Toronto Symphony lands record deal
OrchestrasThe Toronto Symphony Orchestra and its music director Gustavo Gimeno have hooked up with Harmonia Mundi in what is described as a long-term recording partnership. The launch release will be Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie on February 2, 2024, followed by Stravinsky’s ballet Pulcinella (with a work by Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy) and Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin (with a work by Canadian composer Emilie LeBel).
HM have never signed a North American orchestra before.
It was pretty clear that one big reason for hiring Gimeno was the expectation he could land a recording contract. Toronto still is smarting from Montreal’s longstanding recording dominance.
Ironic that Montréal had Kent Nagano – Messiaen’s former assistant – as MD for 15 years, and it’s Toronto who will release the Turangalila. The OSM opened their new hall with the Turangalila in 2009 (it was the second or third symphony concert, after Beethoven’s 9th for the official inauguration, with the late Erin Wall), but at the time they were recording Beethoven, so no Messiaen CD.
You are rights, Emil. A Nagano-Montréal recording of Messiaen would have been great. “Et expecto”, “Chronochromie”, or “Éclair sur l’au-delà” which he all conducted in MSO (well, not absolutely sure for “Chronochromie”). But at the time of his arrival, he already made 3 recording of major Messiaen works; including “Turangalila” and the first recording of “St-François d’Assise (maybe the second, please confirm someone). I suppose he was on for something else: the Beethoven records, Bernstein “A quiet place”, the opera “L’aiglon”.
Hogwash. My solid recollection is that HM recorded William Christie and the Philharmonia Baroque Soloists, a North American orchestra in several CDs of Haydn Symphonies in the 90s. They performed in the East Bay as well as Tiburon, CA. I even have the recording of 100 and 104 on my shelves.
Harmonia Mundi released 4 CDs of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra: two with Jon Nakamatsu, one with Olga Kern, and one of Vaughn Williams works.
Can’t find any.
Gustavo is boring. Typical status quo
As the Germans say: “Warme Luft”…
Wrong .Harmonia mundi recorded with a few North American orchestras before.The Fort Worth Symphony under Miguel Harth Bedoya and James Conlon, the Florida Philharmonic under James Judd, and the Rochester Philharmonic under Christopher Seaman coming to mind. This is Harmonia Mundi USA,the American division of HM France.
However , a record deal with the TSO is long overdue. The Chandos contract with Oundjian produced few recordings,sadly. The TSO is a fantastic orchestra, absolutely on par with OSM.
The TSO also released a few CDs under their own name/label. I have their Shostakovich 11 and a CD of Vaughan Williams symphonies (No. 4 & 5), both with Oundjian.
The Gershwin Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra recording with Harmonium Mundi was with conductor Jeff Tyzik.
Boring orchestra. Boring repertoire. Boring HM. Provincial indeed.
There´s always some Andre Rieu for you….
context????
I guess HM isn’t concerned about sales…
I’ve been to several concerts featuring Kelly-Marie Murphy pieces. I didn’t hate them/
https://kellymariemurphy.com/they-hate-me/
Listen to it.Building an opinion on reviews isn´t an opinion.
The acoustics at Roy Thomson Hall are just terrible. It’s painful to attend. Each time i go I mistakenly think that somehow, the acoustics were magically improved since the last time. Just garbage.
Some of us are old enough to remember when the easiest way to buy the Turangalila Symphony on LP in a typical record store was to get the Toronto Symphony’s RCA Victor recording under Ozawa.
Fantastic news!
“Lands a record deal”. What, are we still living in the 1960s? I’m a professional classical musician and I haven’t bought a physical Cd or record in many years.