Russian-born conductor
Kyrill Kondraschin conducted the
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks for the first time in February 1980. Regrettably, this was to be his only engagement with the orchestra. Despite the favorable reception he was given, and the fact that the orchestra began the process of having
Kondraschin succeed famed conductor
Rafael Kubelík;
Kondraschin died of a heart attack early the next year. This BR Klassik disc is a live performance of his conducting debut with the
BRSO, performing
Rimsky-Korsakov's Russian Easter Overture and Franck's D minor Symphony. Listeners will immediately recognize just what a loss
Kondraschin's death was to the
BRSO. Even at the beginning of their relationship, the conductor's strong personality already shines through with his masterful control of tone, dynamics, and pacing. The
Rimsky-Korsakov is, as would be expected, big, expansive, and robust. What's a little surprising is that these same characteristics are brought to the Franck. The first movement is driven, focused, and wonderfully tense. The brass section in particular is bold and almost aggressive, blasting its way through the Finale in a way that doesn't seem obnoxious, but exhilarating. Few other performances of this symphony can claim to offer such a vivacious, potent interpretation; Franck's symphony may have had a much warmer reception at its premiere had
Kondraschin been at the helm.