Franck: Symphony in D minor; Prélude, Choral et Fugue

On this CD:

1. Symphony, in D minor, Op. 48
Composed by Cesar Franck
Performed by Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Gunter Neuhold

2. Prélude, choral, et fugue, for piano, M. 21
Composed by Cesar Franck
Performed by Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Gunter Neuhold

Franck: Symphony in D minor; Prélude, Choral et Fugue, Music, Cesar Franck, Gunter Neuhold, Royal Flanders Philharmonic Orchestra, Classical, Classical Music, Keyboard, Prelude and Fugue for Keyboard, Romantic Symphony, Symphonic

Average customer rating: Vibrant sound and Performance, some questionable interpretetations Good, but not the best ever Highly recommended

Michael Murray At The Cathedral Of St. John The Divine: Works By Franck, Widor, Dupré, Bach and Others Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Dupré, Marcel | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Benedetto Marcello | Marcello, Benedetto | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Purcell, Henry | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Purcell, Henry | Composers | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Early Music | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Organ | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Willis Organ at Salisbury Cathedral The Wanamaker Legacy Organ Spectacular Great Toccatas An Organ Blaster Sampler ASIN: B000003CUX Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Agincourt Hymn
2. The Emperor's Fanfare
3. Psalm 19
4. Trumpet Tune
5. Finale
6. Prelude And Fugue In E Minor, BWV 533, 'Cathedral'
7. Meditation
8. Prelude
9. Chorale No. 2 In B Minor
10. Cortege And Litany, Op. 19, No. 2
11. Final

Customer Reviews:

Vibrant sound and Performance, some questionable interpretetations.......2006-05-29

Good, but not the best ever.......1999-11-08

Highly recommended.......1999-06-27

Average customer rating: Phenomenal Great Music by a Great Composer 5 Stars aren't enough!

The Best Of César Franck Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Best Of Weber Franck: Quintet in Fm; Chausson: String quartet in Cm César Franck: Piano Music Franck: Symphony in Dm; Chasseur maudit The Best of Fauré ASIN: B00000419D Release Date: 1994-08-16

Tracks:

1. Violin Sonata In A: Allegretto ben moderato
2. Violin Sonata In A: Allegro - Quasi lento - Tempo l. Allegro
3. Violin Sonata In A: Recitativo - Fantasia. Ben moderato - Largamente - Molto vivace
4. Violin Sonata In A: Allegretto poco mosso
5. Piece haroique In B Minor
6. Choral No. 2 In B Minor
7. Panis angelicus
8. Variations symphoniques

Tracks:

1. Les Eolides: Les Eolides - Symphonic Poem
2. Prelude, choral et fugue: Prelude
3. Prelude, choral et fugue: Choral
4. Prelude, choral et fugue: Fugue
5. Cantabile In B: Cantabile In B - Pierre Cochereau
6. Symphony In D Minor: Lento - Allegro ma non troppo - Allegro
7. Symphony In D Minor: Allegretto
8. Symphony In D Minor: Allegro non troppo

Customer Reviews:

Phenomenal.......2005-07-11

Great Music by a Great Composer.......2003-08-21

This 2-CD mid-priced set, "The Best of Cesar Frank" lives up to its name. It consists of many of the masterpieces of Franck's late years in a variety of forms. It is a convenient way to get much of Cesar Frank's music, well-played, in a single set. It includes a symphony, vocal music, organ music, music for piano and orchestra, and a work for solo piano by a variety of musicians. The CD will repay repeated hearings and give the listener a good exposure to Franck.

The most famous work on this CD is Franck's "Symphony in D minor"
which was first performed in 1889 and presented here by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Willem Van Otterloo. This is a fine performance of a much-beloved symphony. I found it emphasized the romantic, passionate character of the music with its frequent changes of tempo and mood.

But other selections on this CD I enjoyed substantially more than the symphony. Franck's greates work is probably his violin sonata in A which dates from 1886. It receives an outstanding performance on this CD from violinist Arthur Gumiaux and pianist Istvan Hajdu. The violin sonata is in four movements, which develop aspects of the same underlying theme ("cyclic" composition, typical of Franck). The music is glorious, elevated and lyrical throughout, in contrast to most of Franck's music which emphasizes contrasts between serenity and passion. The first and third movements are slow and reflective while the second and fourth are faster. The climax of this work, its final movement, is intense, reflective, and joyous all at once. It is based upon the same theme that Beethoven used as his main theme in the finale of the cello sonata in A opus 69.
Frank's work (and Beethoven's cello sonata as well) is one of the high watermarks of chamber music literature.

I also was much taken with the "Prelude, Choral and Fugue" for solo piano. This work dates from 1884 and it is performed here by pianist Eduardo Del Pueyo. This was my first exposure to this work, and I loved it. It consists of three movements which combine, to my ears, a romantic style, featuring long passages of broken chords and lyrical melodies, with baroque contrapuntal writing. I found this piece and the violin sonata the highlights of this fine collection.

Franck wrote extensively for the organ and this CD features his "Piece Heroique" which lives up to its name together with two other late and deeper works, the Choral in B minor and the Cantabile in B that are much more intense and reflective in character. Listeners who are unfamiliar with organ music, or with organ music beyond Bach, may enjoy exploring this music.

The CD also includes a lovely vocal piece "Panis angelicus" , Franck's "Variations Symphoniques" for piano and orchestra, and a Wagnerian tone poem "Les Etolides" all of which are well performed here and worth knowing.

Franck is an inspiring figure to me in that he persevered, stayed within himself, and produced some undoubted musical masterworks near the close of a long life. This disc is a fine way to get to know his music.

Listeners who wish to hear more of the best of Cesar Franck beyond the selections on this CD might enjoy his Piano Quintet in F Minor (1880) and his String Quartet in D Major (1890).

5 Stars aren't enough!.......1998-11-14

outstanding. Either of the pieces is well worth the entire price for the collection.

Average customer rating:

Organ Masterpieces Manufacturer: Stradivari ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by J.S. Bach | Bach, Johann Sebastian | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Handel | Handel, George Frideric | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Liszt | Liszt, Franz | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Organ | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00008FV8U Release Date: 1992-11-04

Average customer rating:

Franck: Symphony in Dm; Prelude M21 Manufacturer: Accord ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B000004CAK Release Date: 1996-04-09

Average customer rating:

Franck: Quintette Pour Piano; Sonate Pour Violon; Symphonie in Ré Mineur Manufacturer: Ultima ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B00004VR80 Release Date: 2000-01-01

Average customer rating:

Franck: Symphony in D minor; Prélude, Choral et Fugue Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Franck, César | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Fugues | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Fugues | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Fugues | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Preludes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Preludes | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Symphonies | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music ASIN: B0000013L8 Release Date: 1994-02-15

Tracks:

1. Lento - Allegro Non Troppo
2. Allegretto
3. Allegro Non Troppo
4. Prelude
5. Choral
6. Fugue

Average customer rating:

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Tracks:

1. Consecration Of The House Overature, Op.124
2. I. Allegro Con Brio
3. II. Andante Con Moto
4. III. Allegro
5. IV. Allegro
6. Prometheus: Adagio, Op.43 - William Kapell
7. Egmont Overature, Op.84 - William Kapell
8. Fidelio (Leonore) Overature, Op.72
9. Leonore No.3 Overature, Op.72

Tracks:

1. Don Giovanni Overature
2. I. Allegro Con Spirito
3. II. Andante
4. III. Menuetto/Trio
5. IV. Presto
6. I. Andante - William Kapell
7. II. Allegretto - William Kapell
8. Die Zauberflote Overature
9. Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail Overature
10. Iphigenie En Aulide Overature
11. I. Adagio-Allegro
12. II. Largo
13. III. Menuetto-Trio Allegretto
14. IV. Finale. Allegro Con Spirito

Tracks:

1. Don Juan, Op.20
2. Tod Und Verklarung, Op.24
3. Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche, Op.28
4. Der Rosenkavalier, Op.59: Suite

Tracks:

1. Parsifal: Prelude And Gurnemanz Final Scene
2. Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg: Prld, Act I
3. Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg: Prld, Act 3, Dance of the Apprentices, Procession Of The Masters
4. Der Fliegende Hollander Overature
5. Tristan Und Isolde: Prelude Und Liebestad

Tracks:

1. Die Walkure: Wotan's Farewell And Magic Fire Music
2. Siegfried: Forest Murmurs
3. Gotterdammerung: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
4. Rienzi Overature
5. Les Preludes
6. Hungarian Rhapsody No.2

Tracks:

1. Overature Du Carnaval Romain, Op.9
2. The Trojans: Prelude
3. L'Enfance Du Christ, Op.25: La Fuite En Egypt Ov/Trio (Execute Par Les Jeunes Ishmaelites)
4. La Damnation De Faust: Minuet Des Follets/Ballet Des Sylphes/Marche Hontroise
5. Romeo And Juliet Overature, Op.17: Combat, Tumult/Romeo Alone/Fete At The Capulets/Love Scene
6. The Corsair Overature, Op.21

Tracks:

1. Overture De Fingals-Hohle, Op.26
2. I. Allegro Vivace
3. II. Andante Con Moto
4. III. Con Moto Moderato
5. IV. Saltarello. Presto
6. Ouverture Zu Ruy Blas, Op. 95
7. Romey And Juliet Overture-Fantasy
8. Five Waltzes From Op.39: Nos. 1, 2, 11, 14, 15

Tracks:

1. L'Italiana In Algeri Overture
2. Symphony No.1 In C, Op.68: Movement II
3. Mignon Overture
4. L'Apprenti Sorcier
5. 1. Majesty Of Christ
6. 2. Serene Hallelujahs
7. 3. Halleluja On The Trumpet
8. Valse Triste, Op.44
9. Tragic Ov, Op.81
10. Euryanthe Overture
11. The Stars And Stripes Forever

Tracks:

1. Polovetsian Dances From Prince Igor
2. Christmas Eve Suite
3. La Grande Paque Russe Overture, Op.36
4. Capriccio Espagnol, Op.34
5. Scenes De Ballet
6. Movement 3
7. Movement 2

Tracks:

1. Prelude, Chorale And Fugure
2. Redemption: Symphony Interlude
3. Psyche Suite (Psyche Borne Away By The Zephyrs And Psyche And Eros)
4. I. Lento-Allegro Non Troppo
5. II. Allegretto
6. III. Allegro Ma Non Troppo`

Average customer rating: There were greater talents. This Is No Lesson in Economics... CLASSICAL MUSIC AT ITS MOST EXPENSIVE (AND BEST) It's actually not so expensive A Superb Reissue

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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.

Hopefully, the cost of producing this magnum opus and the reported slow sales it has been getting will not deter RCA from producing more boxed sets of Horowitz and many of the other artists in the RCA vaults. Bravo, RCA!

Music Review:

1. French Chamber Music for Piano, Oboe and Bassoon
2. From the Top Volume 1
3. Germania: German Romantic Organ Works of Otto Dienel, Vol. 2
4. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue etc.
5. Great European Organs 64
6. Grieg: Peer Gynt Overture and Suites; Lyric Pieces; Sigurd Jorsalfar
7. Haentjes: Preisungen III in 7 Teilen für Bariton; Offenbachiana
8. Handel: Concertos for Organ and Orchestra
9. Handel: Keyboard Music, Suites 3, 13, 11, 14, 15, & 8
10. Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 82, 96, 100 [Box set]

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