Bedřich Smetana; Ludwig van Beethoven - Transcription as Translation (Leon Botstein)

Information

Composer: Bedřich Smetana; Ludwig van Beethoven

• Smetana - String Quartet No. 1 JB 1:105 "From My Life" (orch. George Szell)
• Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 29, Op. 106 "Hammerklavier" (orch. Felix Weingartner)

The Orchestra Now

Leon Botstein, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: AVIE Records

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Transcription as Translation, the newest release from The Orchestra Now and conductor Leon Botstein, explores the tradition of adapting music for new instrumental settings. The album features two seldom-performed orchestral transcriptions created by prominent 20th-century conductors seeking to bring cherished non-orchestral works to broader audiences. Felix Weingartner, an influential Austrian conductor and early recording pioneer known for his Beethoven interpretations, orchestrated Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata. Hungarian-born George Szell, famed for his long leadership of the Cleveland Orchestra and his affinity for Czech music, crafted an orchestral version of Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 (“From My Life”).

Leon Botstein, born in 1946 in Zurich to Polish Jewish physicians, built a distinguished dual career in education and music. After immigrating to the U.S., he pursued violin, the humanities, and music studies at Chicago and Harvard, founding ensembles and conducting throughout his training. At 23, he became the nation’s youngest college president at Franconia College, later transforming Bard College into a major liberal arts institution and founding influential programs such as the Bard Music Festival, SummerScape, and The Orchestra Now. A champion of overlooked repertoire and thematic programming, he has directed the American Symphony Orchestra since 1992 and previously led the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. His extensive guest conducting, recordings, writings, and international educational initiatives reflect a lifelong commitment to expanding access to the arts and improving society through learning.