Turku Philharmonic Orchestra · Jan Söderblom · Roi Ruottinen · Johannes Brahms
2019 · Physical and digital · ABCD 432
The new album Brahms IV Segerstam concludes the series of symphonies by Johannes Brahms and Leif Segerstam, which has previously been released on three albums. The last album in the series contains Brahms' fourth symphony, as well as symphony number 295, composed in memory of Segerstam's conductor Ulf Söderblom. Segerstam already played as a young concert violinist under Söderblom's direction, and over the years he got deep into his musical soulscape. In his symphony "ulFSöDERBlom in Memoriam...", Segerstam plays with the conductor's name, which contains the letters F, S, D, E and B. Brahms's fourth symphony was his last, and according to Segerstam, "the beginning of the symphony can be used if you want to explain how music was born...!"
Leif Segerstam (born 1944), conductor, composer, violinist and pianist, is one of the world's most versatile composers. After studying at the Sibelius Academy from 1952 to 1963, he completed diplomas in violin playing and orchestra conducting. After completing his conducting degree in 1965 also at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, Segerstam has worked at the Finnish National Opera, Stockholm Royal Opera, Berlin Deutsche Oper, Finnish National Opera, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Stockholm Royal Opera and the Helsinki City Orchestra. In addition to numerous directorial visits, the recognized work in opera continues as chief conductor of the Malmö Opera and since 2015 as honorary conductor. Leif Segerstam has been the chief conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra since 2012. Segerstam has achieved a wide international reputation with his numerous recordings with different orchestras. His vast compositional output includes, among other things, 327 symphonies, violin concertos, piano concertos and numerous other instrumental concertos, and plenty of chamber and vocal music. From autumn 1997 to spring 2013, Leif Segerstam was professor of orchestra conducting at the Sibelius Academy.
The roots of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra go back to 1790, when the Turku Soitannollinen seru started its activities. The oldest orchestra in Finland and one of the oldest orchestras in the world was municipalized in 1927. The orchestra's artistic director and chief conductor has been Leif Segerstam since the beginning of 2012. The Nordgren recording Transient Moods – Rajatiloja, released in 2009 on Alba and made under the leadership of Juha Kankaa, was chosen as the classic album of the year at the Emma gala. In addition to weekly symphony concerts, the orchestra regularly organizes chamber music concerts and participates in opera productions. The Turku Philharmonic Orchestra also does a lot of accessibility work and is a pioneer in internet concert operations in our country. The orchestra broadcasts monthly concerts live through its website.
Segerstam’s 295th Symphony (there’s something perversely satisfying about writing that in defiance of the naysayers who steadfastly refuse to comprehend the composer’s intentions in "Letting the FLOW go on" (that's No.288 - 08S050) with his inexhaustible symphonic output) is one of the most impressive of his ongoing sequence of free-pulsative, conductorless symphonies that play for approximately the duration of Sibelius' 7th.
Records International ·
Anyone whose pulse is as steady as on Segerstam’s reading has cause to celebrate.
Gramophone · Rob Cowan ·
Overall, this Brahms Fourth sounds mainstream enough, but it isn’t a very exciting reading.
Fanfare · Steven Kruger ·
In Segerstam’s hands, it lacks the requisite gravitas, sounding instead almost dance-y in places where it needs to be gripping and grim.
Fanfare · Jerry Dubins ·
Väkevää Brahmsia kapellimestarilegendalta
Levyt
BRAHMS IV SEGERSTAM
Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Leif Segerstam, kapellimestari
Alba
Leif Segerstam on tunnetuimpia kapellimestareitamme maailmalla. Hän tekee paljon uutta ja vanhempaa musiikkia. Myös säveltäjänä hän on kunnostautunut multimuusikko. Nykyään hän esittää joka konsertissaan myös oman sinfoniansa. Niin myös tällä levyllä Sinfonian nro 295 ”ulfSöDErBlom in Memoriam ”.
Segerstamin tulkinta Brahmsin Neljännestä sinfoniasta on…
Keskisuomalainen, 1.5.2019 · Jari Pitkänen
Turun filharmonisen orkesterin Brahms-sarjan vahva päätös
”Kapellimestari Leif Segestamin ja Turun filharmonisen orkesterin Brahms-sarja sulkeutuu. Sievästi valmistumisjärjestyksessä julkaistuista sinfonioista on vuorossa viimeinen neljäs sinfonia. Tutusti mukana on myös Leif Segerstamin omaa sävelistöä.
Segerstamin musiikin voi ajatella olevan kuin yksi suuri ja vuolaasti pärskivä sävelvirta, joka on liruteltu pienemmiksi teospuroiksi. Ajatus vahvistuu, kun vertailee uusinta äänitteellä…
YLE Uudet levyt 30.4.2019 · Aki Yli-Salomäki
Leif Segerstam mit breitem Brahms und seiner 295. Symphonie
Johannes Brahms: Symphonie Nr. 4; Leif Segerstam: Symphonie Nr. 295 (ulFSöDErBlom in Memoriam…); Jan Söderblom, Violine, Roi Ruottinen, Cello, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Leif Segerstam, Klavier & Ltg.; 1 SACD Alba ABCD 432; Aufnahme 2016, Veröffentlichung 04/2019 (66’33) – Rezension von Remy Franck
Diese SACD gehört zu jenen Produktionen die man mit voller Lautstärke hören muss. Genauer gesagt: Wenn mein Linn-Vorverstärker auf den…
Records International
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