This week’s new releases include two albums from stars on the rise — Nathalie Stutzmann, the only female music director of a major American orchestra today, and the Danish String Quartet, one of the most thoughtful and interesting ensembles of the new generation — and a group of established superstars as Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, and Jeremy Denk take on Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Trios.
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9
Nathalie Stutzmann, conductor
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Erato
Does the world really need another recording of Dvořák’s “New World Symphony?” In this case, it’s a worthy endeavor, showing Nathalie Stutzmann’s talents in her first recording as a conductor as she continues her meteoric rise in the classical music world. The Atlanta Symphony is in top form as usual, showing again why it’s one of the most underrated orchestras in America.
“Keel Road”
Danish String Quartet
ECM New Series
The Danish String Quartet has built an admirable reputation for exploring the folk music of Denmark and broader Scandinavia. This latest entry journeys to Northern England and Ireland, presenting traditional music and arrangements that are both astoundingly beautiful and often fun, as in the jaunty “Fair Isle Jig” and whistling on “As I Walked Out.” The Danish String Quartet once again proves why it is one of the most interesting chamber ensembles in the world today.
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trios
Joshua Bell, violin
Steven Isserlis, cello
Jeremy Denk, piano
Sony
Classical music doesn’t get much more starstruck than this: Bell, Isserlis, Denk, and Mendelssohn on a single album. These piano trios get less attention than Mendelssohn’s quartets, or for that matter the piano trios of Beethoven or Brahms, so it’s worth throwing this kind of star power at them. The performances are as immaculate as one would expect.
