George Ensecu (1881-1955) is Romania's best known, and most important composer, and he was also a conductor and violinist. A child prodigy, he was the youngest ever student at the Vienna Conservatory (admitted when he was just seven years old). He graduated aged twelve, and from 1895-9 was a student at the Conservatoire de Paris.
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| George Enescu |
Influenced a lot by Romanian folk music, his most widely known pieces are the two Romanian Rhapsodies (1901 and 1902). Their success led to his being known only as a "folk" music composer which had an adverse effect on the reception given to his other, numerous, compositions - most of which are little known outside of Romania. It's reported that towards the end of his life he was sick of these Rhapsodies and viewed requests for more recordings of them with disdain for their purely commercial outlook.
This Romanian Electrecord recording with the Romanian Broadcasting Orchestra seems to date from 1973, and is issued here by the Israeli Jerusalem Records label in 1983 (pressed in the UK by Nimbus). The sleeve notes (click on the scan below), infer that no other recording has been as "musical" as this one.
Cartridge: Yamaha MC-1x
Phono amp: Graham Slee Reflex M + Elevator EXP
Turntable: Yamaha PX-3
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| Click to enlarge |
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