Hans Rott: Symphony No. 1; Mahler: Blumine; Bruckner: Symphonisches Präludium
Bamberger Symphoniker, Jakub Hrůša
The Czech conductor and his Bamberg orchestra offer a magnificent account of a work not heard until more than a century after it was written, by a composer described by Gustav Mahler as “the founder of the new symphony”.
“Who is Hans Rott?” Gustav Mahler gives the meaningful answer: the “founder of the new symphony as I understand it.” Deutsche Grammophon now presents a new recording of Hans Rott’s Symphony No. 1. Full of energy and depth and with a breathtakingly velvety sound, the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra plays under its chief conductor Jakub Hrůša. This is an impressive recording of a composer whose rediscovery in recent years has continued to thrill audiences and enrich our knowledge of late Romantic music.
Hans Rott wrote his first symphony, his most important work – full of groundbreaking musical ideas and a unique vision of how the symphony might develop – from 1878-1880, at a time when his younger classmate Mahler was just getting started and his mentor Bruckner was struggling through his middle period. Jakub Hrůša places this masterpiece alongside works by Mahler and Bruckner, shedding new light on a work that deserves to be at the center of the symphonic repertoire.
1. I. (Feierlich, misterioso)
2. II. Scherzo. Bewegt, lebhaft – Trio. Schnell
3. III. Adagio. Langsam, feierlich
“The Bamberg Symphony is a luminous ensemble with characterful woodwinds and brass, and it plays with enthusiasm in finely engineered sound.
Gramophone MagazineDecember 2022
A factor that might make collectors favour Hrůša’s recording over the options is the inclusion of the first commercial recording of the original version of the Symphonisches Präludium…It’s a brief but fascinating work and Hrůša’s recording allows us to hear it in its original form using the orchestral forces normally used by Bruckner.” – Fanfare
“In his booklet note, Hrůša mentions that he would worry about annoying people with his constant bursts of enthusiasm regarding the symphony’s merits, and it’s easy to hear his absolute dedication and commitment, with the Bamberg players joining him for every step of the journey.” – Presto Music
“The warmth and swagger of this account with the Bamberg Symphoniker entirely suits an imperfect but adorable work that combines echoes of Bruckner, Brahms, and the symphonies Mahler hadn’t yet written with the preposterous exuberance of soundtracks from Hollywood’s Golden Age…there seems something particularly Czech in the way Hrusa keeps the music bubbling along.” – The Times
“Jakub Hrůša and the Bamberger Symphoniker didn’t exactly rediscover Rott’s Symphony in E major – others recorded it before – but their interpretation is so convincing that we can say that no one else has advocated Rott’s music as profoundly as the performers on this recording. Works by Bruckner and Mahler, who both admired Rott’s work, complete this superb CD.” – International Classical Music Awards2023