Catalogue | Orchestra

The Russian cultural scene, although largely unnoticed in the West, offers an almost inexhaustible potential in terms of first-class musicians and valuable interpretations. Now, for the first time, audite presents an orchestra unknown in the West but nonetheless highly renowned: the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra (NASO). Could it be due to this region’s geographic remoteness and exoticness, or to the negative connotation of Siberia, that Russian musical culture ends with the Ural Mountains as far as the culturally interested West is concerned? Despite numerous concert tours and major successes in the West, this Siberian orchestra has remained largely unknown up until the present day. This is completely unjustified, for the NASO need not fear comparison with the best-known European orchestras.

Founded as long ago as 1956 in Novosibirsk as the result of a government decision to enliven Siberian cultural life, the Orchestra is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Arnold Kats was then appointed Music Director and has occupied this position uninterruptedly ever since. The Orchestra developed very rapidly into a renowned ensemble under his direction; at first, alongside Novosibirsk, its concert activities were limited to cities in the eastern provinces of the former Soviet Union. Later on, concert organisers in the western Russian provinces discovered the Orchestra as well. Following successful performances in Moscow and Leningrad, the Orchestra undertook its first concert tour in the allied country of Bulgaria. Already in 1978, the Orchestra was permitted to undertake its first concert tour in the West – in Italy. Since then, numerous tours have regularly taken the orchestra to the great concert halls of the West European capitals and to Japan.

On the present SACD, the Orchestra under Arnold Kats is presented with a truly Russian repertoire: the beloved Symphony No. 2 of Sergei Rachmaninov allows us a glimpse into the Russian soul; the recording of the Gypsy tunes of the Caprice bohemian, also by Rachmaninov, is a world premiere recording. In honour of the Orchestra’s 50th anniversary, audite presents a production which attains the highest standards in interpretative and sound quality, motivating listeners to make further discoveries in the Russian musical scene. You can therefore look forward with eager anticipation to the next audite release with the NASO performing works of Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky under the Orchestra’s regular guest conductor, Thomas Sanderling.

• Audio | Otto Paul Burkhard | January 4, 2006

  Rachmaninoffs Zweite — ein ewiger Streitfall?
  Viele Interpreten verhunzten das Opus, mixten monströse Gefühlspampe....

• Audiophile Audition | John Sunier | June 8, 2006

  Battle of the Rocky Seconds on SACD
  Rachmaninoff's Second Symphony has become a concert favorite with audiences. Filled with as many rich and lyrical melodies as the composer's even more...

• Der neue Merker | Dorothea Zweipfennig | March 30, 2006

  Sergej Rachmaninow aus Sibirien
  Die russische Kulturszene bietet, vom Westen weitgehend unbemerkt, ein unerschöpfliches Potenzial an erstklassigen Musikern. Audite präsentiert das...

• Deutschlandfunk | Simone Wien, Sylvia Systermans | May 25, 2006

  Nowosibirsk liegt im Zentrum Westsibiriens. Mit 1,5 Millionen Einwohnern nach Moskau und St. Petersburg die drittgrößte und eine der jüngsten...

• Diapason | Pierre-Emile Barbier | January 7, 2006

  Quelques mélomanes ont certainement eu l'occasion de découvrir cet orchestre de Sibérie lors de tournées estivales en France. Son chef, Arnold...

• Fanfare | Peter J. Rabinowitz | January 3, 2007

  Arnold Kats, now in his early eighties, has been the conductor of the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra since it was founded half a century...

• Frankenpost | Michael Thumser | July 22, 2006

  Licht von Osten gegen Russlands Schwermut
  Der Russe Sergej Rachmaninow hat sich schon viel vorwerfen lassen müssen. Ganz nah bei der Filmmusik Hollywoods verortete man seine Tonwerke,...

• klassik.com | Christian Vitalis | August 2, 2008

  Fad und dumpf
  Sergej Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) hat drei Sinfonien geschrieben, von denen...

• Les Années Laser | January 4, 2007

  Audite
  Alors que d'autres déclarent forfait, cet éditeur allemand mise sur le format hybride CD/SACD pour tous ses nouveaux titres. À l'écoute tic son...

• Muzyka21 | Katarzyna Musiał | January 7, 2006

  Po raz kolejny słowiańskość, lecz tym razem pod silnym wpływem stylistyki Czajkowskiego, Skriabina i Borodina. Nazbyt tradycyjna lub też mało...

• opushd.net - opus haute définition e-magazine | Jean-Jacques Millo | April 20, 2006

  La seconde symphonie de Rachmaninov est l’exemple d’une inspiration créatrice indéniable qui se poursuivra avec notamment le troisième concerto...

• Pirngruber Magazin | January 1, 2006

  Der grimmige Leo Tolstoi sah ihm geradeaus ins Gesicht: „Sagen Sie mal, mein Freund, braucht irgendjemand solche Musik?“. Rachmaninov ist an dem...

• Pizzicato | Rémy Franck | January 3, 2006

  Rachmaninov mit Limiter
  ‘Mütterchen Russlands gesammelten Weltschmerz’ hat man Sergej Rachmaninovs Zweite Symphonie genannt. Entsprechend schwülstig wird sie denn auch...

• www.classicalcdreview.com | R.E.B. | January 8, 2006

  The Audite SACD of Rachmaninoff performed by the Novosibirsk Academic Symphony Orchestra directed by Arnold Kats is disappointing in every way except...

• www.ClassicsToday.com | David Hurwitz | January 7, 2006

  This release was a mistake. Audite is an excellent, quality-conscious label with jealously guarded audiophile credentials. In a crowded field (even...

• www.classicstodayfrance.com | Christophe Huss | May 7, 2006

  Cet enregistrement, dont le directeur artistique semble être le fils de Kirill Kondrachine, est une très honnête restitution (sans coupures) de la...