Symphony No, 2, Cello Concerto, Medea Suite : Barber / London New Symphony Orchestra, Nelsova(Vc)

BARBER CONDUCTS BARBER

SAMUEL BARBER (1910-1981)
Symphony No. 2, Op. 19 (1944; revised 1947)
Recorded in Kingsway Hall, London, 13 December 1950

Cello Concerto (1945)
Recorded in Kingsway Hall, London, 11 December 1950

Medea, Op. 23 (1946) Orchestral Suite from the music to the Ballet “Cave of the Heart”
Recorded in Kingsway Hall, London, 12 December 1950

Zara Nelsova (cello)
New Symphony Orchestra of London / Samuel Barber, conductor

Producer and Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn

Samuel Barber’s passionate lyricism and fine craftsmanship as a composer are matched by his abilities as a conductor. Having learnt from the redoubtable Fritz Reiner, he ably meets the many challenges posed by his intense Second Symphony, composed while serving in the American Air Force during World War II. Although the self-critical Barber had misgivings about this work, he had no such reservations about his outgoing yet compact Cello Concerto which gained him the New York Music Critics’ Circle Award in 1947. The concise and pithy concert suite from his opera Medea likewise abounds in his characteristic blend of drama and lyricism. ( NAXOS )