Louise Farrenc - Overtures, Melodie, Nocturne Louise Farrenc, Prague Metropolitan Orchestra & Shea Lolin

• Louise Farrenc (1804 - 1875): Overture No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 23:
• 1 Farrenc: Overture No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 23 07:18
• Overture No. 2 in Eb Major, Op. 24:
• 2 Farrenc: Overture No. 2 in Eb Major, Op. 24 07:11
• Nocturne in Eb Major, Op. 49:
• 3 Farrenc: Nocturne in Eb Major, Op. 49 (arr. for orchestra) 05:58
• Mélodie in Ab Major:
• 4 Farrenc: Mélodie in Ab Major (arr. for orchestra) 03:09
• Total Runtime 23:36

Info zu Louise Farrenc - Overtures, Melodie, Nocturne

A quick recap on Louise Farrenc: she started to learn piano aged six, studying with Hummel and Moscheles, two great Romantic piano virtuosi. It was Anton Reicha who taught her composition, though. and provatey as females could not at that time enter the Paris Conservatoire to study composition. She went on to become Professor of Piano at that very institution, the first woman to hold the chair - a position she held for three decades.

While during the 1820s and 1830, Farrenc focused on works for the piano and in the 1840s for chamber music, she did pen three symphonies (usually then considered a Germanic form) and two Overtures.

The first movement of Farrenc's Second Symphony (D major, Op. 35) is interesting in its thematic material: two themes, one on string and one on winds, each forming a double structure (two interlocking themes which are heard simultanwously in complete form - for the strings, two phrases, double-basses and violins; the wind theme weaves two identical parts together as if a canon). The performance here is robust - there is no doubting the annunciatory natire of the opening of the Andante introduction; the Allegro is fierce, full of energy in this superbly recorded performance. Equilbey keeps the temperature high in the development (some wonderfully characterful wind solos here, too, as the themes chase each other).

The slow movemnt could hardly be more contrastive - gentle, and utterly individual. Easy to place historically. It is clearly Romantic in demeanour - but try to place the composer and that's when it becomes difficult to find direct references - this is Farrenc, through and through.; the Scherzo is magnificent, big-boned, with Isula's authentic slant ensuring maximal heft and punch without any blurring of textures. The drones of the Trio are most appealing, as is the shadowy response, almost Weber-Freischütz in demeanour.

The finale's grand opening balances that to the first movement nicely. But ehre there is a distinct change in methodology, towards a more archaic way of writing (Schumann could do something similar at times). Christin Heitman's excellent booklet notes point out a similarlity betwee the theme first heard in the basses in the slow opening and the theme of Bach's Kunst der Fuge (The Art of Fugue). The theme is magnificently reframed in the fugato later in the finale

Prague Metropolitan Orchestra
Shea Lolin, conductor

Shea Lolin
I studied a classical music degree at Colchester Institute in the early noughties and have worked in almost every area of the classical music industry from performing and conducting to managing and consulting several organisations and companies.

Highlights over the last 20 years include working with the regeneration of east London in the run up to the 2012 Olympic Games, managing several big-budget productions including a national woodwind event, bringing together thousands of delegates from around the United Kingdom. I’ve worked on hundreds of projects big and small, collaborating with some of the best cross-discipline musicians, whilst commissioning over 400 new works and arrangements by some of the best contemporary composers.

Working in Czechia on recording projects with the Czech Philharmonic and Janacek Philharmonic has led to recording partnerships and contracts. This work was recognised in 2023 by the Czech Centre in London. In 2023 I became one of three company directors of MASTERTRACK, an audio production company specialising in orchestral masters. Working with colleagues Christopher Hussey and Jonas Persson, the company records and masters top-end audio for a diverse range of clients from private individuals to commercial synchronisation solutions.

Being a resourceful freelancer, I’ve have always incorporated audio and visual media into the projects I’ve been involved with as a musician. This has grown exponentially in recent years. Read the latest news page to see some of the exciting projects I’ve been involved with or check out my list of media services.

“An absolute delight this performance from the Czech Philharmonic Wind Ensemble conducted by Shea Lolin. Excellent playing and an imaginative range of music for wind ensemble.” — Andrew McGregor, Record Review, BBC Radio 3, January 2024

“Chromosphere is an engaging collection of attractive new works – all receiving first recordings – in splendidly mellifluous performances by the Czech Philharmonic Wind Ensemble conducted by Shea Lolin” — Guy Rickards, Gramophone, January 2024

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet