Famously unapologetic for bucking the avant-garde,
Ned Rorem was largely ostracized by the new music intelligentsia of the 1950s, and his three symphonies from that decade were unfairly neglected. They remained so, even when neo-Romanticism became fashionable again toward the end of the twentieth century. This 2003 release from Naxos at last gives these remarkable symphonies the attention and care they deserve.
José Serebrier and the
Bournemouth Sinfonietta go to extraordinary lengths to convey both the vigor and lyricism of these pieces, and render them with the balance and clarity that are constants in
Rorem's work. The Symphony No. 3 is the most fully realized, and resilient rhythms and cogent structures give this work its backbone. Yet it also has room for lush orchestration and gorgeous melodies, the sine qua non of
Rorem's emotionally compelling style. Serenely lyrical, the Symphony No. 1 is the gentlest of the three, and expansive, song-like lines dominate throughout, even over the flurries of the boisterous Allegro finale. The Symphony No. 2, angular in its melodies and often pugnaciously percussive, is the most rugged, and its strong character is only briefly softened by the nostalgic Tranquillo movement. The excellent sound of the recording captures all the details of these fresh and exciting performances.