George Enescu (1881-1955)
1-3 Symphony No.1 In E Flat Major, Op.13 (To Alfred Casella) (32:53)
4 Overture On Popular Romanian Themes In A Major, Op.32 (10:03)
Engineer [Sound] – Cornelia Andreescu
5-7 Study Symphony (No.4) In E Flat Major (36:13)
Conductor – Horia Andreescu
Orchestra – Romanian National Radio Orchestra
George Enescu (1881-1955)
1-3 Symphony No.2 In A Major, Op.17 (48:19)
4 Romanian Rhapsody In A Major, Op.11 No.1 11:42
5 Romanian Rhapsody In D Major, Op.11 No.2 11:53
Conductor – Horia Andreescu
Orchestra – Romanian National Radio Orchestra
1-3 Symphony No. 3 In C Major, Op.21 (44:20)
4 Romanian Poem For Orchestra, Op.1 26:54
Romanian National Radio Choir
Chorus Master – Aurel Grigoras
Conductor – Horia Andreescu
Orchestra – Romanian National Radio Orchestra
George Enescu (1881-1955)
1-3 Orchestral Suite No.1, Op.9 (26:03)
4 4 Symphonie Concertante For Cello And Orchestra, Op.8
Cello – Marin Cazacu
5-6 Two Intermezzi For String Orchestra, Op.12 (9:41)
Conductor – Horia Andreescu
Orchestra – Romanian National Radio Orchestra
George Enescu (1881-1955)
1-6 Orchestral Suite No.2, Op.20 (25:09)
7-11 Orchestral Suite No.3 ('Villageoise'), Op.27 (29:23)
12 Andantino (1896) 7:30
Conductor – Horia Andreescu
Orchestra – Romanian National Radio Orchestra 
George Enescu (1881-1955)
1 Vox Maris (Symphonic Poem), Op.31 (26:44)
Chorus – Romanian National Radio Choir
Chorus Master – Aurel Grigoras
Tenor Vocals – Robert Nagy
2-5 Study Symphony No.1 In D Minor (1895) (39:49)
6 Ballade For Violin And Orchestra, Op.4a (4:17)
Violin – Cristina Anghelescu
Conductor – Horia Andreescu
Orchestra – Romanian National Radio Orchestra
This Naxos album features cellist Laura Buruiana and pianist Martin Tchiba in what could have been a reference recording of these sonatas. Buruiana's playing is technically brilliant, with spot-on intonation, sweeping musical gestures, and a clear understanding of the score and how her part dialogues with the piano. Likewise, Tchiba is an elegant pianist who produces a wealth of colors that are so necessary in the frequently changing tonal environment of the Second Sonata. The problem -- and it's a big one -- is balance. There are entire passages where the cello is quite simply inaudible. Buruiana appears to be scrubbing away, drawing as much sound from her instrument as possible. Whether the balance issue stems from overexuberance on the part of Tchiba or a mixing/microphone issue from Naxos is not completely clear, but the result is the same: it's difficult to recommend an album of Enescu's cello sonatas, no matter how well-performed they are, if the cello itself can't be heard clearly. by Mike D. Brownell
Chamber music was a prominent feature of Enescu’s music from his earliest years. Though separated by almost four decades, the two Cello Sonatas were not published until 1935. The First is indebted in many respects to Brahms and to Enescu’s French contemporaries, but the Second, dedicated to Pablo Casals, could only be by Enescu in its density of thought and subtlety of expression. The finale is marked à la roumaine, which aptly describes the work’s overall character and the profile of its material. Naxos
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George Enescu (1881-1955)
Piano Quintet • Piano Quartet No. 2
The Romanian composer and violinist George Enescu may now be seen as the most important figure in the musical history of his country. He was born in Moldavia in 1881 and had violin lessons there with a pupil of Vieuxtemps, before moving, at the age of seven, to the Conservatory in Vienna, where he studied with Josef Hellmesberger. In 1893 he went to Paris for further study of the violin with Marsick and of composition with Massenet and Fauré, and in 1897 a concert of his work was given there. By 1899, when he won the first violin prize at the Conservatoire, he was already known as a composer, his Poème romaine having proved particularly successful. His subsequent career brought him similar distinction both as a performer and as a conductor.
Although Enescu’s career was centred on Paris, with the formation in 1904 of the Enescu Quartet, and increasing commitments both as an unwilling virtuoso and later as a teacher, he retained his connections with Romania and did much to encourage music there, through the Bucharest Conservatory and through the Conservatory at Ia‰i, where he established the George Enescu Symphony Orchestra in 1917. His influence on younger Romanian composers was to remain considerable.
Enescu was a remarkably versatile musician. He was a competent pianist, accompanying Jacques Thibaud in the first performance of his own second Violin Sonata, and able to play all of Wagner at the keyboard from memory. In his phenomenal memory he held the complete works of Bach, and Menuhin describes how he was able to play Ravel’s new Violin Sonata from memory after two brief readings with the composer. His natural ability as a small child had led him to become a virtuoso violinist, but his interest was always rather in composition than performance, the second providing the means for the first. His life was divided between Paris and Romania, his character and music presenting a similar contrast between cosmopolitan urbanity and the more passionate elements that were part of his Moldavian inheritance.
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George Enescu is best remembered for his evergreen Roumanian Rhapsody No. 1, but most of his music has taken a long time to enter the western repertoire. Because the Symphony No. 2 in A major and the Chamber Symphony for 12 instruments have been treated to a handful of recordings, they are perhaps more familiar to listeners than most of his works, though limited availability still keeps them from a wider audience. That's why Hannu Lintu's recording of these works for Ondine is an important contribution to the catalog, because his clear and cogent readings with the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra have the potential to establish these pieces outside Romania. Enescu's youthful energy, gift for memorable thems, and lush post-Romantic orchestration in the style of Richard Strauss make the Symphony No. 2 an engaging piece that listeners will immediately appreciate. The Chamber Symphony was Enescu's last composition, left incomplete because of a stroke, so the work was finished by Marcel Mihalovici. It is somewhat less ingratiating because of its serious mood and comparatively thin textures, but its lyrical lines and coherent development make it accessible. Ondine's recording of the symphony is spacious and vibrant, and all the details of the score are presented in gorgeous colors. However, the sound of the Chamber Symphony is dry and close to the instruments, making its sonorities sharp and austere. by Blair Sanderson
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Composed By, Conductor [Dirijor] – George Enescu
Orchestra – Orchestra Filarmonică din București
1.2 Sonata Nr.1 În Sol Minor BWV 1001 Pentru Vioară Solo
Composed By – Johann Sebastian Bach
Performer [Interpret], Soloist, Violin – George Enescu
1.3 Sonata Nr.2 În La Minor BWV 1002 Pentru Vioară Solo
Composed By – Johann Sebastian Bach
Performer [Interpret], Soloist, Violin – George Enescu
2.1 Alai Țigănesc Din Suita Simfonică Op.5 „Priveliști Moldovenești” 10:01
Composed By – Mihail Jora
Conductor [Dirijor] – George Enescu
Orchestra – Orchestra Filarmonică din București
2.2 Cantabile Pentru Flaut Și Pian 3:49
Composed By, Piano – George Enescu
Flute – Vasile Jianu
2.3 Șase Cântece Din Ciclul „Șapte Cântece Pe Versuri De Clément Marot”, Op.15
Composed By, Piano – George Enescu
Lyrics By [Versuri De] – Clément Marot
Vocals – Constantin Stroescu
2.4 Simfonia A IV-a Op.98 În Mi Minor
Composed By – Johannes Brahms
Conductor [Dirijor] – George Enescu
Orchestra – Orchestra Filarmonică din București
Remastered By [Înregistrare Recondiționată De], Engineer – Andrei Papudof
"George Enescu (1881-1955) is the greatest great composer whose greatness is not generally recognized," wrote Martin Anderson in his notes to this release of Enescu's rarely performed piano quartets. The statement is surely debatable, and Baroque buffs might hold out for Biber or Zelenka. But Britain's Schubert Ensemble makes a good case for Enescu here, with full-blooded performances of these difficult, complex chamber works. The massive Piano Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 16, demands a special round of repeated hearings; clocking in at almost 40 minutes, it is somehow Mahlerian in scope, although the basic harmonic language falls into the orbits of Fauré and Rachmaninov. Enescu's genius here is that the music in the opening movement keeps making turns into different realms, with major heroic, concerto-like statements from the piano, lyrical interludes, proto-Impressionist moves, passages influenced by Romanian folk music, and more. The quartet seems to, as Mahler put it, "encompass the world," but it also all hangs together, with much of it derived from an opening motive. The slow movement is an unusually beautiful nocturne, extended to heavenly length. The late Piano Quartet No. 2 in D minor, Op. 30, premiered in 1944, was an homage to Fauré and is less impressive in its sheer scope, but is full of gorgeous melodies. The momentum never flags here through some very large structures, and those who enjoy the experience of digging into a deep piece of chamber music will find this release the height of enjoyment. by James Manheim
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"Retrospective - The Very Best Of e.s.t." is a retrospective of the unique work of e.s.t. and a tribute to the late mastermind Esb...
