In my view, conductor Mariss Jansons has excellent skills in leading an orchestra. I sense that he is always prepared, knows the music cold, and has excellent eye contact with his players.
Now you get to judge for yourself, via the new recording of his CD titled “Rhapsody”
This is a Live-Recording, done in Munich, at the Herkulessaal, featuring the following music:
Chabrier:
España
Enescu:
Romanian Rhapsody in A major, Op. 11 No. 1
Gershwin:
Rhapsody in Blue, with Denis Matsuev (piano)
Liszt:
Hungarian Rhapsody, S244 No. 2 in C sharp minor
Ravel:
Rhapsodie Espagnole
All performed by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons conducting.
With his rhapsody “España” the Frenchman Emmanuel Chabrier focused on the Iberian music and folk music so popular at the time, as did his more famous compatriot Maurice Ravel with his “Rhapsodie espagnole”, the four-movement structure of which still harks back to long-outdated symphonic forms.
From the Hungarian-born Franz Liszt we have the famous “Hungarian Rhapsody” No. 2, and from the Romanian composer George Enescu the scarcely less famous and popular “Romanian Rhapsody”.
The American George Gershwin created what was probably the most famous example of the genre in the 20th century with his “Rhapsody in Blue” scored for piano and orchestra.
Here is Mr Jansons, leading the orchestra in the Rumanian Rhapsody by Enescu:
