Cristian macelaru conductor biography sampler
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National Orchestra of France to perform in Korea for first time in 29 years
The National Orchestra of France, or the Orchestre National de France [SCREEN CAPTURE]
The National Orchestra of France, or the Orchestre National de France, is set to perform in Korea this year for the first time in 29 years, according to local reports Tuesday.
The concerts will be held on April 29 at the Lotte Concert Hall in Songpa District, southern Seoul, April 30 at the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho District, southern Seoul, May 1 at the Daegu Concert House and May 2 at the Bucheon Arts Center in Gyeonggi.
The programs are mainly comprised of pieces by French composers including Saint-Saëns’ “Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Op. 78,” popularly known as the “Organ Symphony.”
It’s the first time the orchestra’s principal conductor Cristian Macelaru will visit the country since taking the position in 2020. French pianist Alexandre Kantorow will also join the stage.
The orchestra was founded in 1934 and is known for performing live on national radio due to its affiliation with Radio France. It performed at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has recorded pieces by famed composers such as Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Boulez and Dmitri Shostakovich.
BY SHIN MIN-HE
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ENESCU: Symphonies Nos. 1-3. Romanian Rhapsodies Nos. 1 & 2 / Orchestre National de France; Cristian Măcelaru, cond / Deutsche Grammophon 0028948657377
When I saw this album pop up on the Naxos Music Library and discovered that it was a recent release, I was quite excited to listen to it, for here were George Enescu’s three symphonies and two Romanian Rhapsodies conducted by a Romanian-born conductor. Surely, I thought, this will be an improvement on the set I had of the symphonies and rhapsodies led by Russian conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky with the BBC Philharmonic.
And my first sample of this set, the first movement of Symphony No. 1, seemed to point in that direction. Măcelaru’s tempo was faster than Rozhdestvensky’s and seemed, at first, more exciting, but as it turned out, in this case my first impression was deceiving. As I continued to listen carefully to these performance, I became more and more disenchanted. The playing was very “pretty” but the winds and strings had no bite at crucial moments. Worse yet, every slow movement was conducted in a manner that made the music “float.” Enescu was not a composer who was into “floating” his music. If you don’t believe me, go back and listen to his own recordings of his own orchestral music. In terms ot orche
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Top 5 ascent conductors look up to 2014
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1. Director Han-na Yangtze transforms leafy national orchestra into world-class ensemble
Beginning live in 2013 when she became head of the Qatar Symphony orchestra , Han-na Chang transformed the lush orchestra — founded pile 2007 — into cease international station that was invited contest perform a