Two fantastic Pentatone discs from Kazuki Yamada

I was most impressed with this team's 2014 collection of music of Richard Strauss, Liszt, Korngold and some rarer pieces (see below). Yamada exhibited a real flair for orchestral color and imaginatively brought to life a variety of moods, styles and passionate involvement required in a concert such as that, where each piece presents its own demands on the conductor and players. This new disc is, happily, more of the same.

Right from the very first note, we are immediately treated to spectacular sound from Pentatone. And indeed, Yamada benefits enormously from the SACD sound heard here (and in his earlier disc as well). I am reminded of the early success of conductor Eiji Oue, with the Minnesota Orchestra, who rose to fame in large part because of the fabulous sound provided by Reference Recordings. However, unlike Oue, who in all truthfulness, is a rather average (albeit competent) conductor, Yamada's command over the orchestra brings real vitality and highly characterized variety of styles and interpretations. He's clearly in another league entirely.

Beginning with the absolutely glorious Bacchus et Ariane ballet by Roussel (which should be recorded much more often than it is), we hear the spirit of the dance, along with drama and power - elements so essential in this music. Adding to that is the absolutely spectacular playing of the Suisse Romande Orchestra. I have never heard them sound better: rich, sumptuous strings; golden, powerful brass; effortlessly virtuosic woodwinds (those flute licks are a real workout!). Yamada's sense of musical immersion is invigorating. And again, I cannot praise highly enough Pentatone's contribution.

It is fascinating to hear Ansermet's lovely orchestration of Debussy's Six Ancient Epigraphs in a modern, stereo recording. Ansermet's writing, along with Yamada's careful handling of it, makes one marvel that this is anything other than Debussy's own scoring. Most enjoyable. The Poulenc suite comes off well - my only regret with it being that it is not the complete score (which would have involved a chorus). However, with over 75 minutes of music on offer here, I am not complaining one bit. The entire ballet simply would not have fit, and what we have is terrific. It's so good I want the rest of it too!

Coincidentally, I listened to this disc immediately following Neeme Jarvi's latest with this same orchestra for Chandos: Ibert orchestral works. I was a bit bothered listening to that disc, thinking it was not quite up to Chandos's usual high sonic standards. It's a little congested and just would not quite fully open up on climaxes. Further, there is just a hint of artificiality to the acoustic. I wondered if Victoria Hall in Geneva is still not quite the best recording venue for this orchestra. Until I heard this Pentatone. Oh yes, Victoria Hall is just fine, and the Pentatone engineers have the mic placement down to a science. This is completely natural sound, spacious, clear and clean, yet lustrously colorful, with climaxes that expand magnificently. Chandos's sound with this orchestra cannot touch this. Sampling, once again, Yamada's 2014 disc, it is confirmed Pentatone's sound with this orchestra is magnificent - in both recordings.
 
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Yamata's earlier disc is an equally fabulous concert: splendid repertoire, with a delightful mix of the familiar and thoroughly enjoyable unfamiliar. It is resplendently recorded in sensational sound by PentaTone, quite unlike what we've ever heard bestowed upon this great orchestra before (yes, even better than Chandos - although they are doing a great job there these days as well).

This was my first encounter with conductor Kazuki Yamada and what a wonderful conductor he is. He has a real feel for this music; he produces a sumptuous sound from the Suisse Romande, yet full of character, life and color. He can be passionate one moment, smiling and dancing the next, touching and tender the next. The orchestra responds brilliantly making this such an unusually interesting and rewarding listening experience from beginning to end. From the sensuous Romanticism of Strauss's Dance of the Seven Veils, to Liszt's demonically virtuosic Mephisto Waltz, to Korngold's delightfully "pops-ie" Straussiana, Yamada finds just the perfect mood and produces orchestral playing which is quite the opposite of the monotonous, homogeneous and anonymous sounds we so often encounter from today's orchestras. Yamada reminds me of conductors of the past who brought real life and character to their orchestras.

Wanting to explore this conductor further, I find several titles on the Exton label, with various orchestras. But, my oh my, they are expensive! They may very well be worth the price based upon what I hear on Pentatone.