Características
In 2024, the renowned Saito Kinen Orchestra celebrated its 40th anniversary with the release of “Brahms: Symphony No. 1 and No. 2 & Strauss: Don Juan”. This live recording, conducted by Nodoka Okisawa at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival 2024, is very special: firstly because Okisawa was appointed the first principal guest conductor in the history of the festival by its director Seiji Ozawa, and secondly because the Brahms symphonies are a central component of the SKA. These were performed in their entirety during the orchestra's early international tours and shaped the artistic direction of the orchestra in its founding years. The debut performance of Brahms and Richard Strauss' symphonic poem “Don Juan” with Nodoka Okisawa as Principal Guest Conductor was met with frenetic applause and also received great international acclaim.
Seiji Ozawa and the SKO have an extensive recording history, which was crowned by the 2016 release of Ravel's “L'enfant Et Les Sortilèges” on Decca Classics, which won the 58th Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. The most recent release by the Saito Kinen Orchestra was a live recording of the Deutsche Grammophon 125th anniversary special gala concert conducted by Ozawa's long-time friend, conductor and composer John Williams, released by Deutsche Grammophon in May 2020.
UHQCD 1
1. Brahms: Symph. No. 1 - 1. Satz (Un Poco Sostenuto - Allegro)
2. Brahms: Symph. No. 1 - 2. Satz (Andante Sostenuto)
3. Brahms: Symph. No. 1 - 3. Satz (Un Poco Allegretto E Grazioso)
4. Brahms: Symph. No. 1 - 4. Satz (Adagio - Piu Andante - Allegro Non Troppo, Ma Con Brio)
5. Strauss: Don Juan
UHQCD 2
1. Brahms: Symph. No. 2 - 1. Satz (Allegro Non Troppo)
2. Brahms: Symph. No. 2 - 2. Satz (Adagio Non Troppo)
3. Brahms: Symph. No. 2 - 3. Satz (Allegretto Grazioso, Quasi Andantino)
4. Brahms: Symph. No. 2 - 4. Satz (Allegro Con Spirito)