Debussy & Tchaikovsky: Works for Strings NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra & Joseph Swensen

• Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918): String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10, L. 85 (Arr. J. Swensen for String Orchestra):
• 1 String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10, L. 85 (Arr. J. Swensen for String Orchestra): I. Animé et très décidé 06:25
• 2 String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10, L. 85 (Arr. J. Swensen for String Orchestra): II. Assez vif et bien rythmé 03:37
• 3 String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10, L. 85 (Arr. J. Swensen for String Orchestra): III. Andantino, doucement expressif 07:22
• 4 String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10, L. 85 (Arr. J. Swensen for String Orchestra): IV. Très modéré 07:23
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893): Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48:
• 5 Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48: I. Pezzo in forma di sonatina. Andante non troppo - Allegro moderato 09:46
• 6 Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48: II. Valse. Moderato 03:44
• 7 Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48: III. Elegia. Larghetto elegiaco 08:52
• 8 Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48, TH 48: IV. Finale. Andante - Allegro con spirito 07:11
• Total Runtime 54:20

Info for Debussy & Tchaikovsky: Works for Strings

Debussy and Tchaikovsky share a central essence yet face in opposite directions. Tchaikovsky is devoted to Mozart and European Classical traditions whilst Debussy with his love of the music of Bali, points us all towards a more inclusive human brotherhood. The essential musical language they speak however is very similar, the language of melody. My role as I see it, is not only to recreate, enhance and give new life to the composers intentions, it is also to somehow get inside of the mind and consciousness the composer himself. Not unlike how a great actor must somehow become the character he portrays, I feel like a completely different person conducting Debussy than I do conducting Tchaikovsky. Playing Debussys groundbreaking Quartet in the version for string orchestra is probably something which Debussy himself would have considered impossible. (Most contemporary orchestral players would probably agree with this asserton.. But for me, this somewhat radical idea is appropriate for a work by this revolutionary composer and I am convinced that he would have loved it! The Serenade for Strings is the epitome of musical inspiration. Tchaikovskys love for the old forms and his worship of Mozart are abundantly obvious here. Embodying Tchaikovskys ideal of integrating transcendent Classicism with the sensual and emotional aspects of his temperament is my goal when conducting all works by Tchaikovsky.

NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra
Joseph Swensen, conductor

Joseph Swensen
is Artistic Director of the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra (Wroclaw), Conductor Emeritus of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Ciudad de Granada and Artistic Partner of the Northwest Sinfonietta (USA). A sought-after pedagogue, Joseph Swensen teaches conducting, violin and chamber music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. He has previously served as Principal Guest Conductor & Artistic Adviser of the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris (2009-2012), Principal Conductor of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (1996-2005) and Principal Conductor of Malmö Opera (2005-2011).

Recognized for forging solid bonds with orchestras, this season will see Swensen appearing with his closest partners, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música and Northwest Sinfonietta. In addition, Swensen will return to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. While conducting major works of the great romantic repertoire with large symphony orchestras, for his first season as Artistic Director of the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, Joseph Swensen has unveiled adventurous and innovative programmes that bring together the classical and contemporary eras, juxtaposing Mozart with Berg or CPE Bach with Pärt and Larcher as well as featuring Polish composers such as Lutoslawski, Penderecki and Gorecki.

During his nine-year tenure with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Swensen and the orchestra toured extensively in the US, UK, Europe and the Far East. They performed together at the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York, Tanglewood and Ravinia Festivals, the BBC Proms, the Barbican and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. With the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Swensen appeared at the “Festival de Radio France” in Montpellier and “La Folle Journée” de Nantes et Tokyo. As Principal Conductor of the Malmö Opera in Sweden, Swensen conducted highly acclaimed productions, notably rarely staged ones such as Macbeth, Vanessa, The Dialogues of the Carmelites and La Fanciulla del West, alongside Salome, La Boheme, La Traviata, Madame Butterfly among others.

Before launching his conducting career in the mid-1990s, Swensen enjoyed a highly successful career as a violin soloist appearing with the world’s major orchestras and conductors. As an exclusive recording artist with BMG Classics he recorded the Beethoven violin concerto with André Prévin and the Royal Philharmonic and the Sibelius violin concerto with Jukka Pekka Saraste and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. The violinist and conductor naturally meet in the art of play-direct. With a special interest in exploring and developing this art, Swensen has extended the repertoire far beyond the classical period, directing from the violin concertos by composers such as Brahms, Barber and Prokofiev. His series of recordings for Linn Records featuring Brahms, Mendelssohn and Prokofiev’s second concerto, with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra were internationally acclaimed. With the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Swensen created the first ‘Paris Play-Direct Academy’ in May 2011.

A multifaceted musician, as a composer Swensen's works include Mantram (1998) for string orchestra, Latif (1999) for solo cello with chamber ensemble, Shizue (2001) for solo shakuhachi and orchestra, and the Sinfonia-Concertante for Horn and Orchestra (The Fire and the Rose) (2008). Swensen's Sinfonia in B (2007), an orchestration of the rarely performed 1854 version of Brahms' Trio Op. 8, has been recorded for Signum Records.

Joseph and Victoria Swensen present year-round workshops and offer residencies for chamber-music, conducting and instrumental study at their 250-year old, 15 room farmhouse in Vermont. (SwensenMusicHouse.com). An American of Norwegian and Japanese descent, Joseph Swensen was born in Hoboken, New Jersey and grew up in Harlem, New York City.

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