The Five Sacred Trees (Bassoon Concerto) by Slatkin & Detroit Symphony Orchestra (Naxos) - new 2015 recording

[Mari 279]

New album from @naxosrecords! Pre-order legendary John Williams' "5 Sacred Trees" on #iTunes: https://t.co/pSO8dLwayo pic.twitter.com/lPHxn9UJtY

— Detroit Symphony (@DetroitSymphony)

June 25, 2015

[Jay 41,369]

Fixed your post to be a proper embed.

Cool news!

It's on AMAZON too

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YZR3B5A/jwfancom-20

Official site:

http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=9.70904

qobuz:

http://www.qobuz.com/fr-fr/album/williams-bassoon-concerto-5-sacred-trees-robert-williams/0730099790413

[Miguel Andrade 1,441]

About time... now if they only release those on CD...

[Thor 9,114]

About time... now if they only release those on CD...

I'm confused as to why you say "about time". Was this performance recorded a long time ago, but only made available now?

[Bespin Copilot 9,281]

About time... now if they only release those on CD...

Slowly but surely, Slatkin continues his JW's recording project.

Someday, it will make a beautiful boxset!

Previous Slatkin's recordings:

1992 - Violin Concerto/Flute Concerto (Leonard Slatkin/London Symphony); Reissued for digital download in 2014, Varèse Sarabande.

2010 - Concerto for Horn and Orchestra, Digital Release (Leonard Slatkin/Detroit Symphony)

2011 - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra rev. 1998, Digital Release (Leonard Slatkin/Detroit Symphony)

[Stempel 136]

[TownerFan 5,554]

About time... now if they only release those on CD...

I'm confused as to why you say "about time". Was this performance recorded a long time ago, but only made available now?

Yes, it was recorded 2 or 3 years ago. This series is ongoing since a few years now--Slatkin is performing all of Williams' concerti with the DSO, using the principals of the orchestra as soloists. So far they did the Horn Concerto, the Violin Concerto, the Tuba Concerto, the Flute Concerto, the Cello Concerto (revised version) and the Bassoon Concerto. If I'm correct, next season they're gonna do the Trumpet Concerto.

All of these are planned to be released on Naxos, but so far only Horn and Violin have been issued.

[Thor 9,114]

Yes, I'm aware of Slatkin's "project", but I didn't know he had conducted this years ago. Maybe I didn't notice because I'm so pleased with Williams' own recording. Thanks for the info, in any case.

IMO, he should prioritize the concerti that have no commercial release at all (like the viola concerto) or those that only have crummy-sounding releases with dubious legality (like the clarinet concerto). Of all the works he has recorded so far, only the horn and harp concerti had no previous commercial release, AFAIK.

[TownerFan 5,554]

The Harp Concerto has been released digitally on the BSO label.

IMHO it's always good to have further interpretations of JW's concert works released, even if there are other recordings available.

[Thor 9,114]

The Harp Concerto has been released digitally on the BSO label.

Yeah, I know. But Slatkin's recording was the first, AFAIK. Same with the horn concerto. The others he has done recently have had previous recordings/releases. Nothing wrong with new recordings and interpretations (I welcome them!), but as a completist I would rather have the unreleased works out there (and those that have crummy bootlegish recordings).

[Miguel Andrade 1,441]

Slatkin did the Harp concerto when? Are you sure you aren't making any sort of confusion on that one?

I only know of one commercial release (that one being the BSO label digital release one, a live recording of the third and final performance with the BSO back when it was premiered), and while I've heard it performed a few other times over web radio streams, I can't recall of any performance with Slatkin conducting (by the way, Williams successor at the Pops, Keith Lockhart lead the European premiere of that one a few years ago).

[Thor 9,114]

Slatkin did the Harp concerto when? Are you sure you aren't making any sort of confusion on that one?

Could be. I'm often confused!

I guess I just thought the recent release of the harp concerto was part of Slatkin's series (what with the album's cover and all).

[Miguel Andrade 1,441]

The recent release if from 4 years ago

And the cover has little to do with the ones Naxos has been using for their releases.

Having said that, I do long for more recordings of this particular work. Though as you mentioned before, priority should go to the Clarinet and Viola concertos... Though I wonder if Williams will allow for a performance of the former, as it hasn't been conducted by anyone else but him, and the last time he did it was over 20 years ago. As for the later, I can see that happening, as at least another violist has performed it already.

[Bespin Copilot 9,281]

The harp concerto, that's the one called Widows and Bitches, isn't it?

Sent from my iPad

[Thor 9,114]

The recent release if from 4 years ago

And the cover has little to do with the ones Naxos has been using for their releases.

I think it follows the basic template from the Slatkin recordings fairly well, with the fonts and everything. It must have been that which caused the confusion.

[TownerFan 5,554]

Though as you mentioned before, priority should go to the Clarinet and Viola concertos... Though I wonder if Williams will allow for a performance of the former, as it hasn't been conducted by anyone else but him, and the last time he did it was over 20 years ago. As for the later, I can see that happening, as at least another violist has performed it already.

I'm sure the Viola Concerto will be performed and recorded by Slatkin (and hopefully also by other artists!), I guess it's a matter of time. Maybe the BSO label will also release the performance conducted by JW with Cathy Basrak as soloist.

As for the Clarinet Concerto, it's still some kind of a mystery. The work has never been published (I guess it's not available for rental either) and hasn't been performed since 1993. Maybe it's one of those works JW was planning to revise, but other commitments always prevented him of doing it?

[crocodile 8,883]

About time... now if they only release those on CD...

I'm confused as to why you say "about time". Was this performance recorded a long time ago, but only made available now?

Yes, it was recorded 2 or 3 years ago. This series is ongoing since a few years now--Slatkin is performing all of Williams' concerti with the DSO, using the principals of the orchestra as soloists. So far they did the Horn Concerto, the Violin Concerto, the Tuba Concerto, the Flute Concerto, the Cello Concerto (revised version) and the Bassoon Concerto. If I'm correct, next season they're gonna do the Trumpet Concerto.

All of these are planned to be released on Naxos, but so far only Horn and Violin have been issued.

Not tge biggest fan of Slatkin. But I would buy all of those in one CD collection

Karol

[Miguel Andrade 1,441]

The recent release if from 4 years ago

And the cover has little to do with the ones Naxos has been using for their releases.

I think it follows the basic template from the Slatkin recordings fairly well, with the fonts and everything. It must have been that which caused the confusion.

I have to disagree on that one...

By the way, the Cello Concerto is also being released:

https://itunes.apple.com/pt/album/id999526871?mt=1&ign-mpt=uo%3D6

[thx99 1,926]

By the way, the Cello Concerto is also being released:

https://itunes.apple.com/pt/album/id999526871?mt=1&ign-mpt=uo%3D6

http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25460

(Gotcha by one minute!!)

[Miguel Andrade 1,441]

[Thor 9,114]

I have to disagree on that one...

Well, the eye is in the beholder, as they say. With my eyes, I see many similar overlapping features here -- the font, the "stripe" with the text that is superimposed over the background picture, the colour scheme etc. If they hadn't been similar in style, I would never have confused this with the Slaktin recordings.

[Miguel Andrade 1,441]

You know, I can't see were you can confuse them, but hey, maybe it's just me and my fine arts training kicking in.

[Thor 9,114]

Yeah, sight is subjective too, I guess.

[crlbrg 382]

Is this recording available anywhere for digital purchase? Their Naxos website doesn't allow digital downloads, and they don't seem to be on any of the usual websites (HDTracks, Presto, eclassical, etc.)...

[j39m 77]

I bought my copy off of Google Play before they turned down that entire segment. It looks like you can still purchase from HighResAudio and Chandos.

 

EDIT: oh look, it's available from Qobuz as well.

[Tom Guernsey 3,013]

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/ZH 0904
 

Here you go! A great recording. 

[Tom 5,345]

Boy, that thread title really needs to be changed.  

[bruce marshall 1,403]

Recently listened to this

[Tom 5,345]

In terms of perception (and really only by this metric), I think it is this concerto that spurred many classical music enthusiasts who were not fond of Williams to re-evaluate him and take his compositional chops more seriously.   

 

 

[crlbrg 382]

11 hours ago, j39m said:

I bought my copy off of Google Play before they turned down that entire segment. It looks like you can still purchase from HighResAudio and Chandos.

 

EDIT: oh look, it's available from Qobuz as well.

 

11 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/ZH 0904
 

Here you go! A great recording. 

Thank you both! Chandos it is.

[Tom Guernsey 3,013]

You're welcome, enjoy. It's a great album. His version of the Cello Concerto is great too.

[Tom Guernsey 3,013]

Nice comment from Leonard Slatkin about Five Sacred Trees (and I still prefer this recording to JW’s own).

 

 

[BB-8 4,487]

 

Btw, has any of the above been released on CD? Would make a nice box set...just saying.

[Miguel Andrade 1,441]

The Cello Concerto seems to have had a limited pressing sold through the LA Philharmonic's store.

I've seen the Trumpet Concerto advertised as a pressed disc and even placed an order, but after six months of having it on back order to the supplier with no date of arrival, I ended up cancelling (most likely it was some sort of listing error).

[BB-8 4,487]

The cover art seems completely inappropriate from a musicological / historical perspective, especially for the horn concerto.

[Pawel P. 801]

We definitely need a CD edition of the Horn Concerto, as it hasn't been released in this format. And also the Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra and Concerto for Harp and Orchestra (On Willows and Birches), which are also available on streaming (without Slatkin and Naxos participation).

 

All three are absolutely fantastic and I think they are among the slightly "easier to listen to" concertos by Maestro than, let's say, Violin 2 or Cello (which i also adore).

[Tom Guernsey 3,013]

22 hours ago, BB-8 said:

 

Btw, has any of the above been released on CD? Would make a nice box set...just saying.

I believe they were just intended to be digital only releases although obviously appears there have been some limited pressings. Seems surprising that Naxos didn't finish the set, unless they were unable to, although it seems unlikely that JW wouldn't entrust Leonard Slatkin with recording the others given his stature as a conductor and clear interest in JW's work. Also surprising they didn't make more out of recording them given that he's probably more or less the most famous living composer whose works they are recording (Danny Elfman's Violin Concerto got its second recording on Naxos which I believe had a CD release, for example).

 

Weirdly, only the Trumpet Concerto seems to be available at Presto Classical... 

[Gurkensalat 356]

Seeing all those covers, it is extremely frustrating that almost all of those concertos have alternate official and respectable recordings, but the 2 concerti that do not have any (viola, clarinet) are missing. I would have thought that those 2 would therefore have high priority for Slatkin, but no. I still hope that those will be recorded one day.

[TownerFan 5,554]

28 minutes ago, Gurkensalat said:

Seeing all those covers, it is extremely frustrating that almost all of those concertos have alternate official and respectable recordings, but the 2 concerti that do not have any (viola, clarinet) are missing. I would have thought that those 2 would therefore have high priority for Slatkin, but no. I still hope that those will be recorded one day.

 

FYI, the Clarinet Concerto was recenly performed by CSO second principal clarinet John Yeh in a newly revised edition.

[Miguel Andrade 1,441]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2NaXuPU2Zk&t=3328s

[Jurassic Shark 14,268]

On 19/02/2025 at 9:35 AM, BB-8 said:

The cover art seems completely inappropriate from a musicological / historical perspective, especially for the horn concerto.

 

That's actually the kind of horns used by the Wiener Philharmoniker. 

[BB-8 4,487]

4 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

That's actually the kind of horns used by the Wiener Philharmoniker. 

That's actually Sarah Willis eating a Wiener (Frankfurter).