Honeck’s Bruckner 9 in Pittsburgh was a tremendous musical accomplishment in extraordinary sound, and if his Bruckner 7 follows suit, we’re in for a treat. The Bruckner symphony is intriguingly paired with the world premiere recording of Mason Bates’s “Resurrexit,” which was commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony to commemorate Honeck’s 60th birthday.
Weinberg: String Quartets Nos. 6, 13, and 15
Arcadia Quartet
Chandos
The Arcadia Quartet continues its vital traversal of Weinberg’s complete quartets, now in the cycle’s fourth volume. Earlier installments in the series have been praised in the pages of Gramophone, The Times, and elsewhere, making this a must-listen for anyone intrigued by mid-20th Century Soviet modernism.
“The Past & I: 100 Years of Thomas Hardy”
Lotte Betts-Dean, mezzo-soprano
James Girling, guitar
Ligeti Quartet
Delphian
Though not common, the great British author Thomas Hardy is not unknown to the musical score: this compilation highlights new works by composer Arthur Keegan plus his arrangements of songs by Gerald Finzi, Imogen Holst (daughter of Gustav Holst), and others that set Hardy’s words to music. Keegan, mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean, and friends promise a thoughtful exploration of Hardy’s deeply felt poetry with themes such as mournful regret and the inexorable passage of time.
