Longing for Paradise

Albrecht Mayer (oboe); Bamberger Symphoniker, Jakub Hrůša

Deutsche Grammophon is proud to present the new release of star oboist Albrecht Mayer, accompanied by the Bamberg Symphony under Jakub Hrůša. “Longing for Paradise” can be seen as the reaction of music to a world that threatens to descend into chaos. Time and again composers have invoked this discovery and turned it into music in many different ways. Richard Strauss composed his demanding Oboe Concerto shortly after the end of World War II; Ravel’s famous Le Tombeau de Couperin, orchestrated by the composer himself in 1919, is a suite consisting of musical commemorations to comrades who fell in the war. Also included in the album are masterpieces by Edward Elgar and Eugène Goosens.

Elgar: Soliloquy for Oboe and Orchestra (Orch. by Gordon Jacob)

Strauss, R: Oboe Concerto in D
1. Allegro moderato
2. Andante
3a. Vivace
3b. Allegro

Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin
1. Prélude (Arr. for Oboe and Orchestra by Joachim Schmeißer)
3. Forlane (Arr. for Oboe and Orchestra by Joachim Schmeißer)
2. Fugue (Arr. for Oboe and Orchestra by Joachim Schmeißer)
5. Menuet (Arr. for Oboe and Orchestra by Joachim Schmeißer)
4. Rigaudon (Arr. for Oboe and Orchestra by Joachim Schmeißer)

Goossens: Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in One Movement, Op. 45

“Mayer’s performance (of the Strauss) is exceptionally wistful. It’s not just that he lingers in the outer movements, he clings to the phrases…Such tenderness is touching, certainly, but I find the music loses its ecstatic quality when played so adoringly…The Bamberg Symphony offer supple, affectionate support under Jakub Hrůša…They play the Strauss as if it’s chamber music. It’s a pity one can’t hear more of them in the Ravel.” – BBC Music Magazine

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