Stanley Drucker & Naomi Drucker play Meyer Kupferman

On this CD:

1. Triple Play
Composed by Meyer Kupferman
Performed by Naomi Drucker, Stanley Drucker, Blanche Abram

2. Soundspells Fantasy
Composed by Meyer Kupferman
Performed by Stanley Drucker

3. Quartet for clarinet & strings
Composed by Meyer Kupferman
Performed by Naomi Drucker

4. Five Flings
Composed by Meyer Kupferman
Performed by Stanley Drucker, Kazuko Hayami

5. Four Double Features
Composed by Meyer Kupferman
Performed by Naomi Drucker, Stanley Drucker

Stanley Drucker & Naomi Drucker play Meyer Kupferman, Music, Naomi Drucker, Stanley Drucker, Meyer Kupferman, Blanche Abram, Kazuko Hayami, Chamber, Chamber Music, Classical, Classical Composers, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music

Copland: El Salon Mexico/Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra/Music for the Theatre/Connotations for Orchestra
Average customer rating:

A treasurable concert, and a farewell to two American giants

THE BEST OF STANLEY DRUCKER AND AARON COPLAND

Biggest and best conglomeration of American musical talent.

Copland: El Salon Mexico/Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra/Music for the Theatre/Connotations for Orchestra

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Copland: Symphony No. 3; Quiet City

Collector's Edition

Copland: Our Town; The Red Pony Suite; El Salón México; Danzón Cubano; Three Latin American Sketches

Bernstein Century - Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, etc / Bernstein, New York PO

Stanley Drucker, Principal Clarinet, New York Philharmonic

ASIN: B000001GES
Release Date: 1991-09-12

Tracks:

El Salon Mexico
Concerto For Clarinet And String Orchestra, With Harp And Piano: Slowly & Expressively
Concerto For Clarinet And String Orchestra, With Harp And Piano: Rather fast
Music For The Theatre: I. Prologue
Music For The Theatre: II. Dance
Music For The Theatre: III. Interlude
Music For The Theatre: IV. Burlesque
Music For The Theatre: V. Epilogue
Connotations For Orchestra

Amazon.com

There has never been a better interpreter of Copland's music than Leonard Bernstein. Lenny's affection for--and understanding of--Copland and his music was matched by a unique physical ability to get the feeling of the music across as a conductor; in essence, he became the music when he conducted it, something Copland himself wasn't capable of. As a consequence, Bernstein's accounts of Copland's music speak with a convincing accent and special authority. That's certainly the case with these performances, which date from the last year of Bernstein's life and find him reunited with his old band, the New York Philharmonic. The bookends are the Music for the Theatre, from 1925, and Connotations for Orchestra, commissioned by Bernstein and the Philharmonic for the opening of their new home at Lincoln Center in 1962. Both are impressively done, as is El Salón México, one of the most rousing and colorful of Copland's orchestral essays. A different Copland emerges in the Clarinet Concerto, which was composed for Benny Goodman in 1947 and fashioned with a lapidary touch. The Philharmonic's principal clarinet, Stanley Drucker, steps easily into the solo role, playing with great sensitivity in the pensive opening movement--which, with Lenny on the podium, sounds very slow and full of tenderness, though perhaps a bit too poignant--and showing plenty of agility in the concerto's finale, where Latin and jazz elements come into play along with the high notes that were one of Goodman's specialties. --Ted Libbey

Customer Reviews:

A treasurable concert, and a farewell to two American giants.......2006-07-06

Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein died within two months of each other in 1990 after a lifelong friendship that was also a mentor and disciple relationship. This CD captures an Oct. 1989 concert that was the last time Bernstein conducted a subscription concert with his own NY PPhil. They play magnificently and at times very sensitively.

One can't help tearing up if like me you grew up on Bernstein's version of El Salon Mexico, which he recorded no less than four times. Here the music has great impact from DG's excellent digital sonics. Afflicted with emphysema--as Copland was severely afflicted with Alzhemier's from the mid-Seventies onward--Bernstein struggled bravely to keep up his old panache, but there's an air of melancholy just beneath the surface. The nostalgic slow sections seem as much a nostalgia for lost life as for old Mexico.

Everything on this disc can be heard on various Sony CDs from Bernstein's tenure with the orchestra, which are livelier. As early as the mid-Fifties the teenage Stanley Drucker sat as first-chair clarinetist with the Philharmonic (where he remains today). His version of the Clarinet Concerto is sadder than Richard Stoltzman's dreamy, suave account on RCA, but richer for that.

The next work represent Copland's very early, jazzy modernism in Music for the Theater, where the 25-year-old composer manages to evoke the chic of Paris and the homeliness of the Great Plains in the same work. This reading sounds much better, if slightly less jazzy, than Bernstein's 1958 recording on Sony. The program ends with a piece that Bernstein commissioned for the opening of Philharmonic Hall in 1962, the 12-tone Connotations for Orchestra, probably the last importance public utterance from Copland. Audiences never warmed to his difficult modernist side, but if you can get past the atonality, the underlying gestures in Connotations are remarkably similar to his populist works.

I find it hard to listen to this CD without a catch in my throat, but any listener would find it superb sheerly on musical grounds.

THE BEST OF STANLEY DRUCKER AND AARON COPLAND.......2003-04-08

If you are a Copland fan then this CD is for you...couldn't find a better clarinet soloist as Stanley Drucker, our world's top Clarinetist. He can make you laugh, cry, and tap along while he amazes you with his musical abilities. This is THE Clarinet Concerto of the 20th Century! With Berstein at the head of the orchestra, Drucker is in his element of music when paired with Copland.

Biggest and best conglomeration of American musical talent........1999-08-27

This recording is taken from the final concerts Leonard Bernstein gave with the New York Philharmonic in October 1989, so it is a very historical bit of musical documentation as well as a fine reading of great American music. Bernstein and Copland had a long history together, and some of LB's greatest performances were of Copland works (Appalachian Spring, Piano Concerto, et al.). This disc is no exception; it's a very lovely recounting of some of the most important music of the 20th Century. "El Salon Mexico" is given a vibrant reading to start out, one that I might suggest as being almost definitive. The first part of the Clarinet Concerto is slower than some interpretations, but beautiful all the same. The second movement is where Stanley Drucker, Lenny and friends pull out all the stops for the raucous ending. The "Music for Theater" is conversely snappy and restful, a better reading (I'd say) than the mid-60s one done by the same orchestra and conductor. Finally "Connotations", one of Copland's last great works, is given a neat run-through by the ensemble it was written for. From its opening rim-shots to the final, ear-splitting chords, "Connotations" is quite an accomplishment for a composer whose name is most often associated with softer, more "open" tonality. This is a great CD (in the truest sense of the word), and a glorious way for America's greatest conductor to end his career with one of America's greatest orchestras.

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Violin Concerto; Orchestral & Chamber Works

Average customer rating:

Most valuable Barber set.

Barber: Adagio for Strings; Violin Concerto; Orchestral & Chamber Works

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Barber: Violin Concerto; Cello Concerto; Piano Concerto
Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915/Dover Beach/Hermit Songs/Adromache's Farewell
Samuel Barber / Thomas Schippers
Barber Premiere Recording
Barber: School for Scandal/Symphonies 1 & 2

ASIN: B0007RO59S
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

Adagio For Strings Op.11 - Leonard Slatkin
Overture, Op.5 - Leonard Slatkin
I. Allegro - Elmar Oliveira
II. Andante - Elmar Oliveira
III. Presto In Moto Perpetuo - Elmar Oliveira
Essay For Orchestra Op.12 - Leonard Slatkin
Second Essay For Orchestra Op.17 - Leonard Slatkin
Medea's Dance Of Vengeance Op.23a - Leonard Slatkin

Tracks:

I. Allegro Ma Non Troppo - Israela Margalit
II. Adagio-Presto - Israela Margalit
III. Alegro Appassionato - Israela Margalit
Canzone For Flute & Piano Op.38a - Israela Margalit
I. Un Poco Allegro - Israela Margalit
II. In Slow Blues Tempo - Israela Margalit
III. Allegretto - Israela Margalit
IV. Allegro Molto - Israela Margalit
Nocturne (Homage To John Field) Op.33 - Israela Margalit
Slow And Indolent - Stanley Drucker
Faster - Stanley Drucker
Lively, Still Faster - Stanley Drucker
With Motion, As Before - Stanley Drucker
Joyous And Flowing - Stanley Drucker
Tempo I - Stanley Drucker
Pas De Deux - Israela Margalit
Two-Step - Israela Margalit
Third Essay For Orchestra Op.47 - Leonard Slatkin

Customer Reviews:

Most valuable Barber set. .......2005-09-14

Having virtually all the shorter orchestral works plus some of the best chamber and instrumental music makes this set more than its weight in gold -- especially now that EMI has sensibly lowered the price even further by issuing it on its Gemini line. This set also fills a void as an adjunct to RCA France's two-disc release of the First Symphony and three concertos with Slatkin and the St. Louis Orchestra. (Or, if you don't want the symphony -- and which Barber lover wouldn't? -- RCA now has those concertos on one very full mid-price disc.) The only major work missing is Knoxville, which no one coming to Barber's music should be without. But, depending on what you want with that heavenly masterpiece, there are ways to easily solve that problem.

Of course, the fiercest competition to these recordings comes from Naxos through Marin Alsop and the Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Both Alsop and Slatkin have Barber's music fully in their blood. They practically breathe and move by the pulse and cadence of the music, and they intuitively understand the yin and yang of its dramatic and the rhapsodic qualities.

Slatkin lingers more than Alsop in the quieter spots, and takes bigger risks, yet maintains greater control and tension in overall pacing. In The School for Scandal Overture, a wider ranging ride through the valleys and expertly picking up the pace through the dramatic peaks shows Slatkin at his best. He adopts takes an even broader pace than Alsop out of the gate in the Third Essay. Once past any thought of ponderousness, one hears how Slatkin links the notes like Alsop, phrasing the lines and even that percussion solo at the onset, taking more time than her in projecting the emotive weight and complexity, which is so easy to miss in this work. The results, as in Alsop's reading, are enormous, but richer and more rewarding.

The other way this set sweeps the field is through the impressive stable of chamber and instrumental works - nearly a full disc's worth. Each performance is very good to exceptional, and together yields a much wider (and welcome) range and variety in Barber's music than we are normally accorded. All of the players deserve special mention: cellist Alan Stepansky and pianist Isreala Margalit in the Cello Sonata; flautist Jeanne Baxtresser and Margalit in the Canzone for flute and piano; Margalit as soloist in Excursions, Nocturne in homage to John Field and two pieces arranged from the piano four-hands Souvenirs; and Baxtresser, Joseph Robinson, clarinetist Stanley Drucker, bassoonist Judith Le Clair and French hornist Philip Myers in Summer Music.

The Violin Concerto is the only also-ran, and not because it is a bad performance - just a less than fully persuasive one. Soloist Elmar Oliveira combines Isaac Stern's firm tone with some of the Kyoko Takezawa's rhapsodic approaches to the melodies. The key word here is "some." As good as Oliviera is - and he is very good - where he lacks is striding one leg on Stern's stay-on-the-rail firmness to the work's structure and the other on Takezawa wider-ranging, more mercurial jaunt around the course. He's astride two horses with very different temperaments and riding styles, not giving either mount his full attention but doing all he can just to keep them together. Slatkin gives this piece his all, but Oliviera holds him back. When you hear Slatkin and Takezawa, you hear how Slatkin and his team are willing to deliver a much more exciting a ride.

John Corigliano: Concerto for Clarinet; Samuel Barber: Third Essay for Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Good, but doesn't compare with Stoltzman
Truly Virtuoso Clarinet Performance
Superb clarinet

John Corigliano: Concerto for Clarinet; Samuel Barber: Third Essay for Orchestra

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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John Corigliano - Of Rage and Remembrance ~ Symphony No.1
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Corigliano: Violin Sonata; Etude Fantasy; Fantasia on an Ostinato; Chiaroscuro

ASIN: B0000030D2
Release Date: 1992-12-08

Tracks:

Concerto For Clarinet And Orchestra: I. Cadenzas
Concerto For Clarinet And Orchestra: II. Elegy
Concerto For Clarinet And Orchestra: III. Antiphonal Toccata
Third Essay For Orchestra, Op.47

Customer Reviews:

Good, but doesn't compare with Stoltzman.......2004-08-17

Disclaimer: I love Stoltzman. I think his recording of the Corigliano Concerto is magnificent, so it's from that p.o.v. of that listened to and reviewed the Drucker recording.

As a clarinetist, I'm reluctant to criticize ANY clarinetist who is capable of performing this piece at all, so despite a few stylistic issues, I think Drucker's performance still deserves 5 stars. My main complaint is that Drucker seems to rip through the technical material with little regard for the expressive qualities of the writing. There are some spots, like the opening runs of the 1st movement, which should be played as fast as possible, but many other passages should (I think) be played with more attention to the expressive qualities of the writing. Don't get me wrong, they should still be played quickly, but Drucker occassionaly sounds almost robotic (whereas Stotlzman makes much more of the "cadenza" feel of the playing in these sections). Also, I felt that the 2nd movement was played a little quickly. Drucker's tempo is probably closer than Stoltzmans to the tempo written in the score, so Drucker's may be more "correct". However, I feel that the slower tempo taken by Stoltzman intensifies the painful, desolate nature of the movement. The 3rd movement is well done, but I feel that the quasi-cadenza section near the end (which follows the timpani solos) is similarly ripped through too quickly.

That being said, the recording is also good in many ways. The orchestral writing in the concerto is brilliant, with many solos for various instruments. I heard many different things coming from this orchestra than on Stoltzman's recordings. Obviously, neither is right. It's just interesting to hear both orchestra's interpretation of the very difficult orchestral part.

While I prefer Stoltzman's rendition, it's' valuable to hear the piece played by the orchestra and soloist it was written for. Drucker's rendition is probably closer to Corigliano's original intentions (as it was written with him in mind), and for this reason, it's a valuable recording. Another small thing (though I always enjoy this...). The CD contains excellent program notes and interviews with the composers (which are particularly interesting).

This CD is very good. While you probably won't be blown away, you certainly won't be disappointed either.

Truly Virtuoso Clarinet Performance.......2003-05-07

Written for one such as Drucker, this performance is awesome, as it demonstrates the skill of both instrumentalist, composer, conductor and orchestra. As the liner notes state, Bernstein at one of first rehersals expressed the difficulty of it, but came through with marvelous performance of it.

It showcases virtuoso skills of orchestra as well, with marvelous antiphonal element in second movement, as well as neat tymp parts. This is all climaxed by showcase Toccata, highlighting the exhilirating play of both clarinetist and orchestra.

Listening to this grows on one. Barber's final composition was this. This neo-romantic style goes well on the heels of such as Corigliano.

Great service done to these pieces by Mehta and the New York Phil.

Superb clarinet.......2000-11-28

This disk marks the coupling of two of America's most prominent musicians: Stanley Drucker and John Corigliano. This concerto was written specifically for Drucker's abilities, and it shows. Even though it has been recorded by others (most notably Richard Stoltzman), the piece is most at home in Drucker's hands. Lightning-fast fingerwork and intricate glissando patterns are handled with ease by Drucker and the NY Philharmonic plays the background hauntingly well. Fans of the clarinet will find a masterpiece of the late 20th century here that is fun to listen to every time. Even folks without a special interest for clarinet literature will be delighted by this amazing work. Special effects abound, leaving the clarinet player's jaw dropped, constantly wondering "How in the world does he do it??" Heartily recommended for anyone, especially clarinetists.

The Shadows of October - World Premiere Recordings

Average customer rating:

The Shadows of October, heard on radio, great clarinet piece

The Shadows of October - World Premiere Recordings
Michael Whalen , Stanley Drucker , Dennis Burkh , Music Amici , and Janácek Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Arabesque Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000JC7P
Release Date: 1999-06-15

Tracks:

Trampoline Harmonics
Rain In The City, String Quartet No. 1: Scene One: Rush Hour
Rain In The City, String Quartet No. 1: Scene Two: Under The Bridge
Rain In The City, String Quartet No. 1: Scene Three: Rainbows
Music For STring Orchestra And Solo Clarinet: The Shadows Of October
Octet No. 1: The Circles Of A Swallow
The Gloaming, String Quartet No. 2: Movement 1. The Deepest Darkness
The Gloaming, String Quartet No. 2: Movement 2. A Stranger In The Fog
The Gloaming, String Quartet No. 2: Movement 3. The Monster Within

Customer Reviews:

The Shadows of October, heard on radio, great clarinet piece.......1999-10-11

I'm excited about this CD because my son and I have known Mitch Estrin, clarinetist with the NY Philharmonic, for several years and this is the first time we've seen a CD on which he has a solo performance. The Shadows of October was played on WQXR(New York City) recently, and it's a beautiful performance of a very interesting(and listenable)contemporary piece. A bonus is that Stanley Drucker who, it seems to me, is woefully underrepresented in available recordings also appears on this CD. Support contemporary music, buy this disc.

Tredici: Steps For Orchestra/Haddock's Eyes

Average customer rating:

This guy dares to let you have fun at the concert hall
Mad About Alice

Tredici: Steps For Orchestra/Haddock's Eyes

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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David Del Tredici: Vintage Alice; Syzygy; Songs
Alice Symphony

ASIN: B0000030GF
Release Date: 1992-12-08

Tracks:

Steps for Orchestra: Giant Steps
Steps for Orchestra: The Two-Steps
Steps for Orchestra: Giant Giant Stepps
Steps for Orchestra: Stepping Down
Haddock's Eyes: Introduction
Haddock's Eyes: The White Knight's Song 1
Haddock's Eyes: Cadenza
Haddock's Eyes: Aria - My Heart and Lute
Haddock's Eyes: Interlude
Haddock's Eyes: The White Knight's Song 2
Haddock's Eyes: Farewell - Quodlibet

Customer Reviews:

This guy dares to let you have fun at the concert hall.......2001-01-06

Imagine Varese refusing to take himself seriously. Or imagine Carl Stalling writing for concert halls instead of for WB cartoons. This guy's music is the antidote to the dry academic layer of dust that coats most modern classical composition. This music is about having fun. It's raucous and noisy, even in a chamber setting. He makes sopranos squeak like mice; performers with touchy egos probably can't perform his stuff at all. I think he's now my favorite living composer.

Mad About Alice.......2001-01-05

David Del Tredici obsession, with Lewis Carroll's Alice books and stories almost totally dominated his compositional output from 1968 until 1985. Before "Steps/Haddock's Eyes" I was only familiar, with his "An Alice Symphony". I must admit it was my interest in Carroll's books that lead me to Del Tredici's music. That said and despite some initial skepticism I must confess to being not only impressed, but also more then pleased by his work.

It sits firmly in the 20th century American music tradition and thus it is no surprise to find one recording dedicated to Aron Copeland and another compiled next to a George Pearle piece. If you enjoy Virgil Thomas, or Elliot Carter you will certainly find much to admire in Del Tredici.

Amazon.com

Leonard Bernstein and his New York Philharmonic prove to be able, even distinguished, interpreters of French repertoire in these readings from 1958-68, a period that Bernstein acknowledged to be the best of his career. Taut rhythms, shapely phrases, and sensuous coloristic and dynamic effects combine to make these performances durable, memorable, and irresistible. --David Vernier

Stanley Drucker & Naomi Drucker play Meyer Kupferman

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Stanley Drucker & Naomi Drucker play Meyer Kupferman

Manufacturer: Soundspell
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000009HWL
Release Date: 1995-11-20

Average customer rating:

This is one of my absolute favorite Gershwin CD's
An Exceptional CD of Gershwin's Music
Great and subtle pianist
FANTASTIC INTERPRETATION
I heard this CD highlighted on the radio today

Gershwin / Fazil Say, New York PO
Fazil Say , and Kurt Masur
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Black Earth
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ASIN: B00003ZACB
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

I Got Plenty O'Nuttin'
Summertime (I)
Summertime (II)
It Ain't Necessarily So
Rhapsody In Blue
Rialto Ripples, Rag
Impromptu In Two Keys
Merry Andrew
Three-Quarter Blues
Promenade
'I Got Rhythm' Variations
Sleepless Night
Novelette In Fourths
Rubato
Prelude I
Blue Lullaby
Spanish Prelude

Amazon.com

Nobody can accuse Fazil Say of having a bad time while recording this disc of Gershwin classics. He brings a jazzy improvisation and plenty of spunk to these well-worn tunes, creating one of the most enthralling Gershwin piano discs around. Some pianists make Gershwin sound grandiose (Helen Grimaud, for instance), but Say makes this music fun. His alternating takes on "Summertime"--one slow and pensive, the other dizzying and swinging--are unforgettable, while his "It Ain't Necessarily So" is spiky and mischievous. A small rhythm and horn section keeps up with the pianist on a few of the shorter works, while Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic get in on the action for Rhapsody in Blue and the lesser-heard "'I Got Rhythm' Variations." Featuring some of Gershwin's most technical, modernist writing, "Variations" is a real discovery, as are Say's inventive interpretations of the shorter solo miniatures. Throughout, he's clearly in his element, having a blast and showing off. Gershwin seldom sounds this good. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

This is one of my absolute favorite Gershwin CD's.......2001-12-26

There's some rather rare pieces on this CD--including the wonderful cakewalk Novelette in Fourths. Gershwin wrote some wonderful jazz-style preludes for piano, but usually only three are recorded. There are a number of other short piano works that are delightful and practically impossible to find on CD. Fortunately, they are here, along with some favorites from Porgy and Bess and other piano arrangements of Gershwin songs such as the virtuoso "I Got Rhythm" variations.

What's really great is that Fazil Say plays these with humor and lightness. No heavy, pseudo-scholarly seriousness here. He makes the most of his pianistic skill and yet retains the spirit of Gershwin's playfulness and fun. This is definitely a must-have if you love Gershwin.

An Exceptional CD of Gershwin's Music.......2001-11-11

Fazil Say demonstrates his familiarity with Gershwin's music in this excellent Teldec CD. Unlike other classically trained pianists who have opted to play Gerswhin as though it was traditional classical music, Say instead performs these scores as the lively, danceable jazz tunes that they are. He does a fine job emphasizing the connections between Gershwin's music and earlier forms of jazz such as ragtime. Indeed Say demonstrates not only his familiarity with Gershwin's scores, but shows he's having much fun playing them. So do the classical musicians who accompany him on several arrangements. Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic accompany Say on "Rhapsody in Blue" and the variations on "I Got Rhythm" with excellent performances of their own. Without question, this is one of the finest CDs I've heard of Gershwin's music performed by classically trained musicians.

Great and subtle pianist.......2000-12-28

Although everything on this disc is also heavily recorded by others, Fazil Say has indeed found new arrangements to the songs and pieces, which made George Gershwin famous. Maybe The Rapsody in Blue is the one that has been recorded most, by any standard. But nevertheless the comparison between versions is always interesting, mostly due to the work itself. Fazil Say has a more jazzy approach than let's say, Michael Tilson Thomas or even Alicia Zizzo (the latter is better than that of Tilson Thomas). With Fazil Say you hear that Gershwins music is firmly rooted in ragtime and music hall, the piano being the one they use in a bar, in most other interpretations there is the tendency to use a grand piano, typically concertlike. Although Gershwin craved to be a concertcomposer (he even went to Paris to ask Ravel to teach him), his strength laid in jazzy, vaudeville-like sharpness, and above all, syncopated music. It was music to dance to. His songs mostly transcend the lightness of musical (music hall) songs, which he wrote together with his brother Ira. In addition, especially Porgy and Bess, which is an opera true to the word, is simultaneously impressing and touching, though halfheartedly unemancipating in its use of so called Negro language. However, Fazil Say has nothing to do with that, and his interpretations are wonderful, in the songs his piano really sings, you do not miss the voice of the singer. In addition, I will not forget to mention the New York Philharmonic under Kurt Masur, who gives an outstanding performance, surprising and full of the necessary rhythm and drive.

The sound quality is excellent, especially brass and percussion. The quintet that accompanies Say in the first four numbers is up to its job and more. The sound of the piano is very well captured.

FANTASTIC INTERPRETATION.......2000-06-27

This is a MUST HAVE CD for all Gershwin fans. You feel the sadness, joy, happiness, all in this CD. Fazil Say is once again showing his virtuousity as well as his understanding of Gershwin through all the pieces he played, both on solo, quintet and orchestral performances. One feels fully satisfied with the pleasure of Gershwin's fantastic interpretation. Very highly recommended..

I heard this CD highlighted on the radio today.......2000-06-22

My local public radio station was playing cuts from this CD all morning as a way to get people interested in pledging money. I already made my donation, so I thought I would give Amazon.com some attention for a change. I was very impressed with what I heard. The arrangements are a mixture of Fazil being backed by a small quintet and the New York Philharmonic. He can play piano! Enjoy!

Eugene Levinson, Principal Double Bass, New York Philharmonic

Average customer rating:

Some atypical repertoire, yet brilliant
Amazing CD
Legendary Bassist in top form. A must for fans of the bass

Eugene Levinson, Principal Double Bass, New York Philharmonic

Manufacturer: Cala Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Bottesini;Music for Double Bass & Piano Vol.1
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ASIN: B00000FDJA
Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

Dance Of Life: Andante Con Expessione - Gina Levinson/Eugene Levinson
Dance Of Life: Allegretto - Gina Levinson/Eugene Levinson
Son in A: Andante Con Espressione
Son in A: Allegretto
Son in A: Allegretto
Nol Kidrei, Op.47 No.5
Son: Allegretto - Eugene Levinson/Gina Levinson
Son: Scherzo - Allegro Assai - Eugene Levinson/Gina Levinson
Son: Molto Adagio - Eugene Levinson/Gina Levinson
Valse Miniature, Op.1, No.2
Meditation, Op.72
Elegaic Trio - Eugene Levinson/Gina Levinson/Gary Levinson

Customer Reviews:

Some atypical repertoire, yet brilliant .......2006-10-07

I'm an undergrad bass student, and I hadnt hear of soem of the repertoire here, yet still was greatly enthralled by levinsons playing. also, for those who are looking for a bass player to model after, heres a good choice, seeing as hes the princple of the new york philharmonic.

Exciting performances, and good sound quality, I'd highly recommend it.

Amazing CD.......2001-10-10

This CD is amazing, though Dance of Life is absolutley the best track, I'm a student at Juilliard, and one of my teachers is the composer (Behzad Ranjbaran), which is really cool!

Legendary Bassist in top form. A must for fans of the bass.......2000-12-01

Eugene Levinson, Principal Bass of the New York Philharmonic, is also one of the all-time leading virtuoso soloists on the instrument. This album presents him in top form, performing a wide range of material, ranging from the classical clarity of his own transcription of Beethoven's Op. 17 Horn Sonata in F, a transcendant performance of Bruch's Kol Nidrei, incisive and penetrating interpretation of the Hindemith Sonata, charming Russian miniatures by Koussevitsky and Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff's Elegiac Trio (Levinson performs the cello part at pitch, ably accompanied by his wife, Gina, and son and Philharmonic colleague, Gary Levinson, on violin), to the exotic Dance of Life by Behzad Ranjbaran (b. 1955), dedicated to and premiered by Eugene and Gary Levinson.

Eugene Levinson gets everything he wants out of the bass, and he is an exacting, demanding perfectionist of a musician. This album raises the bar for what can be expected from the double bass. It is easily one of the most significant and enjoyable bass recordings of the current generation of players.