CELEBRATING 53,000 Classical CD reviews on-line (Sept 2016); 21,000 page views each day. Return to MusicWeb International
Johann Nepomuk David Symphonies 3&7: Rob Barnett's Review
Posted by Colin Mackie on January 23, 2026, 12:03 am Edited by board administrator January 23, 2026, 12:06 am
In his enthusiastic review of the CPO issue of J.N.David's Symphonies Nos.3 and 7 Rob Barnett commends the company's "stalwart adhesion to a project". I would certainly endorse that comment. However there is a serious caveat. There have been three releases in this project: in 2014 Symphonies Nos. 1&6, recorded in February and March 2011; in 2018 (ie 7 years later) Symphonies 2&4, recorded (as far back as September 2008); and now (after another gap of 7 years) Symphonies Nos.3&7, recorded in March 2014 (ie 11 years ago). It is, to my mind, inexplicable that a series like this should be strung out over in excess of a decade and that recordings made well over a decade ago should sit on CPO's shelves for such an incredibly lengthy time. CPO has loyal customers but those who would wish-as do I- to collect a complete series should not be required to wait for a quite ridiculously extended time. In plain but sadly inevitable circumstances some of us who started collecting this series may not live to enjoy its completion! Does this not occur to those responsible for these extraordinary release scheduling decisions?
Re: Johann Nepomuk David Symphonies 3&7: Rob Barnett's Review
For my own part I have found there to be three alternatives - quick and sloppy, slow and sloppy, and slow and well-done. cpo/jpc tends towards the slow and well-prepared product much of the time, I'd say (there have been exceptions, e.g. program notes where the tempo indications of two different works have turned out flipped with each other- looking at you, Pejacevic's chamber works.) Other labels, more toward the first. I'm unaware of quickly made and well-done (in this context)...
Previous Message
In his enthusiastic review of the CPO issue of J.N.David's Symphonies Nos.3 and 7 Rob Barnett commends the company's "stalwart adhesion to a project". I would certainly endorse that comment. However there is a serious caveat. There have been three releases in this project: in 2014 Symphonies Nos. 1&6, recorded in February and March 2011; in 2018 (ie 7 years later) Symphonies 2&4, recorded (as far back as September 2008); and now (after another gap of 7 years) Symphonies Nos.3&7, recorded in March 2014 (ie 11 years ago). It is, to my mind, inexplicable that a series like this should be strung out over in excess of a decade and that recordings made well over a decade ago should sit on CPO's shelves for such an incredibly lengthy time. CPO has loyal customers but those who would wish-as do I- to collect a complete series should not be required to wait for a quite ridiculously extended time. In plain but sadly inevitable circumstances some of us who started collecting this series may not live to enjoy its completion! Does this not occur to those responsible for these extraordinary release scheduling decisions?
Previous Message