MAHLER: Symphony No. 5
Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Daniel Harding, cond.
HARMONIA MUNDI LC 7045 TT: 73:23
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HESKETH: Orchestral Works
BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Christoph-Mathias Mueller, cond.
PALADINO PMR 0092 TT: 54:42

Two of the top virtuosos of the day, Hakan Hardenberger and Colin Currie, present a superb disk of varied music arranged for, or written for, trumpet and varied percussion instruments. Currie's program notes tell of his admiration for Hardenberger and their many collaborations. The disk is named after the final work, Brett Dean;s The Scene of the Crime, adapted from his score for a Glyndebourne production of Hamlet in which Shakespeare mentions "the sound of drums and trumpets." Dazzling performances throughout, and the recording, made in Suffolk's Potton Hall June 2018, presents a wide-ranging sonic picture. It could only be more effective sonically had it been recorded multi-channel. A delightful disk!

British conductor Daniel Harding is one of the most exciting younger conductors of our time. He has held major positions with a number of orchestras including the London Symphony and Orchestra of Paris. Since 2007 he has been Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. He already has recorded music of Mahler: ; he was chosen by the Royal Concertgebouw for their Mahler cycle several years ago, in which he led Symphony No 1, available on video (REVIEW). Already issued is Symphony No 9, and this new disk offers a brilliant performance of Symphony No 5. There are countless fine recordings of Symphony No. 5, and this new Harding issue is surely among preferred versions.The recording was made September 2016 in Stockholm's Berwaldhallen. Engineers have provided an appropriately full, rich Mahlerian sound that only could be improved had it been recorded multi-channel. A fine issue!

British composer Kenneth Hesketh (b. 1968) has made a career of writing complex music for orchestra, opera, chamber ensemble and solo instruments. This SACD gives us the opportunity to experience three of his major orchestral works; It is called In Ictu Oculi and consiss of three works: Knotted Tongues (2012 - rev. 2014), Of Time and Dissilusionment (2016) and Three Mediations (2017). Knotted Tongues was commissioned and premiered by the Seattle Symphony. Of Time and Disillunionment has five sections: Fragmented Escaoements, Ritornelli, Notturni per I Dfunti, Corrupted Dances, and Regulated Escapements. All of this music is based on a cycle of works by René Descartes about the "unreliable machine" the human body is. Program notes attempt to convey the composer's intent. The music is extraordinarily complex and detailed often barbaric and usually dissonant. A page of the score is included in program notes; it must be very difficult for all performers! As the composer produced this recording made September 2017 in BBC Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff, Wales, we can assume what is heard here is what Hesketh intended. Here is something new, intriguing and challenging. Approach with caution!

R.E.B. (November 2018)