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Stokowski Transcriptions
Bach, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Mussorgsky, Stokowski, Purcell, Boccherini
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, José Serebrier
Naxos 2016. 8.578305. 1 hr 1 min 28 s.
Stokowski’s arrangements need no introduction, such is their fame in the musical world. This renowned conductor orchestrated a number of canonical works, the most notable being the Toccata and Fugue in G minor by J.S. Bach, familiar to many of us from Disney’s Fantasia.
Someone close to Stokowski was required to match the high calibre of his work. Not only is José Serebrier one of the most recorded conductors in the world, but he was an associate of Stokowski’s for several years. He and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra have risen to the occasion.
The result is exemplary. Noteworthy are the clarity of the tone colours, the treatment of the different characters and the extreme precision in tracing the musical lines of each piece. The magnificence of some of the works is boosted tenfold by the orchestral mass without damaging the musical sensitivity.
One detects throughout the CD a desire to rise above predefined styles without losing sight of the works themselves. José Serebrier has succeeded in being both an original conductor and a worthy successor to Stokowski. This CD is a great success.
Translation: Cecilia Grayson
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This page is also available in / Cette page est également disponible en:
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