アンドレア・バッティストーニ / 指揮者ドヴォルザーク：交響曲第9番「新世界より」/伊福部昭：シンフォニア・タプカーラ、ゴジラ〔UHQCD〕

演奏：アンドレア・バッティストーニ＆東京フィルハーモニー交響楽団

新時代を築く指揮者の筆頭格アンドレア・バッティストーニと、日本が世界に誇る東京フィルハーモニー交響楽団は、聴き慣れたクラシックの名曲を、まさに今生まれたかのような瑞々しさと類まれな生命力で描き、クラシックファンに新鮮な驚きを与える力を持っている一方、クラシックに深い親しみを持っていない音楽ファンを熱狂させる、エネルギーとエンタテインメント性を備えている希有な存在である。
DENONレーベルは、その両者の持てる力を最大限に引き出す為、響きの豊かな東京オペラシティコンサートホールにおけるセッション録音を開始。シリーズ「BEYOND THE STANDARD」と銘打ち、クラシック王道の名曲中の名曲と、日本人作曲家による傑作をカップリングし、時代と国を越え、新しいスタンダードを生み出す。
第1弾としてリリースするのは、定期演奏会でもセンセーションを巻き起こした、ドヴォルザークの名曲「新世界より」、そしてカップリングに伊福部昭の「シンフォニア・タプカーラ」。セッション録音ならではの細部にまでこだわった充実の演奏に仕上がり、首席指揮者のバッティストーニと東京フィルの蜜月な関係を象徴するような深く立体的な音楽が構築される。
フィルアップには、伊福部の手になる映画「ゴジラ」のテーマ曲が収録されている。

Andrea Battistoni is a vivacious conductor. He is full of energy, constant flexibility, and driving force. It is always thrilling to watch him conducting. Now he is beginning a series of recordings for CDs with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra with which he has been developing a congenial relationship in recent years, planning recording sessions - not live recordings - at the gorgeous concert hall of Tokyo Opera City. That alone is exciting news to hear. Japanese orchestras are very good. They performed under domestic and overseas first-rate conductors all the time. There are opportunities for new star conductors like Battistoni to conduct at major concerts. Japan has built an outstanding culture of orchestras to be proud of. Yet, Japan does not have so much tradition of leaving great recordings as a legacy for the future generations by having a series of recordings at an ideal location. It feels wrong, imbalanced.

BEYOND THE STANDARD is a project to break down the imbalance. There is a clear intention in the selection of music. They will feature standard masterpieces, but with completely new concepts outside the preconceived notion. This album contains Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E minor "From the New World", which is considered one of the standard masterpieces. It will be exciting to listen to this vibrant piece with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Battistoni. But what if the same conductor recorded the same piece with a prominent orchestra from overseas? People may be interested in listening to that version as well as the version recorded with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. And what if they performed a Japanese composer's work? There must have been a special sensitivity that only Japanese orchestras could get. Each orchestra of each country has an advantage of expressing its identity by performing its native works as a standard repertoire. And in the modern and postmodern eras, Japanese composers have made several great masterpieces that can meet the global standards. In that sense, we are coming to the era when Japanese orchestras should extend their standard beyond the tradition. How about listening to the New World Symphony and a Japanese standard symphony side by side? That should be interesting. Some people may say, let's leave Japanese works to be conducted by Japanese conductors. That is also understandable. But the combination of a composer's work, a conductor and an orchestra all from the same country might be considered to be too ordinary. If British conductors did not introduce Sibelius or if American conductors did not introduce Shostakovich with great enthusiasm, would their music have been internationally and favorably accepted? (They might have.) So, if Battistoni records Japanese composers' works in earnest, it could be something tremendously significant.

Let's cross the border of repertoire and renew your standard with Battistoni.

■高音質CD「UHQCD」