Since
Kamran Ince's Symphony No. 3, "Siege of Vienna" (1994-1995) and his Symphony No. 4, "Sardis" (1999-2000) are programmatic in nature and not designed to meet expectations of the classic form, one may wonder why these works are not simply called tone poems.
Ince paints vivid scenes of war's brutality and tragedy in the Symphony No. 3, and haunting impressions of ancient Turkish landscapes in the Symphony No. 4, so he may be our contemporary equivalent of a Liszt or a
Richard Strauss, with something of their orchestral flair and a lot of their Romantic intensity. But the music is episodic and depictive, and there is no transparent sonata design in the Symphony No. 3, apart from the return of the Long March in the closing movement to mark a kind of recapitulation; and there is little symphonic shape in the cinematic Symphony No. 4, beyond the bare layout of a short introduction and four movements. The elegiac Domes (1993) is perhaps the most effective piece for its compact proportions, skillful orchestration, and direct emotions, and least puzzling for its transparently organic construction.
Ince's performances with the
Prague Symphony Orchestra are as compelling as his scores, so he deserves recognition for his able conducting. But make no mistake: these works are fine as musical images, but somewhat disappointing as formal essays. Naxos' sound is fine.