Opera Intermezzi and Preludes

On this CD:

1. Tiefland, opera
Composed by Eugen d' Albert
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

2. Tiefland, opera Intermezzo
Composed by Eugen d' Albert
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

3. Pagliacci, opera Intermezzo
Composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

4. Il segreto di Susanna, opera Intermezzo
Composed by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

5. I gioielli della Madonna, opera The Camorrists
Composed by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

6. I gioielli della Madonna, opera Intermezzo No.2
Composed by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

7. I gioielli della Madonna, opera Intermezzo No.1
Composed by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

8. Manon Lescaut, opera Intermezzo
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

9. L' amico Fritz, opera in 3 acts Intermezzo
Composed by Pietro Mascagni
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

10. Guglielmo Ratcliff, opera Ratcliff's Dream
Composed by Pietro Mascagni
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

11. Cavalleria rusticana, opera in 1 act Intermezzo
Composed by Pietro Mascagni
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

12. Edgar, opera Act III: Prelude
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

13. Le villi, opera La Tregenda
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

14. Le villi, opera Prelude
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Ondrej Lenard

Tracks:

Debussy, Premire Arabesque
Bizet, Entr'act from the third act of "Carmen"
Faur, Aprs un rve
Tournier, Deux Prludes Romantiques 1
Tournier, Deux Prludes Romantiques 2
Satie, Gymnopedie No. 2
Ravel, Pice en forme de Haba-era
Debussy, Romance
Faur, Sicilienne from "Pellas et Mlisande"
Couperin, Scilienne
Couperin, Les Tours de Passe-passe
Faur, Berceuse
Satie, Gnossienne 2
Bizet, Minuet from "L'Arlsienne Suite 2"
Saint-Sa'ns, The Swan from "Carnival of the Animals"
Debussy, En Bateau from "Petite-Suite"

Album Description

This collection of French composers captures the essence of elegance and sets the mood for quiet evenings, candlelight dinners and reflective meditation.

Average customer rating:

Some unexpected gems...
Mixed Bag of Popular and Less Well-Known Verismo
An Interesting Collection of Opera Rarities

Opera Intermezzi and Preludes

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Prld to Tiefland, Op.34
Tiefland: Intermezzo
l Pagliacci: Intermezzo
ll Segreto di Sussana: Intermezzo
I Gioielli della Madonna: The Camorrists
l Gioielli della Madonna: Intermezzo No.2
l Gioielli della Madonna: Intermezzo No.1
Manon Lescaut: Intermezzo
L' Amico Fritz: Intermezzo
Guglielmo Ratcliff: Ratcliff's Dream
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo
Edgar: Prld to Act lll
Le Villi: La Tregenda
Le Villi: Prld

Customer Reviews:

Some unexpected gems..........2006-05-16

It is not the typical fare of Leoncavallo, Mascagni, or Puccini that make this disc special. Like other NAXOS releases, the producers always seem to include in their compilations something new, obscure, or enlightening. Take the German composer of Italian ancestry, Eugen d'Albert. The selections from what remains of his 1903 "Tiefland" are worth the price of this CD alone. The prelude followed by the intermezzi engulfs us in an orchestral bloom that just had to influence the great film composers of the Golden Era. Though we're all familiar with Wolf-Ferrari's "Susanna's Secret" the less known selections from "The Jewels of the Madonna" takes us on a mischief, playful romp before the program turns more tragic with "Manon". Two Mascagni rarities are included from the comedy "L'amico Fritz" and "Guglielmo Ratcliff" a story of passion and mass murder. The latter taking on a somber note. The early Puccini "Edgar"(1889) Prelude to act III starts off as funeral procession and concludes in an ecstatic revelation. His "Le Villi" based on the same subject of Adam's 'Giselle" features the playful to tragic consequences from the ghosts of girls to their abandoned lovers. The entire program is nicely balanced and is one of NAXOS's better recorded. Highly recommended!

Mixed Bag of Popular and Less Well-Known Verismo.......2005-03-13

The harsh criticism levelled at the “verismo” composers by supporters of more progressive contemporaries from more northerly climes (e. g. Richard Strauss), namely that their music is melodramatic and musically too straightforward, is not, of course, totally unjustified, yet the enormous popularity of Puccini’s operas or of those twins “Cav” and “Pag” by Leoncavallo and Mascagni would seem to be enough to make anyone take these composers seriously and listen closely to what they have to say. This CD offers a number of short instrumental extracts from three of Puccini’s operas and an intermezzo each from “Cav” and “Pag”, to which, however, it adds some much less well-known pieces by the British-born German composer Eugen d’Albert (about 15 minutes from his “Tiefland”, including the approximately two minute long oboe solo introduction) and by the half-German, half-Italian Ernanno Wolf-Ferrari (a short passage from “Il Segreto di Susanna” and three slightly more substantial ones from “I Gioielli della Madonna”). All of this music was originally performed in the thirty years or so before the outbreak of the First World War. Of the Puccini pieces here, it is certainly “La Tregenda” from “Le Villi” which steals the show, “Ratcliff’s Dream” from “Guglielmo Ratcliff” by Mascagni being another piece, this time a slow one, which merits attention. But it was definitely the d’Albert and the Wolf-Ferrari which made listening to this disc an eye-opener, even if such short extracts can only whet one’s appetite for more. The audio quality of this 1989 recording is up to the normal Naxos standard, needing high quality equipment to sound as it really should, the playing of the orchestra is good, with conductor Lénard being able, as so often, to inspire his musicians to bring music alive which is nowadays but seldom heard.

An Interesting Collection of Opera Rarities.......2004-09-07

This is a disc that I purchased a number of years ago, not for the well known pieces it contains: the Intermezzi from MANON LESCAUT, I PAGLIACCI, and CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA but for the rarer puieces from lesser known works such as D'Albert's TIEFLAND, the various Wolf-Ferrari pieces and those lesser known works of Puccini and Mascagni. Each of the pieces included in this collection, those well known and those nearly forgotten, have something to offer music lovers. They add flavor to any music lover's collection. I will often listen to this collection while working at my computer or driving.

As with so many Naxos recordings, those who purchase this collection will find interesting music performed competently by a lesser known orchestra, in this case the Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Ondrej Lenard, at a price that cannot be beat.

Great Pianists of the 20th Century: The Complete Edition

Average customer rating:

Wonderful set
Don't buy the whole thing
Not Insane
insane
For the real music lover

Great Pianists of the 20th Century: The Complete Edition
Great Pianists of the Twentieth Century
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Rondos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Airs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Barcarolles | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00002EITP
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful set.......2004-10-24

This set is for serious piano fans, not for the ones who just start building up a CD library. I sort of agree with one of the reviewers, that there are many repetitions. But if you love piano, you wish to hear the same piece in different interpretations. Indeed, I really like this feature of this set: I can compare the style of various performers.
If you are into piano music, I encourage you to grab this set, if you can find it used (not available anymore at Amazon). I also hope, that there will be a continuation, in which other great pianists, who were left out because of the space limitation, will be included (Prokofiev, Bartok, Dohnanyi, etc).

Don't buy the whole thing.......2001-07-08

I've put a lot of thought into constructing my own piano library, and unless you can easily afford the present set, I would recommend a different approach to collecting piano music. This set emphasizes the piano player rather than the piano composer. Of course both are important. For example, the "Barcarolle" appears in this set EIGHT times. I'm sorry, although I love the piece, if I am going to spend [the money], I would prefer more variety. Where are the Alkan, Medtner, and Szymanawski compositions represented in this set? I appreciate having so many interpretations of the same pieces, but I would also appreciate more exposure to pieces not so popular. The selection by Philips which I consider a somewhat popular selection suggests to me that when Philips constructed this set, they realized most people would be buying the disks separately, and this affected the selection. And it's not just that obscure composers are left out, but also if one spends so much money on piano recordings, you'd think you'd want to buy pieces from a composer in completeness. For example, an alternative way to construct a library would be to combine purchases of complete cycles, e.g. complete Beethoven sonatas, complete Scriabin preludes, etc., along with outstanding recordings of more particular pieces. I'm not sure why someone would want to concentrate so much on so many famous artists, instead of acquiring complete sets of compositions. For me the composer is more important, or at least, if I am going to spend [the money]on piano recordings, I'd prefer more complete, rather than snapshot, exposure to the composers.

Not Insane.......2001-01-02

I had to write this review, as I am enthralled with this set. I have been going through it in order having already purchased a few individual units from the collection earlier. I am not sure what `insane' was talking about as there is NO repetition. Sure some pianists perform the same pieces, isn't that what they did in reality? The idea is to appreciate the different nuances and approaches taken by these artists. You will then enjoy these pieces from a better vantage.

It is a large ambitious contribution to the art of great piano playing. It is a labor of love and represents a tremendous amount of research and cooperation between many record companies. Rather then representing insanity, it is a resource to treasure.

Yes experts can quibble over who was left out, and what performances were inserted. I do not think such a massive undertaking could have been accomplished without someone being able to find faults. Overall however, unless you already have a monumental collection, (it would have to be almost legendary), this incredible set will give you a rewarding look into 74 of the greatest pianist of all time. You will come away with a honed sense of appreciation for your likes and dislikes. You will undoubtedly become someone who will search out recordings and be able to enjoy them for the rest of your life with a refined ear.

The only negative is this price. I would shop around, as it is daunting to spend 2 thousand dollars on such a collection. Of course you do get 200 CD's. However, the used collections might be good to consider.

Enjoy these masterpieces. I am not ashamed of owning this music as `insane' implies. I am proud to have enriched my life.

insane.......2000-10-12

This is not a good library of piano music. The reason is, there is too much repetition. I'm not saying the series is bad. The series is wonderful. But this collection as a whole is a bad libary. For the same money you could collect together (with more effort) an incredible libary of piano music. There are so many wonderful cd's out there, this is just a waste of money. If you can actually afford to spend 2 grand on piano music, then either (1) spend the time and do some research to get a good library of piano music, which will probably include some selections from this collection, or (2) hire someone to do that for you. Personally I would be embarrassed to own this whole collection, since that shows I have put little thought into my purchases of piano music.

For the real music lover.......2000-03-12

This series attempts to present important and representative performances by most of the major pianists of the 20th century. One might quibble a bit with the choices, but the works presented are of consistently high quality, and often do represent what may be the best works of a performer. Since this covers most of the time that recorded music existed, some of the recordings are technically challenged, as there is only so much one can do to enhance an old recording. Still, these appear to have been treated with love and respect in their restorations. Since this series is so large (and expensive!) one is tempted to "cherry pick" through the series, yet by doing so one can easily overlook gems by artists one is less familiar with. This large a set must inevitably have many versions of the same pieces, and takes many hours to listen to. The true enthusiast will appreciate the differences in interpretation, whereas the less experienced listener may find the set repetitive and overwhelming. If one has the time to really dig into this set, it can provide years of exploration and discovery. It would make a wonderful gift for some special music lover in your life ... or for yourself!

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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