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Music of Eugene Zador, vol. 5

Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Hungary.

Music of Eugene Zador, vol. 5

NAXOS International, July 2018

 

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Eugene Zádor, Budapest Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Smolij seems to be in total sympathy with the music. His sense of nuance and his choice of tempos seem ideally suited to these works, and the performances suggest that everyone involved was in love with them. The orchestra plays magnificently. One could not ask for more from a performance. The recorded sound is excellent.
Karl F. Miller, Fanfare Magazine, Tenafly, New Jersey
Wonderfully captured
Mariusz Smolij and the Budapest Symphony continue to show an affinity for these pieces with committed performances. The performances are wonderfully captured in a good overall sound with a touch of ambience that allows here for the crisp playing. Zador’s music has a bit more chance to capture the ears of audiences more receptive to tonal music with modern touches and more open to Hollywood-based composer’s concert music. Start here and consider exploring the previous releases in this series.
Steven A. Kennedy, Cinemusical, St. Paul, Minnesota
Highly recommended release
Having fled from Hungary at the onset of the Second World War, we find Hungarian composer, Eugene Zador, in the United States having a new life in the film industry(…) The most extended score is the Variations on a Merry Theme, that theme coming from Zador, the variations a showcase for soloists of the orchestra, obviously much to the delight of the Budapest Symphony, directed by the Polish conductor, Mariusz Smolij. This highly recommended release ends with the 1961 Rhapsody premiered by the Los Angeles Philharmonic to highly favorable reviews, it is, like most of his works, receiving its World Premiere Recording.
Michel Ditreue, Stretto Magazine, Netherlands
Great service
The solo instrument in the Rhapsody for cimbalom and orchestra is likewise beautifully handled, with a variety of attacks and voices being given to this Hungarian folk instrument. The straight orchestral pieces are also strong. Budapest Symphony Orchestra under Polish conductor Mariusz Smolij has done a great service by taking this music off the scrap heap of history and bringing it back to life.
Luis Suárez, Ritmo Magazine, Madrid, Spain
Full and impactive
I am quite pleased with this CD, and the piece I enjoy most (by far) is the Elegie ‘The Plains of Hungary’. It only lasts 9½ minutes, but it is probably worth the modest price of this CD on its own. It could almost be called a symphonic poem for woodwind and strings, although brass and harp appear to a limited degree as well. The recording captures the tones of different woodwind instruments beautifully… All in all, this is a welcome disk, and I am pleased that I have had the chance to listen to it (several times). The recording is full and impactive, very well representing the vividness of the scoring.
Jim Westhead, MusicWeb International, Loughton, Essex, U.K.
Five Stars – excellent recording quality
The title piece, “The Plains of Hungary” forms a center of musical journey through Hungarian lowlands, around 80 minutes of calm and tonal beauty, masterly orchestrated. The outstanding strings and winds of the orchestra are responsible for the beautiful symphonic coherence. The excellent orchestra presents symphonic music by Eugene Zador in excellent recording quality.
Hans Acermann, Kulturradio vom rbb, Germany