Arnold: Chamber Music

On this CD:

1. Trio for violin, cello & piano, Op. 54
Composed by Malcolm (Sir) Arnold
Performed by Jane Faulkner, Justin Pearson, Timothy Ravenscroft

2. Sonata No. 2 for violin & piano, Op 43
Composed by Malcolm (Sir) Arnold
Performed by Jane Faulkner, Timothy Ravenscroft

3. Sonata No. 1 for violin & piano, Op 15
Composed by Malcolm (Sir) Arnold
Performed by Jane Faulkner, Timothy Ravenscroft

4. Pieces (5) for violin & piano, Op. 84
Composed by Malcolm (Sir) Arnold
Performed by Jane Faulkner, Timothy Ravenscroft

Tracks:

Cello Concerto No. 1 In C Major, Hob. VIIb:1: 1 - Moderato - Kadenz - Tempo I
Cello Concerto No. 1 In C Major, Hob. VIIb:1: 2 - Adagio - Kadenz - Tempo I
Cello Concerto No. 1 In C Major, Hob. VIIb:1: 3 - Allegro molto
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major, Hob. VIIb:2: 1 - Allegro moderato
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major, Hob. VIIb:2: 2 - Adagio
Cello Concerto No. 2 In D Major, Hob. VIIb:2: 3 - Rondo (Allegro)
Cello Concerto in B flat major: 1 - Allegro moderato - Kadenz - Tempo I
Cello Concerto in B flat major: 2 - Adagio no troppo
Cello Concerto in B flat major: 3 - Rondo (Allegro) - Kadenz - Tempo I

Tracks:

Cello Concerto In A Minor, Op. 129: I. Nicht zu schnell
Cello Concerto In A Minor, Op. 129: II. Langsam - Etwas lebhafter - Schneller
Cello Concerto In A Minor, Op. 129: III. Sehr lebhaft - Kadenz - Tempo I
Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33
Cello Concerto In G Minor: I. Allegro
Cello Concerto In G Minor: II. Adagio
Cello Concerto In G Minor: III. Allegro non tanto

Tracks:

Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: I. Allegro
Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: II. Adagio ma non troppo
Concerto In B Minor, Op. 104: III. Finale (Allegro moderato)
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: Adagio-Moderato
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: II. Lento-Allegro molto
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: III. Adagio
Concerto In E Minor, Op. 85: IV. Allegro ma non troppo

Amazon.com essential recording

During her far-too-brief career, cellist Jacqueline du Pré exhibited an almost oracular power of communication. Her performances bristled with the kind of brilliant electricity that could change lives and convert listeners to a lifelong love of music. Happily, it's possible to experience a sense of that power from the recordings du Pré completed before multiple sclerosis halted her career as a performer in the early 1970s. This set provides a splendid portrait--at bargain price--of du Pré's unmistakable personality: the astonishingly original yet convincing phrasing, raw energy, and ability to make her instrument sound uncannily like a human voice (du Pré was after all a favored student of Mstislav Rostropovich). Her rendition of Haydn's Concerto in C is clearly cast in a romantic--and nowadays perhaps unfashionable--mold, yet du Pré's big, bold tone carries the musical line forward with exhilarating presence. It's a demeanor that proves especially reassuring for the quirkily mercurial inventions of Boccherini. Yet du Pré most indelibly leaves her signature on the work that became her hallmark, Edward Elgar's E Minor Concerto, grafting a deeply personal level of expression onto the score's rich post-World War I melancholy. In the Schumann, du Pré makes an eloquently passionate protagonist. A similar sense of excitement is to be heard in Dvorák's Concerto--performed near the end of her career--above all in the flame of inspiration she evidently sparks from the orchestra in the serene close of its slow movement. This is a supremely rewarding collection for the beginner and aficionado alike. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Beutefully interpretted.......2007-04-04

Jacquline du Pres interprettation of some of the moast famous cello consertos is simply amasing. her music just flows with energy and abbowe all passion. she realy brings out the qaleties of the cello with intensety and softnes intertwined. music bursting with passion.

I THOUGHT I had heard these concertos,,,.......2007-04-04

UNTIL I was fortunate enough to have heard them performed by Jacqueline du Pre!!!
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! Her superb playing, along with truly masterful
interpretative skills, just "comes pouring out of the speakers!"
Also, the orchestras were obviously truly inspired by these opportunities to perform and record with one of the greatest musicians of all time.
The sound quality is excellent, as is the separation and clarity of both the soloist's and orchestral performances. The overall dynanism is also top notch - I found I had to lower the volume substantially from my normal
system loudness levels.
I've enjoyed this set so much I'll probably wind up buying everything from Amazon that EMI has produced with Jacqueline du Pre's name on it!

Excellent Selection.......2007-02-27

The choice of concertos is excellent and the artistry of Jacqueline du Pre is exceptional. The Schumann and Saint-Saens works are truly beautiful.

The album is a fitting tribute to the tragic loss of an incredible young talent.

A sassy dame.......2007-02-20

I love this CD. It came extremely fast to NZ and a bonus too as I was expecting only one cd not three!
While Dvorak is currently my favourite, other composers featured here have been growing on me.
Never been a Cello devotee in the past, but I am enjoying this new phase of my musical listening.
The late Ms du Pre plays with vigor and assertiveness, yet manages to convey those moving and sublime moments when needed.
Most enjoyable. Thanky you

Pleasure to listen.......2006-02-23

This 3 cd pack plays daylong on the player. Great music, great artist.

Average customer rating:

Movie Themes CD
"three decades of film composers ~ Simply The Best"

Simply the Best Movie Themes

Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Wings of a Film: The Music of Hans Zimmer

ASIN: B0001CNRL6
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

Theme From Mission Impossible - Schifrin
Theme From Gladiator - Zimmer
Hedwig's Theme - Williams
Harry's Wondrous World - Williams
Allegro Moderato - Symphony No. 8 'Unfinished' - Schubert
Suite From Shakespeare In Love - Warbeck
Out Of Africa - Barry
Requiem, Rex Tremendae - Mozart
Prelude In E Minor, Op. 28, No. 4 - Chopin
Suite No. 3 In D, Air On The G String - J.S. Bach
I Will Always Love You - Parton
Symphony No. 40, Molto Allegro - Mozart
Finlandia - Sibelius
My Heart Will Go On - Horner

Tracks:

Theme From Lord Of The Rings - Shore
Overture To All That Jazz - Kander & Ebb
'Trout' Quintet, Theme, Andantino And Variations - Schubert
Prelude No. 15 In D-Flat - Chopin
Windmills Of Your Mind - LeGrand
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You - KAMEN
Theme From Schindler's List - Williams
Also Sprach Zarathustra, Excerpt - Strauss
Symphony No. 3, Lento Cantabile - Semplice - Gorecki
Die Walkure, Ride Of The Valkyries - Wagner
Goldberg Variations, Aria Da Capo - J.S. Bach
Theme From License To Kill - KAMEN
Sonata No. 8, Op. 13, 'Pathetique,' Andante Cantabile - Beethoven
Die Another Day - Arnold
Symphony No. 9, Ode To Joy, Excerpt - Beethoven

Customer Reviews:

Movie Themes CD.......2007-03-10

Very nice CD with beautiful music from past movies. Very relaxing music to listen to.

"three decades of film composers ~ Simply The Best".......2004-03-06

Rhino Movie Music presents "Simply The Best Movie Themes", featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and other various artists ~ within the realm of the following composers David Arnold, John Barry, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Wendy Carlos, Fred Ebb, James Horner, James Newton Howard, Michael Kamen, John Kander, Michel Legrand, Alex North, Basil Poledouris, Howard Shore, Wladyslaw Szpilman, Stephen Warbeck, John Williams and Hans Zimmer ~ each composer has created one or more of the scores in this twenty nine classic line up.

Film scores covering over three decades with "2001:SPACE ODYSSEY", "A CLOCKWORK ORANGE", "APOCALYPSE NOW", "THE BODYGUARD(I Will Always Love You)", "CHICAGO(Overture to All That Jazz), "DIE ANOTHER DAY", "EYES WIDE SHUT", "FEARLESS", "GLADIATOR(Theme)", "HANNIBAL", "HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE(Hedwig's Theme)", "HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE(Harry's Wondrous World)", "THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER", "JURASSIC PARK:THE LOST WORLD", "LICENSE TO KILL, "LIVING DAYLIGHTS", "THE LORD OF THE RINGS(Theme)", "MINORITY REPORT", "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (Theme)", "OUT OF AFRICA", "THE PIANIST", "ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES", "SCHINDLER'S LIST", "SE7EN", "SHADOWLANDS", "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE", "THE SIXTH SENSE", "THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR"and "TITANIC(My Heart Will Go On)" ~ a mixture of original compositions and classics of the old masters. Loaded with not just themes, but full of orchestral arrangements that are fresh and rewarding ~ sure to bring back those special moments from the film.

The presentation is superb with every cue inclusive with spectacular performances from suspense, romance and adventure all rolled into a two disc package. Rhino must be commended on doing such a great job and doing it well. Most serious "film-score-buffs" will welcome this compilation, has many cues available all under one banner ~ Rhino Records...gotta love it!

Tracks:

Opening Solo Violin
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Hard Times Come Again No More
The Voice Of Bygone Days
Foster Favorites Medley (Ring, Ring The Banjo (1851) Oh! Susanna (1848) Camptown Races (1850)
Open Thy Lattice, Love (1844)
Beautiful Dreamer (1864)
That's What's The Matter
Old Home Medley (Old Folks at Home (1851) My Old Kentucky Home, Good Night (1853)
Molly! Do You Love Me? (1850)
Sweetly She Sleeps, My Alice Fair (1851)
Comrades, Fill No Glass For Me (1855)
Dancing On The River (Nelly Bly (1850) The Glendy Burk (1860) Angelina Baker (1850)
My Wife Is A Most Knowing Woman (1863)
Gentle Annie (1856)
Linger In Blissful Repose (1858)
Ah! May The Red Rose Live Alway (1850)

Customer Reviews:

It's Dreamy.......2007-01-10

This is a very wonderful recording of Stephen Foster by a master singer.
Foster's songs are of a more innocent and naive time in the American psyche, a time that it would not hurt us to remember, given the wretched brutality of American culture today (something you'll appreciate after listening to this recording).

The songs are beautifully sung by Mr. Hamspon, and the musical accompaniment with piano, mandolin, tuba, banjo, etc. seems a perfect setting for this period music. I enjoyed the musical interludes of Foster songs (not sung by Mr. Hampson), such as "Oh, Suzanna", "My Old Kentucky Home", and "Camptown Races." They are foot-stompin' and finger-snappin' good in a non-syncopated way.

Mr. Hampson's voice is so beautiful, and he has done such a wonderful job with these song's you'll just have to hear it, and when you do, tell me that you're not dreaming.

I remember reading a quote by John Phillip Sousa that decried the use of syncopation in American popular music. I never understood it until listening to this recording. The richness and intensity of American popular music (as experienced in the work of Stephen Foster) has been lost.
Everything has to be so cool today, thanks to syncopation, and "cool" really means no emotion.

If emotion is what you want, emotion is what you'll get with Stephen Foster's songs. It was a time when the death of loved ones (especially those who died in their youth) was experienced more often (see "I Dream of Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair" and "Gentle Annie"). And we were not protected from the vicissitudes of fate by myriad government programs, modern medicine and universal prosperity (see "Hard Times").
Husbands and wives had their differences then, as today, (see the amusing song "My Wife is a Most Knowin' Woman") The passion of the Civil War (Foster was a Unionist),is reflected in a wonderful, fun song, "That's What's the Matter."

If you love good music, and you have heart which can be stirred, and you love your country, this is for you.

I love this recording. It has opened up the door to my "beautiful dreams," dreams of bygone days, lost love, and whatever else we pine for.

I wanted to buy several copies for my friends, but somehow I felt that the impact of this recording was so personal, that it could not be shared with others. Not that they couldn't enjoy it, but that I could not begin to share the intense emotion and reverie stirred in my heart by these beautiful songs.

My Favorite Composer of all time.......2006-08-20

Growing up playing his stuff on piano, I love the instrumentality of this CD..the violins give off that wail that he speaks of..I am not sure what it is about Stephen Foster but these verses..grab me like no other..there is so much sensitivity to it..

I dream of Jeannie with the light brown hair
Born like a vapor on the summer air
I see her tripping where the bright streams play
Happy as the daisies that dance on her way
Many were the wild notes her merry voice would pour

but the violins in this CD make this CD the best out there..
FYI should you be into astrology Stephen Foster is definition of Cancer...Sun and Moon conjunct in Cancer with mars in Scorpio..i love his lyrics..almost to the point of obsession..

An American classic from Hampson that brings smiles and tears.......2006-07-17

Stephen Foster was the greatest American composer of sentimental parlor ballads--he so perfectly imitated folk songs that his music wound up turning into them. In an age of home music-making and later of families sitting around the radio, Foster's songs were a staple, often performed by crossover artists from opera like Lawrence Tibbett. Those were plump, ripe styles of singing, highly flavored by church hymns.

In this 1992 collection of 17 Foster favorites, plus a few rareties, Hampson drops the platform manner and goes straight for heartfelt sincerity. His tone is plain yet sweet, his expression intimate. He is accompanied by instruments redolent of the Victorian drawing room (guitar, fiddle, upright piano), and the mood they create brings tears and smiles of remembrance. This music is embedded in America's genes, and it's wonderful to realize that every note is still alive and throbbing with feeling.

OMG!!! More than 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 stars, one of the best album in the world!!!.......2005-11-25

Simply one word, WOW!!!
Thomas Hampson's voice is simply fantasic. His voice is very different from regular operatic baritone voice, very sweet, and rich. I really cant believe an operatic baritone can sing folk song like THIS good, in my opinion he sounds even better than his opera works in this album. His voice and the background music matches perfectly, the outcome would move u to tears, and u can feel the origin of MUSIC. This album really shows what the word MUSIC means, and the songs simply just ALL beautiful. I like his "beautiful dreamer", "my life is well knowing woman", and "jeanie with the light brown hair" the most. When I listen the songs I would just imagine that I am in the world of past USA, and I can feel the life of the ppl in the past USA~ just like watching an old classic movie, it would touch ur heart and fall in love with this album.

It's simply lovely.......2004-12-14

I didn't know Stephen Foster (I thought): wrong: Oh Susanna, etc, I knew, but had no idea who the composer was.

This CD is a revelation. The melodies are so beautiful, as are the poems, and Thomas Hampson just brings them to life as wonderfully as ever. I especially love "Beautiful Dreamer" - it gives me butterflies - and "My wife is a most knowing woman" - the way he makes the voices and the indignation is just brilliant. If one needed reminding what a brilliant singer Mr Hampson is - this disk does it.

Mozart: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute)

Average customer rating:

The Modern Star Zauberflote Album.
More Abbado Magic
A sparkling 'Magic Flute' to compete with the best
REALLY MAGICAL

Mozart: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute)

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wagner: Siegfried
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ASIN: B000EGFV2C
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Tracks:

Overture
Nr.1 Introduktion: Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe!/Wo Bin Ich?
Nr.2 Arie: Der Vogelfanger Bin Ich Ja/He Da!!/Was Da!
Papageno!/Ah! Das Geht Mich An!
Nr.3 Arie: Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schon
Freue Dich Und Fasse Mut, Schoner Jungling!
Nr.4 Rezitativ Und Aria: O Zittre Nicht, Mein Lieber Sohn!/Ist's Denn Auch Wirklichkeit, Was Ich Sah?
Nr.5 Quintett: Hm, Hm, Hm
Ha, Ha, Ha/Pst, Pst!/He, Sklaven!
Nr.6 Terzett: Du Feines Taubchen, Nur Herein!
Bin Ich Nicht Ein Narr
Nr.7 Duett: Bei Mannern, Welche Liebe Fuhlen
Nr.8 Finale: Zum Ziele Fhrt Dich Diese Bahn
Wie Stark Ist Nicht Dein Zauberton
Schnelle Fube, Rascher Mut
Es Lebe Sarastro! Sarastro! Soll Leben!
Nr.9 Marsch Der Priester
Ihr, In Dem Weisheitstempel
Nr.10 Arie Mit Chor: O Isis Und Osiris
Eine Schreckliche Nacht!/Ihr Fremdlinge!
Nr.11 Duett: Bewahret Euch Vor Weibertucken

Tracks:

Nr.12 Quintett: Wie? Wie? Wie? Ihr An Diesem Schreckensort?
Heil Dir, Jungling! Dein Standhaft Mannliches Betragen/Ah, Da Find Ich Ja Die Sprode Schone!
Nr.13 Arie: Alles Fuhlt Der Liebe Freuden/Zuruck!/O Weh! Das Ist Die Gottin Der Nacht
Nr.14 Arie: Der Holle Rache Kocht In Meinem herzen
Morden Soll Ich?/Herr, Strafe Meine Mutter Nicht
Nr.15 Arie: In Diesen Heil'gen Hallen
Hier Seid Ihr Euch Beside Allein Uberlassen/Tamino!/Pst!/Ah! Was? Ist Das Fur Mich?
Nr.16 Terzett: Seid Uns Zum Zweitenmal Wilkommen
Tamino, Wollen Wir Nicht Speisen?/Tamino! Du Hier?
Nr.17 Arie: Ach, Ich Fuhl's Es Ist Verschwunden
Nicht Wahr, Tamino, Ich Kann Auch Schwigen
Nr.18 Chor Der Priester: O Isis Und Osiris
Prinz, Dein Betragen War Bis Hieher Mannlich Und Gelassen
Nr.19 Terzett: Soll Ich Dich, Teurer, Nich Mehr Sehn?
Tamino! Tamino! Willst Du Much Denn Ganzlich Verlassen?/Mensch!/Du Hattest Verdient
Nor.20 Arie: Ein Madchen Oder Weibchen Wunscht Papageno Sich!
Da Bin Ich Schon, Mein Engel!/Fort Mit Dir, Junges Weib!
Nr.21: Finale: Bald Prangt, Den Morgen Zu Verkunden
Der Wlecher Wandert Diese Strabe Voll Beschwerden/Tamino Mein! O Welch Ein Gluck!
Papagena! Papagena! Papagena! Weibchen! Taubchen!
Nur Stille, Stille, Stille, Stille!/Die Strahlen Der Sonne Vertreiben Die Nacht

Amazon.com

This live Magic Flute is delightfully, lightly led by Claudio Abbado. Even the opera's darker moments---the scenes at the Temple, etc.---are treated nimbly; there's no hint of Otto Klemperer's approach to be found here. The Papageno is somewhat faceless, and while the Queen of the Night sings accurately and delivers her recitatives with real drama, she, too, is not up to the best on discs. But the recording sports the finest Tamino since Stuart Burrows and Fritz Wunderlich in Christophe Strehl, a tenor with both lyricism and plangency built in to his voice. Dorothea Röschmann is a simply glorious Pamina, strong of voice but sensitive and girlish as well, and René Pape's Sarastro sets a new standard. The Three Ladies don't always sing on key. Orchestra and Chorus are superb. Despite these criticisms, the three leads and Abbado are enough to make this a fine recommendation. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

The Modern Star Zauberflote Album........2007-02-08

The classical recording of The Magic Flute dated back to Boehm/Wunderlich's time. That was almost half a century ago.
Some treacherously difficult arias in this opera made first-rate performance of it difficult.
Claudio Abbado, on the other hand, used a batch of relatively young soloists in this production, and to very good end judging from the overall performance.
I don't want to compare Strehl with Wunderlich, or Mueller-Brachmann with his teacher Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. That's not being fair.
Despite this, the evenness of the soloists' performance outshined that even of Boehm's star-studded cast, especially in the two leading female roles of Pamina and the Queen of Night. Roeschmann and Miklosa are both more secure in tone and more pleasing to the ears.
Rene Pape's Sarastro also shines.
If ever you want to pick some weaknesses in this recording, they come in a couple of ensembles, mainly between the Three Ladies and the Two Armoured Men. However, the quartet between Pamina and the Three Boys are very effective, and Roeschmann gave a very outstanding account with the three youngsters in that ensemble.
I have heard some Taminos since Wunderlich's time, and would not go to the length of comparing Christoph Strehl with Fritz, suffice it that among contemporary Taminos, Strehl's portrayal really stands out. He may not be as lyrical as Fritz, but he does handle the role with apparent vocal ease, some thing clearly could not be taken for granted.
I do not find Roeschmann's tone too mature. This soprano is really coming of age vocally. It is time she consider taking on some even more taxing roles for operatic sopranos. Miklosa hasn't recorded much apart from this role of Queen of Night. I hope she is not those 'one-role' singers.

More Abbado Magic.......2006-07-17

This is a stellar Zauberflote in essentially all respects. The recorded sound is immediate, live and convincing. The orchestral playing is superb, and the vocalists in the aggregate are first rate, with momentary exception. The only recent, competetive Zauberflote of modern instrument variety is Solti's with Sumi Jo as the Queen of the Night. That performance also has a special place in my heart, but this newcomer sits on the shelf next to the Solti recording. There are many other great Zauberflotes, but this one is for the 21st Century.

A sparkling 'Magic Flute' to compete with the best.......2006-06-14

Claudio Abbado may be aging, but he has devoted his new 'Magic Flute' to youth--the leads are mostly rising opera stars, and the pit orchestra is the Mahler Chamber Orch., which is for up-and-coming orchestral players. The fact that Abbado favors period practices makes the score sound fresh and light--there is a marked absence of vibrato in the strings, a prominence of woodwinds, and faster-than-usual tempos (often near the speeds that real period recordings from Norrington, Gardiner, and Christie employ). However, the singers use the same amount of expressive vibrato that we are used to in the opera house. You'll hear some stage noises from these live (and lively) performances from Modena, Italy in Sept. 2005.

For me, the most exciting discovery here is the Tamino, tenor Christoph Strehl, who sounds as ardent as Fritz Wunderlich. Like Wunderlich, Strehl has a melting tone, robust delivery, and an elegant line. His 'Die Bildnis' aria comes off with ease--you'd never guess how treacherous it is for other tenors. Frankly, I haven't heard as good a Tamino since Wunderlich's death in the late Sixties.

The Three Ladies aren't always perfectly in tune, but this is a live performance, and one has to make allowances for how difficult Mozart's vocal writing is. Most German productions treat Papageno as a caricature, but Abbado is rather a sober sides, and Hanno Müller-Brachmann (a standout in Haydn's Creation on Naxos) doesn't go for laughs. I wish he had--Papageno is a fantastic character, after all--and not every aria goes as smoothly as it could, but Müller-Brachmann is certainly quite good.

The two best-known singers in the cast are Dorothea Roschmann as Pamina and Rene Pape as Sarastro. Some listeners may not take immediately to Roschmann's darker, more mature tone. Pamina is usually sung by a light lyric soprano, and Roschmann's voice is hardly girlish. I wish she showed more longing and tenderness, but she is never less than good. Pape may be the greatest non-Russian basso alive and potentially a great artist. His arias are totally secure and sung with affecting emotion. As with Strehl, you'd never guess that other basses have to struggle with Sarastro's music.

My second favorite singer here is Erika Mikósa, who owns the role of the Queen of the Night in Europe (this spring she was great at the Met, too). She is amazing in her ability to let us unerstand the words--usually a major failing among coloraturas--but also for beauty of tone and high-flying agility. Not since Lucia Popp in the Sixties has a voice fit the part so wel.

Despite the live setting, the voices are as perfectly recorded as in a studio, and DG gives the production lovely, natural sonics. The spoken dialogue is just enough to follow the story, which is good for us non-German speakers. I think most listeners will be delighted with Abbado's efforts. He had never conducted the work before this recording, saving it for his maturity. That was a wise decision. Although rather low-key throughout, his conducting is full of refinement and affection--on disc, his only rivals are Klemperer and Bohm in their classic sets. We've waited a long time for Die Zauberflote to return at this level of excellence.

REALLY MAGICAL.......2006-06-14

I live in Modena, Italy, and I was lucky to see this "Zauberflote" live, at the Teatro Comunale, when it was on stage, last september. During those evenings, the album was recorded. It was an extraordinary experience, really a big show, and I'm happy to re-live again and again, in this album. Don't miss it, especially if you love Claudio Abbado and his magical touch.

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Best Lullabies for Baby and for MOM!
Received unexpectedly and love it!
Great shower gift for expecting moms!
Celtic Twilight Lullabies
Love It, So Beautiful, Angelic Lullabies

Celtic Twilight, Vol. 3: Lullabies
Linda Arnold
Manufacturer: Hearts of Space
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000X8F
Release Date: 1996-10-01

Tracks:

John O' Dreams - Arcady
Castle Of Dromore - Kate Powers
Connamara Cradle Song - Maireid Sullivan
A Nightingale's Lullaby - Julie Last
Asleep In My Arms - Barbara Higbie
Theid Mi Dhachaigh (The MacKenzie Lullaby) - Talitha MacKenzie
Christina - Alasdair Fraser
Lagan Love - William Coulter
Suantraithe (Lullabies) - Noirin Ni Riain
Suantrai - Anuna
Irish Lullaby - Bill Douglas
Lullabye - Arcady
Gartan Mother's Lullaby - Linda Arnold
All Through The Night - Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning

Product Description

1. John O'Dreams - Arcady
2. Castle Of Dromore - Kate Power
3. Connamara Cradle Song - Maireid Sullivan
4. Nightingale's Lullaby - Julie Last
5. Asleep In My Arms - Barbara Higbie
6. Theid Mi Dhachaigh - Talitha MacKenzie :: MacKenzie Lullaby, The - Talitha MacKenzie
7. Christina - Alasdair Fraser
8. Lagan Love - William Coulter
9. Suantraithe - Noirin Ni Riain :: Lullabies - Noirin Ni Riain
10. Suantrai - Anuna :: Lullaby - Anuna
11. Irish Lullaby - Bill Douglas
12. Lullaby - Arcady
13. Gartan Mother's Lullaby - Linda Arnold
14. All Through The Night - Jeff Johnson /Brian Dunning

Format: CD

Amazon.com

By turns mournful and mystical, these 14 Celtic lullabies performed by musicians from around the world give voice to the experience of mother and child in haunting, evocative folk songs. "More often than not," veteran Irish singer Nóirín Ní Riain writes in the liner notes, "a true lullaby is more indicative of the mental state of the mother than of her wish to lull her child to sleep, and so often her frustrations find a legitimate voice through song." Celtic Twilight 3: Lullabies will become a bedtime favorite, both for its lulling pull to sleep for baby and the numinous, soothing tones of old-country songs for parents winding down at the end of the day. --Stefanie Durbin

Customer Reviews:

Best Lullabies for Baby and for MOM!.......2007-05-31

This Audio CD is a wonderful gift for anyone who is expecting, it soothes mom as well as baby. I love this CD and play it often at night when I am winding down.

Received unexpectedly and love it!.......2007-05-19

I received this as a gift from one of the artists. I am the "Christina" of track 6 - Alasdair Fraser was a friend of the family and wrote tunes for each of us as a thank you for hosting him. My piece was a slow air/waltz, but I never heard it performed until I received a copy of this CD from him.

Not only am I thrilled with the beautiful arrangement of "my" song, I love the other songs on the album as well. The music is wonderfully relaxing, and I look forward to playing it for my children to introduce them to Celtic music. I'm still a Gaelic singer, too...:)

Great shower gift for expecting moms!.......2007-03-05

I bought this first Celtic Twilight, Vol. 3: Lullabies CD right after I had my first baby. It has such beautiful music, and is not some of the sickly sweet lullaby music that you get on so many other CDs.

It has been a wonderful ritual that we have before we go to bed so that my son can settle down and go to sleep. By track 2, he's usually snoring! I'm buying another copy of the same CD for my second baby so that she can have the same soothing sounds to drift off to sleep.

I would highly recommend this CD!

Celtic Twilight Lullabies.......2007-01-15

This is a wonderful album. As is often the case with lullabies, they seem more for the pleasure of adults than for children. My grandchildren find this album quite soothing as do their parents. We all listen to the songs over and over and think it is very relaxing album.

Love It, So Beautiful, Angelic Lullabies.......2006-12-02

I absolutely love this CD. It reminds me of songs my Irish grandmother would sing to me.
Ethereal voices sing Irish lullabies. The music is soft, serene and intensely rich. I believe this music will work for all ages from a newborn to 100+.

Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra

Average customer rating:

I guess I'm not as sophisticated as all of you...
A convert
Excellent performance
A Devastating Five Pieces - A desert island CD
BUY IT

Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Schoenberg: The String Quartets
Arnold Schoenberg: Suite, Op. 29, for 2 Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello & Piano / Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (Sextet for 2 Violins, 2 Violas & 2 Celli) - Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez
Schoenberg - Die Glückliche Hand · Variations for Orchestra, Op.31 · Verklärte Nacht / Nimsgern · BBC Orch. · NY Phil. · Boulez
Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony No1; Die Jacobsleiter
Berg: Chamber Concerto; Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6; Violin Concerto

ASIN: B000002818
Release Date: 1993-07-13

Tracks:

Serenade, Op. 24: I. Marsch
Serenade, Op. 24: II. Menuett
Serenade, Op. 24: III. Variationen
Serenade, Op. 24: IV. Sonett Von Petrarca: 'O Konnt' Ich Je Der Rach' An Ihr Genesen'
Serenade, Op. 24: V. Tanzscene
Serenade, Op. 24: VI. Lied (Ohne Worte)
Serenade, Op. 24: VII. Finale
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: I. Vorgefuhle
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: II. Vergangenes
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: III. Farben
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: IV. Peripetie
5 Pieces for Orchestra, Op. 16: V. Das Obligate Rezitativ
Ode To Napoleon Buonaparte, Op. 41

Amazon.com

Schoenberg's Serenade is comparable to Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale. Both works are effective modernist parodies of classical genres. But unlike Stravinsky, Schoenberg's treatments of marches and waltzes are never coolly burlesque, but hyper expressive--indeed, expressionist. Pierre Boulez conducts his Ensemble InterContemporain, underlining the music's prickly sonorities and metallic edges. In his interpretation, the expertly separated timbres are the hinge of the composition. Also on the disc is a classic reading of the Five Pieces for Orchestra and the curious Ode to Napoleon, a work for ensemble with narrator. --Joshua Cody

Customer Reviews:

I guess I'm not as sophisticated as all of you..........2006-09-20

Depth? Genius? This stuff sounds like your watching an old Bugs Bunny cartoon. Its like the background sound effects when Yosemite Sam steps on a rake or Daffy does a double-take. Imagine being Ray Charles or Andrea Bocelli and "watching" old cartoons: it's the same experience. But in this case, I'd rather be Marlee Matlin.

A convert.......2006-05-09

I would like to speak in regards to what some reviewers are saying about the works of Schoenberg. I will admit that the first time I heard Schoenberg, I wrote him off as weird music that I would never like and was not worth listening to. In my defense, the first work I heard was "Pierrot Lunaire" which is a very hard work to understand. But I was assigned a paper of the Second Viennese School and its influences for music history and was forced to really listen to these works among others by much more extreme composers like Boulez and Cage (who I have yet to understand, but I am still young!) Once I stopped grumbling about how much I hated serialism and let myself really HEAR the music, I started to understand it and gained a begrudging respect for Schoenberg, which became a genuine liking. So in light of this, I dare anyone who is so willing to bash Schoenberg outright to really listen to his works and the works of those he influenced with an open mind and see if you can't at least respect the music for what it is.

Excellent performance.......2006-03-25

Having owned nearly all avaliable recordings of all Schonberg, I have found all of Boulez's recordings on Sony to my favorite.

It has been 3 yrs now that I first discovered Schonberg and my love for his music grows more everyday, high genius indeed.
I love almost everything he wrote, but as to his Pelleas, even Schonberg said he was only satisfied with the last part.

Now as to A Music Fan's comments on his This Music Stinks and Ong's in his World comming to an end, this might have been something I wrote back in my early to mid years of adventures in classical music, say 1980-2001.
But you see I grew in a psychological sense and my awareness of what great art is, had made a profound transition into the modern era.
(read all my reviews)

But for some to give either a vote of "no, not helpful", shows we still have way too many under the 13 year olds clicking the vote buttons.
Why even click the vote?
Sure I realize you strongly disagree with both, that you love Schonberg as much as I, maybe more, which I doubt, so why even bother with these 2 who may not ever come to know Schonberg while upon this earth.
That in itself is a big loss to their experience in life.

I see the same youths post on my reviews a "no, not helpful".
Well if you disagree with either Ong and A Music fan, write your own rebuttal to these 2 guys.
Just don't click a button , write a commen of your appreciation for Schonberg's genius.

The old form is clashing with the new. As the romantic and classical eras must give way to 20th century music, I forsee some contentions at the ineviatable changes that are about to occur.
Sure some will want to atke it to battle, as the other side really does not want to give up an inch of its power.
Thus, don't expect many of us modern fans to be at your shows.
The attendance numbers will dwindle, profits will shrink.
If you give us what we want, which is an all modern program, once in awhile, we'll gladly pay the price of the ticket.
Otherwise have fun at YOUR "program".

A Devastating Five Pieces - A desert island CD.......2005-07-15

I still remember the first time I heard this recording of Boulez conducting the Five Pieces. I had heard the work before but the degree of electricity here was something that came as a complete shock to me. From the first note to last this Five Pieces is totally devastating. This is a performance that makes Schoenberg's Mahlerian heritage absolutely clear only he is so much more concentrated and focused in his delivery that the results for me are just shattering. The rapport that Boulez enjoyed with the BBC orchestra at this time is something I have always marvelled at but this takes it to another level. Of course the inner movements are also allowed moments of hushed poetic repose but the outer movements really do remind me of what Robert Craft said of the final pages of the last of the Five Pieces - that it was the greatest thing written in the twentieth century. That statement really surprised me and I think maybe it was a spur of the moment outburst but Boulez does a greater job than anybody of convincing me of its truth.

As for the Seranade, I love this performance. Schoenberg always had a great awareness of early music - perhaps inherited from Brahms. Webern of course even wrote his PhD thesis on Heinrich Isaac's Choralis Constantinus and in his writings Schoenberg refers to composers such as Josquin reasonably frequently. It is highly likely he was also familiar with the madrigals of the late Renaissance period, referred to the Seconda Prattica by Monteverdi. Poets such as Petrach and Tasso were popular amongst madrigal composers and the madrigalian feeling is even further accentuated by the use of instruments such as the mandolin for accompaniment making it sound even more like a twentieth century madrigal. It is a charming and enjoyable work, quirky and mercurial.

The final work on this CD is the Ode to Napolean in which Schoenberg spits vitriolic hatred at Hitler. I have always found Schoenberg's command of English language inflections to be less than perfect - you can hear a slight German accent in the Sprechstimme. Musically by this time Schoenberg starts to also sound increasingly more and more like Brahms and the opening statement by the string quartet and piano has a theme vaguely reminiscent of the opening of the finale of the Brahms Opus 25 G minor piano quartet (the one Schoenberg transcribed for orchestra)! Boulez has always been critical of this tendency in the later Schoenberg but I must confess to liking it. The work is a tour de force - fiery and passionate, yet uplifting and hugely appealling such that I am always surprised it is not played more often, especially when it pays such glowing hommage in the closing passages to George Washington.

All in all this is a desert island CD for me - most especially for the Five Pieces, which is one of the greatest performances of anything I have yet to hear.

BUY IT.......2001-02-28

Somebody who dislikes the music presented on this CD wouldn't know good modern classical music if it smacked him/her across the face. This is quite a statement, I understand, but this music is simply brilliant - particularly 5 Pieces for Orchestra (perhas slightly less well-known than other Schoenberg works). This piece is a treatise on timbre that simply blows my mind. It relaxes you, enthralls you, terrifies you, and makes you very glad you spent the $11 on this CD. Buy it, and open your ears.

Average customer rating:

More than the sum of the parts.
A Great First CD
The sublime collection
Ultimate Collection is Gross Understatement

The Ultimate Recorder Collection

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Handel: The Complete Sonatas for Recorder
Complete Recorder Concertos
Michala Petri - Scandinavian Moods
The Recorder: 4 Centuries of Recorder Music
Bach: Six Sonatas

ASIN: B00000J916
Release Date: 1999-06-15

Tracks:

Concerto In E, Op. 8 No. 1, RV 269 - Spring: Allegro
Concerto In E, Op. 8 No. 1, RV 269 - Spring: Largo e pianissimo
Concerto In E, Op. 8 No. 1, RV 269 - Spring: Allegro - Danza pastorale
Gymnopedie No. 1
Op. 55 No. 4: Solveig's Song
Op. 46 No. 3: Anitra's Dance
Sonata In G Minor, Op. No. 2, HWV 360: Larghetto
Sonata In G Minor, Op. No. 2, HWV 360: Andante
Sonata In G Minor, Op. No. 2, HWV 360: Adagio
Sonata In G Minor, Op. No. 2, HWV 360: Presto
Moonchild's Dream (Conlusion)
Sonata No. 3 In F Minor: Triste
Sonata No. 3 In F Minor: Allegro
Sonata No. 3 In F Minor: Andante
Sonata No. 3 In F Minor: Vivace
Conerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 8 - 4th Movement: Vivace - Allegro - Pastorale ad libitum
Melody And Dance Of The Blessed Spirits
Op. 43, No. 4: Little Bird
Op. 43 No. 1: Butterfly
Sonata No. 5 In D Minor - For Treble Recorders: Largo
Sonata No. 5 In D Minor - For Treble Recorders: Vivace
Sonata No. 5 In D Minor - For Treble Recorders: Grazioso
Sonata No. 5 In D Minor - For Treble Recorders: Allegro
Concerto For Recorder And Orchestra, Op. 133: Lento
Concerto Op. 10 No. 3 In D: II Gardellino - III. Allegro

Tracks:

Two Norwegian Dances, Op. 35: No. 1
Two Norwegian Dances, Op. 35: No. 2
Air From Suite In D
Concerto In F For Soprano Recorder: Allegro
Concerto In F For Soprano Recorder: Andante
Concerto In F For Soprano Recorder: Allegro assai
Variations
Sonata In E Flat, BWV 1031: Allegro moderato
Sonata In E Flat, BWV 1031: Siciliano
Sonata In E Flat, BWV 1031: Allegro
Nele's Dances: No. 15
Nele's Dances: No. 16
Nele's Dances: No. 17
Nele's Dances: No. 18
Dance Suite, Op. 29 - V -: Molto Vivace
Sonata In G Minor - Devil's Trill: II. Allegro
Zion Hears The Watchmen's Voices
Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: Largo
Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: Presto 'Fantasmi'
Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: Largo
Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: Presto
Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: Largo 'Il sonno'
Concerto No. 2 In G Minor: Allegro
Op. 54, No. 3: March Of The Trolls
Op. 71, No. 1: Once Upon A Time
Souvenir: An Encore For Michala

Customer Reviews:

More than the sum of the parts........2001-02-04

I bought this as wallpaper music - and got a very pleasant surprise!

Several of the pieces stopped me in my tracks, made me sit down and forced me to listen.

Michala Petri demonstrates a masterly control of her instrument and a high level of musicianship in a wide ranging selection of material - from reconstituted Bach to specially composed 20th Century pieces.

Outstanding for me was the Sammartini Concerto: Ms Petri shows a lightness of touch combined with serious enthusiasm and an obvious delight that literally stopped me from working and made me listen. The support given by the Moscow Virtuosi also deserves mention.

Koppel's pieces are fun, as are the arrangements from Grieg and Satie.

Overall, although this could be taken as a glorified sampler... it is much more - there are complete works played intelligently and lighter, throw away pieces you'll want to chase after and listen to again.

A Great First CD.......2000-06-22

After falling in love with the recorder, I started searching for CDs and this was the first I bought. It quickly became a favorite CD. I like the fact that it ranges over a wide period--Baroque to Modern, and showcases the instrument in different settings. The liner notes are quite comprehensive as well. In a word--enchanting.

The sublime collection.......2000-06-18

I must confess up front to being a Michala Petri fanatic. I also play the recorder, although after listening to this album, I feel like throwing my instruments into the nearest dumpster.

Michala Petri is a national hero in Denmark, and a recognized name among classical music fans in Europe, Asia, and Canada. If you listen to this album, you will ask yourself how the music business in the USA can frantically promote "The Three Tenors" while mostly ignoring the genius of this amazing young woman.

This is not your kid's recorder. Ms Petri's complete technical and musical mastery of her instrument transforms the recorder into the equal of other familiar solo instruments, but with its own peculiar sound, penetrating but sweet, that sets it apart.

This album is made up mostly of tracks from her many earlier recordings. Some are transcriptions of well-loved piano miniatures (the Grieg numbers are perhaps more charming here than on the piano, if that is possible); of baroque works for flute, recorder, or strings; of modern recorder music written for Ms Petri by contemporary masters. Some are accompanied by small orchestra and others by Ms Petri's husband, the excellent guitarist and lutist Lars Hannibal. The combination of recorder and guitar is an intimate match made in heaven, and I recommend also this duo's complete album, 'Air'.

Ultimate Collection is Gross Understatement.......2000-03-28

This is by far the best "sampler" I have ever heard. The playing is so superb and the recorder so perfect a vehicle that I found myself listing to too often played pieces like Satie's Gymopedie No.1 as if for the first time. Same for the Grieg. It is very hard to believe these renderings aren't the original intention of the composers. This is a guaranteed winner.

Average customer rating:

3 1/2 good string quartet recordings
Wonderful rendition of some sadly underplayed masterpieces
A Revolutionary in Method, a Conservative in Tone
Gemutlich Schoenberg
Schoenberg .... "mit Schlag"

Schoenberg: The String Quartets
Arnold Schoenberg , Evelyn Lear , and New Vienna String Quartet
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Arnold Schoenberg: Serenade/Five Pieces For Orchestra
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht, Pelleas und Melisande / Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Berg: Chamber Concerto; Three Orchestral Pieces, Op. 6; Violin Concerto
Berg: Violin Concerto; Schoenberg: Piano Concerto; Violin Concerto
Schoenberg: Piano Works

ASIN: B00002DDWS
Release Date: 2000-01-11

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 1. Nicht zu rasch
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 2. Krig (Nicht zu rasch)
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 3. Mg (Langsame Viertel)
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op.7: 4. Mg (Heiter)
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 1. Mg
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 2. Sehr rasch
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 3. Litanei (Langsam)
String Quartet No. 2, Op.10: 4. Entr (Sehr Lagsam)

Tracks:

String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Moderato
String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Adagio
String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Intermezzo
String Quartet No. 3, Op.30: Rondo
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Allegro Molto
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Comodo
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Largo
String Quartet No.4, Op.37: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

3 1/2 good string quartet recordings.......2004-10-01

This is generally a fine recording. I enjoy the recording of the 3rd quartet particularly. First movement is more leisurely than the LaSalle Quartet's recording but otherwise just fine.

But what a horrible crime the engineers have committed in the 2nd Quartet! The last two movements can be agonizingly beautiful. Not here. When the soprano makes her entrance, they hush the quartet -- as if they had dropped a cloth over it. Then when her part is finished (measure 116 of the fourth movement), up comes the cloth and the full sound of the strings is restored (mm 117-156). Same thing happens in the 3rd movement. Was this in Evelyn Lear's contract? It certainly turns a lot of good music to fuzz.

Happily there are a number of recordings of the 2nd all by itself. (You can even have the string orchestra performance by I Musici de Montreal on Chandos.) So if you need recordings of the less recorded 3rd and 4th, this might be a fine choice.

Wonderful rendition of some sadly underplayed masterpieces.......2004-04-20

Schoenberg's quartets are a good survey of his development as a composer. The early two quartets are tonal and late-romantic in style. They are accessible, full of pathos and contrapuntally dense. The last two quartets are in the full twelve-tone style of Schoenberg's mature period. These are also wonderful, but in a very different way. Full of interesting shapes and colors, like a Kandinsky painting. The performances here are top-notch, and render this potentially difficult music with great naturalness and feeling. Difficult listening, but very rewarding.

A Revolutionary in Method, a Conservative in Tone.......2002-07-12

Although Schoenberg developed a revolutionary new method of organizing pitch, what is often overlooked is that serialism is just exactly that: a method of organizing pitch, and not a style per se. A variety of styles can be accomodated by this method. Folks who are a little gun-shy of serialism (or its aesthetic shadow) are sometimes caught up short when they actually listen to Schoenberg's music. For the fact is, all through his journey of exploring how pitch should be organized in a composition, which made him something of a revolutionary, stylistically he was always post-Romantic in temperament - which, ironically, made him something of a dinosaur to serial idealogues in the 1950s, such as Pierre Boulez.

In a way which invites comparison to Bartók's six, Schoenberg's four quartets span his career. The striking thing, perhaps, is how unified they are in "voice," despite the composer's epochal adventures in How to Organize Pitch. These pieces are seldom performed by string quartets in the states, and it is difficult to see why, since in many respects, they are no harder on the ears than the Bartók quartets, which enjoy a solid berth in chamber recitals.

The first movement of the third quartet plays itself out in a very scherzando vein; it may even strike some as strangely cheerful in activity, considering its acerbic chromaticism.

The third movement of the fourth quartet is, simply, beautiful. If anyone wonders if Schoenberg was capable of writing beautiful music, this Largo is quite possibly the strongest case pro.

There is a restlessness to the music, it is always surging ... somewhere. So I am not sure that it can be my favorite music in the world; but it is well made, perfectly suited to the medium of the string quartet, and there are often passages of beauty which startle with their strangeness.

Gemutlich Schoenberg.......2002-06-24

Leave it to a Viennese Quartet to make Schoenberg sound like far out Brahms. I grew up on the marvelous Kolisch Quartet's monoaural recordings of these masterworks. While the New Vienna Quartet does not have the authority of the Kolisch (Rudolph Kolisch was Schoenberg's son-in-law) it is an excellent reading of this music, one that brings out the classical aspects of this stunning music.

The readings of the two tonal quartets are excellent. The New Vienna gets the marvelous concision and motivic integrety of the d minor quartet...a work that bends the tonal system at least as far as Reger. The 2nd quartet is just as stunning with beautiful singing by Evelyn Lear in the last two movements.

The real find in this set is the 3rd quartet. I have often found this piece to be the most antiseptic of the quartets and have not often found myself drawn to performances. This performance has caused me to reevaluate the piece. It is almost neoclassic in it's form and quite well argued. It almost sounds like Brahms at times, although Brahms in an atonal context.

The final quartet is also beautifully played and one of Schoenberg's finest pieces. Though oestensibly atonal, it often sounds centered on d minor.

At a twofer price, this CD is a great way to introduce yourself to these seminal 20th century masterworks.

Schoenberg .... "mit Schlag".......2002-04-20

If you order coffee in an Austrian coffee house and say "mit Schlag," you get a lovely dollop of whipped cream tossed on top. Very Viennese! These ripely romantic performances of Schoenberg's notoriously difficult string quartets are something like a musical equivalent of strong coffee 'mit Schlag.' By which I mean no disrespect .... after listening to these quartets for some years now, I've come to hear them the same way I hear the Brahms quartets. And Schoenberg would have been very pleased with that development. Janus-like, he always presented two faces to the world: Champion of Tradition and Fearless Modernist. The New Vienna Quartet emphasizes the former and to good and enjoyable effect. On the other hand, there is something to be said for the more precisely played - if more clinical sounding - performances by the Arditti or LaSalle quartets. They both celebrate Schoenberg the Modernist. I suspect most people will prefer these New Vienna performances: they humanize a composer whose music still suffers from the canard that it is more about mathematical manipulation than about feeling and melodic inspiration. Nonsense! Based on any honest musical criteria, the great quartet cycles of the 20th century are those by Bartok, Shostakovich, and Schoenberg, and no one who loves great chamber music can afford to ignore these three cycles. (Or a fourth: American Elliot Carter's masterful five quartets). So you really should make the acquaintance of the Schoenberg quartets. But if Schoenberg still scares you a little (or a lot), just remember to order "mit Schlag!" Given the price of the Philips "Duo" set, you're not risking much in any event.

Average customer rating:

Almost perfect
A fabulous rapport!
A Great Disc...
A very good combination
Two of the century's greatest instrumentalists combine.

Gould Meets Menuhin

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical Instrumental Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Bach: Sonatas for Violin & Harpsichord, BWV 1014-1019; Sonatas for Viola da Gamba & Harpsichord, BWV 1027-1029
Glenn Gould Edition: Berg, Krenek, Webern, Debussy & Ravel
Consort of Musicke by William Byrd & Orlando Gibbons; Sweelinck: Fantasia in D (The Glenn Gould Edition)
Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 24 "À Thérèse" & 29 "Hammerklavier"
Mozart: The Complete Sonatas; Fantasias, K397 & K475

ASIN: B0000028OH
Release Date: 1993-06-29

Tracks:

Sonata For Piano (Harpsichord) And Violin No. 4 In C Minor,: Sonata For Piano (Harpsichord) And Violin No. 4 In C Minor, BWV 1017 - Siciliano Largo
Sonata For Piano (Harpsichord) And Violin No. 4 In C Minor,: Sonata For Piano (Harpsichord) And Violin No. 4 In C Minor, BWV 1017 - Allegro
Sonata For Piano (Harpsichord) And Violin No. 4 In C Minor,: Sonata For Piano (Harpsichord) And Violin No. 4 In C Minor, BWV 1017 - Adagio
Sonata For Piano (Harpsichord) And Violin No. 4 In C Minor,: Sonata For Piano (Harpsichord) And Violin No. 4 In C Minor, BWV 1017 - Allegro
Sonate For Piano And Violin InG Major: Sonate For Piano And Violin InG Major Op. 96 - 1. Allegro Moderato
Sonate For Piano And Violin InG Major: Sonate For Piano And Violin InG Major Op. 96 - Adagio Espressivo
Sonate For Piano And Violin InG Major: Sonate For Piano And Violin InG Major Op. 96 - Scherzo. Allegro-Trio
Sonate For Piano And Violin InG Major: Sonate For Piano And Violin In G Major Op. 96 - Poco Allegretto
Phantasy For Violin And Piano Accompaniement, Op.47: Phantasy For Violin And Piano Accompaniement, Op.47 - Grave - Piu Mosso - Meno Mosso - Lento - Grazioso - Tempo 1 - Piu Mosso
Phantasy For Violin And Piano Accompaniement, Op.47: Phantasy For Violin And Piano Accompaniement, Op.47 - Scherzando - Poco Tranquillo- Scherzando - Meno Mosso - Tempo 12.

Customer Reviews:

Almost perfect.......2006-07-28

A brilliant album, especially track number 1,6,7. I gave it it 4 stars because of the last two tracks of Schoenberg which I did not like. They were to "abstract", not melodious at all. I realize this is subjective, maybe you will love it!

A fabulous rapport!.......2006-02-21

Yehudi Menuhin and Glenn Gould made an efective team, in spite of their well differenced approach respect many musical considerations.

Menuhin was the romantic spirit, Gould the iconoclast msucian; but something magic happened when both of them shook hands and exchanged ideas and opinions. It was a secret but visible reciprocal admiration that allowed them to work out to perfection levels.

Menuhin 's gentle warmth was an overwhelming player and Gould gave us the best of his talent in an historiacl album that deserves to be part of your privileged collection.

A must-buy CD!

A Great Disc..........2005-01-31

Gould and Menuhin really do play well together: the Bach and the Beethoven are great; the Schoenberg fanstastic! Gould literally taught Menuhin during a day's rehearsal how to play the Schoenberg--into whose works he [Gould] had a special insight. After a night of "sleeping on it," the following day Menuhin really played the piece with love and understanding.

A very good combination.......2002-08-11

Gould and Menuhin are a great combination! I especially like the Bach Sonata. I love how Menuhin does a trill on the violin. Glenn Gould does very well being in a duet. This is my first Glenn Gould CD which is not for solo piano. The Schoenberg Phantasy on this CD is an exceptional work of genius. Do not be afraid of the Schoenberg composition. The cheerful Beethoven violin sonata is played very elegantly when it needs to be and heavy and strong at the right time. The sound on this is great! (The recording does not have any added noises) A wonderful CD for anyone!

Two of the century's greatest instrumentalists combine........1998-09-24

It would be hard to believe that there is music out there that is capable of containing the enormous artistic gifts of Gould and Menuhin. The Bach and the Schoenberg (which Menuhin only agreed to play because of his reverence for Gould) are examples of such music. The recording of these two works is spellbinding, particularly the Bach which is very forward and driven. The Beethoven is by comparison a bit of a let-down though it certainly remains worth hearing. It is a pity that these two great figures were not more frequent collaborators.

Arnold Schoenberg: Suite, Op. 29, for 2 Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello & Piano / Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (Sextet for 2 Violins, 2 Violas & 2 Celli) - Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez

Average customer rating:

5 STARS JUST FOR BEING IN PRINT...
A distinctly eclectic Schoenberg collection

Arnold Schoenberg: Suite, Op. 29, for 2 Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello & Piano / Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (Sextet for 2 Violins, 2 Violas & 2 Celli) - Ensemble Intercontemporain, Pierre Boulez
Garth Knox , Philippe Muller , Pierre-Laurent Aimard , Gerard Causse , Andre Cazalet , Sylvie Gazeau , Jacques Ghestem , and Ensemble Intercontemporain
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Septets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000281A
Release Date: 1993-07-13

Tracks:

Suite, Op. 29: Ouvert
Suite, Op. 29: Tanzschritte
Suite, Op. 29: Thema Mit Variationen
Suite, Op. 29: Gigue
Verkle Nacht, Op. 4
3 Pieces for Chamber Orchestra: Rasche Viertel
3 Pieces for Chamber Orchestra: Mge Viertel
3 Pieces for Chamber Orchestra: Gehende Viertel

Customer Reviews:

5 STARS JUST FOR BEING IN PRINT..........2006-01-08

With the dearth of Schoenberg recordings, gotta give this CD 5 stars simply for being in print.

Boulez and the Ensemble Intercontemporain are great. The disc has the Verklrte Nacht curse--that is, nearly every Schoenberg CD has Verklrte Nacht on it! However, this features the original sextet version which is interesting for the timber alone. Cf. Brahms' two string sextets, and Reger's if you can find it!

Other reviewer wrong, however, about the significance of the Suite for septet: it is quintessential Schoenberg and must not be missed.

Razor-sharp 12-tone hardcore work, features curious sonic effects with the three clarinets and specialized techinques with the three stringed instruments: col legno (using the wood of the bow for tapping or bowing on the strings or body of the instrument); glissandi (sliding down the strings); extensive pizzicato (plucking the strings), etc. Noted old binary dance steps give the work the appearance of something like Decadent/Expressionistic Austrian jazz: very scary. And very Schoenbergian.

Get it while you can: cheap price!

A distinctly eclectic Schoenberg collection.......2004-01-13

This disc, one of a number rereleasing Pierre Boulez's 1970s and 1980s recordings of much of Schoenberg's work, forms a rather curious collection. Centred around what is probably Schoenberg's most-played work, the popular Verklärte Nacht (though heard here in the less common version for string sextet), the disc also takes in two of his less-well-known works, the Suite, op 29 (also known as the Septet) and the minute Three Pieces for Chamber Orchestra, never published in the composer's lifetime.

The Suite is one of the more extreme examples of Schoenberg attempting to combine a rigorous treatment of his new serial style with traditional musical forms. Scored for two clarinets, bass clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano, it was written between 1924 and 1926 and is largely based on dance forms. The Overture is in three sections and is often hard-driven, though quieter interludes provide lyric relief. The second movement is vigorous and vibrantly rhythmic, and is entitled Tanzschritte (Dance Steps). The third movement is a wide-ranging set of variations that even takes time to quote a (tonal) song by Silcher, while the finale departs from orthodox serial practice by using the tone row (and its inversion) as the major melodic material. This isn't major Schoenberg, but it's also a much better work than one might think from the bad press it's had in the past. This performance is technically excellent, though I think sometimes Boulez pushes the music a little too hard, leaving it lacking a sense of repose in the slower sections.

The 1899 work Verklärte Nacht is, of course, one of the few pieces of Schoenberg to have become a popular concert hall favourite. Its musical language is luminously post-Brahmsian, and the complex structure of its single movement is easy to relate to models from the past (for example the Wanderer Fantasy, or the Liszt sonata). I prefer the string sextet version recorded here to the later version for string orchestra, but this performance lacks the last edge of lyrical intensity that is so necessary to bring across the work's rather heated emotional atmosphere.

The Three Pieces for Chamber Orchestra were written around 1910 but only found after a search of Schoenberg's papers after his death. Each of them lasts under a minute, and the most interesting is the unfinished third, which bears considerable technical and expressive similarities to the third of the Five Orchestral Pieces.

With so many recordings available of Verklärte Nacht, this disc cannot be recommended for that work. However, collectors seeking the Suite and/or the Three Orchestral Pieces have far fewer options, and at the comparatively low price this collection is worth considering.

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