Spring Symphony / Welcome Ode
A delightful performance of one of Britten's sunniest works. TheSpring Symphonyis yet another work in a form pioneered by Mahler in his Eighth Symphony andDas Lied von der Erde--a choral or song symphony setting texts by a variety of poets, and unified by theme. Britten begins with a magnificent musical picture of winter's icy grip before going on to celebrate the arrival of spring (complete with birdsong, adorably imitated by the soloists), and culminating in the arrival of summer with a whistling chorus of children. The other pieces on the disc are similarly celebratory in nature, making this a well-planned and executed program.--David Hurwitz