JOACHIM RAFF (1822-1882): Symphony No. 2 in C, Op. 140, Orchestral Preludes to Shakespeare's Plays: The Tempest in G Minor, Wo O49, Macbeth in C Minor, WoO 50, Romeo and Juliet in D, WoO 51 and Othello in D, WoO 52.

Description: Who'd have thought back at the beginning of the CD era that we'd ever be welcoming the beginning of the third complete Raff symphony cycle? And yet, here it begins with the genial, still-Mendelssohnian Second of 1866 (two minutes faster than the Marco Polo and three minutes faster than the Tudor for you clock-watchers out there), coupled with the second complete recording of the four Shakespeare overtures of 1879 which are inspired by, rather than depict musically, the relevant plays. Orchestre de la Suisse Romande; Neeme Järvi. SACD hybrid.