The Piano Music of Leos Janacek

On this CD:

1. In the mists (V Mlhách), pieces (4) for piano, JW 8/22
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Mina Miller

2. On the Overgrown Path (Po zarostlém chodnícku), for piano, JW 8/17 Book One
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Mina Miller

3. Piano Sonata ("Zulice, 1.X.95," "From the Street, 1 October, 1895"), JW 8/19 (final movement lost)
Composed by Leos Janacek
Performed by Mina Miller

Tracks:

Canon - Pachelbel
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik-Andante - Mozart
Fur Elise - Beethoven
String Quartet #1 - Tchaikovsky
Clair De Lune - Debussy
Idyl for Strings - Adagio - Janacek
Adagio in G Mnor - Albinoni
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair - Debussy
Air on a G String - Bach
Greensleeves - Vaughn Williams
Largo from Xerxes - Handel
Prelude in C - Bach
The Planets - Venus - Holst
Goldberg Variations - Aria - Bach
Adagio for Strings - Barber

Tracks:

Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun - Debussy
Fur Elise - Beethoven
Holberg Suite - Sarabande - Grieg
Valse Triste - Sibelius
Concerto in F Minor - Largo - Bach
Serenade for String - Moderato - Dvorak
Liebestraume - Liszt
Ave Maria - Bach/Bounod
Etude in E Major - Chopin
String Quartet No 2 - Nocturne - Borodin
Arabesque - Debussy
Pavane for Dead Princess - Ravel
The Four Seasons - Largo - Vivaldi
Gymno0pedie 1 - Satie
Moonlight Sonata - Adagio - Beethoven
Piano Concerto No 21 - Andante - Mozart "Elvira Madigan"

Customer Reviews:

the most relaxing classical music in the university.......2007-05-12

All my favorites. I can start the CD player, which is wired to speakers in every room of my house, and just let it play, along with "The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the World" and "The Most Relaxing Classical Guitar in the World." I enjoy an awareness of familiar and beautiful strains of my favorites all day long and never get tired of it.

My brother visited me recently and noticed it right away. That will be another order for this fabulour music.

Relaxing Classical Music.......2007-01-08

I was not really a classical music fan but I am now. I purchased this cd for my 14 year old grand-daughter, not knowing we would both enjoy the music so much. She has always enjoyed classical music along with all of the other teen music, rap, rock, country, etc.
Also, it really helped being able to listen to parts of the music before purchasing.

Stress-freedom.......2006-03-14

Perfect music to end the work day. After listening to this I can face the evening. If the morning is hard, a little at lunch time gets me through the afternoon.

Greatly enjoy!.......2006-02-23

I first developed a taste for this music a number of years ago when my daughter started playing in the orchestra. The reason I made this purchase however, was because I have a great deal of difficulty with anxiety and I was looking for ways to find help. I love these CDs. It helps so much to sit and close my eyes and enjoy the music. The CDs are full of beautiful music.

the most relaxing classical music in the universe.......2005-09-21

it's the best next to the first one...

Most Romantic Classical Music in the Universe

Average customer rating:

very romantic to make love by
Great Mood Music

Most Romantic Classical Music in the Universe
Gabriel Faure , Felix Mendelssohn , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Fryderyk Chopin , Franz Liszt , Erik Satie , Robert Schumann , Antonin Dvorak , Gustav Mahler , Sergey Rachmaninov , Leos Janacek , Cesar Franck , George Frideric Handel , Jules Massenet , Sergey Prokofiev , Catalan Traditional , and Various Artists
Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Ballads | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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More of the Most Romantic Classical Music in the Universe
The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe
More Of The Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe
The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever!
The Most Relaxing Classical Album In the World Ever, Volume II

ASIN: B00011V890
Release Date: 2004-01-13

Tracks:

BIZET Aragonaise from Carmen
DEBUSSY Clair de Lune
SAINT-SAS The Swan
BEETHOVEN Moonlight Sonata, Adagio
TARREGA Recuerdos
FAURE Aprun rrie
,MENDELSSOHN Song without Words Op. 19 #6
TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade for Strings, Elegia, Larghetto elegaico
CHOPIN Ballade No. 1
LISZT Liebestraume
SATIE Gymnopedies No. 1
SCHUMANN Abendlied
MENDELSSOHN Song without Words Op. 62 #5
DVORAK Serenade for Strings, Larghetto
BEETHOVEN Fse

Tracks:

MAHLER Symphony No. 5, Adagietto
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2, Adagio
JANACEK Idyll for Strings, Adagio
FRANCK Violin Sonata, Recitativo-Fantasia
HANDEL Largo from Xerxes
CHOPIN Etude in E Major
TCHAIKOVSKY Swan Lake (excerpt)
MASSENET Meditation from "Tha
PROKOFIEV Romeo & Juliet
TRADITIONAL Nocturne in F
TCHAIKOVSKY Nocturne in F
RACHMANINOFF Prelude

Customer Reviews:

very romantic to make love by.......2007-06-11

The music is seductive and promotes an atmosphere of feeling uninhibited when you are making love.

Great Mood Music.......2006-08-11

This is a great CD to compliment any romantic situation. A meal by candle light, champagne on the veranda, or a Jacuzzi for two! Very soothing.

DEBUT - Alisa Weilerstein & Vivian Hornik Weilerstein ~ Works for Cello and Piano

Average customer rating:

Hear Her Live
Weilerstein Debut
powefull
Florida Music Lover
Love it or hate it!

DEBUT - Alisa Weilerstein & Vivian Hornik Weilerstein ~ Works for Cello and Piano
Niccolo Paganini , Antonin Dvorak , Alberto Ginastera , Felix Mendelssohn , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Gabriel Faure , Leos Janacek , Camille Saint-Saens , Manuel de Falla , Alisa Weilerstein , and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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$6.99 and Under | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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Similar Items:

Dvorak Trios; Weilerstein Trio
Folklore
Gounod: Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cécile; Petite Symphonie for wind instruments
Starker Encore Album
The Road To Cello Playing

ASIN: B00003ZKRO
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Tracks:

Variations On One String On A Theme By Rossini
Forest Quietude, Op.68 No.5
Pampeana No.2, Op.21
Lied Ohne Worte, Op.109 (Posth.)
Pezzo Capriccioso, Op.62
Apres Un Reve, Op.7, No.1: After A Dream
Pohadka - Fairy Tale: I
Pohadka - Fairy Tale: II
Pohadka - Fairy Tale: III
The Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan
Popular Spanish Suite: I. El Pano Moruno (The Moorish Cloth)
Popular Spanish Suite: II. Asturiana
Popular Spanish Suite: III. Jota
Popular Spanish Suite: IV. Nana (Lullaby)
Popular Spanish Suite: V. Cancion (Song)
Popular Spanish Suite: VI. Polo

Customer Reviews:

Hear Her Live.......2006-12-19

You must witness Alisa Weilerstein live. I fell in love with her playing at the Spoleto festival where she played the basso continuo part of a Bach Brandenberg Concerto as if it was the Dvorak Cello Concerto. She has a passion for music that i have not heard or seen. And in her early 20s. Oh my gosh what a performer she will eventually be!

Weilerstein Debut.......2006-01-21

I've been playing the cello for almost 40 years and I agree about the complaints about the vibrato and phrasing: overdone! I also agree with the question about "aristocratic" playing: why all of the exaggeration? Instrument playing should ideally be like that of a vocalist, where one is not limited by one's technical abilities. I doubt that Ms. Weilerstein would sing these phrasese the same way she plays them. There is still time for her to develop, however. If you want to hear more refined playing, listen to Gendron, Rose, Fournier or Rostropovich.

powefull.......2005-12-18

I am a cellist of 15 years on the breakthrough of becoming a renowed cellist. This cellist tone is so powerfull and clear.she tells a story this is so clear to understand because the music speaks. alisa should watch the slurs from the f to b and be more gracefull. The apres un reve was ok i guess. she really should of tooken more time. like floating on a dream cloud. when i play this piece i take the music from the begining as a fuzzy dream and play the pitch so the music tells a story and becomes more clear every measure. The elgar is somenthing she might not want to touch because no one plays it better than du pre.

Florida Music Lover.......2002-10-12

I have been fond of the cello for years. I have enjoyed Casals even though he was somewhate austere. I love Rostropovich's tone and color but have felt that no one has ever played with the passion of Du Pre until I heard Weilerstein on, I believe, NPR when they played an unreleased tape of the Elgar Concerto by Weilerstein. I missed the intro and would have bet the farm that I was listening to Du Pre until the announcement at the end. I immediately ordered this disc and it has me wondering about re-incarnation. Is Du Pre back? This disc is a wonderful sample of the immense talents of this new young artist. I can't wait for Alisa to record the my favorite Elgar for EMI.

Love it or hate it!.......2002-05-21

SUCH PRESENCE! This is cello playing without apologies. She is always secure in what she is saying whether that is what you wanted to hear or not. She is the real thing. May she go onto continue to create controvery through her playing!

Average customer rating:

Good job
Masterful!
Great CD of Classical music's power pieces!

Time Life Presents: Classical Thunder

Manufacturer: Time Life Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | 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

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

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

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Thunderous Classics
Thunder & Lightning
25 Thunderous Classics
Classical Thunder II: Time Life Library of Classical Favorites
Heavy Classix

ASIN: B00081U6XC
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

Introduction
Ride Of The Valkyries
Mars, The Bringer Of War
Montagues And Capulets
Sabre Dance
William Tell Overture (Conclusion)
In The Hall Of The Mountain King
The Hut On Fowl's Legs
The Great Gate At Kiev
Fanfare For The Common Man
Allegro Con Brio
Marche Au Supplice (March To The Scaffold)
Sacrificial Dance (The Chosen One)
Circus Maximus
Les Toreadors
Finlandia, Op.26
1812 Overture, Op.49 (Conclusion)

Tracks:

Procession Of The Nobles
Rakoczy March
Ritual Fire Dance
The Hero's Battlefield
Pines Of The Appian Way
Dies Irae
Allegro Con Brio
Allegretto
Air Et Danse Bacchanale
Farandole
Infernal Dance Of King Kastchei
O Fortuna
The Wedding Of Kije
Hurricane
Marche Slave, Op.31

Customer Reviews:

Good job.......2005-08-26

I remember when I was little, I had this cd, but i lost it. I bought a similiar type of one through TIme Life and decided to try the Classical Thunder one. I have like it so far.

Masterful!.......2005-06-15

This two CD set is magnificent. I got the set in the early 1990's when it was advertised on television, along with other releases in Time Life's set. I was struck by the interpretations of the conductors. Whenever I hear these pieces now, I judge them against this recording. Amazing selection as well. There are staples of orchestra repetoire, like Beethoven symphonies, but also gems that are not heard very often, like the Rimsky-Korsakov "Procession of the Nobles." A very impressive recording.

Great CD of Classical music's power pieces!.......2005-06-07

I got this CD when I was around 16 because I loved a lot of the music on this double CD set. As a student pursuing a Music Education major, it has been a great asset for my musically, and just great for listening to. I will drive on short trips and take this with me and blast it louder than the guy in the next car blasting rap music. I also take it skiing as it sets a great tempo down the mountain. This is a great CD for anyone that loves music.

Average customer rating:

No ordinary "best of" album
Best of Kozena Spotlighted Beautifully on This Generous Two-Disc Compilation

Enchantment

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

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Mozart Arias
Lamento
Tragédiennes
Angelika Kirchschlager Handel arias
Russian Album

ASIN: B000F5WNUA
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

Nuit Resplendissante
Les Tringles Des Sistres Tintaient
Voi Che Sapete Che Cosa E Amor
Che Sento?
Se Pieta Di Me Non Senti
Piangero La Sorte Mia
Da Tempeste Il Legno Infranto
Air Gracieux-L'Amour, Le Seul Amour
Air-Allez, Jeune Guerrier
O Vulnera, Vita Coelestis
Vergnugte Ruh
Erbarme Dich
Voli Per L'Aria-L'Uomo, Che Nacque
Tra La Fiamme Tu Scherzi

Tracks:

Ach, Dass Ich Wassers G'Nug Hatte
Schafe Konnen Sicher Weiden
Kommt, Ihr Angefochtnen Sunder
De Torrente - Annick Massis
Che Non Mi Disse Un Di!
Quegli Occhi Belli - Susan Gritton
Deh, Per Questo Istante Solo
J'ai Verse Le Poison
Il Tramonto
Potomki
The Highland Balou
17. Who Is The Posy For?
5. A Lover's Picture
19. Little Posy
16. Constancy
1. Love
38. Parting
18. My Lover's Horses
Good Night, My Darling
2. Zalo Dievca

Customer Reviews:

No ordinary "best of" album.......2006-09-24

In this set Kozena hand picks the music from her previous recordings, and makes a strong case that she is one of the most accomplished singers in classical music today. To say that this is a wide selection would be an understatement; she sings music from Bach, Mozart, Handel, Bizet, Gluck, Respigghi, Dvorak, and many more. This light mezzo has an absolutely beautiful voice. It is amazingly even throughout her very wide register, and her coloratura is superb. No wonder she won the Gramophone Magazine award for classical music artist of the year in 2005.

So if you get this 2 CD set, be prepared for well over 2 hours of beautiful singing, and a bonus video of "Kommt, ihr angefochtnen Sunder". It's a fun little clip that you can watch on your computer (I tried it on my DVD player but no dice). To me her renditions of Bach are the most beautiful I've heard. Also she sings some beautiful Handel from Giulio Cesare and an exquisite Handel duet with soprano Annick Massis. But my very favorite was Gluck's "Quegli occhi belli" from the opera Paride ed Elena, It is simply one of the most beautiful pieces of vocal music I've ever heard. Now I'm going to have to get the full recording of Paride ed Elena, in fact it's #1 on my wish list.

Best of Kozena Spotlighted Beautifully on This Generous Two-Disc Compilation.......2006-05-21

What a treat to have this Whitman's Sampler of the often magnificent vocal work of Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozena. At over two hours, this personally selected two-disc compilation reflects the wide variety of material she has covered in her nearly decade-long recording career. What continues to impress me about her voice is how lightly shaded her tone can be for a mezzo and how her range moves fluidly from hushed whisper to throbbing fortissimo. Throughout the span of this collection, Kozena complements her considerable vocal gifts with an ability to inhabit the drama of the arias whether inhabiting a specific role or setting a particular mood. It's masterful work for such a relatively young singer.

Her rich Baroque repertoire is highlighted here. The Handel selections, though familiar, are superb. She makes an impressively volatile Cleopatra in Marc Minkowski's 2002 production of "Giulio Cesare", and the focus on this disc is the grand final sequence - "Se pieta di me non senti", "Piangero la sorte mia" and "Da tempeste il legno infranto". She complements this sequence with another impressive Minkowski collaboration, a 2001 performance of Handel's cantata, "Tra la fiamme", where she trills in fulsome Italianate style, as well as a sonorous duet with soprano Annick Massis on the penultimate "De torrente" from a 2000 performance of "Dixit Dominus".

Mozart is also well represented with two pieces performed with plaintive emotion and sharp articulation - Cherubino's Act II arietta, "Voi che sapete che cosa e amor", from "Le nozze di Figaro" and a more recent turn in the travesty role of Sesto on "Deh, per questo istant solo" from his last opera, "La clemenza di Tito". Kozena showcases her impeccable German diction on four majestic J.S. Bach selections, most notably "Vergnuegte Ruh, beliebte Seelenlust" (taken from her luminous "Lamento" disc released last year) showcasing her dramatic acumen and luminous tone. I was particularly enraptured by the opening lament on disc two, J.C. Bach's "Ach, dass ich Wassers g'nug hatte", which puts voice to a sinner's guilt.

The rest of the collection showcases her versatility in other genres with an exploration into late 19th-early 20th century French arias on Gounod's haunting "Nuit respendissante" and Massenet's intoxicating "J'ai verse le poison" from his late-period opera, "Cleopatre". Another high point is her enchanting performance of Respighi's fifteen-minute "Il Tramonto". Not surprisingly, Kozena provides a generous sampling of works from Czech composers performed in her native tongue - Myslevecek's "Che non mi disse", Dvorak's "Dobru noc, ma mila" and "Zalo dievca" and Janacek's melancholy "Seven Moravian Folksongs" - all done with intense feeling. I was fortunate to be able to see her memorable portrayal of Varvara in Janacek's "Kat'a Kabanova" at the Met last year.

Some of the selections truthfully do not show off her talents as well, for example, Britten's gratefully brief "The Highland Balou" in which she applies a rather erratic Scottish brogue, and a breathless turn as Carmen on Bizet's "Les tringles des sistres tintaient", a fiery performance but one done to death by a number of sopranos and mezzos through the years. Regardless, these are minor missteps for this wondrous singer. As a bonus, there is also a video clip of Kozena performing J.S. Bach's "Kommt, ihr angefochtnen Sunder". As one of the first of Deutsche Grammophon's Portrait of the Artist series, this is a terrific compilation of the work from a lovely talent still blooming.

Average customer rating:

Piano/Dreams

Piano Dreams

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pavanes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Fantasies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00007L4R7
Release Date: 2003-01-07

Tracks:

Erik Satie: Gymnopidie No.1 - Lent et douloureux
Franz Liszt: Rjve D'Amour No. 3 in A-flat major
Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky: Octobre - Chant D'Automne
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in A minor, Ks. 310 - II. Andante catabile con espressione
Ludwig van Beethoven: : Sonata No.14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 Moonlight - I. Adagio sestenuto
Robert Schumann: : Fantaisie in C major, Op. 17 III. Langsam getragen. Durchweg leise zu halten
Sergei Rachmaninov: Eligie in E-flat minor, Op. 3 No.1
Paderewski: Nocturne in B flat, Op. 16 No. 4
Erik Satie: Gnossienne No.1
Maurice Ravel: Pavane pour une infante difunte
George Gershwin: Prelude No. 2
George Gershwin: Love Walked In

Tracks:

Claude Debussy: Clair de lune (from Suite Bergamasque)
Edvard Grieg: Notturno in C major (Pihces lyriques, Op. 54 No. 4)
Alexander Scriabin: Prilude in F-sharp minor, Op. 11 No. 8
Frederic Chopin: Nocturne in C minor, Op. 48 No.1
Frederic Chopin: Nocturne in C-sharp minor
Franz Liszt: Au lac de Wallenstadt (Annis de phlerinage, I. La Suisse)
Claude Debussy: La soiree dans Grenade
Artur Rubinstein: Melody In F
Maurice Ravel: Ondine (from Gaspardde la nuit)
Francis Poulenc: Improvisations in C minor, FP 176 No.15- Hommage A Edith Piaf
Sergei Rachmaninov: Prelude in F- sharp minor, Op. 23
Gabrilovich: Melodie in F
Leos Janacek: On the Overgrown Path
Samuel Barber: Sonate Op. 26 - III. Adagio mesto
Roger Quilter: The Crimson Petal
Henri Dutilleux: D'ombre et de silence (from 3 Preludes)

Customer Reviews:

Piano/Dreams.......2003-02-24

I love this cd so much I been play in my store all time and so many customers come up to ask what's cd are we playing and where to get it, i give them all information I know. we love it.

Average customer rating:

One of the great Twentieth Century operas in its best production

Janácek: Káta Kabanová

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Czech | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Janacek - From the House of the Dead / Mackerras
Janacek: Jenufa / Mackerras, Soderstrom, et al
Beethoven: Fidelio
Leos Janácek: The Cunning Little Vixen - Lucia Popp / Eva Randová / Dalibor Jedlicka / Vienna Philharmonic / Vienna State Opera Chorus / Sir Charles Mackerras
Britten: Peter Grimes

ASIN: B000E6EGYG
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Tracks:

Zazrak!
Pojd'me Mu S Cesty!
Proc Bych Neodpovedel
Co Pak Je?
Chces-Li matky Poslechnout
Tak Vidis, Porad Jen Pro Ni!
Interlude I
Vis, Co Mi Napadlo
Nu Coz?
Je Cas, Tichone
Vida, Chvastala Jsi Se
Vida! Nestesti!
Nic Zvlastniho
Interlude II
Nikoho Tu Neni!
Vida, Taky Si Vysel Na Toulku!
Za Vodou, Za Vodickou
Jste To Vy, Katerino Petrovno?
To Jste Si Vymyslily Peknou Vec!

Tracks:

Krape!
Celeho Mne To Pokropilo
Pssst! Pssst! Zda Se, Ze Je To On!
Ach, Varvaro!
Ach Glaso!
Videt Se S Nim
Svedl Nas Buh!
Ptacci Prileti Na Mohylu
I. Allegro - David Atherton
II. Adagio - David Atherton
III. Allegretto - David Atherton
IV. Andante - David Atherton
I. Moderato - David Atherton
II. Piu Mosso - David Atherton
II. Con Moto - David Atherton
III. Allegro - David Atherton

Customer Reviews:

One of the great Twentieth Century operas in its best production.......2006-11-30

This is a very welcome digitally remastered release of Charles Mackerras' classic recording of Janacek's operatic masterpiece Kat'a Kabanova. If you have never heard a Janacek opera, Kat'a Kabanova will be unlike any you've experienced. Moreover, if you believed until now that Richard Strauss and Puccini have a monopoly on the expression of intense passion in Twentieth Century opera, Janacek will surely change your opinion. With the possible exception of the final 10 minutes of Janacek's 'The Makropulos Case,' Kat'a Kabanova features the most passionate music Janacek ever wrote. But this is not to say that his is the 'lush-romantic' musical passion to which fans of Nineteenth Century opera are accustommed (e.g., Massenet's music). Janacek's is the expression in music of intense, sometimes even painful, longing (one Janacek scholar refers to his music as the ultimate in 'musical expressionism') -- an accomplishment all the more remarkable in view of the fact that Janacek is almost completely devoid of Wagner's influence. In Kat'a Kabanova, Janacek assaults the listener with the kind of unremitting tension achieved by Wagner in Tristan but through the employment of his own unique musical idiom, which also has little in common with the Czech musical tradition of Dvorak and Smetana. In this respect Janacek is, like Mussorgsky, sui generis; his style is all his own. Of very few composers can this be said.

In my view, Kat'a Kabanova is Janacek's masterpiece. Kabanova is the first of Janacek's last four operas and is (musically) considerably more accessible than the final two, 'The Makropulos Case' and 'From The House of the Dead' -- though if you find yourself attracted to Kabanova, you will surely want to explore all of Janacek's operatic work. (In particular, 'From the House of the Dead,' based on Dostoevsky's memoirs from his time in a Siberian labor camp, is a masterpiece of operatic realism -- it is surely one of the most grim operas ever written, even moreso than Berg's Wozzeck.) The plot of Kat'a Kabanova, which is considerably more conventional than Janacek's other librettos (e.g., his next opera, The Cunning Little Vixen, features a cast comprised mostly of animals!), is based on the novel 'The Storm' by the Russian writer Victor Ostrovsky, and revolves around a woman (Kat'a) who is painfully trapped in a loveless marriage. While her husband is away, she has an affair that eventually leads to her suicide from despair and guilt. The final scene featuring a long 'aria' by Kat'a (Janacek didn't generally include true arias in his operas after his third opera, Jenufa) in which she expresses her feelings, among other things, about her own impending suicide, is utterly captivating.

There is a more recent recording of Kabanova that is also conducted by Charles Mackerras (who almost single-handedly rescued Janacek's operas from undeserved obscurity), but the singing is not quite up to Soderstrom's and Dvorsky's in Mackerras' earlier recording of the opera, which was the first of what became his 'cycle' of Janacek operas for Decca.

Let me conclude by saying that if you are looking for a new and dramatic direction in your opera listening, Janacek may well be your man. If you've had enough of Wagner's (and Strauss's) 'endless melody' and have grown tired of the pretty arias and big choruses of the Italians, give Kat'a Kabanova a try -- you won't be disappointed.

Leos Janacek: String Quartet No. 1 "Kreutzer Sonata" / String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters" / Violin Sonata - Prazak Quartet / Vaclav Remes / Sachiko Kayahara

Average customer rating:

Janacek: String Quartets No. 1 and No. 2
I was blown away!
amazing CD
Superb Musicianship
Passionate playing and great music

Leos Janacek: String Quartet No. 1 "Kreutzer Sonata" / String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Letters" / Violin Sonata - Prazak Quartet / Vaclav Remes / Sachiko Kayahara

Manufacturer: Praga Czech Rep.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005W15
Release Date: 1997-12-09

Tracks:

Str Qt No.1: I. Adagio. Con Moto
Str Qt No.1: II. Con Moto
Str Qt No.1: III. Con Moto. Vivace. Andante. Tempo I.
Str Qt No.1: IV. Con Moto
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Str Qt No.2, 'Intimate Letters': Moderato-Adagio-Allegro
Str Qt No.2, 'Intimate Letters': Allegro-Andante-Con Moto-Adagio-Tempo I

Amazon.com

Janácek's two string quartets are without question the most exiting pieces of their type composed this century, and they are certainly among the most enjoyable. Both have strong programmatic components. The First Quartet was inspired by Tolstoy's story "The Kreutzer Sonata," a passionate protest against the maltreatment of women. The Second Quartet, subtitled Intimate Letters, describes the composer's love affair with a woman 38 years his junior (it was a one-sided love; she was happily married and apparently totally confused by Jan´cek's attentions). Both works are superbly performed by the Panocha Quartet, one of the finest string quartets in the world. This music belongs in every collection. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Janacek: String Quartets No. 1 and No. 2.......2007-06-04

This stunning, passionate work is wonderfully performed by the Prazak Quartet.

I was blown away!.......2005-04-10

When I got the chance to hear this group of extremely talented musicians live in concert, I almost leapt for joy. Their tone and balance is superb, while they have been together so long they "know the lay of the land." This CD expresses the sheer quality in my favorite quartet today. The Prazak was made to play Janacek.

amazing CD.......2003-01-01

WOW! what a recording... I've had this CD for several years, and I'm always blown away by the way the Prazak quartet interprets these pieces. Technically, they play the two pieces nearly flawlessly, and there is all the necessary fire and virtuosity where it's needed.

These four guys (who I think went to school together in Prague) are just as good to watch. I recently saw them perform, but unfortunately, they didn't do either of the Janacek quartets. Still a great concert- it's a lot different than seeing a modern American group (Emerson et al), since the the first violinist here tends to do nearly all the leading. Listening to this CD, though, you'd never get any indication of all the visual cues coming from the first violin- there's a lot of democratic blending of the sound here.

In keeping with the way much of Janacek's music is composed, the Prazak quartet really does a great job at bringing out the sharp, sudden changes in different characters. It'll go from agitation one moment to then tenderness the next- it's what makes these pieces really fascinating.

Superb Musicianship.......2002-05-24

I had the distinct pleasure of hearing the Prazak Quartet in concert a few years ago and was struck by the combination of impeccable technical skill, perfectly balanced instruments, and musical 'cooperation' between members. They are actually *listening* to each other as they play.

Too often first violinists tend to dominate to the point of 'always being there' throughout the piece but Prazak's Vaclav Remes understands the importance of getting out of the way and this produces a truly beautiful ebb and flow between the various instrument ranges. Bravo!!!

The quality of these Praga/Harmonia Mundi recordings is also superb and, while not the same as 'live' chamber music, it is definitely worth the nominial price of a CD to hear such superb playing on demand. Encore!

Passionate playing and great music.......2000-08-18

Janacek's quartets are unique musical and psychological experiences, and the Prazak Quartet manages to capture the excitement and tension of each one. They have a lovely, dark sound appropriate to Janacek as well. The violin sonata is an interesting bonus. While not as compelling as either string quartet, it is rather powerful, and expertly played here.

Average customer rating:

Amazing! The reason I decided to become a music major!
Utterly Necessary

Class Brass - On The Edge

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Customer Reviews:

Amazing! The reason I decided to become a music major!.......2002-11-18

This is one of the most inspirational CD's I have ever listened to. Not only is the playing perfect, the choice in music for the CD is perfect. It provides the listener with several different styles, and yet many similar styles. The group plays the traditional Russian pieces with flair and great musicianship, such as the Stravinsky and the Shostakovich. The main reason that I enjoy this CD is that each player is performing their best for this album. Each player sounds even more amazing than they usually do. I especially enjoy when Sam takes the tuba solo from Russian Sailors' Dance down an octave. Each performer from this group is one of the best in the world on their respective instruments. In conclusion, all I can say is that this CD is amazing.

Utterly Necessary.......2000-10-24

This was the first brass quintet cd I ever purchased, and it has been by far the best. This group's sound is seriously unparalleled by any other quintet, including Canadian Brass. The blend and unity of style is so perfect that one is encompassed by the music, hearing each part individually and as part of the whole at the same time. Playing arrangements of excellent orchestral music, the Empire Brass Quintet truly demonstrates its virtuosity.