Graham Rickson reviews The Kansas City Symphony and Michael Stern’s recording of Barber, Sibelius, and Scriabin One Movement Symphonies on The Arts Desk:
“[Barber’s Symphony No. 1 is] played brilliantly here, Michael Stern’s Kansas City Symphony having exactly the right tonal blend for this music. Brass have ample weight, and the strings sing. Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy receives a similarly ripe performance. … This Sibelius 7 is excellent. Stern’s transitions are seamless, and the trombone theme’s third appearance really striking, the music teetering on the edge of collapse before he disquieting close. … Listen to this at full volume and be amazed. Then track down Stern’s Kansas recording of the two suites from The Tempest, and marvel at just how well attuned he is to Sibelius’s soundworld. Production values are high, the engineering spectacular.”
—Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk
See the full review on TheArtsDesk.com