The Moscow Symphony Orchestra in 1993 was basically a pick-up band, and not the world’s greatest by a long shot, but these nevertheless are appealing performances of some very strange music. The Sinfonia dello zodiaco covers a lot of territory: the 12 months of the year, signs of the zodiac, divided into three “partitas”, each representing one of the seasons. It’s colorful, curiously wistful music well worth getting to know. The two symphonies are later works, written in an acerbic chromatic idiom. No. 9, “dell’ahimè”, features a violent scream at the beginning of its finale, hence the title. No. 10, “Atropo”, is a very brief piece in four pithy movements, dedicated to Hermann Scherchen, who championed so much modern music. It’s possible to imagine more unanimity from the strings, or some sweeter-toned reeds, but it probably will be a long time before something better comes along. Until then, this series is more than respectable.
