A Survey of Enescu Symphony Cycles

► An Index of ionarts Discographies

Continuing my discographies, while in the middle of a massive update of the Bach Organ Cycle Survey, I thought I'd squeeze in one with the symphonies of George Enescu, not the least because on the outset it appeared to be a bit of a quicky, with seemingly just five (?) sets out there. Even cursory research revealed this to be an illusion. There are, from what I’ve found out so far, eight cycles, and who knows what might yet turn up, with the help of the readers.

It is prompted, quite obviously, by the appearance of the most recent set, which Cristian Măcelaru managed to have appear on DG. (Quite neat, how DG likes to add nifty off-the-beaten-path cycles to their catalogue, like Franz Schmidt with Paavo Järvi or Carl Nielsen with Fabio Luisi, so long as they don't have to pay for it.)

As always, every such discographic post, even one of such limited scope as this one, is also a plea to generously inclined readers with more information and knowledge of the subject than I have to lend a helping hand correcting my mistakes or filling data-lacunae. I am explicitly grateful for any such pointers, hinters, and corrections and apologize for any bloomers. (Preferably on Twitter, where I'll read the comment much sooner than here, but either works!) Where good reviews have appeared by serious reviewers, links are included.

Now what’s in a symphony cycle? That’s often a question, when it comes to these recorded surveys, be it in Schubert (1-7, 9 or more?), Bruckner (1-9 or all 11?), Mahler (Lied von der Erde or not? Blumine?). In Enescu, too, it’s far less straightforward than the obvious answer – Symphonies One through Three – might seem. There are, after all, two more symphonies that Enescu never finished but which have since been presented in performing versions by composer and musicologist Pascal Bentoiu. To convolute things further, there are four “Study Symphonies”, a Symphonia concertante (for Cello and Orchestra), a Symphonic Suite for Orchestra (the Poème Roumain), and the great symphonic poem Vox maris for tenor, three-part choir and orchestra.

Among other orchestral works that are popularly (if that’s the right word) coupled with the symphonies, are his other orchestral works. They include primarily the two Romanian Rhapsodies, of which the first might be his most popular works, three Orchestral Suites, the Overture on Popular Romanian Themes, two Intermezzi for strings, “Three Overtures for orchestra”, the Tragic Overture, the Triumphal Overture, a Sonata for Orchestra, the Andantino from an orchestral suite, “Four Divertissements for orchestra”, a Pastorale-Fantaisie for orchestra, the symphonic poem Isis (also completed by Pascal Bentoiu), and the Suite chatelaine for orchestra (completed by Remus Georgescu).

The three numbered, completed works appear to be just scratching the surface of the deep Enescu-waters. For the purposes of this survey, however, Nos. 1 to 3 is what counts and will be considered complete. Boni and links to other works are, however, included at the end of it.

The fact that much of Enescu’s music can appear as episodic is, in part, probably as possibly an outcome of our own lack of familiarity with these works and Enescu’s idiom, as of the performances themselves. Enescu needs attention, more often than he demands it. As such, the listening experience either requires more concentration and commitment from the listener than listening to yet another performance of La Mer, or greater exposure. But like other Surprised-by-Beauty composers (Martinů comes to mind), Enescu pays back that investment – and more consistently than some. Dip your ears – maybe start with the Third Symphony or Vox maris, among the orchestral works; the First Rhapsody is almost too easy to like, do that a few times, and see where it takes you if you haven’t arrived yet.

Orchestra names: Usually, I use standardized English names for orchestras, but sometiemes I like the original, because it is pithier. Or I use both, to confuse people. In any case, the George Enescu State Philhamonic Bucharest Filarmonica George Enescu (GESP) is the Filarmonica George Enescu in Romanian. The Orchestra Națională Radio used to be Orchestra of The Romanian Radio and Television and, in English, is now the Romanian Radio National Orchestra (or National Radio Orchestra of Romania, RRNO). For the Iași “Moldova” Philharmonic Orchestra (also: Moldova Philharmonic or Philharmonia Moldova) I used its Romanian name: Filarmonica Moldova Iași, which strikes me as less clunky. Ditto the Timisoara Banatul Philharmonic Orchestra, which is either refered to here as the Filarmonica Banatul (din Timișoara) or more simply as the Bantul PO.
Enjoy and leave a comment in some form!


Edits Date: TBA



(Survey begins after the break, if you didn't land on this page directly)

Marco Polo Cycle (1985-1988) Various orchestras; Brediceanu, Andreescu, Baciu Marco Polo Marco Polo was the first (CD) label to have released an Enescu cycle. It consists of live recordings with different conductors (1:Mihai Brediceanu, 2:Horia Andreescu, 3:Ion Baciu) and orchestras, taken from (Electrecord) recordings of various International George Enescu Festivals (1: 1988, 2: 1987, 3: 1985, Vox Maris: 1981). The sound isn't very good and the playing varies; a bit screechy and old-timey, but not altogether bad. The three discs that include the symphonies also contain Vox Maris, which is nice. Additional CDs in the series offer pretty much all the major orchestral Enescu. The fact that these performances have not (yet) re-appeared on Naxos, as old Marco Polo classics are wont to, may well be because the modern versions on Ondine (part of the Naxos family) are considered considerably more competitive. (Because the Marco Polo releases does not give the recording dates, it is not always easy to figure out, from when the other performances date; those with Iosif Conta probably go back to recordings/Festivals from the mid-, late 1950s.)
George Enescu Symphony No.1 + Sinf. Ctnt. Brediceanu / GESP Marco Polo Release: 1988 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.2 + Vox Maris* Andreescu, *Baciu / GESP, *Filarmonica Moldova Iași Marco Polo Release: 1988 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.3 + Chamber Sym. Baciu / Cluj-Napoca PO Marco Polo Release: 1988 1 CD US | UK | DE
Marco Polo Cycle, other works
George Enescu Suites 1 & 2, Concert Ovt. Iosif Conta, Constantin Silvestri / RRNO Marco Polo Release: 1988 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Suite No.3, Suite Châtelaine, Voix de la nature Conta, Remus Georgescu / RRNO, Banatul PO Marco Polo Release: 1988 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Poème Romain, Rhapsodies 1 & 2 Conta / RRNO Marco Polo Release: 1988 1 CD US | UK | DE
Horia Andreescu (1993) Romanian Radio National Orchestra Olympia/Electrecord Horia Andreescu, born in 1946 and the current music director of the "George Enescu" Philharmonic Orchestra, studied with Hans Swarowsky and Sergiu Celibidache. His set of the Symphonies with the Romanian Radio National Orchestra is part of an 8-disc compendium of Enescu’s complete orchesral music he recorded for Olympia "in cooperation with Electrecord". From 1992 to 1999, he was the the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Radio Music Ensembles in Bucharest and the Radio Orchestra's chief condctor from 1999 until 2017(?). There is a second, more recent (?) Electrecord issue of the set, on seven volumes, but those seem all out of print. (You can find them here.) Review of Symphoy 1 & 3 (Gramophone) here and here.
George Enescu Symphony No.1 + Rom.Ovt., Study Sy.#4 Olympia, vol.1 Release: 1995 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.2 + Rhapsodies 1 & 2 Olympia, vol.2 Release: 1995 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.3 + Poème Romain Olympia, vol.3 Release: 1995 1 CD US | UK | DE
Electrecord, Symphonies
George Enescu Symphony No.1 + Rom.Ovt., Study Sy.#4 Electrecord Release: 1998 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.2 + Rhapsodies 1 & 2 Electrecord Release: 1998 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.3 + Poème Romain Electrecord Release: 1998 1 CD US | UK | DE
Electrecord, other works
George Enescu Suite 1, Sinf. Ctnt., 2 Intermezzi Electrecord EDC276/v.4 Release: 1998 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Suites 2 & 3, Concert Ovt., Andantino Electrecord EDC278/v.5 Release: 1998 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Vox Maris, Study Sy.#1, Ballade Electrecord EDC279/v.6 Release: 1998 1 CD US | UK | DE
Olympia, other works
George Enescu Suite 1, Sinf. Ctnt., 2 Intermezzi Olympia/v.4 Release: 1995 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Suites 2 & 3, Concert Ovt., Andantino Olympia/v.5 Release: 1995 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Vox Maris, Study Symphony No.1, Ballade Olympia/v.6 Release: 1995 1 CD US | UK | DE
Alexandru Lascae (1993-1995) Filarmonica Moldova Iași Ottavo After decades of neglect, in 1993, Enescu symphony recordings seemed to sprout like mushrooms in Romania. A bit ike the race to space. Alexandru Lascae and the Filarmonica Moldova Iași got in on the business and delivered a reasonably comprehensive survey of Enescu’s orchestral works. They’re hard to find, but perhaps that’s a blessing in disguise. To quote Gramophone (I think): “with third-rate sound and mediocre orchestral playing, [Lasce’s cycle] does not really enter into the running.” Here they are, anyway. If you have heard them and an opinion, do let me know! I will not bother to list the non-symphonic releases with graphics, but if you are interested, here they are: Vol.1: Rhapsody No.1, Suites 1 & 3 and Vol4.: Sinf. concertant, Suite No.2.
George Enescu Symphony No.1 + Vox Maris Ottavo vol.3 Release: 1994 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.2 + Concert Ovt. Ottavo vol.5 Release: 1996 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.3 + Rhapsody No.2 Ottavo vol.2 Release: 1995? 1 CD US | UK | DE
Cristian Mandeal (1993-1995) George Enescu Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra Arte Nova In the same years that the Moldovans (see above) were recording their Enescu, so did Romania’s oldest, most esteemed orchestra, the George Enescu Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra did the same and recorded a cycle of orchestral works in Bucharest’s Romanian Athaeneum Hall for the super-budget label Arte Nova, which released it in Europe. The label was later folded into BMG/RCA and thus Sony and the recordings were re-issued, with a very considerably improved graphic design, in the US. The sound isn’t great (a touch constrained) – but it’s not bad and vibrant where it needs to be, and the performance actually have quite a bit of bite to them. As a set, it was only released in the European version (oop).
George Enescu Symphony No.1 + Suite No.1, Intermède for Strings Arte Nova (EU) Release: 1996 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.2 + Rhapsody No.2 Arte Nova (EU) Release: 1996 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.3 + Concert Ovt. Arte Nova (EU) Release: 1996 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu The Symphonies & other orch. works Arte Nova (US) Release: 1997 1 CD US | UK | DE
George Enescu Symphony No.1 + Suite No.1, Intermède for Strings Arte Nova (US) Release: 2007 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.2 + Rhapsody No.2 Arte Nova (US) Release: 2007 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.3 + Concert Ovt. Arte Nova (US) Release: 2007 1 CD US | UK | DE
Mandeal, other works
George Enescu Rhapsody No.1, Suites 2 & 3 Arte Nova (EU) Release: 1996 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Sinf. Conct., Sept Chansons, Chamber Sym. Arte Nova (EU) Release: 1996 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Vox maris, Voix d.l.nature, Poème roumain Arte Nova (EU) Release: 1996 1 CD US | UK | DE
George Enescu Rhapsody No.1, Suites 2 & 3 Arte Nova (US) Release: 2007 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Sinf. Conct., Sept Chansons, Chamber Sym. Arte Nova (US) Release: 2007 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Vox Maris, Voix d.l.nature, Poème Roumain Arte Nova (US) Release: 2007 1 CD US | UK | DE
Gennady Rozhdestvensky (1995-1997) BBC Philharmonic Chandos Right on the heels of the Romanian cycles came the first cycle with a western orchestra, headed by the ever-explorative Gennady Rozhdestvensky, and in good sound. It tends to be on the slow side and indulgent, which works sometimes, but not always. Gramophone review of the Third Symphony here.
George Enescu Symphonies 1-3, Suite No.3, Rhapsodies Chandos Release: 2017 3 CDs US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.1 + Suite No.3 Chandos Release: 1996 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.2 + Rhapsody No.2 Chandos Release: 1997 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.3 + Rhapsody No.1 Chandos Release: 1998 1 CD US | UK | DE
Lawrence Foster (1990-2004) Orchestre Philharmonique De Monte-Carlo, Orchestre National De Lyon EMI Lawrence Foster got started early on Enescu. In the mid to late 80s, he recorded the two Romanian Rhapsodies and the three Suites, the Syphonie concertante for cello and orchestra and the Poème roumain for Erato/Telarc (a perfect two-disc Enescu starter-set), Enescu’s opera Oedipe for EMI, and, in 1990 then the first two symphonies (in Monte Carlo) for EMI as well. But then it took another 14 years for him to add Vox maris and the Third Symphony (the most impressive, with the Orchestre National De Lyon at the Auditorium de Lyon. Still, that meant it was the only “major label set” and it used that time to establish itself as the reference and it very handily came on justst two CDs. It continued to be extolled for its virtues in the pages of Gramophone Magazine, remarked as being “livelier and better drilled than Rozhdestvensky’s… BBC Philharmonic” and “generally better played than that of his Romanian rivals, the best probably being Horia Andreescu.” Ditto that while “Andreescu and Mandeal also stand the test of time [...] Foster’s players have the edge, and his recordings – certainly those for EMI – are a cut above Olympia’s and Arte Nova’s. (Gramophone review of the set here.) There really isn’t an obvious choice for a “best” set of these symphonies, but Foster, if only it were available (Warner will hopefully re-issue it before long, one would think, especially since they it is now in the same catalogue as the Erato recordings), would still be one of the candidates. Note that the 2012 release on the "20th Century Classics" series (oop, in any case) drops Vox maris for the Third Violin Sonata. By all means, do explore Enescu’s chamber music, if you haven’t. But you that’s a bum trade. Get the sonata here, instead.
George Enescu Symphonies 1-3, Vox maris EMI Release: 2005 2 CDs US | UK | DE	George Enescu Sys. 1-3, Violin Sonata No.3 EMI Release: 2012 2 CDs US | UK | DE	George Enescu Orchestral Works Erato/Ultima Release: 1998 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Orchestral Works Teldec/Apex Release: 2005 1 CD US | UK | DE
Hannu Lintu (2012-2013) Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra Ondine It had been quiet for a few years, in the world of Enescu Symphony recordings, but in 2012 Ondine quietly started issuing these recordings (not – yet? – boxed) and they have sort-of floated to the top of the recommended version. From what I can tell, via the Naxos Music Library (since I don’t have these, or any of the Romanian releases, in my collection), it has the best sound of the all the sets and it is amiably played by the Finish outfit from Tampere. Not as tightly as Andreescu or even Mandeal, but swifter than Rozhdestvensky (no achievement: everyone does that, him being the slowest across the board) and the more recent Măcelaru set. Gramphone, at the time, wrote about the the “lush and Straussian” Second Symphony that “Hannu Lintu directs sympathetic performances, in tempo consistently slower than Foster’s in No.2 – by seven minutes overall. This expansive view works well enough, but I marginally prefer the Monte Carlo rival.” Gramophone review of Symphony No.2 here and of No.3 here.
George Enescu Symphony No.1 + Sinf. Concertante Ondine Release: 2015 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.2 + Chamber Sym. Ondine Release: 2012 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.3 + Concert Ovt. Ondine Release: 2013 1 CD US | UK | DE
Cristian Măcelaru (2022-2023) Orchestre National de France DG Măcelaru’s recordings are the first time that these works are presented by a (budding) A-list conductor with an A-list orchestra on a “big” record label. As such they should constitute a clear favorite. (Not to sniff at the wonderful Ondine label and their cycle with Hannu Lintu and the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra.) But they don’t quite topple the competition as handily as you would think. In fact, they are indifferently recorded (then again, I haven’t found it nearly as deficient in that regard, as some reviews have made it out to be: Once a review has set the tone, there’s a tendency of subsequent ones to fall in place, I notice) and while they do not exactly grab you by the lapel, as I always hope Enescu will, neither do the others. The Third one is rather magnificently done, in fact. I will have to return to these often, to make up my mind. Enescu will benefit from it. The reviews of this set so far have been largely moronic, decidedly BS-y, and some even directly contradictory. I am yet waiting for one that I feel comfortable linking to. Well, you can always listen to Dave Hurwitz’ review, of course. I don’t think I agree with his take (yet, anyway), and I don’t follow all of it, but it’s not as bad or superficial than the other dross.
George Enescu Symphonies 1-3 + Rhapsodies DG Release: 2024 3 CDs US | UK | DE
Beyond Symphony No.3 (2012, 2014) Ruzicka / NDR Phil & DRP CPO As mentioned, there are two more unofficial, unfinished symphonies that Pascal Bentoiu made performing versions out of. The source material appears to have been fairly rich, with few, if any, true lacunae. From the snippets I have listened to, they are very much worth hearing – and well reviewed. Peter Ruzicka is not generally a good conductor, but that’s not to say that he didn’t get the two radio orcheastras (Hannover and Saarbücken/Kaiserslautern) excited for these intriguing works and play them well. (G_d knows, the latter orchestra should be used to mediocre conducting, after years of Christoph Poppen and Karel Mark Chichon.) The Fourth comes coupled with the Chamber Symphony op.33 and the lush Voix de la nature, a.k.a. “Nuages d'automne sur les forêts” (Here certainly played better than on Mandeal’s cycle!) The Fifth comes with what might be the only recording of Isis, the symphonic poem for female choir and orchestra, also prepared for performance by Bentoiu. These ingredients kind-of make the two discs must-have additions to the discerning Enescu-collection. Gramophone review of Symphony No.4 here and of No.5 here.
George Enescu Symphony No.4 + Chamber Sym., Voix d.t.nature CPO Release: 2015 1 CD US | UK | DE	George Enescu Symphony No.5 + Isisi CPO Release: 2014 1 CD US | UK | DE

Enescu Symphony Cycles complete overview, complete Enescu Tschaikowsky Sinfonien