Symphonic Poems, Volume 2 (Incls Eine Faust-Symphonie)

"The recorded sound on this splendid disc is considerably superior, with greater depth and resonance, and the strings, especially in the Mephistophelian fugue, have a bite and attack that the older technology was unable to capture." (BBC comparing to alternate recording)
Disc of the Month (BBC Music Magazine August 2006)

Volume 1 received worldwide critical acclaim, including Gramophone Editor's Choice, and Classic FM magazine 'disc of the month'.

Gianandrea Noseda has a particular interest in the orchestral music of Liszt, which is undoubtedly becoming more appreciated. The complete cycle of Liszt's Symphonic Poems is an example of what the conductor views as an important contribution to the canon of recorded music.

Noseda is in demand by, and an active guest conductor of, some of the world's leading orchestras.

Noseda conducted Eine Faust Symphonie at the 2005 BBC Proms
Eine Faust-Symphonie is one of Liszt's finest creations and is dedicated to Berlioz who had introduced Liszt to Goethe's dramatic masterpiece. In a frenzy of creativity, Liszt wrote the work in just two months during 1854, revising it and adding a choral ending in 1857. It is recorded here in its original form. A highly original composer, Liszt did not write a symphony of conventional, classical design: in fact, his Faust Symphony is a fully fledged programmatic symphony in the sense of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique; he described its concept clearly on the title-page, as '… in three character studies' - a portrayal of the story's three main protagonists (Faust, Gretchen and Mephistopheles) and their inter-relationships. The work had a profound effect on subsequent composers, including Wagner, Richard Strauss and Debussy, who observed Liszt's remarkable and innovative process of thematic transformation, as well as the work's expansion of tonal range and exploratory employment of dissonance.
Reviews

'Review of A Faust Symphony from the 2005 Proms, performed by the BBC Philharmonic and Noseda.
The whole Faust Symphony was splendidly conducted here by Gianandrea Noseda… He shaped this epic symphonic poem with passion, empathy and intelligence.'
Richard Morrison, The Times, Aug 29, 2005.