Preludes, Airs, and Dances

Track Listings

1. Prelude

2. Air

3. Vals

4. Choro

5. Gigue

6. Asturias (Prelude-Leyenda) Isaac Albeniz (from Cantos de España)

7. Wintersong Michael Nix

8. Andante Largo, Op. 5, No. 5 Fernando Sor

9. Nao Me Toques Zequinha Abreu (arr. Nix)

10. Variations On Greensleeves Michael Nix

11. I’ll Fly Away trad. gospel (arr. Nix)

12. Position Three (Hommage à Satie) Michael Nix

13. Coleraine Jig

14. Swallowtail Reel

15. The Hare’s Foot Rant

16. Mrs. Grant’s Strathspey

17. Hornpipes-Staten Island, Cincinnati

18. Planxty Browne

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Preludes, Airs and Dances, solo guitar works by Michael Nix, Albinez, and Sor. Lush and lyrical original compositions and arrangements of composer/guitarist Michael Nix are influenced by a wealth of styles-European classical music, Brazilian dances, jazz, and American and Celtic folk music.

Tracks:

Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: The Four Seasons - III Presto
Meditation from Thais
Scarborough Fair (Trad.)
Hungarian Dance No. 5
Nocturne in C Sharp Minor Op. Posth.
Gymnopedie (No. 2
Prelude No. 1
Air on the G String
Danny Boy
Czardas
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
Ave Maria
La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin
Gymnopedie No. 1
Prelude No. 2
The Flight of the Bumble-Bee
Banjo and Fiddle
Zigeunnerweiden
Urge for Going
Melody in the Wind

Amazon.com

Just in case you thought Nigel Kennedy--fresh from his Hendrix tribute album--had left the classical music repertoire for good, think again. On Classic Kennedy, the fiddler is situated with the English Chamber Orchestra in a program that spans from Bach to Satie. (Yes, you also get a Joni Mitchell tune; "Scarborough Fair"; and the fiddler's own forgettable "Melody in the Wind," too.) The sequencing is a bit disjointed--the summer storm from The Four Seasons is followed by Massenet's blissful "Meditation" from Thaïs--and Kennedy's performances range from good to fair. The English Chamber Orchestra does an admirable job on these diverse works (it deserves a lot of credit here), but it'll be up to the listener to decide whether he or she wants to hear "Air on the G String" followed by Kennedy's version of "Danny Boy." As with most Kennedy discs, you'll either love it or hate it. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

CLAIM.......2007-01-11

SOORY BUT WE DIDN'T RECEIVE THE PRODUCT YET, DESPITE WE PURCHASED ON NOV/10/2006.WATH'S HAPPENED ?

Romantic-Styled Playing.......2005-07-25

I came to love classical music through classical crossover, but have dumped crossover after listening to artists like Perlman and Hahn. So was very apprehensive going back to a “crossover” artist.

After a minute into his interpretation of Vivaldi’s third movement of Summer, I was hooked. Although Nigel may not play the pieces in a way that is considered “proper”, he brings his own style which is intense and highly emotional. The sound he can extract from his violin is engaging, and I always feel as if his violin is singing/crying to me. I’ve also heard several versions of “The Flight of the Bumble-Bee”, but this version just makes me giggle.

The only weakness for me is the mixing of main stream classical music. Songs such as the traditional songs like Scarborough Fair (a great song) and the Joni Mitchell song seem out of place. Perhaps it was EMI’s goal to show Nigel’s approach to different styles of music, but "this mixing things up" personally doesn’t work for me.

If you like the classical music on this CD, also pick up his Vivaldi CD’s which are fantastic. And if you like the traditional stuff, then get his “East to East” CD.

The beauty as it is.......2003-03-06

On a scale of love-hate, I love this CD. No: I -L-O-V-E- it. That is a masterpiece in itself. I'm neither violinist nor classical musician, not even very experienced classical listener - though I enjoy "Der Ring des Nibelungen" much deeper than "Love Me Tender". What strikes me in Nigel's playing, and on this album particularly, is his incredible technical brilliance. When he plays a note it is always THE NOTE he's meant to play. Not a 1/16 tone mistake, not a 1/10 millimeter shift. Few singers are capable of such exactness, much less violin players. With a brush like this, you can paint whatever picture you want. And the pictures of Nigel's are just incredible. The deepest of his feelings are portrayed in his music with such a delicacy and balance, and with great confidence. On to titles: my personal faves are Brahms, Chopin, Bach, Satie and Kroll's. "Banjo and Fiddle" is so ironic and courteous, "Zigeunerweisen" is heartbreaking, "Nocturne in C Sharp minor" makes you breathless of its sweet sadness. "Hungarian Dance 5" swept all other versions away: compared to Kennedy's brave, sharp, masculine, fiery rendition, any other version seems like glucose syrup compared to juicy meat. "Air on the G String" is so airy and transparent. And "Czardas" is probably the best thing I've ever heard in my life...

Flawless. Brilliant. Beautiful.

Clearly Kennedy.......2003-01-22

I had only heard Kennedy one other time and knew that this would be good, as it is. I'm not new to classical music and can say that Kennedy's playing is clear and beautiful. I don't know why others have such a hard time with it, but if it's talented and artistic violin music that you're looking for then this is for you...

An Interesting Concept, A Failed Production.......2002-09-07

A while back I had heard about a British violin soloist named Nigel Kennedy, who was working on transcribing songs by Jimi Hendrix for the violin. I had altogether forgotten his name until my friend lent me a copy of Kennedy's 1999 release 'Classical Kennedy', and when I saw the pictures of him with his Morrisey haircut, stubbly facial hair, and his leather jacket, I recognized this controversial figure, the so-called "Bad Boy" of classical music.

'Classical Kennedy' is an exploration of the violin not as the solo voice of a gargantuan half-hour concerto but, rather, the lead voice in a three to five-minute song, and it explores this concept from Bach to Joni Mitchell. Right away this poses a serious undertaking- it is difficult to achieve continuity in a classical album that practically spans the history of Western art music. However, this conflict is partly resolved by the consistency of the tracks' lengths.

Kennedy has a distinct sound, and his little "trick" is that he sometimes plays really hard and really fast. He occasionally draws an elegant and pure tone that listeners expect from a great soloist, but he also has the tendency to turn a beautiful phrase into a crude and apathetic statement. These days the idea of a violinist who isn't utterly predictable, and is willing to take liberties with the repertoire, is a pleasant muse, but Nigel Kennedy is certainly not the ideal solution.

Kennedy's gimmick becomes his fatal flaw- in classical music, the notes speak for themselves. He makes Bach and Brahms sound hoarse and nasal. Ask any professional violinist and they'll tell you that, though there isn't one exact way to play any piece, there are limits on what one should do with a phrase, and that rule is implicit through understanding the composition. It's a hard truth to face, and perhaps only a trained musician fully understands this phenomenon. Either way, there needs to be an intimacy between the performer and the listener. All in all, Kennedy's technique caves in on itself. He plays as if taking great liberties at every turn were in itself a good thing. He cuts off a note that should sing, his sense of tempo is awkward at best- he seems to be driven by self-indulgent whims rather than musical passion.

There are points in the album where I think that his approach does utter disservice to the piece. For example, his interpretation of Massenet's 'Meditations' simply does not compare to Itzhak Perlman's flawless, dramatic performance on 'A La Carte'. Kennedy's Chopin 'Nocturne in C#' (which really sounds better with just a piano) doesn't at all capture the emotion and power of Sarah Chang's performance on 'Sweet Sorrow'. I'm not saying that every single track on this album is a loser. But where he fails miserably in some regards is that his playing strays into avant-garde quirks, and it becomes somewhat ignorant to the music in the piece. Ivry Gitlis quoted in the DVD 'The Art of Violin' that 'of course it's an insult to music when somebody says 'that's the benchmark performance' or 'that's how it's supposed to be played''. But in a lot of classical works, the personality and individuality of the performer lay in the subtleties of the performance, not in urinating on the very things that made the piece wonderful and then hoping that the listener will somehow connect with it.

Tracks:

Ancient Airs And Dances: Balletto Detto 'Il Conte Orlando'
Ancient Airs And Dances: Villanella (Quadro III)
Ancient Airs And Dances: Gagliarda
Ancient Airs And Dances: Italiana
Ancient Airs And Dances: Siciliana
Ancient Airs And Dances: Passacaglia
Ancient Airs And Dances: Campanae Parisienses
Ancient Airs And Dances: Bergamasca
Six Pieces: Valse Caressante
Six Pieces: Canone
Six Pieces: Notturno
Six Pieces: Minuetto
Six Pieces: Studio
Six Pieces: Intermezzo-Serenata
Son in f: Allegro
Son in f: Lento
Son in f: Allegretto
Three Prlds On Gregorian Melodies: Molto Lento
Three Prlds On Gregorian Melodies: Tempestoso. Largo
Three Prlds On Gregorian Melodies: Lento

Customer Reviews:

A Delight.......2002-05-10

These wonderful arrangements are performed with grace, virtuosity and a genuine sensibility for the material.
The sound quality is excellent with a warm tone and engaging presence.
Outstanding value !

Beautiful piano works, beautifully performed.......1998-09-27

Included on this wonderful CD of less-familiar works of this great composer is Respighi's own piano transcription of certain of the "Ancient Airs and Dances". These are performed by Konstantin Scherbakov, a 36-year old Siberian, in virtuoso style. He handles Respighi's dense writing easily and it often seems as if he is playing with more than two hands. All of the orchestral "instruments" can be heard coming from the keyboard.

One other interesting work is Respighi's "Three Preludes in Gregorian Style". They were composed after Respighi's wife interested him in the Gregorian modes. These preludes were later orchestrated by the composer to form the first three movements of his "Church Windows".

Tracks:

Prelude
Air
Vals
Choro
Gigue
Asturias (Prelude-Leyenda) Isaac Albeniz (from Cantos de Espa
Wintersong Michael Nix
Andante Largo, Op. 5, No. 5
Nao Me Toques Zequinha Abreu (arr. Nix)
Variations On Greensleeves
Ill Fly Away trad. gospel (arr. Nix)
Position Three (Hommage atie) Michael Nix
Coleraine Jig
Swallowtail Reel
The Hares Foot Rant
Mrs. Grants Strathspey
Hornpipes-Staten Island, Cincinnati
Planxty Browne

Album Description

Preludes, Airs and Dances, solo guitar works by Michael Nix, Albinez, and Sor. Lush and lyrical original compositions and arrangements of composer/guitarist Michael Nix are influenced by a wealth of styles-European classical music, Brazilian dances, jazz, and American and Celtic folk music.

Amazon.com

A retail price of $1,600 for a box set? Granted, it's not something most of us can afford. But, for piano buffs and fans of Artur Rubinstein, this mammoth limited-edition 94-CD set might be an investment to consider. For starters, BMG has collected all of the approved studio recordings of Rubinstein (including 200 or so that have never been on CD) and added a handful of previously unreleased recordings and some interviews. The lot has been remastered for this collection using the latest technology (RCA's disc-and-a-half Highlights sampler actually showcases some of the more dramatic remasterings)--a good thing, when you consider that many of these master tapes have a lifetime's worth of surface noise. You get a lavishly illustrated book with essays and photographs and a nice case to store the works; everything but the credit plan is included, really. Of course, it's up to you to decide whether you want 706 recordings of 347 pieces played by the same great pianist. And, though owning Rubinstein's three complete cycles of Beethoven's concertos might sound tempting, will you really listen to each of them? Probably not, but if you need 'em, here they are. (His Chopin cycles, on the other hand, you will listen to repeatedly!) It's easily one of the most impressive and comprehensive box sets that classical music has seen: a true career overview with excellent remastering and handsome packaging that reflects the collection's price tag (unlike some box sets that are just that: CDs in boxes). Do you need it? Probably not. Will you want it? You bet. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

There were greater talents........2005-05-30

I must confess that I hate Rubinstein's sound as a pianist, but his dedication and verve were notable. Think though of Claudio Aurru's gifts, remarkable... I feel that to love Rubinstein one must love a world of safe emotional borders and sameness; sorry A.R fans. jb

This Is No Lesson in Economics..........2004-10-10

It is a natural tendency when reviewing items in this price-point to contemplate cost-effectiveness first and foremost. Considering that CDs have no nutritional value and cannot keep kids off crack, I am uncomfortable recognizing, much less crossing, some line in the sand where space ordinarily reserved for record-reviews must yield to amateur musings on the evils of conspicuous consumption or macroeconomic conceptions of social justice. Let's assume for the moment that this box set is free, removing from our purview the materialistic thrill or global economic blight one might seek and/or wish to stave off in purchasing it.

Rubinstein's "official" recorded output is astounding. It spans 5 decades, and encompasses significant forays into the oeuvre of dozens of composers. Though technique is generally expected to decline with age, few pianists live to be 96 years old. Rubinstein the pianist and Rubinstein the musician reached their highest collective summit when Rubinstein the man was well into his 60s. The "late-bloomer" aspect of his career places a considerable quorum of his most polished recordings squarely within the stereo era. Some of this material had made its way onto CD prior to this release, most notably his Chopin. Unfortunately, Rubinstein's well-deserved public acclaim as Chopin's supreme torchbearer unjustly limits his reputation along "expresio unius est exclusio alterius" lines. For example, though Rubinstein chose to record only a small handful of Beethoven sonatas, it is doubtful that one might hear them better played, even by his Beethoven specialist contemporaries Schnabel and Kempff. Rubinstein also ardently championed French and Spanish music, and is said to have loved performing Brahms most of all. This release places many of his most accomplished recordings before the ears of the listening public for the first time since their original release on vinyl.

I am frequently intoxicated by the earliest recordings from the 30s and 40s. Some of them, like his first traversal of the Chopin scherzi, are bite-your-nails-til-they-bleed thrilling. On the other hand, the initial limitations of the recording process required this (and every) pianist to make bothersome compromises with respect to tempi and dynamics at times. Ultimately, it comes down to personal taste. I am more consistently drawn to Rubinstein the wise-master than Rubinstein the young Turk.

RCA invested undisclosed sums of time and money into restoring, remixing, and remastering all of the recordings for this release. Some of the earlier recordings have been available on CD for quite some time (e.g. Chopin's Op. 28 Preludes, the Ormandy/Philadelphia Grieg concerto). Despite the intervention of acoustical restorationist-par-excellence Ward Marston, the remastering undertaken in the course of this project has not dramatically improved the sound on these releases. Short of traveling several decades into the past and placing more sensitive microphones in more strategic locations, there was probably little else that could have been done. Marston's brilliance is far more obvious in restoring to near original luster many deteriorating tape recordings from the late 40s and early 50s. The stereo recordings also sound fuller.

I am pleased with my purchase because having access (and, most importantly, having listened to) all of these recordings is a moving experience. It allows me to contemplate this extraordinary artist as a man, whose performance is inevitably colored by the accumulation of experience, the expanding flexibility of the recording process, the onset of maturity, and (perhaps sadly) declining physical powers. There are multiple recordings of most pieces in this collection, but I rarely find it difficult to cull a favorite among them. At this point, I play some of the records frequently, and others rarely. If your aim is to hear Rubinstein at his best, this set provides the resources you need to make what are at turns obvious, and others hopelessly personal choices. This set includes detailed (and mostly newly written) liner notes for each record as a well as an engaging hardcover book providing no fewer than 3 complete indices to the recordings (by date of recording, Composer, and Volume number). The box itself is a work of art, looks stunning on a shelf, and never requires polishing. Most of the 81 volumes are sold separately, and have been made available for download on the Apple Music Store.

While I will not claim that Rubinstein's interpretations are equally effective, I cannot think of any other pianist, now living or forever deceased, who could approach such a broad repertoire with the unwaivering technical finesse and prophetic musicianship evident in the bulk of his recorded output. If you never see the likes of a "Rubinstein Collection" on the shelf again, do not dismiss it as another textbook illustration of price elasticity. To do so is to dwell on on the vagaries of consumerism when the more important issue is that the next Rubinstein may never be.

CLASSICAL MUSIC AT ITS MOST EXPENSIVE (AND BEST).......2003-05-30

You have two choices: Starve the kids or skip the mortgage payments for a month or two. How else can you afford this 94 (!) disc set that captures every studio recording the classical icon ever recorded. Trust us: The kids are fat enough.

It's actually not so expensive.......2001-06-06

Provided you have the time, listening to this collection not only helps you better appreciate Rubinstein's supreme talent but also gives you some idea of his unfolding genius--how his technique and interpretation changed through the years. There's enough room in music for every kind of interpretation, as long as you take the music first, and all the interpretations Rubinstein offered are interesting. Of course this set is expensive, but it's nearly 100 CDs plus liner notes, so the price is not that bad. Besides, if you decide to really listen to this set the way it deserves, it's going to be years before you buy another CD.

A Superb Reissue.......2000-04-30

A friend of mine was able to aquire the Rubinstein Collection and I have been borrowing from it liberally.

RCA deserves to be commended on going the extra mile and releasing ALL of the authorized Rubinstein recordings, well organized and superbly remastered in this comprehensive edition. Hopefully, RCA will also release the individual volumes for those who are not completists or who simply cannot afford the entire set. True, this set is at full price. A source who was connected with this reissure has told me that RCA planned to issue the set at mid price, but the cost of this mammoth edition went far overbudget--and the full price was dictated by their production costs. Certainly, the money was well spent. The ramastering, particularly in the earlier recordings, must be heard to be believed. The packaging, documentation, and liner notes are all first class.

It is fascinating to trace Rubinstein's evolution as an interpreter--from the devil-may-care early days through the mature recordings of the 1950s, into the 1970s, when his playing on record tended to be a bit cautions.

1. Prelude
2. Air
3. Vals
4. Choro
5. Gigue
6. Asturias (Prelude-Leyenda) Isaac Albeniz (from Cantos de España)
7. Wintersong Michael Nix
8. Andante Largo, Op. 5, No. 5 Fernando Sor
9. Nao Me Toques Zequinha Abreu (arr. Nix)
10. Variations On Greensleeves Michael Nix
11. I’ll Fly Away trad. gospel (arr. Nix)
12. Position Three (Hommage à Satie) Michael Nix
13. Coleraine Jig
14. Swallowtail Reel
15. The Hare’s Foot Rant
16. Mrs. Grant’s Strathspey
17. Hornpipes-Staten Island, Cincinnati
18. Planxty Browne