C0019. DAVID ROBERTSON Cond. Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo: Rêves, op. 65 ; Soirs, op. 5; w. HÜSEYIN SERMET (Pf.): Symphonie Concertante, Op.82 (all Florent Schmitt). (France) Valois 4687, recorded 1993, Monaco. Very Long out-of-print, Final Copy! - 3298490046876

CRITIC REVIEWS:

“A consummate musician, masterful programmer and dynamic presence, American maestro David Robertson has established himself as one of today’s most sought-after conductors. A passionate and compelling communicator with an extensive orchestral and operatic repertoire, he has forged close relationships with major orchestras around the world through his exhilarating music-making and stimulating ideas. In fall 2015, Robertson launched his 11th season as Music Director of the 136-year-old St. Louis Symphony. In January 2016, David Robertson embarks on his third year as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in Australia.

To celebrate his decade-long tenure with the St. Louis Symphony in 2014-15, David Robertson showcased 50 of the orchestra’s musicians in solo or solo ensemble performances throughout the season. In 2013-14, David Robertson led the St. Louis Symphony in a Carnegie Hall performance of Britten’s PETER GRIMES on the Britten centennial that Anthony Tommasini, in THE NEW YORK TIMES, selected as one of the most memorable concerts of the year.

With over 50 operas in his repertoire, Robertson has appeared at many of the world’s most prestigious opera houses including The Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Opéra de Lyon, Bayerische Staatsoper, Théâtre du Châtelet, Hamburg State Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and San Francisco Opera. In 2014 Robertson led The Metropolitan Opera in a historic production of John Adams’ THE DEATH OF KLINGHOFFER. Alex Ross wrote of the intense performances, which included protesters in the auditorium, in the NEW YORKER, ‘…the Met was lucky to have David Robertson, a fearless and impassioned conductor….’

A champion of young musicians, David Robertson has devoted time to working with students and young artists throughout his career. In 2013 he joined John Adams in leading a Carnegie Hall Training Workshop titled ‘The 21st-Century American Contemporary Ensemble’, and also led the young Ensemble ACJW in concert at Carnegie. In addition to creating and leading many outreach programs with the Ensemble Intercontemporain and the Orchestre National de Lyon, Robertson also has worked with students at Carnegie Hall’s Academy, the Paris Conservatory, The Juilliard School, Tanglewood, National Orchestral Institute in Maryland, and Aspen Music Festival and School.

David Robertson has made numerous recordings for Sony Classical, Naive, EMI/Virgin Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, Atlantic/Erato, Nuema, Adès, Valois and Naxos, in addition to his recent recordings with the St. Louis Symphony for Nonesuch, one of which, the ‘Doctor Atomic’ Symphony, was named ‘Classical CD of the Decade’ by the LONDON TIMES. Other recordings feature works by such composers as Bartók, Boulez, Carter, Dusapin, Dvorák, Ginastera, Lalo, Milhaud, Reich, Saint-Saëns, and Silvestrov.”

- Opus 3 Artists





“Pianist, composer, and pedagogue, Turkish-born Hüseyin Sermet is an artist at the peak of his powers; his extensive repertoire, refined over the course of a distinguished thirty-year career, reflects his wide ranging musical interests and pianistic versatility.

He has performed and recorded with some of the world’s finest musicians, including Lorin Maazel, Mstislav Rostropovich, Semyon Bychkov, Antal Dorati, Jonathan Nott and David Robertson; and has worked with orchestras such as the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Orchestre de Paris, Bamberger Symphoniker, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony, Shanghai Symphony, Detroit Symphony and Royal Philharmonic orchestras. A devoted mentor of young talent, and highly regarded for his many appearances in Japan, Sermet has been invited by NHK Television as protagonist in a series of fifteen televised masterclasses with young pianists.

His compositions include ‘Réminiscence’, premiered at the Empéri Festival in 1997 and broadcast live by France Musique, ‘Dream and Nightmare’ (2004) commissioned by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and ‘Sculptures’ (2006).

Hüseyin Sermet has made a number of recordings for Naïve, Harmonia Mundi and Erato. Award-winning discs include his first volume of Ravel solo piano works, three discs devoted to Alkan (all winning a Diapason d’Or), a traversal of Schubert’s works for four hands with Maria João Pires, and the Liszt Sonata and late works (both Choc du Monde de la Musique). Educated at the Ankara State Conservatoire, the Paris Conservatoire (where he studied with Thierry de Brunhoff, Olivier Messiaen, and Nadia Boulanger), and in London (studying with Maria Curcio); Sermet has won prizes at the Maurice Ravel, Palma de Mallorca Chopin, Ettore Pozzoli, Francesco Paola Neglia, Queen Elizabeth and Geza Anda piano competitions. Other honours included prizes at the Munich and Paris chamber music competitions, the Lili Boulanger composition competition award for his String Quartet.”

- Naïve