Great d'Indy from the Iceland Symphony Orchestra under Rumon Gamba? Why not? It should be possible, both technically and theoretically. In their recordings for Naxos and Chandos, the Icelandic musicians have shown themselves to be a fully professional, deeply dedicated, and tightly polished orchestra capable of playing music of their countrymen such as Jón Leifs and music by Scandinavians such as Jean Sibelius with equal panache and power. And Gamba, with his crisp technique, poised tempos, and sensitivity to color, has ...
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Great d'Indy from the Iceland Symphony Orchestra under Rumon Gamba? Why not? It should be possible, both technically and theoretically. In their recordings for Naxos and Chandos, the Icelandic musicians have shown themselves to be a fully professional, deeply dedicated, and tightly polished orchestra capable of playing music of their countrymen such as Jón Leifs and music by Scandinavians such as Jean Sibelius with equal panache and power. And Gamba, with his crisp technique, poised tempos, and sensitivity to color, has proved a remarkably able conductor in works by Arnold and Vaughan Williams. But some will rightly point out that there's less aesthetic distance between Scandinavia and England than there is between England and France, and that Sibelius and Vaughan Williams are aesthetically vastly removed from d'Indy's cool, clear Impressionism. And yet, Gamba and the Iceland Symphony turn in finely polished, vividly realized performances that have the textural clarity and brilliant colors so...
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