Geoffrey Tozer, Piano

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 3 ("Collages")
Composed by Roberto Gerhard

Conducted by Matthias Bamert

2. Concerto for piano & strings
Composed by Roberto Gerhard
Performed by Geoffrey Tozer
Conducted by Matthias Bamert

3. Epithalamion for orchestra
Composed by Roberto Gerhard

Conducted by Matthias Bamert

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Gerhard was one of this century's major composers, and his Third Symphony is one of the first and most successful works to incorporate electronic sounds into a live orchestral context. It's very difficult to describe exactly what this music sounds like--it's not tonal, certainly, but it's also very attractive as pure sound, and there are recurring ideas ("gestures" or "structures" may best describe them) that unify the musical argument. To that extent, the music is certainly "difficult," but it would be wrong to assume that it's difficulty is a function of some fiendish complexity designed to mystify the listener. In fact, all of Gerhard's music is directly communicative and highly expressive, so if you've got some time and a sense of adventure, you may want to give it a shot. --David Hurwitz

Roberto Gerhard: Symphony No. 3 "Collages" / Epithalamion / Piano Concerto - BBC Symphony Orchestra / Matthias Bamert / Geoffrey Tozer, Piano, Music, Roberto Gerhard, Matthias Bamert, Geoffrey Tozer, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Concerto, Orchestral, Orchestral Music, Piano Concerto, Symphonic, Symphony

Roberto Gerhard: Symphony No. 3 "Collages" / Epithalamion / Piano Concerto - BBC Symphony Orchestra / Matthias Bamert / Geoffrey Tozer, Piano
Average customer rating:

The good and the bad

Roberto Gerhard: Symphony No. 3 "Collages" / Epithalamion / Piano Concerto - BBC Symphony Orchestra / Matthias Bamert / Geoffrey Tozer, Piano

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Piano | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Gerhard: Symphony 2/Concerto for Orchestra

Roberto Gerhard: Symphony No. 1 / Violin Concerto - BBC Symphony Orchestra / Matthias Bamert / Olivier Charlier, Violin

ASIN: B000000B1J
Release Date: 1997-10-21

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3, 'Collages': Allegro moderato-
Symphony No. 3, 'Collages': Lento-
Symphony No. 3, 'Collages': Allegro con brio-
Symphony No. 3, 'Collages': Moderato-
Symphony No. 3, 'Collages': Vivace-
Symphony No. 3, 'Collages': Allegretto-
Calmo
Concerto For Piano And Strings: I Tiento: Allegro
Concerto For Piano And Strings: II Diferencias: Adagio
Concerto For Piano And Strings: III Folia: Molto mosso
Epithalamion

Amazon.com

Gerhard was one of this century's major composers, and his Third Symphony is one of the first and most successful works to incorporate electronic sounds into a live orchestral context. It's very difficult to describe exactly what this music sounds like--it's not tonal, certainly, but it's also very attractive as pure sound, and there are recurring ideas ("gestures" or "structures" may best describe them) that unify the musical argument. To that extent, the music is certainly "difficult," but it would be wrong to assume that it's difficulty is a function of some fiendish complexity designed to mystify the listener. In fact, all of Gerhard's music is directly communicative and highly expressive, so if you've got some time and a sense of adventure, you may want to give it a shot. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

The good and the bad.......1999-12-07

The third is a grounbreaking work. Though Verese beat Gerhard in the race to bring a live orchestra together with an electronic tape, Gerhard was the first to full integrate the two. Varese placed orchestral blocks next to taped moments, but Gerhard uses the tape as another instrument, and to stunning effect. What detracts from this particular disc is the recording of the piano concerto. Somehow, all the life has been dispatched. Where once there was passion there is now only a dull wash of sound.

Average customer rating:

Gerhard: Symphonies No. 1 & 3

Manufacturer: Valois
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Helen Traubel Rarities on Radio (Unpublished Broadcasts from 1937 to 1944)

Average customer rating:

A wonderful recording
Helen Traubel Rarities On Radio 1937-1944

Helen Traubel Rarities on Radio (Unpublished Broadcasts from 1937 to 1944)

Manufacturer: Enterprise
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000040T0
Release Date: 1995-05-23

Tracks:

Just The Way You Look Tonight
Whether By Day
Adios Grenada
Oklahoma!: Oh What A Beautiful Morning
I'm Wearin Away Jean
Das Land Des Lachelns: Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz (Sung In English)
Die Lustige Witwe Waltz Pot-Pourri (Sung In English)
The Lost Chord
Ave Maria (Sung In English)
The Lord's Prayer
Greensleeves
The Lonesome Road
Alceste: Divinites Du Styx
The New Moon: Stout-Hearted Men
Die Walkure: Walkurenritt Und Szene

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful recording.......2005-07-25

This is truly a wonderful document of this singer's talents. Before talking about the recording itself, it has to be said right out that the transfers were not that great, the sound is sort of "boxy" and well, it does sound like something old and from an ancient and dingy era. That said, it does give a great deal of pleasure. It must be remembered that although Traubel was noted for her singing of Wagner, she loved to sing show tunes and also in nightclubs. For most of us, that sounds super strange as it is obvious from her Wagner recordings her voice is super huge and well suited to opera.

Obviously, the radio people knew that she was liked by the public and used her for the purpose of entertaining others. One must NEVER see her presentation as pandering down to the masses, for she never does that, even if she is singing music the public may like. Each piece is sung well, in tune (not as some have said, like a recording played at the wrong speed), and in her very well prepared way. She sings with the talent she has.

Unlike a later singer who would excel in both opera and blues, Eileen Farrell, Traubel does not have an "opera voice" and a "popular voice." While Farrell did sound almost like a different singer when singing the two types of music, diction and all perfectly atune to what she was singing, and never crossing one type of singing into the other, Traubel is more like the "modern operatic crossover singers" (Domingo, Cararrass, etc) we hear today. She sings what she sings with a very obviously "operatic studied sound."

Once you get over that fact, what she does is really quite lovely. Obviously, since she was popular on the radio, audiences of that time really didn't mind hearing that "cultured sound" when listening to popular music they enjoyed. Maybe that is because even Broadway at that time required the voice to be produced naturally and didn't rely on mikes as it does today to make its impact.

Her selection of music is quite unusual, for she doesn't confine herself to music written for the female voice (I won't even say the Soprano voice, for she even sings music for Contraltos). The notable pieces for male voice are "Oh What a Beautiful Morning", "Yours is My Heart Alone" (Land of smiles), and "Stout Hearted Men." The first is forever in our minds as sung in the MGM movie adaption of Oklahoma (which Shirley Jones, though I believe McRay sings the piece), every operatic tenor imaginable singing the piece from Land of Smiles, and well, Nelson Eddie doing "Stout Hearted Men." How does Traubel fair singing those "Male Leads?" Well, not bad at all. She makes no attempt to be "manly" (and we are all glad for that) and just lets her own love of the music shine through. Her diction in English is exceptional.

Her renditions of many English songs (Greensleeves, The Lord's Prayer, and the Lost Chord) are all well sung with excellent diction, and she is actually convincing in the later which is written for contralto. Yet, one is left wondering what is missing in all of them. To me, the real thing missing in these arrangements, and in her performance of this music, is the fact her huge voice really has nothing to do. It sings the music, but that is about all. The music just doesn't give her room to shine.

Her "Adios Grenada" is wonderful, charming, and touching. I first heard the piece sung by Caballe, and I have to admit, I much prefer her singing of this piece (which could be also because she speaks Spanish as her native tongue), yet, Traubel handles the delicate touches of the music just wonderfully, and with more finesse than I thought possible in such a huge voice.

Once we get to the operatic numbers we hear Traubel as we expect to hear her, once again with all the force, power, ring, and well, excitement she puts into her operatic roles.

She may have loved to sing all sorts of music, but whether she liked it or not, her real forte was opera, and most especially grand opera for a large grand voice. That is where she was allowed to be her complete self. Sadly, she never figured that out. If she had, maybe she would have given up singing in nighclubs, for she would have realized her voice, as much as she loved the music she would sing in a club, just didn't serve that music well. And conversely, that music didn't serve her voice well.

In spite of the poor quality of the recording, it is still quite wonderful to listen to, and gives great pleasure at every turn. It also shows us what this woman was all about as far as her talents were concerned and as far as she saw them. Seldom do we get to hear an operatic singer singing popular music on the same disk she sings opera. Here we get to, and well, I would say, she was definitely an opera singer par excellence, and a very good and enjoyable popular singer but sadly not anywhere near on the level her operatic singing was.

A super recording for anyone really interested in this singer and what she had to offer us. Sadly, she didn't record much, so buying everything you can that she did record is necessary to form a true opinion of her incredible talent, must too underrated and far too seldom appreciated in her day and even in ours.

Helen Traubel Rarities On Radio 1937-1944.......2000-07-19