Polish Music

On this CD:

1. Symphonia da Nativitate (18th century)
Composed by Polish Anonymous
Performed by Jan Stanienda
Conducted by Jan Stanienda

2. Divertimento concertante, for violin & string orchestra (trans. Slowinski from Trio in B flat major)
Composed by Feliks Janiewicz
Performed by Jan Stanienda
Conducted by Jan Stanienda

3. Divertimento in D major for string orchestra
Composed by Prince] Maciej Radziwill
Performed by Jan Stanienda
Conducted by Jan Stanienda

4. Serenada for string quartet in B flat major
Composed by Prince] Maciej Radziwill
Performed by Jan Stanienda
Conducted by Jan Stanienda

5. Koncert staropolski (Old Polish Concerto) for string orchestra
Composed by Romuald Twardowski
Performed by Jan Stanienda
Conducted by Jan Stanienda

6. Tryptyk Mariacki (St. Mary Triptych), for string orchestra
Composed by Romuald Twardowski
Performed by Jan Stanienda
Conducted by Jan Stanienda

7. Stela, for string orchestra
Composed by Rafal Augustyn
Performed by Jan Stanienda
Conducted by Jan Stanienda

Tracks:

Ladies In Lavender
Olga
Teaching Andrea
Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra
Meditation From Thais
Our Secret
On The Beach
Introduction And Tarantella Op. 43
The Letter
Zabawa Weselna (Polish Dance)
Stirrings
Potatoes
The Girl With The Flaxen Hair
A Broken Heart
Two Sisters
The Carnival Of Venice

Amazon.com

The screenwriting/directing debut of veteran British stage and screen actor Charles Dance tells of a pair of Cornish spinsters (Judi Dench and Maggie Smith) who discover a charismatic young Polish violin virtuoso castaway (Daniel Bruhl) on the beach below their home. The tale leads inexorably to tender romantic conflicts and a warm concert house finale. Composer Nigel Hess masterfully utilizes his background as Music Director and House Composer for the Royal Shakespeare Company to conjure a score that evokes its quiet, emotional dignity via neo-classical orchestral arrangements that feature real life young virtuoso Joshua Bell on solo violin. Hess' intimate original compositions form a virtually seamless tapestry with the story's requisite classical repertory choices, which range from Massenet and Debussy to Bell's delightful variations on Paganini's "The Carnival of Venice." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Ladies in Lavender Soundtrack.......2007-05-13

I love this CD. The music carries you away and it is wonderful to go to sleep by. It was such a great movie and the music is delicious.

Ladies in Lavendar - Movie Soundtrack.......2007-03-29

The violin music is wonderful! I knew I wanted a copy of this soundrack when I saw the movie on DVD. Joshua Bell in a wonderful artist.

Ladies In Lavender CD.......2007-03-19

The film "Ladies In Lavender" is touching and a tear jerker, but, so well done. Having the film on DVD was not enough, I needed to have the CD to play when I am driving. The violin virtuosity of Joshua Bell is magnificient and so pleasing to hear when relaxation is desired.

LADIES in LAVENDER.......2007-02-19

This is the most amazing and beautiful CD I've heard in a long time. Joshua Bell excells on his violin with this touching and haunting music. I listen to it often.
Sarah

Loved the Movie and Love the Soundtrack.......2007-02-16

Saw the movie recently and loved it. Loved the music even more. That's why I bought the CD and am just thrilled with it.

Average customer rating:

Best recording of the concertos out there!
A tender and delicate Chopin
Very good but certainly not Chopin
Brilliant. Marvellous. Astonishing.
A profound, masterful interpretation

Chopin: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Chopin: 4 Ballades/Barcarolle, Op.60/Fantasie in F
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Ravel: The Piano Concertos; Valses nobles et sentimentales
Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2

ASIN: B00002DE0S
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 In E minor, Op.11: Allegro maestoso
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 In E minor, Op.11: Romance - Larghetto
Concerto For Piano And Orchestra No. 1 In E minor, Op.11: Rondo - Vivace

Tracks:

Concerto For Piano and Orchestra No. 2 In F minor, Op.21: Maestoso
Concerto For Piano and Orchestra No. 2 In F minor, Op.21: Larghetto
Concerto For Piano and Orchestra No. 2 In F minor, Op.21: Allegro vivace

Amazon.com

Chopin's two piano concertos have long been admired more as pianistic vehicles than as integrated works for piano and orchestra. But in his revelatory new recording, Krystian Zimerman suggests otherwise: The opening orchestral tuttis have so much more light, shade, orchestral color, and detail, you wonder if they've been rewritten. Every gesture, every instrumental solo is so specifically characterized that by the time the piano makes a dramatic entrance, the pieces have become operas without words. One may wonder if Chopin intended that. In fact, he knew bel canto opera in his native Poland, but the more positive proof is that the music has so much more to say when treated this way. Some will find the performances disturbing: The interpretations are so much more about content than form, and there's so much tempo and rhythmic flexibility, that the music sometimes seems unmoored and adrift. But upon repeated listening, the sense of fantasy is so beguiling that you wonder if you could ever go back to more conventional performances. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Best recording of the concertos out there! .......2007-05-01

I searched the web and stores in general for many years trying to find something better... better does not exist in this case.

A tender and delicate Chopin.......2007-04-08

Mr. Zimerman and his Polish Festival Orchestra have produced a very fine recording of the Chopin Piano Concertos No. 1 and 2. Mr. Zimerman has hand picked young Polish musicians to form this orchestra. While it is quite possible for the musicians who are not Polish to completely succeed in interpreting Chopin, I think that it does help if one absorbs Chopin with the mother's milk, so to speak. Mr. Zimerman plays piano and also conducts. He lets the orchestra flourish. They produce a big wave of intricate music. One can hear that the musicians in the orchestra are pouring their hearts and creativity out. One can feel the freedom of the orchestral expression. The orchestra follows the gentleness and the lyricism of Mr. Zimerman's interpretation.

Mr. Zimerman will immediately touch your heart. He is a great master of Chopin.

Mr. Zimerman plays beautifully, with delicate soft dynamics. He achieves the full emotional effect without any over-expressions. He goes softer and more delicate in many places in which others may add more sound and strength. His effect wins.

My favorites are the Rondo from the Concerto No.1, in which Mr. Zimerman plays energetically and with determination, but without any harshness of tone, and the Maestoso from the Concerto No. 2. In the latter the orchestra initially goes for less sound, rather than for the bigger sound often heard in other orchestras. There is a vein of Chopin's sadness that would be lost if the orchestra were too bright. The piano enters dramatically, but then becomes whimsical, and later quite sad. More moods follow. This is the most beautiful movement. After the great introduction and the middle part the momentum is lost. It is regained towards the end of the movement, but one could feel the recovery. I guess there is a trade-off when one uses the tempo changes as a way to express subtle points in music. The loss of the musical momentum could be possibly looked at positively, as a stopping point for the reflection, but I did not like it. Here is where the stick of an external conductor would be welcome.

All in all, this is a great recording, characterized by finesse, tenderness, lyricism, and gentleness, and a nice capture of the dramatic moments. It is Chopin at its best.

Very good but certainly not Chopin.......2006-06-05

This is a very very good Piano Concerto interpretation and execution. However Krystian Zimerman, despite being as polish as Chopin, does not rise to the ocassion at all times during the Chopin Piano Concertos, and I have to say, the playing is excellent, the interpretation is supreme, but this is not Chopin by a long shot.

Take the first movements of both concertos, staring with #1. An Allegro Maestoso is supposed to be played like an Allegro Maestoso not like a scherzo or a molto maestoso. He does this flip from a blue feeling to a rhapsody playing (and viceversa) that sounds more like Listz or Brahms than a 19 year old passionate prodigious. The second concerto's frist movement again is filled with waves that sometimes make you feel you're listening to a Largetto and again a rhapsody, which this is not. Just listen to Ashkenazy play Chopin solo works and you will likely understand the man himself. Magaloff is also a reference for Chopin's playing.

A better version ? Although I'm not fond of Arrau playing Chopin, I own and prefer his version of both concertos, mostly because of the solist. If you haven't listened to them, I recommend you to do so, as his playing comes in more fluid, natural and consistant with the sheet -and with Chopin's personality-. The orchestation of Zimerman is excellent, and have to admit superior than Arrau's + London which feels somewhat missplaced at times, but as I said the piano execution is not Chopin.

All in all a very good piano concerto for someone who hasn't listened to other interpretations, so don't be surprised if you find superior versions.

Brilliant. Marvellous. Astonishing........2006-02-08

These are undoubtedly the best Chopin's concerti ever recorded. Even if I knew no other performance, after hearing this recording I'd know it's perfect. Until I first heard it, I hadn't ever thought a Polish orchestra could be so excellent. One of the reviewers, Ms Zbikowska (przy okazji, pozdrawiam) wrote she bought these CDs because of patriotic duty :) I'm also Polish, but since I consider most of music pieces to be rather beyond nationality, our Ferdek Ch. will never be my favourite composer because of his nationality :)

Instead, I bought this CD because of Zimerman, who in my opinion is the best today's pianist. I am not disappointed, moreover, I have been rewarded more than I counted for. It's difficult to describe (how can we describe music not to lose something from its beauty and depth)...

Just listen to the slow theme in the 1st movement of the E minor concerto, no matter performed by the orchestra alone or Zimerman with the orchestra. God, when I heard it, this was the first time I ever thought of Chopin's concertos: 'This isn't a sweet, candy-style music, this is real, pure beauty!' Zimerman really feels this music, understands it, thus knows how to play it. And these young talented people from the orchestra... I want them to become our National Philharmonic players! I know Zimerman "trained" them long, but the effect is absolutely unimaginable! In the samples you can hear, how they start each of the concertos. (To be honest, my favourite parts of Chopin's concerti have always been the orchestral exposition of the 1st movements with the first few minutes with the piano) Listen to it. E.g. the unusual beginning of the F minor: quiet, passionate... Then a mighty 'tutti' moment, and then it's moving, accelerating... THIS is the way it should be played! Other example: listen to the very 11-12th second of the beginning of the E minor. This might seem to be a detail at first, not worth mentioning... but how dead and boring seem immediately all other recordings! Here is the passion...

Someone contemporary to Chopin said he was more Polish than any of Frenchmen was French or any of Germans - German... I don't know whether the opinion that the music of a composer is played best by his compatriots is true in all cases, but IMO it is in the case of Chopin - and these recordings confirm it.

Don't care about people who complain about the lack of "spontaineity". There is no room for spontaineity where everything is perfect as is Chopin's head!

Buy these recordings. You cannot be disappointed.

Thanks and sorry for my, perhaps wrong, English spelling or other errors :)

P.S. Deutsche Grammo should pay me for advertisement. :)

A profound, masterful interpretation.......2005-12-06

These concertos were written by a young man in love. In 1830, at the age of 19, Chopin was smitten with the young Polish soprano Konstancja Gladkowska, and he credits her as the inspiration for his two Concertos for Piano and Orchestra, composed during that year. He wrote to a friend: "This is a young, pretty person, who plays, because, perhaps unfortunately, I have my ideal that I have been faithfully serving for six months already without speaking to her, of whom I dream, in honor of whom is the adagio to my concerto..." The youthful, melancholic passion of his first, yet unrequited love is certainly reflected in the concertos, especially in the slow movements, which Chopin described in the following words: "It is rather romantic, peaceful, melancholic. It should give the impression of a loving glance at a place which brings a thousand dear memories to mind. It is a kind of reverie on a beautiful vernal night, by moonlight."

One of the most remarkable things about Chopin is that as a composer he grew to his full potential very early in life. By the time he composed these concertos at the age of just 19, he had already developed his own completely unique pianistic idiom, quite unlike any composer before or since: like Athena springing forth fully formed from the head of Zeus. The mazurka in the finale of the Second Concerto; the romantic nocturne-like slow movements; the graceful, delicate, aristocratic embellishments: it's all pure, unadulterated Chopin. He never composed a single piece of music that did not feature the piano, and he was the author of only a small handful of works for piano and orchestra. Preferring to work in the smaller forms, Chopin is not so much remembered today for his orchestrations, which are sometimes even re-composed by those who find fault with them. But one must remember that the piano concertos were written as a labor of love, and that even if the orchestrations are not perfect, they should be treated delicately and with the same love that Chopin himself put into them.

This is the sensitive new approach that Krystian Zimerman and the Polish Festival Orchestra adopt in their landmark interpretation of the Chopin Piano Concertos. Zimerman hand-picked each and every member of his orchestra from among the finest young musicians in Poland, with the specific purpose of holding a world tour of the concertos on the 150th anniversary of Chopin's death. This recording is the result of that tour, and is nothing short of a visionary musical masterpiece. As both conductor and soloist, Zimerman blends the orchestral sound perfectly with his own performance, capturing every nuance with adroit delicacy, perfectly dovetailing every phrase. I never doubted Zimerman's virtuosity before, but this recording fixes him firmly in my mind as one of the greatest pianists of our time. His attitude towards the music is truly one of love and humility before the composer, rather than "How fast can I play this?" or "How can I use this piece to show off?" His attention to detail is amazing: listening to his performance one gets the sense that he has come to a complete understanding of Chopin's music, capturing the idiom of the composer perfectly, and leaving the listener feeling a profound sense of "rightness." The music on these discs leaves a very lasting impression, and I encourage anyone interested to listen to these recordings and experience the definitive interpretation of Chopin's Piano Concertos.

Górecki: Symphony No. 3 ("Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"); Three Olden Style Pieces

Average customer rating:

Beautiful music!
Among the greatest Classical compositions
Dark poetry; tragic exuberance!
Sorrow wrapped in radiance
When sorrow becomes exquisite beauty...

Górecki: Symphony No. 3 ("Symphony of Sorrowful Songs"); Three Olden Style Pieces

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Arvo Pärt Sanctuary

ASIN: B0000013YW
Release Date: 1994-06-28

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3, Op. 36 (Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs): Lento - Sostenuto tranquillo ma cantabile
Symphony No. 3, Op. 36 (Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs): Lento e largo - Tranquillisimo
Symphony No. 3, Op. 36 (Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs): Lento - Cantabile semplice
3 Olden Style Pieces: I
3 Olden Style Pieces: II
3 Olden Style Pieces: III

Amazon.com

The current Schwann catalog lists nine versions of Górecki's phenomenally popular Symphony 3 (Sorrowful Songs) composed in 1976. During his early career, Górecki embraced serialism and concentrated on instrumental sonorities in the vein of Messiaen. But in Symphony 3, his atonality disappears into a strategy of gently mounting thematic pitches, taking the strings through all possible registers. All three movements are marked lento, rare for any symphony. The Elektra Nonesuch recording has tended to be the bestseller, but give this Naxos release a try--it's just as good. The sound is excellent and the performances are above reproach. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful music!.......2007-05-19

"Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" is one of the most beautiful music pieces ever composed! If you can listen carefully, and let yourself be swept up by the piece, you will be very effected! While listening to the music, my heart started racing at one point, and I felt flushed from the reaction to the music! Beautiful!

Among the greatest Classical compositions.......2006-12-07

It is rare when a composition has consistent appeal from beginning to end and one with such quality makes Gorecki's Symphony #3 a very rare find.
The beginning is unusually understated. For those with home theaters or a bass speaker, it will heighten the beauty of the string instruments. At a moderate volume, the introduction can vibrate the house. The first movement has a slow crescendo that cumulates to a very profound point. The second and third movements have such emotional beauty that I can justifiably claim that the vocal soloist is seraphic and sublime and it is as close to angelic singing that mortals can achieve. As one who does not care for opera, I want to stress that this music is not like opera in any way . For those who enjoy Beethoven's 9th, Ode to Joy, or In Trutina from Carmina Burana, this symphony can't disappoint.

Dark poetry; tragic exuberance!.......2005-12-20

Poland has been always a land of courageous and untamed spirit; stubborn to any single bit of domination. This territory has given sublime artists. Gorecki is one of the last exponents; even he was born just in the final of the WW2.

His famous Third Symphony is widely known all around the world and constituted definitively a mass phenomena, its consecration and full acceptation. Gorecki employed an admirable sense of the musical texture inviting us to imagine an enormous birch's forest with astonishing austerity of means economy in what orchestration concerns. This music suggests me the kaleidoscopic awakening of slept centuries under the history 's carpet. Ancestral sorrows, delirious visions with that contemplative gaze in the mirror 's memory. In this Christmas, it is a magnificent chance to listen it once more.

This is possibly the most idiomatic version recorded until this date. Wit made no concessions of any kind. The reading is marvelous and heartfelt; emotion and epic have been magnificently blended and besides, supported by an inspired ensemble. Zofia Kilanowicz is simply bewitching as Soprano. The Second Movement is perfect.

Go for this spelling recording.

Sorrow wrapped in radiance.......2005-11-26

I can't waste time comparing versions, as I have only heard the other bargain version with the same soprano, which lacks the lusciousness of this CD in my humble opinion. I see no reason to look beyond this version anyway, which is a sublime offering from artists clearly steeped in the emotional heartland it surveys.

Others have said it all, this is music (and indeed a performance) that elicits tears on almost every listen. To a Buddhist as myself, who can see unresolved suffering and sorrow even on the faces of those encountering temporal happiness, this music is a vivid portrayal through sound of our human birthright of disquiet and dissatisfaction, which can be transformed only through connection with our divine nature. Compassion, which can only be generated through our encounters with suffering - how can we hope to wish others to be free of it if we have never met it face-to-face? - radiates from this CD from opening note to close.

The review below that gave this album 5 stars, but only because of the performance, rather than the music itself, is one of the most pathetic offerings I have seen among Amazon reviews. How can any performance be divorced from the piece itself? To compare this glorious piece of music with a relaxation tape merely highlights the ignorance of the reviewer. Did you actually LISTEN to this album? I doubt it!

THERE ARE FEW 'CLASSICAL' OFFERINGS THAT OFFER THE EMOTIONAL RANGE OF THIS CD. IT STANDS AS A LANDMARK OF BOTH 20TH CENTURY COMPOSITION AND PERFORMANCE - A MUST BUY!

When sorrow becomes exquisite beauty..........2005-11-18

I own several other recordings of the haunting "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs", a masterpiece which doesn't need the explanatory "modern" in front of it. Górecki's works have aroused intense criticism from some music critics who feel that modern music must eschew lyricism, cease to be enslaved to the major/minor tonality of the "past", and tread bravely into the waters of atonality, arhythmicality, and a-beauty.

But music is primarily audio rather than intellectual. It is there to be listened to, which means that AT LEAST one of the criteria for music ought to be how it sounds. It's all very well creating an incredibly clever tone row and patting oneself on the back for writing a concerto for a gravedigger's spade, an electric blender and a toilet being flushed, but who is going to listen to such a work, over and over? A hundred years from now, it will probably be rightly regarded as a curiosity rather than anything else.

Górecki has composed some works which are so extraordinary that the listener is spellbound, mesmerised by the almost elegaic quality of it. Is it non-intellectual? By no means! It is a strange point of view which considers intellectual quality to be discerned only as the inverse of listenability.

There are, of course, several recordings of this remarkable work currently available. All of them are good. But this one... well, it's beyond good, because the singer, soprano Zofia Kilanowicz, is so immersed in the words, and immerses the listener so completely into the words, that the heartbreak becomes our own. We feel as never before the terrible pity of it - Mary in front of the cross; the words of the young girl written on the wall; the woman looking for the body of her son fallen in battle. It is no shame to weep in listening to this recording, because the sorrow transcends the personal, although it never becomes LESS than personal. But it reaches out to touch the core of human understanding. This is a lament for all loss, all death, all grief, all injustice. It is simply... heartbreaking... and very, very beautiful.

That a listener is able to come away with a sense of hope as well as intense grief is due to the music, which shimmers and shines in the dark places of the heart.

Other versions of this work, while lovely, do not have the same plangent quality as this. I was surprised that I did not feel more intensely when listening to the Susan Gritton recording of this, as I consider her a superb singer with a wonderfully expressive quality, but strangely she did not quite achieve the colour of tears that the work requires. The Yvonne Kenny recording is lovely, but it's more about sound than meaning. I can feel Yvonne Kenny being careful about making the right sounds - I DON'T feel her twisting my heart with the meaning. The Dawn Upshaw recording is lovely but bland in comparison, as well.

In every respect - the incredibly cheap price, the exquisite orchestral playing, the wonderful singing - this is the version to have.

Average customer rating:

yes!
deserves much more attention
Restless . . .
Very fragile and powerful at the same time
Good trio, that's all...

Trio
Marcin Wasilewski , Slawomir Kurkiewicz , and Michal Miski
Manufacturer: Ecm Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Suspended Night
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ASIN: B00076QGF0
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

Trio Conversation (Introduction)
Hyperballad
Roxane's Song
K.T.C.
Plaza Real
Shine
Green Sky
Sister's Song
Drum Kick
Free-bop
Free Combination For Three Instruments
Entropy
Trio Conversation (The End)

Amazon.com

This Polish trio first came together a decade ago, playing with Tomasz Stanko. Then in their teens, their rapport with the trumpet player 40 years their elder was immediate, and they still continue to this day as a quartet. Here they cast out on their own, showing the full breadth of artistry. Pianist Marcin Wasilewski is the primary writer, composing a third of the set. His pieces range from the perky "K.T.C." to the jubilant "Shine." In addition to a handful of group improvisations, they also cover Stanko's "Green Sky," Wayne Shorter's "Plaza Real," and, in a surprise move, a gorgeously rendered version of Björk's "Hyperballad." Following similar impulses as Bill Evans, they embrace jazz piano trio traditions, along with European classical motifs. --David Greenberger

Customer Reviews:

yes!.......2006-11-20

This debutalbum from the polish simpe acoustic trio on the ECM label is a international introduction of Marcin Wasilewski, Slawomir Kurkiewicz and Michal Miskiewicz. These musicians need to be noticed by the jazzloving world. They must be allowed to step out of the Stanko shade. Trio is a nice attempt to make a statement and it is most certainly a 5 star album.

But there is one problem. The album is not up to the same levell as the trio their performences on the Stanko-albums. Mayby it's because I miss Stanko on this album or mayby it's because they miss the craftmanship of Stanko. The first remark implies that the music is in a Stanko style. The second implies that without Stanko the trio can't get to that levell of performing as they do playing with Stanko.

But... just mayby... The trio was a bit impressed by the ECM-studios willingness to give it a go. I my opion the trio gave away to much of their musicalcharacters to comply to the ECMstyle and vision. Awkward!

I can't wait to hear this music being played live (far away from the recordingstudio).

Nonetheless... this album is beautifull. Nice to have in the collection next to the three stanko albums and the Manu Katche-happening.

FJB/O!-music 2006

deserves much more attention.......2006-10-24

This is some great music. Splitting off from the Stanko group, this trio can hold it's own with ECM's giants. Previous negative reviewers have claimed that the sound is too reminiscent of Jarrett, and not as good (Jarrett lite?), but they are missing something here. Wasilewski lacks the boldness of Jarrett, but that is what I find to be one of his prime traits. Rather than extending and building further on melodic musical ideas (as Jarrett can do masterfully at times) Wasilewski behaves subtly and quietly. His vocabulary is different, quite minimal. If you don't listen close, you may miss many of his artistic flourishes.
Anyway, this is highly recommended if you like ECM jazz, or want to hear some new and beautiful music. Perfect for night time, winter listening.

Restless . . ........2006-03-07

I got this CD on the recommendation of an NPR music reviewer, and when I first listened to it, I didn't hear the laid-back, easy mellowness I'd been led to expect. But when I gave it another go, I began hearing the wonderful complexity of haunting melodic riffs, the soulful bass lines, and agitated drum work, and while I can't pronounce the names of any of the performers, I fell for this group in a big way.

It's not a stretch to compare "Trio" to what it must have been like hearing "Kind of Blue" for the first time. What seems to be a melancholy restlessness begins to materialize as the thoughtful and deeply felt, making an imprint on memory that promises and delivers a welcome journey through moods and colorations at the start of each replayed cut. Sounds great in a car stereo and after many listenings I've found that it responds nicely to all kinds of traffic conditions. Also recommended: Tord Gustavsen Trio, "Changing Places."

Very fragile and powerful at the same time.......2006-01-08

When I first heard the Tomasz Stanko Quartet on their 2002 release "Soul of Things", their pianist Marcin Wasilewski really touched my heart with his fragile and yet powerful performance. On this CD, where he performs with his side men Slawomir Kurkiewicz (bass) and Michal Miskiewicz (drums) only, and the music is simply out of this world. I really enjoy how Marcin and his young friends present the various compositions. The recording is excellent, too (Jan Erik Kongshaug and producer Manfred Eicher), and you can hear how each tone in the piano vibrates and creates different colors. This recording reminds me of one of the principles in jazz music: It is more important to listen than to play. It also reminds me of this saying: "The power of a note lies in the space before and after it."

Helge K.

Good trio, that's all... .......2005-05-27

To me, this "trio" looks like Keith Jarrett's standards. The musicians appear to be very good pupils (cf. "For Miles" in "Bye bye blackbird" and "Trio conversation" in this "Trio"). Bill Evans also seems to have influenced the guys ("I fall in love too easily")... Nothing new then. But nothing bad either. It just seems that ECM is trying a few pianists before planning the retirement of Keith Jarrett...(joke). Anyway, I never heard someone play so close to the master. Very nice work. Very good musicians. This is not straight ahead jazz but these days, it's the fashion of doing impressionnism. Impressionnism and short pieces. The bassist has not the technique of Dave Holland... Two or three tracks do not extend 2' or 3'. BUT a few pieces are very good like "Shine" or Wayne Shorter's "Plaza Real" or "Sister's song".... I would recommend it to anyone who is fond of Keith Jarrett, and the young lions from ECM sound (Tord Gustavsen) and EST, the group that makes jazz sound like Pink Fflyod... But sorry, I prefer Monk, Bud, Bill Evans, and today, Bojan Z and Kenny Werner... Thank you.

Average customer rating:

A disappointment from a declining Markevitch
Peter Ilyich becomes Tchaikovsky
Decent performances, good value
Very Straightlaced Readings
Brilliant early Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies 1-3

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Schumann: The 4 Symphonies
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-3; Concert Fantasy

ASIN: B0000041BS
Release Date: 1995-04-11

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 13 - Winter Reveries: 1. Allegro Tranquillo
Symphony No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 13 - Winter Reveries: 2. Adagio Cantabile Ma Non Tanto
Symphony No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 13 - Winter Reveries: 3. Scherzo. Allegro Scherzando Giocoso
Symphony No. 1 In G Minor, Op. 13 - Winter Reveries: 4. Finale. Andante Lugubre - Allegro Maestoso
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 17 - Little Russian: 1. Andante Sostenuto - Allegro Vivo
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 17 - Little Russian: 2. Anantino Marziale Quasi Moderato
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 17 - Little Russian: 3. Scherzo. Allegro Molto Vivace
Symphony No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 17 - Little Russian: 4. Finale. Moderato Assai

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 1. Introduzione E Allegro
Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 2. Alla Tedesca. Allegro Moderato
Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 3. Andante Elegiaco
Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 4. Scherzo. Allegro Vivo
Symphony No. 3 In D, Op. 29 - Polish: 5. Finale. Allegro Con Fuoco
Francesca Da Rimini, Op. 32

Amazon.com

Igor Markevitch's Tchaikovsky performances have been among the best since the early '60s. He turned the unruly London Symphony Orchestra into a first-rate Tchaikovsky ensemble, in which a finely disciplined approach to rhythm provides the perfect foundation for some highly expressive music-making. The neglected Third Symphony is particularly cogent and exciting in Markevitch's hands. No lover of this composer should miss hearing these terrific discs. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

A disappointment from a declining Markevitch.......2007-03-18

Sadly, these early Tchaikovsky symphonies find Igor Markevitch, one of my great heroes, in decline. He suffered a disastrous hearing loss around 1961, and ever after his brilliant podium skills were not the same. I suppose on reputation alone one could admire these recordings, but in truth they are competent and fairly ordinary from beginning to end. I would only buy them as a standby or for reasons of economy.

The LSO plays competently, too, but without enough vitality or Russian passion. Philips' recorded sound is unattractive too, lacking in body and warmth. I must agree with Mr. Lipscomb that if you place any of these three symphonies beside their best rivals, the "Winter Dreams" sounds listless next to Tilson Thomas and the BSO (DG), the "Little Russian" lacks the spontaneity and vigor of Giulini on EMI, and the "Polish" needs the power and conviciton of the Chicago Sym. under Abbado (Sony). The best thing here is a nervy, restless Francesca da Rimini, but that's not enough reason to purchase the whole set.

Peter Ilyich becomes Tchaikovsky.......2006-12-25

The planets aligned when the young Tchaikovsky, the London Symphony Orchestra, and Igor Markevitch came together between 1965 and 1975 in London for performances that Philips has had the good sense to issue in their high-value Philips Classics series. This two-desk set is a classic that years to be played on a high-quality sound system that will bring out the concert-hall effects it concludes.

Though the digital remastering fails to eliminate a low hum when played at high volume, the authenticity of the sound is worth this minor inconvenience. At one point, the listener can hear a page turn - perhaps a page of Markevitch's score. A cantankerous music lover might ask with annoyance how the hell they allowed a microphone close enough to Markevitch's podium to fall into a glitch like that. This astonished and less demanding reviewer almost pulled his truck off the road at the sheer historical thrill of becoming privy to such a human 'error' four decades after the fact.

In these three symphonies, Tchaikovsky is working out the tonalities that will appear in full flower later in his career, not least in the heart-rending struggles of the underrated but profoundly beautiful 'Pathetique'. The plausibilities available to a late Romantic composer like Tchaikovksy allowed the elasticity of tempo and tone that made possible the climb-and-descend, climb-and-descent motifs that are Tchaikovsky explores in these first three of his recognized symphonies, a modality that becomes almost a Tchaikovsky signature when his body of work is considered as a whole.

Markevitch's baton is patient with Tchaikovsky, allowing the LSO and the New Philharmonia Orchestra to work unhurriedly though some of Romantic music's most memorable passages.

A reviewer would be remiss not to underscore the value of the Philips Classics series, where almost canonical performances by legendary performers of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s are made available at two-for-one pricing under digital remastering that rescues valuable sounds for the ages.

This 1995 issue would serve well even as a listener's sole recording of Peter Ilyich's first three symphonic steps towards becoming the rather immortal musician we know as Tchaikovsky.

Decent performances, good value.......2005-08-20

As boxed sets go, this is probably as good as you will find when it comes to the early Tchaikovsky symphonies, and the price will be impossible to beat. No doubt individual recordings of the various symphonies are available that will have more more flair to them --- definitely, these performances take a strict by-the-numbers approach which may leave more ardent Tchaikowsky devotees feeling chilled. However, by and large, the performances are consistently decent if not great (I prefer a livlier tempo for the Polish, but that's just me).

This is the perfect set for those who are largely indifferent to Tchaikowsky's symphonies --- as I must admit that I am these days --- but nonetheless would like to have them available for listening for not a lot of money. It is also a good starter set for those who are just beginning to assemble a basic collection of the standard symphonic repertoire.

Very Straightlaced Readings.......2005-05-19

This super-cheap, extremely well-recorded Philips CD set of Tchaikovsky's first three symphonies is easy to recommend. The disciplined playing by the London Symphony is top-notch and Markevitch obviously knows his way around all three scores. So if you are looking for an inexpensive way to own Tchaikovsky's earliest symphonies in excellent stereo, this set strikes me as a clear first choice.

As for the interpretations, however, I have some misgivings about Markevitch here. He was unquestionably one of the 20th Century's virtuoso conductors: his pointillistically detailed style and cool precision are recognizable in just about everything he recorded. And, on occasion, he conducted Tchaikovsky with real expressive fire - his French Radio Orchestra account of "Romeo & Juliet" (Angel LP) is my all-time favorite, along with Mengelberg's (Andante - see my review). And his Philharmonia readings of Ravel's "La Valse" and the Shostakovich 1st Symphony are in a class of their own (EMI).

It's only when you do some comparing with individual symphony recordings by other conductors that the shortcomings of Markevitch's cool objectivity here become all too apparent. Perhaps the LSO is partly to blame - they simply don't sound very Russian to my ears. With Markevitch at the helm, the 1st symphony is more like wintry dreams than Winter Dreams, the Little Russian only sounds a little Russian, and the 3rd Symphony has too much polish and too little that's Polish. In a nutshell, there isn't much heart or soul on display here.

My preferred alternatives in these works are mostly old mono recordings that any self-respecting audiophile wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole: the Dante LYS CD of the Nikolai Golovanov/USSR Radio's impassioned #1 (recorded 1948) and the old Stradivari LP (re-issue needed!) of the 1st with Natan Rachlin and the Bolshoi Symphony (coupled with a wonderful #2); #2 played with warmth and insight by Beecham/RPO (Columbia LP) and an extraordinary "live" Second with Igor Stravinsky conducting the NY Phil. (available only in that orchestra's 10-CD "Historic Broadcasts" set); and the partially cut rendition of the Polish by Albert Coates on that conductor's volume in IMG's "Great Conductors" CD series. And finally - a modern recording! - there's an inspired "live" 3rd with Svetlanov (BBC Legends).

I keep this Markevitch set because 1) it's well-played and 2) it contains my only stereo accounts of #1 and #2. However, the icy chill of Markevitch's conducting in the Philips companion CD set of #4-6 was too much for me: I weeded it.

Recommended as an inexpensive collection in first-rate sound. But for genuine excitement, I listen far more frequently to the alternatives listed above.

Brilliant early Tchaikovsky.......2005-05-01

Tchaikovsky's Symphonies 1, 2 and 3 may not share the fame and popularity of the later three (neither in the concert hall nor on disc), yet they are nonetheless fascinating pieces of music from start to end. In Igor Markevitch they find the strongest advocate. Markevitch clearly had a natural affinity with this music and quite ideally caught the contrasting moods of these early symphonies.
In this pioneering set recorded in the mid-sixties he always obtained strong, often exciting, incisive playing from the London Symphony Orchestra. An intense "Francesca da Rimini" with the New Philharmonia is offered as a thrilling bonus.
The sound quality is excellent overall. Next to Dorati's set (on Mercury) this twofer is a clear first choice for Tchaikovsky's early symphonies - at any price.

Average customer rating:

The Soundtrack to Cinderella Man is great
Another good score from Thomas Newman.
Very nice
Why...
A fairly conventional score for Thomas Newman, but enjoyable nonetheless

Cinderella Man
Thomas Newman
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Road to Perdition (Score)
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ASIN: B0008ENHX0
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

The Inside Out
Shim-Me-Sha-Wobble
Mae
Change Of Fortune
Weehawken Ferry
Cold Meat Party
All Prayed Out
Tillie's Downtown Now
Three Bucks Twenty
Corn Griffin
Shoe Polish
Londonderry Air
The Hope Of The Irish
Hooverville Funeral
Fight Day
Good As Murder
We've Got To Put That Sun Back In The Sky
No Contest
Pugilism
Bulldog Of Bergen
Big Right
9, 4, 2 Even
Cinderella Man
Turtle
Cheer Up! Smile! Nertz! - Eddie Cantor

Amazon.com

For this movie about 1930s boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe), director Ron Howard interrupted his longtime collaboration with composer James Horner and teamed up with Thomas Newman. It's a wise decision: Newman has a lighter touch and his somber palette emphasizes the fact that Cinderella Man is more thoughtful drama than mere brawling flick (even a track titled "Pugilism" eschews obvious punchiness in favor of ominous, rolling tribal-like percussion. Elsewhere, "Weehawken Ferry" illustrates Newman's ability to write swelling, majestic music that's not bombastic. Typical of the subdued approach is Paul Giamatti's version of "Londonderry Air," which he delicately whistles. The score is interspersed with a few lovely Depression-era tunes such as Chicago tenor saxist Bud Freeman's "Tillie¹s Downtown Now," Roane's Pennsylvanians' "We've Got to Put that Sun Back in the Sky," and especially Eddie Cantor's wonderfully biting "Cheer Up, Smile, Nertz" ("Our judges are queer/Our banks disappear/And all the while they tell us to smiiiiile"). --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

The Soundtrack to Cinderella Man is great.......2007-01-11

Cinderella Man is one of my favorite movies of all time. And the soundtrack does not disappoint. They have all of the powerful songs heard on the DVD. It even has the songs that you could barely hear in the movie because they were simply background music to the scenes. For instance, when Mike Wilson and Jim Braddock sit down together after work and have a drink and discuss the troubled times their nation was facing during the depression, you can faintly hear a song called, "We've Got to Put that Sun Back in the Sky" by Roane's Pennsylvanians. That song is on here in its entirety.

The other example is found in the scene where Joe Gould is seen driving off after just speaking with Jim about his hopes of getting him another fight after Jim had defeated Corn Griffin. Joe is trying to leave before Mae can see him because he knows she would not approve of his talking with Jim and the potential of another fight for her husband. Anyway, just as he gets in the car, and as he drives off, you can here Bud Freeman's "Tillie's Downtown Now" being played--another great song from that era.

Every sound of Cinderella Man is found on this soundtrack. The lone downside to this CD is that the songs are not found in the order they appear in the movie. The first four songs are in order and the last five or so are in order, and the rest is thrown in the middle. They are all there, but as is typical for most soundtracks, they don't all coincide with the order presented in the picture.

This soundtrack is a terrific purchase for any fan of this movie. You will not be disappointed.

Another good score from Thomas Newman........2006-11-07

Thomas Newman is becoming quite the composer. He has such a unique style, but is able to use it to compliment the movies he scores without the music sounding out of place or out of period. The tracks "Turtle" and "Pugilism" are fun to listen to. The first track is short and yet somehow moving. There are enough songs from the period to lend the right flavor to the soundtrack (including a track of Paul Giamatti whistling "Londonderry Air"). This one's definitely worth having if you're a fan of Thomas Newman.

Very nice.......2006-08-03

I suppose this would have been better, like another reviewer said, if some of the tracks had been more than minute-long cuts of the music from Cinderella Man. Still, it's a fantastic soundtrack!--I don't know what "conventional" meant when someone called it that, but if you like sad and somber music, you'll certainly like this. Try it. It's almost better than the movie itself, and the movie was great. After this, I have to hear Thomas Newman's other work.

Why..........2006-07-11

I dearly loved the movie, "Cinderella Man," and the music in it. However, why on earth, on the CD, did they play only a minute, or less, of some of the best music? Like, "Hope of the Irish," I liked that so much, but 52 seconds dosn't do it. In the film it was at least 3 minutes or more. I have decided not to buy the soundtrack simply because of this.

A fairly conventional score for Thomas Newman, but enjoyable nonetheless.......2006-03-25

Cinderella Man is, in a way, a return to conventional scoring for Thomas Newman. For a long while we've heard world instruments and percussion banging it out before stopping to allow beautiful themes to grasp our souls, but in Cinderella Man the effort is more restrained. It is largely a score for piano and strings, and fans of Thomas Newman will have heard the sound before. But, all the same, it is an enjoyable score for Newman fans of both kinds, and while it does take a while to get into a full expression of the story, it is definitely worth the wait.

The piano is used a lot in the score, making appearances across most of the tracks, including the gentle "The Inside Out" or in "Mae", appear with the delicate strings that we have come to expect from Newman. "Pugilism" makes use of pizzicato movements, whereas the two Irish influenced tracks, "Hope of the Irish" and "Turtle", bring back some more unconventional instruments as one would expect. But largely, the score meanders in the background, establishing a delicate tone and texture, but never really taking a forefront. Of course, I must make mention of the wonderful "Weehawken Ferry", which presents a crisp walking movement of strings, similar to what was heard in Shawshank Redemption. However, it is not until the final few tracks that the music finally free's itself from it's subdued nature and reaches out. "Big Right" explodes with blaring french horns and sharp strings, until it finally fades off and allows the highlight track, "Cinderella Man", to come in. This track is Newman at his best, with his typical soaring string arrangement of the main theme introduced in "The Inside Out", before finally reverting back to quiet woodwinds and piano near the end.

Cinderella Man is by no means an innovative or groundbreaking score - it's a fairly conventional drama score. The same adjectives could be applied to the movie as well. Is it worth the pick-up? Definitely, if you are looking for more Newman goodness. However, if you're looking to get into the world of Newman with a more colorful score - try "Angels in America" or "Road to Perdition".

- prasanth1111@gmail.com

Average customer rating:

Brilliant

Cuilidh
Julie Fowlis
Manufacturer: Spit & Polish
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mar a Tha Mo Chridhe
Black Water
Waterloo, Tennessee
Shaken by a Low Sound
My Name Is Buddy

ASIN: B000NA2PRS
Release Date: 2007-03-12

Tracks:

Hr A' Bhonaid Mh
Mo Ghruagach Dhonn
T-Aparan Goirid 's an T-Aparan : an Do Sheasaidh Bhaile Raghnaill
'Ille Dhuinn, 's Toigh Leam Thu
Puirt-A-Beul Set: 's Toigh Leam Fhin Bunt 's /Tha Fionnlagh Ag Inn
Set of Jigs
Mo Dhallan Fh
Turas San Lochmor
Oran Nan Raiders
Bodaich Odhar Hoghaigearraidh
Mo Bheannachd Dhan Bhlidh
Aoidh, Na D Cadal Idir

Album Details

Following on from 'mar a Tha Mo Chridhe (As My Heart Is), her Award-winning Debut, Hebridean Songstress Julie Fowlis is Back with the Brilliant Follow-up 'cuilidh' - a Gaelic Noun (Pronounced Kool-ee) Meaning a Treasury Or Secret Hiding Place for Precious Things. As Ever the Songs and Tunes Are Shrouded in the Historical Folklore of her Native North Uist in the Western Isles of Scotland. Fowlis' Beautiful Voice, Coupled with an All-star Crew - Including Eamon Doorley (Danu), John Mccusker (Kate Rusby), Chris Thile (Nickel Creek), Mark Kelly (Altan), John Doyle (Solas) and Donald Shaw (Capercaillie) - all Combine to Create Another Spellbinding Selection of Traditional Material Gathered by Julie from the Tradition-bearers of her Homeland. Cuilidh Promises to Push Fowlis, and the Gaelic Culture She Represents, Way Beyond the Wild Shores of the Outer Hebrides.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant.......2007-04-22

After hearing clips of the tracks from one of the 'Celtic Women' CDs, I felt as though I was listening to ready-made elevator music. In brilliant contrast, Julie Fowlis' new CD, especially the track "Hùg Air A' Bhonaid Mhòir", is a refreshing and a more true reflection of the wild Highlands and Islands of Scotland....kinda like Celtic music in the raw.

Ernesto Lecuona: The Complete Piano Music, Volume 1

Average customer rating:

Outstanding!
A GREATE WAY TO BRING LECUONA BACK
PERFECT LECUONA-INCOMPARABLE

Ernesto Lecuona: The Complete Piano Music, Volume 1
Ernesto Lecuona , Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra , Michael Bartos , and Thomas Tirino
Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ultimate Collection

ASIN: B0000016N9
Release Date: 1995-11-21

Tracks:

Rapsodia Negra
Cordoba
Andaluza
Alhambra
Gitanerias
Guadalquivir
Malaguena
Ante El Escorial
Zambra Gitana
Aragonesa
Granada
Zambra
San Francisco El Grande
Aragon (Vals Espana)
Preludio En La Noche
La Habanera
Mazurka En Glissando
Canto Del Guajiro
Bellflower
Music Box
Polchinella
Canto Siboney
Noche Azul

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding!.......2003-08-06

I'm working on the Andulcia suite, and just got this CD in the mail today to see how the songs are supposed to sound, and am blown away at Tirino's ability to play Lecuona and sound like him too!

This CD is a joy to listen to, Tirino's clarity, playing the greatest piano literature available is the most fun I've had in a while listening to a CD.

Bravo!

A GREATE WAY TO BRING LECUONA BACK.......2001-09-11

Thank you Mr. Tirino for bringing this marvellous music back.
It is a wonderful job very well done.
This is the best recording of this pieces ever.Mr. Tirino has the perfect balance to play this music exactly the way Lecuona wrote it. Outstanding

PERFECT LECUONA-INCOMPARABLE.......2000-07-28

THIS IS IT! The Lecuona recording that began the whole new renaissance of the great Maestro's music 7 years ago. TIME magazine hailed this as one of the ten best recordings of the year from ALL musical categories, "Fingers ablaze"!

These performances are incisive, colorful, stylistically very much LECUONA, (with even Lecuona's subtle changes in the scores included in these recordings), researched to a fault, executed with such breadth and depth of interpretation, color and old Cuban style. It is my humble opinion, as a Cuban, that no one can even come near to these performances...from begining to end it is absolute, utter perfection. This is a must in your collection, and the standard to which all other Lecuona recordings should be measured and compared. Tirino is THE Lecuona authority in the world.

Tracks:

Anaklasis
Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima
Fonogrammi
De Natura Sonoris No. 1
Capriccio
Canticum Canticorum Salomonis
De Natura Sonoris No. 2
The Dream Of Jacob

Amazon.com

This collection of Krysztof Penderecki's music encompasses one of New Music's most intense, even extreme pieces: Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima. Played in the extreme registers by 52 string performers, this piece came off in every way as a careening lamentation. Decrying the bombing of Hiroshima at a time when it was still a historical blue ribbon on the war chest of the U.S., Threnody was unforgettable for its vast ranges of sound colors, from the quietest and most brittle to the most raging, swirling bruises imaginable. UNESCO officially selected the composition as one of the finest works of 1961, emblazoning Penderecki's name and the composition's flagrant intensity around the musical globe. The remaining pieces on the CD make this a stunning collection, much of it having functioned as the musical background for The Shining. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Derivative but thoroughly enjoyable.......2007-05-29

Although Penderecki has done very little that could be considered wholly original (most of his work borrows liberally from contemporaries such as Xenakis and Boulez), his oeuvre is still notable for a number of extremely inventive compositions that are possessed of the focus and intensity of their subject matter.

The celebrated, popular "Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima" is one fine example of such a composition. "Threnody" employs emotive and imitative techniques in shattering registers to deliver a sonic equivalent of the horror experienced by the victims of America's most egregious and destructive war crimes. Penderecki's first mature political statement is as effective as it is unbearably loud.

To note that the remainder of this disc's music is lighter fare is to type in a strictly relative context. But so many people seem to disregard the humor and levity of Penderecki's music, focusing only on the "horrific" aspects of his sonic palette. To be sure, Kubrick implemented key extracts from "Anaklasis," "De Natura Sonoris No. 1" and "The Dream Of Jacob" (among other works by Bartok and Ligeti) in the soundtrack for his film adaptation of "The Shining," but the placement of these selections indicate as much an emphasis of a certain sly wit as they do of a blunt, morbid effect.

My personal favorite track from this album is an excellent premiere recording of "The Dream Of Jacob." Although this was composed of a distinctly Catholic sensibility, its' effect isn't dulled in the slightest even when divorced from the myth of a Hebrew patriarch's sacred vision. This must be the one of the most profound, terrifying compositions that I've heard. But its' effect is due in part to relative simplicity - despite the inherent atonality of all of his early popular compositions, Penderecki's popularity is directly related to the accessibility of his work.

After expressing a petulant ignorance of the intention in which "Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima" was composed, an earlier disgruntled reviewer still typed a harsh but fair truth: "Penderecki is the Strauss of the avant-garde, a popularizer of advanced techniques that were developed by real geniuses to express the inexpressible." This much can't be denied; Penderecki's music is built from the influence of far greater minds. But this should not suggest that his product is without merit. To the contrary, Krzysztof Penderecki has composed a handful of enduring - albeit derivative - classics that will likely stand the test of time. This much can't be said of most music that is so atonal in any way or to any degree.

The sound of this disc is excellent. I don't know what I find more impressive: the quality of the original mid-'70s recordings or the excellent remastering that they were subjected to. These recordings sound as clear and brilliant as they possibly could.

The popularity of this disc is obviously related to the fact that no soundtrack album for "The Shining" was ever released. However, it's worth buying simply because there are no available recordings of the compositions on this disc that can rival these. To be certain, Penderecki's interaction with both the PROC and the LSO exhibits a considerable talent as a conductor.

One led to the other.......2007-05-19

In the liner notes, the composer is quoted in regard to Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima "the problem of the great Apocalypse (Auschwitz), that great war crime, has undoubtedly been in my subconscious mind since the war when, as a child, I saw the destruction of the ghetto in my small native town of Debiça". Nazi Germany was responsible for that destruction, not to mention Auschwitz, and although Imperial Japan took no direct part in those atrocities, they were allied with Germany during the war. So the bombing of Hiroshima, in some way, was connected to the atrocity the young Penderecki witnessed. Thus, through this association, the Threnody becomes a lament for all victims of war. At least, I think that's what the composer intended. Perhaps this is a work where title and comments can only detract from its effectiveness. Standing on its own as a pure cry of horror, Threnody has few equals.

Horror in Every Aspect of the Word.......2007-05-11

Dear fellow music lovers, be careful with the 'items' of this disc. I am not sure what accurately to call them; I would not want to use the word 'music', as music to me is this lovely, divine force or language that through structure, harmony, melody and thematics enhances one's life. In Penderecki's items, none of these parameters are to be found. What he has composed is indeed something that generates sound; sound can be found everywhere around us; sound is, however, definitely not the same as music.

I have to credit Mr Penderecki for giving us the collection of alarm-emulating sounds constituting the Hiroshima Threnody. I would imagine these horror sounds quite appropriately to represent the situation prevalent in Hiroshima during the awful nuclear blasting. Experiencing these sounds indeed has some value; other than that I cannot really identify anything to pay for on this disc. Creating various sounds, or even noises as they often turn out to be, can be done by anyone; creating great music, on the other hand, certainly cannot be done by anyone--and unfortunately not by Penderecki.

The second star goes to EMI's sound production, which is amazing considering it was done more than 30 years ago--superior to the vast majority of productions from this source done afterwards. As such, it is more than well in the demonstration bracket. Having said that, be careful demonstrating your hi-fi equipment using this disc, as your friends may indeed expect it to convey music--not horror sounds.

Horror has never been so clearly expressed..........2005-06-22

I am not usually a fan of so-called "avant-garde" music. Though this may fit into that category, everything that Penderecki does seems to be used as a form of expression. What is he trying to express? Horror.

The very beginning of "Threnody" makes one flinch. I remember turning up the volume quite loud when listening to this, and upon doing so, I was in for quite a surprise. I had never heard music quite like this before. "Threnody" starts with a high, shrill note in the violins, and the rest join in. By the time this section is over, just about anything else that follows seems tame.

What amazed me was, although the work was brutally dissonant at times, there was a beauty in the dissonances. The jarring harmonies all seemed to fit in place. They made sense, though they might have been painful to listen to.

The capriccio was fascinating. The violinist was quite good, both technically and expressively. This piece is quite difficult to describe. The term "capriccio" makes one think that it is supposed to be humorous in some way... and in a sense it is, but in a way that is almost terrifying.

The Canticum Canticorum Salomonis was beautiful and haunting. The voices, like spirits, surround you, crying, gasping, whispering, and moaning. At times there seem to be tonal influences, though they are rare. Overall, this is probably my favorite track on the CD.

I would definitely recommend this CD, even to those without much experience with atonal music, if they are willing to give it a try. It really is beautiful, though the beauty can only be found when one realizes that this music is not supposed to be "pretty", it isn't supposed to be tonal, and it IS supposed to contain strong dissonances. That is how it gets its point across, and in that sense, Penderecki knew what he was doing.

Perfect expression of horror and despair.......2005-05-03

If there's ever been a more perfect expression of the emotions of horror, despair, chaos, violence...etc. put on disc than "Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima" then I certainly don't know about it.

Yet for all it's dissonance and atonality I found myself drawn to it, and even listened to it several times. This is not background music for a tea party with finger sandwiches, in fact it sounds like fodder for horror movie soundstracks.

Yet the music is so well done; conceptualized and actualized that it's compelling and I find, actually, very listenable.

This goes for the other pieces on the recording, which add to and complement each other very well.

Average customer rating:

Buy this CD for Symphony No. 3 and "Flourenscence"...
One Star Less for Threnody
The last reviewer was right, but too generous
Excellent "Fluorescences", disappointing "Threnody"
Best available intro to this composer

Penderecki: Orchestral Works, Vol. 01

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Penderecki: Orchestral Works, Vol. 02
Penderecki: Orchestral Works, Vol. 03
Penderecki: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4
Penderecki: St. Luke Passion
Penderecki: Sacred Choral Works

ASIN: B00004D3II
Release Date: 2000-02-22

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3: Andante con moto
Symphony No. 3: Allegro con brio
Symphony No. 3: Adagio
Symphony No. 3: Passacaglia - Allegro moderato
Symphony No. 3: Vivace
Threnody For The Victims Of Hiroshima for 52 stringed instruments
Fluorescenses For Orchestra
De natura sonoris II For Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Buy this CD for Symphony No. 3 and "Flourenscence"..........2005-05-19

... and not (a huge strong NOT!) for the "Threnody" and "De Natura de Sonoris No. 2"; Antoni Wit, although a well-respected conductor of Penderecki, has completely butchered the emotional impact the pieces were supposed to convey, as in the EMI Matrix 5 (or a 2 CD set) recording conducted by Penderecki himself.

"Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima", is perhaps the most famous Avant-Garde work by Penderecki, if not the "St. Luke Passion". Scored for 52 strings, the disturbing tone-clusters, novel effects, and the overall outpour of emotion depict the horrors of the world's first atomic attack.
Originally it was titled "8:33" in tribute to John Cage. In this performance, at least the very beginning "scream" was impressive, but the remainder of the piece turned out to be a threnody of its own. The chaos scene when different sections accumulate making random novel effects sounded like mush, and much of the harsh tone clusters lacks the emotion, especially in the final brutal 52-note cluter. In short, it sounded like "8:37" and should have been considered a purely experimental piece.

"De Natura de Sonoris No. 2", like the "Threnody", is a disturbing texture piece. This work, along with "De Natura de Sonoris No. 1", was used in the Stanley Kubrick horror film, The Shining. From the suspenceful strings to the a barrage of wailing brass (I jokingly called it "Elephants Imperil", but now I tend to imagine the multi-headed "Beast" - certainly the last thing people want to see especially Christians), it's indeed a frightening piece... at least in the EMI recording. The brass in Wit's performance, especially the horns, didn't sounded like monstrous wails, but mere flutters.

And now for the good news - "Flourescence" and Symphony No. 3. "Flourescence" is probably the wierdest piece of music he ever written. Unlike "Threnody", this texture piece is probably not meant to give emotional impact, but to witness what an orchestra can utilize using new sounds. This is probably the only recording available, so there is no comparison to make.

Penderecki's musical style drastically changed by the late 60's. His music became more Neo-Romantic; not as fascinating as his previous radical style. His Symphony No. 3 is still an impressive and haunting piece, with a hint of styles by Beethoven, Bruckner, and Shostakovich. The ominous fourth movement, with strings stubbornly playing the low D and brass producing sinister chords, gives way to inescapable horror like an opener to some suspense film. For those who like more traditional Romantic style music, this is probably a good work to get started on (the latter) Penderecki. Like the previous piece, done well by Wit, but it's the only recording available.

One Star Less for Threnody.......2002-07-30

Thank you Naxos for your commitment to adventurous music at affordable prices. That alone should put this CD on a must have list. Add to that the fact that for the most part, the performances are stellar and it makes this the Penderecki CD to have, if you want to explore this seminal late 20th century composer.

The Symphony is one of my favorite Penderecki neo-romantic works. The neo-romantic tendency in Penderecki is evident even in his work of the late 60s. Certainly it is present in the choral music such as the St. Luke Passion. But in the Third Symphony it comes to the fore. This Symphony has echos of Bruckner, Mahler, and even Shostakovitch, but it is uniquely Penderecki. There is the same interest in orchestral effect and brooding melodic material that could be found in earlier works. For me, this Symphony and the Violin Concerto are the most successful pieces by Penderecki in this vein and certainly more interesting than many pieces by neo-romantic composers. (Give me Penderecki over Rouse any day!)

The other works on the CD are from an earlier time in Penderecki's career, one in which sonority was everything. The sound experiments in De Natura sonoris III and Flouresences are well developed, but more interesting as experiments than moving as music.

That leaves the Threnody. I have to agree that this is a disappointment. The performance has no arc to it. The final cluster, which should be devastating, doesn't seem to exist sonically. In fact, I missed it the first time I heard the CD. Wit seems to approach this piece in the same manner as he approaches the other pieces from the 60s on this disc, and it just doesn't work for a piece dedicated to the Hiroshima victims. (Though interestinly, I saw a lecture with Penderecki once in which he explained that the subtitle of the piece was an afterthought. He had never intended to depict bombs in the tone clusters of the piece.)

Aside from the Threnody, Antoni Wit conducts this music with conviction and he has a great pedegree with the music of Penderecki, second only to the composer himself. He has conducted many premiers of the composer's music. And the Polish Radio knows the music through and through.

So in conclusion, buy this CD. This is a great introduction to an important 20th century composer. But try to find the Double Forte twofer with the composer conducting the Threnody. That's a much superior performance.

The last reviewer was right, but too generous.......2001-10-03

This is a dreadful performance of the Threnody. It is so tame, it should be called Threnody for the Victims of Heavy Traffic. There is no horror here. In Wit's performance, Hiroshima is just a bad day, an inconvenience. Get the EMI double set instead and you will have the best Penderecki performances. You will also have the best Penderecki. His works after the first symphony are not that interesting by comparison and most of these symphonies are quite forgettable.

Excellent "Fluorescences", disappointing "Threnody".......2001-08-12

Sorry, but I can't agree with the previous reviews in one aspect: Is it that nobody has listened to Penderecki's own rendering of the astonishing "Threnody"? That one (*) is the now-and-forever reference for that work.

(*) released by EMI on a CD (Matrix series no.5, with superb cover art by artist Peter Nevin) together with some other fine works as "Anaklasis", "Capriccio" and "De Natura Sonoris" I & II; and more recently on a 2-CD set (Double Forte series) together with also "Emanations" and the First Symphony (excellent works previously available separately in Matrix series no.17)

I had listened to that performance quite a lot of times, I knew the whole work by heart (and I had also read its ground-breaking graphic self-speaking score). Then I bought this disc, and I must say I was highly disappointed with Wit's rendering. Well, some timbral aspects of it aren't that bad (in fact, really interesting), but his overall comprehension of the work seems to me quite poor. He and the string orchestra didn't get the right dynamics and seem lost in details while losing the tremendous impact of the whole, as you can get in Penderecki's fabulous rendering. Penderecki's is an overwhelming and neatly tied performance, Wit's one sounds rather like a bundle of lost-in-labyrinth cries.

On the counterpart, I must say that his reading of "Fluorescences" is certainly the referential one. Here Wit really got it right. Every aspect of his performance here is excellent.

For the other two works: the Third Symphony is well performed, but the work itself is not at all comparable to such masterpieces as the "Threnody" and "Fluorescences" (Penderecki's best orchestral scores, along with "Polymorphia"). "De Natura sonoris II", on the other hand, has again been better performed by Penderecki himself in the already-mentioned recording.

So, buy this disc!! Its price is almost laughable, and some of its performances are first-class. But if you're interested in the amazing "Threnody", buy the one in EMI (which is mid-priced, even the Double Forte). And if you can afford it, you'd better buy both!!

Best available intro to this composer.......2001-02-02

If you're unfamiliar with Penderecki, this CD is the best place to start. It contains his most (in)famous early work ("Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima") as well as the best large orchestral piece I've yet heard from him (3rd Symphony).

"Threnody" remains one of the most radical and ear-lacerating sonic assaults ever created. Use it to wake up your loved ones, or clear unwanted guests out of the house. The other 2 "noise" pieces are more colorful but less concentrated.

The symphony is robust, lurid, and happily neo-romantic. The highlight is an eerily beautiful adagio which makes me think of wandering through a decaying garden under a full moon. I also like the propulsive, macabre scherzo-finale, which will make you wonder why nobody ever thought of using a scherzo for a finale before.

Once again Naxos puts the full-price labels to shame: adventurous music, terrific performances, good sound, and comprehensive notes, all for the price of lunch in a fast-food joint.

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