Schoenberg & Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande

“…The playing by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra under Paavo Järvi is faultless, the recording is ideal. Adam Gellen’s notes in German, English and French are essential reading. The disc presents two wonderfully contrasting explorations of Maurice Maeterlinck’s Pelléas et Mélisande. Both are a pleasure to listen to.”

“… warmly recommended.”

“… The haunted atmosphere established at the Schoenberg score’s opening Jarvi maintains with astonishing clarity, his instrumental forces relishing both their intimate moments and the startling transitions into massive effects…” *****

Editor’s Choice – Orchestral Section

“… all credit to Järvi’s Frankfurt orchestra for their total immersion into two such stylistically different sound worlds – a reminder, if such were needed, of music’s ability to move us in mysterious ways with the same story from different storytellers.”

“…Järvi has the full measure of the score. As expected, he ensures clarity even in the densest polyphony and elicits an astonishing range of color and dynamics from his Frankfurt players… This is expressionist storytelling and Järvi lets us hear both its beauty and horror.”