The theme of this collection, “women of the orient,” may be cute, and a showcase for this Turkish orchestra, but the selection of pieces doesn’t make musical sense. Hindemith is the odd man out, and it’s strange because of the three composers on this disc he actually worked in Turkey for a period. A more apt choice, musically, would have been the suite from his ballet Nobilissima Visione: it’s a dance-piece, like the other works on the program, and it shares some of the modal harmonies that we find in the Respighi. Better still, why not pick something like Massenet’s Suite from “Esclarmonde,” which actually takes place in Byzantium? The presence of the “Turandot” Scherzo in the Symphonic Metamorphosis barely qualifies the work for inclusion.
And the performances? Good, but not great. Belkis comes off best: colorful and excitingly played, particularly in the War Dance and the noisy final extravaganza. Conductor Sascha Goetzel also brings some interesting ideas regarding tempo and phrasing to the Hindemith, making it sound much less rhythmically clunky than it often does. The Schmitt, though, misfires, with the orchestra failing to rise the challenge of its climaxes. Brass and percussion lack impact, and the strings need more richness and body for this lusciously decadent music. The final “Dance of Terror” is particularly unimpressive. Sonically the engineering also seems unflattering to the orchestra, strings especially, and it has a distinctly dry, “empty room” sort of sound. There’s nothing terrible here, and the orchestra might well be proud of its accomplishment, but this is not competitive in today’s marketplace.
