Montreal SO/Nagano returning to Decca

[Brian]

The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, under its music director Kent Nagano, are set to return to Decca (with whom they recorded dozens of award-winning albums in the 80s, 90s and 2000s) later in the year, beginning a five-year partnership with the label.

Appropriately enough their first release, L'Aiglon, fils de Napoléon, is itself a collaborative work - a setting of Rostand's 1900 play about the quest of the French leader's son for a sense of self-identity free of his father's shadow, set to music co-written by Ibert and Honegger and providing a fascinating and unique fusion of the two composers' styles.

Following on from this we hear a Hallowe'en-inspired disc is on the way - so expect Bald Mountains, Danses Macabres, Noon-Witches and more, as well as lesser-known works by Ives and Balakirev.

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/inthestudio/1253/Orchestre-Symphonique-de-Montreal

[Mirror Image]

It's about time the Nagano/MSO partnership goes corporate. But, seriously, I'm not too thrilled with Nagano as a conductor, but will be curious to see what he does with the MSO on Decca besides the afore mentioned future releases.

[jlaurson]

It's about time the Nagano/MSO partnership goes corporate. But, seriously, I'm not too thrilled with Nagano as a conductor, but will be curious to see what he does with the MSO on Decca besides the afore mentioned future releases.

I find Nagano more satisfying on record than live... although that could be construed as dissing him. I've heard SOME great operas (Strauss, Poulenc) and one GREAT concert with him... no, way: THREE. At Salzburg, he had break-out awesome concerts with the Camerata (One of them, reference to the other, third one i think i missed). Anyway, still  patchy a record. But on record: His Bruckner (mostly on HMU -- 3 & 6 -- but the new VIII on Farao, too), his Turangalila, his Britten Concertos, his Busoni Dr. Faustus, his Billy Budd, his Love for 3 Oranges, his Ariadne (very good live, too!), his Saint François d'Assise (if you're into that sort of thing), heck, his Brahms, even, ditto Beethoven rarities, certainly his Mahler 8th (review), his early Ravel... in short, I think he might be better on record than we give him credit for.

Meanwhile, the Nagnao-MSO partnership had gone somewhat corporate; while their Canadian deal was "only" with Analekta, the international distribution (if not much pushed, admittedly), was Sony. Where his Lied von der Erde was a particular success, let down by an otherwise excellent tenor who phoned it in. Almost literally: He was recorded later on and spliced in, because indisposed at the time. Still, the perfect baritone... so all is forgiven. Oh, and an early "Das Klagende Lied", speaking of Mahler, in the three-movement version before anyone else bothered with it...

[Abuelo Igor]

There was a time when Kent Nagano was one of the only two or three conductors that a certain dedicated group of people ever knew about:

[Brian]

in short, I think he might be better on record than we give him credit for.

*some of us

Knowing him mostly for his Bruckner, Brahms, and collabos with Christian Gerhaher and Bernarda Fink (Berlioz, Ravel), I count myself a Nagano fan. And a little-known Honegger/Ibert joint composition sounds like a bold way for Decca to start a recording relationship. Better than the same-old-same-old one expects these days.

[Todd]

Hopefully Decca lets Mr Nagano record some more 20th Century opera.  He's really rather terrific in that repertoire.  St Francois, Three Sisters, Billy Budd.  Yes, he needs to record some Schnittke, DSCH, and Berg operas.  His Mahler 8 is one of the best on record, with his Mahler 3 also competitive with the best.  His Parsifal is very good, too, with perhaps a miscast singer or two, though the production isn't my favorite.  Lots of opportunity for good stuff to be released.

[jochanaan]

... Oh, and an early "Das Klagende Lied", speaking of Mahler, in the three-movement version before anyone else bothered with it...

That one is lovely indeed, and beautifully recorded as well.

[jochanaan]

Hopefully Decca lets Mr Nagano record some more 20th Century opera.  He's really rather terrific in that repertoire.  St Francois, Three Sisters, Billy Budd.  Yes, he needs to record some Schnittke, DSCH, and Berg operas.  His Mahler 8 is one of the best on record, with his Mahler 3 also competitive with the best.  His Parsifal is very good, too, with perhaps a miscast singer or two, though the production isn't my favorite.  Lots of opportunity for good stuff to be released.

Yes, he also did a stunning Dialogues des Carmelites.