First Concerto Recordings 2

On this CD:

1. Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Saxon State Orchestra with Walter Gieseking
Conducted by Karl Bohm

2. Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major ("Emperor"), Op. 73
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Walter Gieseking
Conducted by Bruno Walter

3. Partita for keyboard No. 1 in B flat major, BWV 825 Menuetts I & II and Gigue
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Walter Gieseking
Conducted by Bruno Walter

Tracks:

Syrba - Moldavian Dance
Syrba - Moldavian Dance
Beraber Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Zhok de Nante - Moldavian Dance
Ostropesul - Moldavian Dance
Syrba with Taksim - Moldavian Dance
Bestenigar Taksim - Improvisation
Pesrev in makam Bestenigar - Dimitrie Cantemir
Tanbur Taksimi - Improvisation (tanbur solo)
Saz Semaisi in makam Neva / usul aksak semai (10/8) - Dimitrie Cantemir
Saz Semaisi in makam Rast / usul aksak semai - Dimitrie Cantemir
Syrbas - Moldavian Dances
KemenTaksimi - Improvisation (kemensolo)
In Honor of Prince Kantemir - Lou Harrison
Beraber Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Andante (from Concertino per Kemance, Violino Picolo 5 Instruments, 'In Honor of Kantemiro, 2000) - Yalcin Tura
A Turkish Air (Travels and Observations, 1738) Thomas Shaw (1694-1751)
Marche a la Turque (Pis de viole, Book V, 1725) Marin Marais (1656 - 1728)
Marche pour la cmonie des Turcs (Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, 1670) J-B. Lully (1632 - 1687)
The Turks' dance (Augurs, 1622) Ben Jonson (1572/3 - 1637)
New metar (The Dancing Master, 1665) John Playford (1623 - 1686)
Rast Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Pesrev in makam Rast / usul berefsan (16/8) Dimitrie Cantemir
Zhok de Nante - Moldavian Dance
Penh Taksim - Improvisation (kemensolo)
Saz semaisi in makam Penh / usul aksak semai (10/8) - yemai (6/8) - Bulgariaska (Floria 16) - yemai (6/8) - aksak semai (10/8) Dimitrie Cantemir and Moldavian Dance
H Taksim - Collective Improvisation (kemen baroque flute)
Pesrev in makam H - Dimitrie Cantemir
Buselik Taksim - Collective Improvisation
Pesrev in makam Buselik / usul devr-i-revan (14/16) Dimitrie Cantemir

Album Description

CANTEMIR honors the amazingly rich life of Prince Dimitrie Cantemir (Kantemiroglu, 1673-1723), born in Moldavia (now Romania) but educated in Istanbul, becoming during his many years at the heart of Ottoman culture a master musician, composer, linguist, and lexicographer. Sent home eventually to rule Moldavia as the representative of the Ottoman Empire, Cantemir betrayed the Sultan by attempting unsuccessfully with the aid of Tsar Peter the Great to liberate his people. In defeat, he fled with his court into exile in Russia.

Featured on the disc is Ihsan Ozgen, Linda Burman-Hall and the ensemble Lux Musica, in compositions in Ottoman classical style by Prince Cantemir, first recordings of new music honoring Kantemiroglu by Lou Harrison and Yalcin Tura, traditional and experimental improvisations, and Moldavian dance music. Ihsan Ozgen plays kemence (Turkish fiddle) and tanbur (Turkish lute). Linda Burman-Hall is playing early keyboards and bendir (frame drum).

Customer Reviews:

Cantemir, Great Sultan, Louis XIV and Peter the Great.......2006-07-30

Firstly, I want to thank Lux Musica and Ihsan Ozgen for recording such a beautiful exquisite album.
Moldavian prince Dmitrie Cantemir stood on cross-roads between the West, Russia and the Orient on the turning point of history - end of the 17th - beginning of 18th centuries. Philosopher, musician and musicologist, orientalist and politician - charismatic and interesting person.
Ihsan Ozgen and Lux Musica decided not to re-create authentic Turkish folk sound of Kantemir`s music, but to incorporate fantastic sound of Turkish string instrument kemence, which reminds crying human voice, and other Turkish instruments into the European ensemble Lux Musica (flute, violin, viola, lute, early guitar, percussion, harpsichord, virginal). Idea is to present the music by Kantemir as synthesis of European and Oriental cultural traditions, to imagine real concerts of his daughter Maria (who played harpsichord) in the court of Peter the Great in Russia, and to describe the cultural context of Kantemir`s music.
You would hear music by Kantemir himself, European "Turkish" style melodies of the 17th century by Lully (melody for famous play by Moliere "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme"), Marin Marais, Ben Johnson, Moldavian folk dances - so this programme wouldn`t be boring for you. I don`t agree with the previous reviewer - to listen to whole CD of authentic Turkish material - it`s a real hard work for European, Russian or American lover of classical music. That`s why I think that Ihsan Ozgen and Lux Musica were right.
So listen to this beautiful music and read a good novels by modern writers devoted to problems of relationships between Orient and Occident - try works by Amin Maalouf, Orhan Pamuk, Milorad Pavic.

Very beautiful album!

P.S. Addition to the text in the booklet. There stated that "Kantemir betrayed Sultan". Let`s be objective - history was more sophisticated. Don`t forget that Kantemir lived in Istanbul as the hostage to guarantee the loyalty of his native Moldavia to the Ottoman Empire. As he wrote in his memoirs, when he was selected by the Sultan to be a ruler of Moldavia, he was informed that he should make a "gift" to the Court - to pay a sum of money. And the sum of this "gift" was very high. Kantemir understood that he should raise the taxes in Moldavia to collect this money. So the choice was - to betray Sultan or to betray his native people. Ruler of Vallachia (modern Romania) sent a letter to Kantemir and invited him to join the revolt of the Orthodox Christians against the Ottoman rule. They secretly asked Tzar Peter the Great to help them. But when the Russian troops started their expedition, Vallachian ruler, who provoked Kantemir, informed Sultan about this revolt and of course rejected to participate in it. So Kantemir in 1711 had no other choice than to join Russian troops and after the unglorious end of this expedition (there were no any revolt) - Kantemir with his family fled to Russia. His life was saved by Peter the Great, because Ottoman powers demanded to return Kantemir to them (of course he would be killed) as condition of peace treaty with Russia.
His son Antoich became Russian poet and diplomate. In Paris he was close to writers and poets of the French Enlightenment.

Worth exploring, but..........2004-08-07

If you're coming to this out of curiosity, rather than as an Ottoman music fan, you may be more pleased with this disk than I was.

The best compositions here are those of Cantemir, the master himself. The folk dances are interesting, but they aren't on the same level of refinement. Cantemir was at the peak of a learned tradition. The juxtaposition with folk material might be justified if Cantemir had drawn on it for his compositions, but that's not the case; we're simply told that the peasants back near Cantemir's home in what is now Romania were playing these dances while Cantemir was off in Constantinople playing his stuff for the sultan. And the point is...? I would have preferred a disk purely of Cantemir pieces.

The music is well played, but I'm not totally sold on the mixture of eastern and western instruments. Obviously, it isn't authentic, but that isn't the problem; sometimes the mixture of instruments just doesn't work. One glowing exception is the neva saz semai, where the tanbur and harpsichord blend quite nicely.

Don't get me wrong; it's worth a listen. But if you already know the Ottoman classical tradition and some of Cantemir's works, be sure you know that you're getting an experimental "fusion" disk, not something traditional.

Excellent.......2004-03-27

This CD finally opens the long forgotten bridge to the early Ottoman music. Although in recent albums (for example, in "Dream of the Orient" by Concerto Koln and Sarband) there are some fine examples of Cantemir's work, this single album is fully dedicated to him.

The examples are carefully chosen to present early Ottoman and Cantemir's own music. The addition of the music from the composers of the West (some are recent, in honor of Cantemir), showing the influence of the Turkish music, is very nice and complementary.

Cantemir, as might be known, is the first musician/traveler/diplomat (and later a trouble maker) from Romania, who recorded the Ottoman music while he was living in the Ottoman lands for near twenty years.

Followed by composers such as Fux, Mozart, J. and M. Haydn brothers, Beethoven, Gluck, Rossini and many others, the Turkish music, its musical instruments (drums, cymbals and triangle, etc.) and themes became the most influential regional effect on the Western classical music for a few centuries.

Tracks:

Grave in c - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Four Pieces, Op.17 No.3 (Uno Poco Triste) - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Four Pieces, Op.17 No.2 (Appassionata) - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Nocturne No.20 in c#, Op. Posth. - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Orfeo Ed Euridice: 'Melodie' - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Sicilienne - Ginette Neveu/Bruno Seidler-Winkler
Vars On A Theme Of Corelli - Ginette Neveu/Gustaf Beck
La Capricieuse, Op.17 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Melodie (Souvenir D'Un Lieu Cher), Op.42 No.3 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Thais, Act 2: 'Meditation' - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Humoreske, Op.101 No.7 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Playera, Op.23 No.1 (Danzas Espanolas No.5) - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Zapateado, Op.23 No.2 (Danzas Espanolas No.6) - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Hebrew Melody, Op.33 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
Caprice Viennois, Op.2 - Josef Hassid/Gerald Moore
La Capricieuse, Op.17 - Josef Hassid/Ivor Newton

Customer Reviews:

True genius.......2006-04-18

The number of stars won't say anything about Hassid's playing. His heritage consists of these few tracks but those 8 pieces stand as a reference and the Beauty that speaks through his violin, is the size of Universe.
Words are powerless to describe what makes Hassid's voice so speaking, so organic, so effortless and so true. The violin speaks with such simplicity that it touches deeply. At this point, virtuosity does not describe Hassid's art. There is not an inflection of the bow that is meaningless or just a filler. Everything is meaningful, natural and intelligent. "La Capricieuse" under Hassid's fingers becomes as important as a major concerto. These pieces are a must hear for anyone who really wants to understand the essence of what music is all about. Measuring anyone else with the Hassid yardstick offers you the best chance to spot true musicians...
Five thousand stars to you, Josef!

Well, very cool collection.......2006-03-10

Amazing that Ginette Neveu is mentioned only casually in all of the reviews below. She DID beat David Oistrakh, the "king of violinists" at the Wieniawski violin competition. Her playing is of the top caliber.

In any case, this disk is interesting as both a historical artifact and as a wonderful recording. It is a good sampling of Hassid's lush playing, but doesn't begin to cover Nevau's carrer. You can get her recordings elsewhere.

Another brilliant violinist who died young, Michael Rabin.

Pathos and beauty luminate in Hassid's complete recordings.......2005-11-20

I have grown up listening to many, many violinists, but was never exposed to Josef Hassid until a few months ago, after watching the "Great Violinists of the 20th Century," a documentary. Hassid was mentioned briefly in the section of the film devoted to child prodigies--a short clip of Achron's Hebrew Melody (which is on this cd) played in the background as a black and white photograph of Hassid slowly faded out. The Melody was so haunting, tragic, and passionate it convinced me to look into this young violinist who died from a brain operation in an asylum.
I was not disappointed. Hassid's only recordings here are beautiful beyond words, and nearly perfect--the Humoresque is enough to bring tears to your eyes, while the Kreisler pieces are played with empathy and a suave sort of urgency; the Tchaikovsky piece is gorgeous--Hassid sings with the violin like no one I have ever heard. The dynamics and rubato of his interpretations are so natural and emotional it is almost hard to believe he was 16 years old when this recording was made. Personally, Josef Hassid is my favorite violinist of all time, and this includes Perlman, Heifetz, Menuhin, Oistrakh and anyone else. I base this opinion on these 8 or so tracks.
Neveu, another tragedy, is good as well, although her playing is not of as high a quality as Hassid's. Some of the repetoire presented is, however, very interesting (for instance, the Chopin transcription). But this cd is more a beautiful and tragic testiment to a brilliantly gifted young man, whose name, if things had been different, we might have recognized as easily as Heifetz or Perlman.

Wow.......2004-11-07

Hassid plays like an angel- what a awful shame he didn't live longer. These recordings made when he was a teenager reveal an extraordinary artist. His tone is out of this world, and he plays with such pure style and sincerity. Neveu's playing is also excellent. Buy this CD.

Only second to Tossy Spivakovsky..........2002-01-29

Spectacular playing, only second to the vastly under-rated Tossy Spivakovsky, especially playing Sibelius' Violin Concerto.

Average customer rating:

The First HMV Recordings, 1949-1951

Manufacturer: APR
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0007DBXB0
Release Date: 2005-02-07

Average customer rating:

Fireworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Dorian Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Canons | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001QBV
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

Sinf To Cant, BWV 29 'Wir Danken Dir Gott, Wir Danken Dir'
Choral: 'Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme', BWV 645
Badinerie-Ste For Orch No.2 in b, BWV 1067
Voluntary in a
Trumpet Tune in D
Toccata in d
Toccata in f
Toccata in g
Allegro From Organ Con No. 10 in d, Op.7
Sarabande, BWV 977
Basse Et Dessus De Trompette
Fugue in G, BWV 577 ('Gigue')
Hornpipe From The Water Music
Flotenuhrstucke (Pieces for Musical Clock) in C
Flotenuhrstucke in D
Flotenuhrstucke in G
Canon in A-Flat
Canon in b
Valse Oubliee No.1
March From 'The Love Of the Three Oranges'
Hautbois D'Armour From 'Jeux D'Orgue'
Tutti Ostinati From 'Jeux D'Orgue'
Improvisation On The Theme, 'Greensleeves'

Tracks:

Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: Gnomus
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Ancient Castle
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: Argument Among The Children
Pictures At An Exhibition: A Polish Oxcart
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: Ballet Of The Chicks In The Shells
Pictures At An Exhibition: Samuel Goldenberg And Schmuyle
Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Market Place At Limoges
Pictures At An Exhibition: Catacombs-Roman Sepulchre
Pictures At An Exhibition: Baba Yaga, The Hut On Fowl's Legs
Pictures At An Exhibition: The Great Gate At Kiev
Three Dances From Petrouchka: Danse Russe
Three Dances From Petrouchka: Chez Petrouchka
Three Dances From Petrouchka: La Semaine Grasse

Tracks:

Toccata And Fugue in d, BWV 565
Recit De Tierce En Taille
Fant in f, K.608
Hyperion, Or The Rhetoric Of Fire: First Movt: Hermes
Hyperion, or The Rhetoric Of Fire: Second Movt: The Fires Of Silence
Hyperion, Or The Rhetoric Of Fire: Third Movt: The Inflamed Soul
Hyperion, Or The Rhetoric Of Fire: Fourth Movt: Agni-Ignis
First Movt From Sym No.5, Allegro Vivace
Fant And Fugue On The Name 'B.A.C.H.'

Average customer rating:

Arnold Bax: First Recordings

Manufacturer: Symposium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | 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

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

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000TWAL8
Release Date: 2004-10-26

The First Recordings as pianist and conductor, 1947-1958

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Brilliant Recordings Rescued From The Vaults

The First Recordings as pianist and conductor, 1947-1958

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B00008CLMK
Release Date: 2003-05-13

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant Recordings Rescued From The Vaults.......2003-05-30

Now that Decca and Deutsche Grammophon, among others, are all part of Universal, we have seen some interesting things happen, and not all of them bad. What I'm referring to in this case is the new "Original Masters" Limited Edition Box Set series. Finally, the classical music world has taken a page out of the jazz reissue handbook -- put out a quality product featuring rare recordings but make its availability limited, and people will snatch it up. In the "Original Masters" series, first DG and now Decca have each reissued five box sets, of 4 to 7 CDs each, in distinguished, space-saving slim paper boxes, though the style of packaging is different. The DG sets feature 50s style graphics design on their covers, while the Decca ones have a distinctive rainbow/spectrum pattern on the spines and banners, and a black-and-white photo of the artist in question on the face of the box.

This particular set brings back Sir Georg Solti's first recordings as a pianist and conductor, from 1947-1958, for Decca. The first two discs are mostly Solti on piano with violinist Georg Kulenkampff on the three Brahms Violin Sonatas and Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata, recorded in 1947-48. Rounding out disc two is Violinist Mischa Elman performing Beethoven's Violin Concerto with Solti conducting the London Philharmonic from 1955. Disc three features Solti conducting the Israel Philharmonic in Schubert's 5th Symphony from 1958 (the collection's only stereo recording), and Bartok's Dance Suite (1952) and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (1955) again with the LPO. The final disc showcases Solti with the Bayerisches Staatsorcheter in Kodaly's Hary Janos Suite and excerpts from Richard Strauss' "Elektra." While clearly not as essential as Solti's Beethoven or Brahms Cycles, or his great "Decca Legends" offerings like his Mahler 8th and "Romantic Russia," this box set is a great introduction to this artist and something Solti fans will certainly not want to miss. Well, I guess the consolidation of the music industry isn't so bad after all, as long as I can look forward to more reissues like this.

Walter Gieseking: His First Concerto Recordings, Vol. 3

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Walter Gieseking: His First Concerto Recordings, Vol. 3

Manufacturer: APR
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000025U2P
Release Date: 1995-01-01

Average customer rating:

Beecham early recordings & performances

Manufacturer: Symposium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000009LNV
Release Date: 1994-10-24

Average customer rating:

FANTASTIC

World's Greatest Piano Melodies

Manufacturer: Arizona University Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000IM5W
Release Date: 1999-03-16

Tracks:

Piano Concerto in a Minor, Op. 16: First Movement Excerpt - Edvard Grieg
Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor ("Moonlight"): First Movement ... - Ludwig van Beethoven
Waltz for Piano in D Flat Major, "Minute Waltz" Op - David Hatch
Concerto for Keyboard & Orchestra No. 21 in C Majo: Second Movement - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Liebestraume for Piano No. 3 - Franz Liszt
Suite Bergamasque, L75: Claire de Lune - Claude Debussy
Rhapsody in Blue, For Piano & Orchestra: Excerpts - George Gershwin
Prelude for Piano, "Raindrop" Op. 28/15 - David Hatch
Piano Sonata No. 11 in a Major ("Alla Turca") K. 3: III. Rondo ... - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for Piano & Orches: Variation 18 - David Hatch
Fantasie-Impromptu for Piano, Op. 66 - David Hatch
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor ("Pathque") Op. 1: Second Movement - Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor, Op. 17: First Movement Excerpt - David Hatch
Kinderscenen, Op. 15: Traumerei - Robert Schumann

Customer Reviews:

FANTASTIC.......1999-12-08

David Glen Hatch is an extremely accomplished pianist. I am very impressed with his style and skills. If you love classical music, I would recommend this CD be added to your collection.